chicagosun-times--2020-05-29--Illinois records 86 more coronavirus deaths as state enters next reopening stage (LIVE UPDATES)

86 more coronavirus deaths as Illinois enters next reopening stage Health officials announced Illinois ’ latest 86 coronavirus deaths on Friday as thousands of businesses across the state geared up for the next phase of Gov .
J.B. Pritzker ’ s reopening plan .
With the COVID-19 death toll raised to 5,270 , the Illinois Department of Public Health also announced an additional 1,622 people have tested positive for the virus out of 21,796 tests administered a day earlier .
At least one of those new patients was reported in downstate Edgar County , which had been one of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tallied any COVID-19 cases over four months since Illinois ’ first case was confirmed .
That leaves Scott County , about 55 miles west of Springfield , as the only county on the state map without any reported coronavirus cases .
A total of 117,455 people have tested positive for the virus across Illinois ’ other 101 counties .
Almost half the cases have stemmed from long-term care facilities , and the vast majority of patients have already recovered , state Public Health Director Dr. Ngozi Ezike said Thursday .
But more than @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Read the full report from Mitch Armentrout here .
7:15 p.m. Singer John Vincent lifts seniors ’ spirits one ballad at a time via nursing home ‘ concerts ’ While singer John Vincent provides hope and cheer by performing classic hits to senior citizens through nursing home “ concerts ” around Chicago , his heart is heavy .
“ We ’ re in unprecedented times where the unemployment rate is the highest since the Great Depression .
When I ’ m singing , all of this is weighing on my head , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is constantly spinning , so I ’ ll experience waves of anxiety and happiness and sadness during one song.
” Amid the COVID-19 pandemic , Vincent , a Southwest Side native and the Cubs ’ resident National Anthem singer since 2003 , was approached by a Chicago police commander whose district is in the shadow of Wrigley Field , about performing nursing home “ concerts ” for residents .
4:24 p.m. Order to prevent spread of coronavirus at Cook County Jail to continue while sheriff ’ s office appeals A federal judge ruled @ @ @ @ @ @ @ prevent the spread of the coronavirus at the Cook County Jail will continue while the sheriff ’ s office appeals .
Issuing his ruling , U.S. District Judge Matthew Kennelly said the sheriff ’ s office has not presented a “ strong showing ” that its appeal of his preliminary injunction is likely to be successful .
Attorneys for jail detainees filed a class-action lawsuit against Sheriff Tom Dart in March demanding the release of detainees who are at high risk of complications from COVID-19 .
Kennelly denied widespread release of the inmates @ @ @ @ @ @ @ including widespread testing , as well as actions to socially distance detainees and provide them with access to personal protective equipment .
The sheriff ’ s office has argued that staff were already taking action to prevent the spread of the virus as they work to keep detainees healthy and continue to functionally operate the jail .
Read the full report from Matthew Hendrickson here .
Employees at Salon Antou in downtown Evanston wore face masks and face shields as they worked on customers .
Gail Kaitis said the safety measures made her @ @ @ @ @ @ @ needed the help , she said .
“ I ’ ve just been looking at my hair and thinking how awful it looks .
It just proved to me I don ’ t ever want to go grey , ” said Kaitis , who hadn ’ t had her hair done in 15 weeks .
At the nearby Blissful Nail Salon Gail Kelly , a retired grade school teacher , sat and waited for a chair to open up .
“ It feels like a regular day and that ’ s sort of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , 67 .
“ And I have this one nail that always splits and I ’ m glad to have my nails done again.
” Pink was her color of choice .
3:12 p.m. Coronavirus testing : an updated guide on what ’ s available , what it does , what ’ s coming Much has changed about testing for current COVID-19 infection and antibody testing for past exposure .
Here ’ s an updated guide on what you need to know .
2:40 p.m. Harvey barbershop opens for clients : ‘ It @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Friday ’ Chairs are stacked up neatly in the corner where the waiting area used to be at C ’ styles Barbershop in Harvey .
Two young clients wear face masks as they get haircuts from barbers who also have their faces covered .
“ This is the first day back , so this is definitely a new experience just dealing with the new protocols , ” owner Cory Young said .
“ We always follow good sanitation practices , but we have to go the extra mile now .
And it ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Barbers sanitize their chairs after each client .
Everyone is required to wear a face mask when they enter the shop .
The shop is only taking clients with appointments .
Young said barbers were trained in sanitation practices way before the pandemic .
“ We pretty much prepared for it back in barber college , ” Young said .
“ So , it ’ s really just making sure we ’ re going back to our roots and practicing everything we learned about sanitation.
” The shop had five clients Friday morning @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people call for appointments .
“ It ’ s pretty much like a normal Friday , ” Young said Six of Chicago ’ s most popular restaurant corridors will be closed to through traffic to give restaurants more space and revenue from outdoor dining under a long-awaited mayoral rescue plan unveiled Friday .
At a time when indoor dining is still prohibited in Illinois , Mayor Lori Lori Lightfoot has been talking for weeks about finding ways to make outdoor dining more lucrative by allowing restaurants with sidewalk café permits to set up @ @ @ @ @ @ @ On Friday , the mayor took the first step toward delivering that plan for restaurants fighting for survival in Chatham , Lake View , Little Village , the Gold Coast , the Near West Side and West Loop .
Six commercial corridors will be closed to through traffic during designated lunch and dinner hours following a streamlined permit process that Illinois Restaurant Association President Sam Toia hopes will take “ days — not weeks.
” Check out a list of the six corridors here .
Michael Lorenzo , owner of Papa Joe ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ parking spaces in front of the restaurant into an outdoor dining area .
“ Judging from the reaction of the phone calls , so far , I think we ’ re going to be pretty busy , ” Lorenzo said .
“ We have a nice big parking lot in the back , so we ’ ll keep everybody flowing through.
” Managers have met with staff members to go over safety protocols .
Customers can expect to be using disposable eating utensils rather than silverware .
Lorenzo said it ’ s been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the decision to let restaurants serve customers outdoors “ happened so fast.
” “ We wish we would have got more notice , but we ’ re happy that we got some notice at all , ” he said .
“ It ’ s a challenge , but restaurant guys get stuff done.
” Meanwhile , at Chuy ’ s Tex Mex in Orland Park , almost every table on the restaurant ’ s patio was filled with customers .
General manager Jose Salazar said the turnout was better than he expected .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ priority is the safety of the customer and the staff , ” Salazar said .
“ So we ’ ve been trying to take every measure from the CDC.
” He said staff constantly are sanitizing washrooms , door handles and tables.Area supervisor Larry Cappos said the pandemic has been rough on business .
“ The pandemic has hit the restaurant industry as a whole very hard , but we ’ re making the best of it , ” Cappos said .
“ We ’ re looking forward to at least serving the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ there.
” Marla Cramin , owner of Sarkis Cafe in Evanston , said customers were brimming with enthusiasm on social media after she posted about reopening for outdoor service .
“ People were like , ‘ Can we camp out so we can be the first in line ?
’ and ‘ I ’ m going to bring beer and a band !
’ and “ Can we picnic ?
’ ” she said .
“ No one camped out , but we did have people here at 6 a.m. when we opened.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ that we have such a cult-like following.
” She ’ s also lucky to have acquired a grassy lot adjacent to the restaurant where she set up tables .
She plans to erect a tent over the tables this weekend .
“ I bought it in December , and the timing couldn ’ t have been better , ” she said .
Her daughter , 19 , and two sons , ages 20 and 24 , were on hand helping out .
“ My daughter is waiting tables , my son is sanitizing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ up outdoor speakers , ” she said .
Hair salons and barber shops in Chicago ’ s suburbs are reopening after being closed since March as part of the COVID-19 shutdowns .
There ’ s plenty of pent up demand .
Here ’ s a snapshot of what ’ s happening in the downtown area of north suburban suburb of Highland Park on the hair front : After being closed since March 21 , H.P .
Hair Image Inc. , 486 Central Ave. , reopened on Friday , with strict sanitation protocols .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ gowned .
Patricia and Jim Mayberry have been in business on this downtown strip for 36 years .
Jim Mayberry said that in anticipation of the reopening , he ordered 800 masks , 4,000 gloves , 24 face shields for use during blow dries and 2,000 Clorox wipes .
And that ’ s only the partial list .
The salon is using no-touch thermometers to take temperature of employees and customers .
On Friday morning , Stepan Mikula , the owner of The Barbers , 1874 Sheridan Rd .
closed since March 14 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his newly painted and rearranged shop .
He is reopening on Saturday and has appointments booked for the day .
He is spreading the chairs apart in order to following social distancing rules .
Friday was the grand opening of Larry ’ s , 1815 St. Johns Ave. , a new barber shop in this suburb , the third in a north suburban chain .
Owner Larry Arkalious said the shop would have been opened in March if not for the pandemic closures .
Joe Lane , of Glenview , who was Larry @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said while waiting for his haircut that his wife has been trimming his hair during the shelter-in-place order .
“ It ’ s the start of a change .
It ’ s like the door has cracked open a bit .
... We can sit outside here and have a conversation , ” said John Delano , 72 , seated at a sidewalk table Friday morning outside Prairie Joe ’ s in Evanston .
Delano had had a cup of ice tea and a bowl of oatmeal for breakfast .
“ It ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ little bit back to normal , ” said Dan Cawley , 83 , who who owns Harold ’ s Hardware store down the block and was seated across from Delano .
Owner Aydin Dincer said it ’ s been tough to adjust to a carryout business .
“ But we have a loyal support base , so that ’ s helped .
I ’ m very excited today to have people back , even if it ’ s just on the sidewalk , ” he said .
The diner is on the Central @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stadium where the Northwestern University football team plays .
The street had a bit of a buzz to it Friday , the first day Evanston loosened restrictions on a number of businesses , including sidewalk seating for restaurants and indoor salon and barber services .
Philip Palmeri , owner of Trio Evanston , a hair salon , said he ’ s expecting his first customers to enter his shop since March .
9:31 a.m. Illinois starts reopening today ; here ’ s what it looks like Most of Illinois is set to move @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
J.B. Pritzker ’ s “ Restore Illinois ” plan Friday , a crucial step toward restoring the life Illinoisans once knew .
But that doesn ’ t mean all will necessarily go back to normal in the suburbs .
Pritzker ’ s plan still restricts gatherings to 10 people or fewer .
Face coverings are required in public .
Retailers may open , but with limited capacity .
Barbershops , salons and gyms must follow certain rules .
The governor released guidelines last weekend to help retailers , manufacturers , barbershops , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ other businesses prepare for the move 10 weeks after Pritzker ’ s stay-at-home order first went into effect March 21 .
Pritzker ’ s plan allows restaurants and bars to open for outdoor dining only , limited to parties of six people or fewer .
Youth sports activities are limited to drills , practices and lessons that involve no contact between kids and allow for 6 feet of social distancing .
Fitness classes are limited to one-on-one training , outdoor classes with a maximum of 10 participants and no contact between attendees .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ salons , barbershops , nail salons , spas , massage parlors , waxing centers and tattoo parlors — can only be performed while the customer and employee are both wearing face masks .
And massages and body treatments are limited to 30 minutes or less .
Read the full report from Jon Seidel here 8:17 a.m. Woodfield Mall to reopen Friday , with others to follow Woodfield Mall in Schaumburg will reopen Friday , but other suburban shopping centers will wait until next week or haven ’ t disclosed their plans .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ public relations firm ’ s invitations to media to take photos and videos at the mall Friday morning .
Woodfield ’ s owner , Simon Property Group , did not respond to inquiries about its plans .
A mall employee told the Chicago Sun-Times that it would open at 11 a.m. Friday .
Simon also was unavailable to discuss plans for its other suburban properties , Gurnee Mills in Gurnee , Chicago Premium Outlets in Aurora and Orland Square in Orland Park .
Hawthorn Mall in Vernon Hills and Fox Valley Mall in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Oakbrook Center in Oak Brook , Spring Hill Mall in West Dundee and Northbrook Court in Northbrook , all owned by Brookfield Properties , have not issued reopening plans .
Brookfield did not reply to inquiries .
The malls mostly have been closed to shoppers except for curbside service during the coronavirus pandemic .
Read the full story from David Roeder here .
7:02 a.m. Pritzker bolsters testing rules for nursing homes , issues Phase 3 ‘ guidance ’ for churches As the state reopens non-essential businesses and lifts other restrictions after entering @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Gov .
J.B. Pritzker said Thursday that he plans to enact that will require each nursing home to develop its own individualized testing and plan and document an established relationship with a testing lab .
“ This new rule will require nursing homes to conduct testing , when experiencing an outbreak , when an outbreak is suspected , testing even when there is no sign of an outbreak , in line with new federal guidance issued this week , or when directed by IDPH or their local health department to do testing , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ facility will be required to report to public health officials the number of residents and staff tested , and the number of positive and negative test results .
The facilities must also make sure a copy of infection control policies and procedures is provided to residents and to the families of residents , along with IDPH or local health departments , upon request , the governor ’ s office said .
The governor said the rule doesn ’ t deviate from what the state is already doing , but it gives the Illinois @ @ @ @ @ @ @ teeth in securing buy-in from these private entities .
6:28 a.m .
The future of riding the CTA : Here ’ s how Chicago commutes will change It ’ s the million-dollar question in the world of transit : What will commuting look like ?
No one is sure .
Human behavior is hard to predict .
But here ’ s how it might play out .
Beginning in June , workers at the CTA ’ s control center will monitor live video feeds of high ridership stations to watch for platform crowding @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be made over the public address system asking customers to spread out or wait for the next train if the incoming one is full .
About 90 people fill a jam-packed CTA train car in normal times .
Capacity will be down significantly with social distancing , but CTA officials couldn ’ t immediately provide an estimate .
The CTA will also be placing floor decals at stations and platforms reminding people to spread out .
Reporter Mitch Dudek has more on the future of commuting on the CTA , Metra and Pace @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more cases of COVID-19 , bringing the number of cases in the department to 556 .
• State health officials on Thursday announced 104 more deaths attributed to the coronavirus , raising Illinois ’ pandemic toll to 5,186 .
• A pair of Cook County judges have tested positive for COVID-19 , marking the first cases of the coronavirus in judges of the Circuit Court , officials announced Thursday .
5:25 p.m. Gov .
Pritzker walks a fine line between public safety and angry critics in reopening Illinois In the period just before @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his first stay-at-home order in March , houses of worship in Illinois reportedly experienced 13 COVID-19 outbreaks , resulting in 88 cases .
Since then , according to the Illinois Department of Public Health , iIllinois has seen no such outbreaks — until one was revealed last week .
IDPH told me of a very recent church-related outbreak of 39 cases , including the pastor .
That outbreak was acknowledged last Wednesday by the administrator of the Jackson County Health Department .
The administrator told WSIU Radio that the unnamed Southern Illinois church @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the governor ’ s stay-at-home order .
And now , you got ta figure more church-related outbreaks could happen if people aren ’ t careful .
Pritzker told reporters last week that his administration will be posting “ guidance , not mandatory restrictions , for all faith leaders to use in their efforts to ensure the health and safety of their congregants.
” He said the guidance would be “ suggestions ” on capacity limits , indoor gatherings of 10 persons or less , etc .
“ Governor Pritzker has capitulated , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in a trio of church lawsuits charging Illinois ’ governor with religious discrimination , ” a spokesperson for the organization said .
And then Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul filed his office ’ s response , mandated by U.S. Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh , to an emergency request by two Illinois churches that wanted the governor ’ s restrictions lifted .
In that response , Raoul claimed the two churches ’ filing was basically moot because the governor ’ s executive order would expires the next day .
3:51 p.m. University of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ workers — head back to campus Some student workers at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign will return to campus next week to start preparing for their football and men ’ s basketball seasons .
Did I say workers ?
Yes , that ’ s what they are .
The university calls them student-athletes , and they are that , too .
But please make no mistake .
They are employees at the U. of I .
That they are going back , though summer classes were moved online because of the pandemic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the university .
They are not just students or athletes .
They are workers , too .
It looks like they will be treated a lot better than many other workers across America .
They are fortunate in that regard .
In announcing the athletes ’ return , the school said it was coordinating with sports medicine staff , local doctors and the Champaign-Urbana Public Health District .
That ’ s a lot of oversight .
June workouts will be voluntary at the U. of I .
The athletics department has promised to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ — even if athletes are no-shows because of concerns over the coronavirus .
But the pressure is on .
Forgoing workouts means you are letting down the team .
That makes it tough to say no to driven , demanding coaches .
Some athletes want to go back because they see a future in the pros .
College campuses are scouting grounds .
Some just want their lives to go back to normal , and that includes competitive sports .
None of that diminishes their role as workers .
Read the full column @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Pandemic boosts the folly and madness of conspiracy theorists Whenever somebody assures me that everything happens for a reason , it ’ s normally my practice to tiptoe quietly away .
People are only trying to be nice .
The notion that every kind of personal misfortune — each terrible accident or harrowing diagnosis , every pious wide-receiver rehabbing a bad knee — is part of God ’ s plan to test our individual faith and resolve is most often a well-intentioned sentimental gesture .
Have faith , is all they ’ re @ @ @ @ @ @ @ enough to handle it .
It ’ s when people start getting specific about exactly what God ’ s plan consists of and where fate and history are taking us that all the trouble starts .
Folly and madness invariably follow .
Once they bring the unintelligible prophecies of the Book of Revelation into it , it ’ s too often a one-way trip to Crazytown with no return ticket .
So it is with the burgeoning religio-political cult calling itself QAnon , as described in an extraordinary piece of journalism in The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ notes that “ [ t ] he power of the internet was understood early on , but the full nature of that power — its ability to shatter any semblance of shared reality , undermining civil society and democratic governance in the process — was not.
” Can I get an amen ?
Read the full column from Gene Lyons here .
6:19 a.m. D.O.A .
proposal for South Side hospital merger deserves second chance A proposal to improve South Side health care by merging four financially struggling hospitals flatlined last week during @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
We believe the hospital plan is too critical to let die .
The move would have replaced four aging hospitals with a better one , plus a network of smaller facilities around the South Side .
To make that happen , the four hospitals sought $ 520 million in state funding over five years .
But lawmakers excluded the merger from a health and hospital funding bill approved in Springfield , claiming the proposal lacked sufficient details and failed to convincingly lay out its benefits .
“ This development by the Legislature @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” a spokesperson for the hospitals told us .
This is bad news for the South Side , which has suffered from an under-resourced and overburdened health care network for decades — a fact underscored by the impact of the coronavirus pandemic .
COVID-19 , the disease caused by the virus , has delivered a particularly lethal blow to predominantly African American neighborhoods on the South and West sides .
Read the full editorial from the Sun-Times Editorial Board here .

Friday was the official Phase 3 reopening of Illinois — for everyone but Chicagoans.
Here’s what happened in Chicago and around the state as the battle against the coronavirus pandemic continued.
News
8:56 p.m. 86 more coronavirus deaths as Illinois enters next reopening stage
Barbers at C’styles Barbershop in Harvey sanitize their chairs after each client and everyone is required to wear a face mask when they enter the shop. Annie Costabile/Chicago Sun-Times
Health officials announced Illinois’ latest 86 coronavirus deaths on Friday as thousands of businesses across the state geared up for the next phase of Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s reopening plan.
With the COVID-19 death toll raised to 5,270, the Illinois Department of Public Health also announced an additional 1,622 people have tested positive for the virus out of 21,796 tests administered a day earlier.
At least one of those new patients was reported in downstate Edgar County, which had been one of the final two counties that hadn’t tallied any COVID-19 cases over four months since Illinois’ first case was confirmed.
That leaves Scott County, about 55 miles west of Springfield, as the only county on the state map without any reported coronavirus cases. A total of 117,455 people have tested positive for the virus across Illinois’ other 101 counties.
Almost half the cases have stemmed from long-term care facilities, and the vast majority of patients have already recovered, state Public Health Director Dr. Ngozi Ezike said Thursday. But more than half the deaths have occurred in May.
Read the full report from Mitch Armentrout here.
8:26 p.m. How many students are taking part in remote learning at your school? Search our database.
Chicago Public Schools released data this week on remote learning participation that found that fewer than 60% of all Chicago Public Schools students are engaging with online remote learning three or more days per week.
The report, which includes some of the most detailed metrics in the country, measured 294,000 students at district-run schools and focused on the week of May 11.
The data shows about 85% of students were successfully contacted by someone at their school at least once during that week, whether to check in for academic reasons or to offer social and emotional support. But more than 43,000 students, including a quarter of all high schoolers, weren’t reached that week. Since schools closed, 2,200 students haven’t been reached a single time.
Reporter Caroline Hurley has all the data and searchable database.
7:15 p.m. Singer John Vincent lifts seniors’ spirits one ballad at a time via nursing home ‘concerts’
While singer John Vincent provides hope and cheer by performing classic hits to senior citizens through nursing home “concerts” around Chicago, his heart is heavy.
“We’re in unprecedented times where the unemployment rate is the highest since the Great Depression. When I’m singing, all of this is weighing on my head,” said Vincent. “My mind is constantly spinning, so I’ll experience waves of anxiety and happiness and sadness during one song.”
Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, Vincent, a Southwest Side native and the Cubs’ resident National Anthem singer since 2003, was approached by a Chicago police commander whose district is in the shadow of Wrigley Field, about performing nursing home “concerts” for residents.
Reporter Evan F. Moore has the full story.
4:24 p.m. Order to prevent spread of coronavirus at Cook County Jail to continue while sheriff’s office appeals
A federal judge ruled Friday that his order mandating action to prevent the spread of the coronavirus at the Cook County Jail will continue while the sheriff’s office appeals.
Issuing his ruling, U.S. District Judge Matthew Kennelly said the sheriff’s office has not presented a “strong showing” that its appeal of his preliminary injunction is likely to be successful.
Attorneys for jail detainees filed a class-action lawsuit against Sheriff Tom Dart in March demanding the release of detainees who are at high risk of complications from COVID-19.
Kennelly denied widespread release of the inmates but mandated action at the jail, including widespread testing, as well as actions to socially distance detainees and provide them with access to personal protective equipment.
The sheriff’s office has argued that staff were already taking action to prevent the spread of the virus as they work to keep detainees healthy and continue to functionally operate the jail.
Read the full report from Matthew Hendrickson here.
3:20 p.m. Evanston beauticians wear face masks, shields on first day back
Employees at Salon Antou in downtown Evanston wore face masks and face shields as they worked on customers.
Gail Kaitis said the safety measures made her feel comfortable, and besides, she needed the help, she said.
“I’ve just been looking at my hair and thinking how awful it looks. It just proved to me I don’t ever want to go grey,” said Kaitis, who hadn’t had her hair done in 15 weeks.
At the nearby Blissful Nail Salon Gail Kelly, a retired grade school teacher, sat and waited for a chair to open up.
“It feels like a regular day and that’s sort of a good feeling,” said Kelly, 67. “And I have this one nail that always splits and I’m glad to have my nails done again.”
Pink was her color of choice.
— Mitch Dudek
3:12 p.m. Coronavirus testing: an updated guide on what’s available, what it does, what’s coming
Much has changed about testing for current COVID-19 infection and antibody testing for past exposure.
Here’s an updated guide on what you need to know.
2:40 p.m. Harvey barbershop opens for clients: ‘It’s pretty much like a normal Friday’
C’styles Barbershop in Harvey reopened for customers Friday. | Annie Costabile/Chicago Sun-Times 1 of 5 C’styles Barbershop in Harvey reopened for customers Friday. | Annie Costabile/Chicago Sun-Times 2 of 5 C’styles Barbershop in Harvey reopened for customers Friday. | Annie Costabile/Chicago Sun-Times 3 of 5 C’styles Barbershop in Harvey reopened for customers Friday. | Annie Costabile/Chicago Sun-Times 4 of 5 C’styles Barbershop in Harvey reopened for customers Friday. | Annie Costabile/Chicago Sun-Times 5 of 5
Chairs are stacked up neatly in the corner where the waiting area used to be at C’styles Barbershop in Harvey.
Two young clients wear face masks as they get haircuts from barbers who also have their faces covered.
“This is the first day back, so this is definitely a new experience just dealing with the new protocols,” owner Cory Young said. “We always follow good sanitation practices, but we have to go the extra mile now. And it’s taking some getting use to.”
Barbers sanitize their chairs after each client. Everyone is required to wear a face mask when they enter the shop. The shop is only taking clients with appointments.
Young said barbers were trained in sanitation practices way before the pandemic.
“We pretty much prepared for it back in barber college,” Young said. “So, it’s really just making sure we’re going back to our roots and practicing everything we learned about sanitation.”
The shop had five clients Friday morning, but the phone frequently rang as people call for appointments.
“It’s pretty much like a normal Friday,” Young said
— Noah Johnson
1:45 p.m. Chicago to close 6 commercial strips for outdoor dining
Six of Chicago’s most popular restaurant corridors will be closed to through traffic to give restaurants more space and revenue from outdoor dining under a long-awaited mayoral rescue plan unveiled Friday.
At a time when indoor dining is still prohibited in Illinois, Mayor Lori Lori Lightfoot has been talking for weeks about finding ways to make outdoor dining more lucrative by allowing restaurants with sidewalk café permits to set up even more tables in the street.
On Friday, the mayor took the first step toward delivering that plan for restaurants fighting for survival in Chatham, Lake View, Little Village, the Gold Coast, the Near West Side and West Loop.
Six commercial corridors will be closed to through traffic during designated lunch and dinner hours following a streamlined permit process that Illinois Restaurant Association President Sam Toia hopes will take “days — not weeks.”
Check out a list of the six corridors here.
1:31 p.m. Local restaurants adapt for reopening protocols amid pandemic
Michael Lorenzo, owner of Papa Joe’s in Orland Park, has converted parking spaces in front of the restaurant into an outdoor dining area.
“Judging from the reaction of the phone calls, so far, I think we’re going to be pretty busy,” Lorenzo said. “We have a nice big parking lot in the back, so we’ll keep everybody flowing through.”
Managers have met with staff members to go over safety protocols.
Customers can expect to be using disposable eating utensils rather than silverware. Lorenzo said it’s been a challenge to prepare for today since the decision to let restaurants serve customers outdoors “happened so fast.”
“We wish we would have got more notice, but we’re happy that we got some notice at all,” he said. “It’s a challenge, but restaurant guys get stuff done.”
Meanwhile, at Chuy’s Tex Mex in Orland Park, almost every table on the restaurant’s patio was filled with customers.
At Chuy’s Tex Mex in Orland Park, almost every table on the restaurant’s patio was filled with customers. | Annie Costabile/Chicago Sun-Times 1 of 6 At Chuy’s Tex Mex in Orland Park, almost every table on the restaurant’s patio was filled with customers. | Annie Costabile/Chicago Sun-Times 2 of 6 At Chuy’s Tex Mex in Orland Park, almost every table on the restaurant’s patio was filled with customers. | Annie Costabile/Chicago Sun-Times 3 of 6 At Chuy’s Tex Mex in Orland Park, almost every table on the restaurant’s patio was filled with customers. | Annie Costabile/Chicago Sun-Times 4 of 6 At Chuy’s Tex Mex in Orland Park, almost every table on the restaurant’s patio was filled with customers. | Annie Costabile/Chicago Sun-Times 5 of 6 At Chuy’s Tex Mex in Orland Park, almost every table on the restaurant’s patio was filled with customers. | Annie Costabile/Chicago Sun-Times 6 of 6
General manager Jose Salazar said the turnout was better than he expected.
“I think they know that our priority is the safety of the customer and the staff,” Salazar said. “So we’ve been trying to take every measure from the CDC.”
He said staff constantly are sanitizing washrooms, door handles and tables.Area supervisor Larry Cappos said the pandemic has been rough on business.
“The pandemic has hit the restaurant industry as a whole very hard, but we’re making the best of it,” Cappos said. “We’re looking forward to at least serving the patio, and then moving forward from there.”
— Noah Johnson
12:24 p.m. Suburban restaurants move tables outside
Jake Mandel, 21, and his friend, Ari Mazza, 21, both from Highland Park, enjoy bacon and egg breakfast sandwiches in the outdoor dining area of Sarkis Cafe, 2632 Gross Point Rd., in Evanston, Friday morning, May 29, 2020. Illinois entered Phase 3 of Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s reopening plan for the state Friday, allowing many nonessential businesses to reopen with guidelines for social distancing and capacity limits. Ashlee Rezin Garcia/Sun-Times
Marla Cramin, owner of Sarkis Cafe in Evanston, said customers were brimming with enthusiasm on social media after she posted about reopening for outdoor service.
“People were like, ‘Can we camp out so we can be the first in line?’ and ‘I’m going to bring beer and a band!’ and “Can we picnic?’” she said. “No one camped out, but we did have people here at 6 a.m. when we opened.”
“I am really really fortunate that we have such a cult-like following.”
She’s also lucky to have acquired a grassy lot adjacent to the restaurant where she set up tables. She plans to erect a tent over the tables this weekend.
The owner’s daughter, 18-year-old Samantha Cramin, of Northbrook, serves a group of breakfast customers in the outdoor dining area of Sarkis Cafe, 2632 Gross Point Rd., in Evanston, Friday morning, May 29, 2020. Ashlee Rezin Garcia/Sun-Times
“I bought it in December, and the timing couldn’t have been better,” she said.
Her daughter, 19, and two sons, ages 20 and 24, were on hand helping out.
“My daughter is waiting tables, my son is sanitizing tables and my other son is putting up outdoor speakers,” she said.
— Mitch Dudek
11:09 a.m. Hair salons reopen with masked stylists, temperature checks
Larry Arkalious cutting the hair of his first customer on the opening day of his new shop in Highland Park. Lynn Sweet/Sun-Times
Hair salons and barber shops in Chicago’s suburbs are reopening after being closed since March as part of the COVID-19 shutdowns. There’s plenty of pent up demand.
Here’s a snapshot of what’s happening in the downtown area of north suburban suburb of Highland Park on the hair front:
After being closed since March 21, H.P. Hair Image Inc., 486 Central Ave., reopened on Friday, with strict sanitation protocols. Hair stylists were masked, gloved and gowned.
Patricia and Jim Mayberry have been in business on this downtown strip for 36 years. Jim Mayberry said that in anticipation of the reopening, he ordered 800 masks, 4,000 gloves, 24 face shields for use during blow dries and 2,000 Clorox wipes. And that’s only the partial list.
Stylists at H.P. Hair Image in Highland Park leave empty chairs between customers on its first day of business since the COVID-19 closures. Lynn Sweet/Sun-Times
The salon is using no-touch thermometers to take temperature of employees and customers.
On Friday morning, Stepan Mikula, the owner of The Barbers, 1874 Sheridan Rd. closed since March 14, was putting the finishing touches on his newly painted and rearranged shop. He is reopening on Saturday and has appointments booked for the day. He is spreading the chairs apart in order to following social distancing rules.
Stepan Mikula, the owner of The Barbers, 1874 Sheridan Rd. in Highland Park, in his shop on May 29, 2020. Lynn Sweet/Sun-Times
Friday was the grand opening of Larry’s, 1815 St. Johns Ave., a new barber shop in this suburb, the third in a north suburban chain. Owner Larry Arkalious said the shop would have been opened in March if not for the pandemic closures.
Joe Lane, of Glenview, who was Larry’s number two customer on Friday said while waiting for his haircut that his wife has been trimming his hair during the shelter-in-place order.
— Lynn Sweet
10:51 a.m. Reopening scenes in Chicago’s suburbs
A woman sits at a patio table outside Leonidas Cafe Chocolaterie, 1907 Central St., in Evanston, Friday morning, May 29, 2020. Illinois entered Phase 3 of Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s reopening plan for the state Friday, allowing many nonessential businesses to reopen with guidelines for social distancing and capacity limits. Ashlee Rezin Garcia/Sun-Times
“It’s the start of a change. It’s like the door has cracked open a bit. ... We can sit outside here and have a conversation,” said John Delano, 72, seated at a sidewalk table Friday morning outside Prairie Joe’s in Evanston.
Delano had had a cup of ice tea and a bowl of oatmeal for breakfast.
“It’s nice to see it get a little bit back to normal,” said Dan Cawley, 83, who who owns Harold’s Hardware store down the block and was seated across from Delano.
Owner Aydin Dincer said it’s been tough to adjust to a carryout business. “But we have a loyal support base, so that’s helped. I’m very excited today to have people back, even if it’s just on the sidewalk,” he said.
The diner is on the Central Street business corridor just west of the stadium where the Northwestern University football team plays. The street had a bit of a buzz to it Friday, the first day Evanston loosened restrictions on a number of businesses, including sidewalk seating for restaurants and indoor salon and barber services.
Philip Palmeri, owner of Trio Evanston, a hair salon, said he’s expecting his first customers to enter his shop since March.
— Mitch Dudek
9:31 a.m. Illinois starts reopening today; here’s what it looks like
Most of Illinois is set to move into the long-awaited next phase of Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s “Restore Illinois” plan Friday, a crucial step toward restoring the life Illinoisans once knew.
But that doesn’t mean all will necessarily go back to normal in the suburbs. Pritzker’s plan still restricts gatherings to 10 people or fewer. Face coverings are required in public. Retailers may open, but with limited capacity. Barbershops, salons and gyms must follow certain rules.
The governor released guidelines last weekend to help retailers, manufacturers, barbershops, salons, health and fitness centers and other businesses prepare for the move 10 weeks after Pritzker’s stay-at-home order first went into effect March 21.
Pritzker’s plan allows restaurants and bars to open for outdoor dining only, limited to parties of six people or fewer. Youth sports activities are limited to drills, practices and lessons that involve no contact between kids and allow for 6 feet of social distancing. Fitness classes are limited to one-on-one training, outdoor classes with a maximum of 10 participants and no contact between attendees.
Personal care services — such as hair salons, barbershops, nail salons, spas, massage parlors, waxing centers and tattoo parlors — can only be performed while the customer and employee are both wearing face masks. And massages and body treatments are limited to 30 minutes or less.
Read the full report from Jon Seidel here
Good morning on Day One of #Illinois (outside of Chicago) reopening: crews in downtown Highland Park just closed part of Sheridan Road for outdoor diners. pic.twitter.com/ndu6sK1D9i — Lynn Sweet (@lynnsweet) May 29, 2020
8:17 a.m. Woodfield Mall to reopen Friday, with others to follow
Woodfield Mall in Schaumburg will reopen Friday, but other suburban shopping centers will wait until next week or haven’t disclosed their plans.
The plans for Woodfield were disclosed in a public relations firm’s invitations to media to take photos and videos at the mall Friday morning. Woodfield’s owner, Simon Property Group, did not respond to inquiries about its plans. A mall employee told the Chicago Sun-Times that it would open at 11 a.m. Friday.
Simon also was unavailable to discuss plans for its other suburban properties, Gurnee Mills in Gurnee, Chicago Premium Outlets in Aurora and Orland Square in Orland Park.
Hawthorn Mall in Vernon Hills and Fox Valley Mall in Aurora said they will reopen Monday.
Oakbrook Center in Oak Brook, Spring Hill Mall in West Dundee and Northbrook Court in Northbrook, all owned by Brookfield Properties, have not issued reopening plans. Brookfield did not reply to inquiries.
The malls mostly have been closed to shoppers except for curbside service during the coronavirus pandemic.
Read the full story from David Roeder here.
7:02 a.m. Pritzker bolsters testing rules for nursing homes, issues Phase 3 ‘guidance’ for churches
As the state reopens non-essential businesses and lifts other restrictions after entering Phase 2 of his reopening plan, Gov. J.B. Pritzker said Thursday that he plans to enact that will require each nursing home to develop its own individualized testing and plan and document an established relationship with a testing lab.
“This new rule will require nursing homes to conduct testing, when experiencing an outbreak, when an outbreak is suspected, testing even when there is no sign of an outbreak, in line with new federal guidance issued this week, or when directed by IDPH or their local health department to do testing,” Pritzker said.
Each long-term care facility will be required to report to public health officials the number of residents and staff tested, and the number of positive and negative test results. The facilities must also make sure a copy of infection control policies and procedures is provided to residents and to the families of residents, along with IDPH or local health departments, upon request, the governor’s office said.
The governor said the rule doesn’t deviate from what the state is already doing, but it gives the Illinois Dept. of Public Health “additional teeth in securing buy-in from these private entities.
Read the full story here.
6:28 a.m. The future of riding the CTA: Here’s how Chicago commutes will change
It’s the million-dollar question in the world of transit: What will commuting look like?
No one is sure. Human behavior is hard to predict. But here’s how it might play out.
Beginning in June, workers at the CTA’s control center will monitor live video feeds of high ridership stations to watch for platform crowding. If crowding occurs, announcements will be made over the public address system asking customers to spread out or wait for the next train if the incoming one is full.
About 90 people fill a jam-packed CTA train car in normal times. Capacity will be down significantly with social distancing, but CTA officials couldn’t immediately provide an estimate.
The CTA will also be placing floor decals at stations and platforms reminding people to spread out.
Reporter Mitch Dudek has more on the future of commuting on the CTA, Metra and Pace.
New cases
Analysis & Commentary
5:25 p.m. Gov. Pritzker walks a fine line between public safety and angry critics in reopening Illinois
In the period just before and after Gov. J.B. Pritzker issued his first stay-at-home order in March, houses of worship in Illinois reportedly experienced 13 COVID-19 outbreaks, resulting in 88 cases.
Since then, according to the Illinois Department of Public Health, iIllinois has seen no such outbreaks — until one was revealed last week. IDPH told me of a very recent church-related outbreak of 39 cases, including the pastor.
That outbreak was acknowledged last Wednesday by the administrator of the Jackson County Health Department. The administrator told WSIU Radio that the unnamed Southern Illinois church had been holding services in defiance of the governor’s stay-at-home order.
And now, you gotta figure more church-related outbreaks could happen if people aren’t careful.
Pritzker told reporters last week that his administration will be posting “guidance, not mandatory restrictions, for all faith leaders to use in their efforts to ensure the health and safety of their congregants.” He said the guidance would be “suggestions” on capacity limits, indoor gatherings of 10 persons or less, etc.
“Governor Pritzker has capitulated, and the Thomas More Society is claiming victory in a trio of church lawsuits charging Illinois’ governor with religious discrimination,” a spokesperson for the organization said.
And then Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul filed his office’s response, mandated by U.S. Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh, to an emergency request by two Illinois churches that wanted the governor’s restrictions lifted. In that response, Raoul claimed the two churches’ filing was basically moot because the governor’s executive order would expires the next day.
Read Tom McNamee’s full column here.
3:51 p.m. University of Illinois football and basketball players — essential workers — head back to campus
Some student workers at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign will return to campus next week to start preparing for their football and men’s basketball seasons.
Did I say workers? Yes, that’s what they are. The university calls them student-athletes, and they are that, too.
But please make no mistake. They are employees at the U. of I. That they are going back, though summer classes were moved online because of the pandemic, underscores how valuable they are to the university.
They are not just students or athletes. They are workers, too.
It looks like they will be treated a lot better than many other workers across America. They are fortunate in that regard. In announcing the athletes’ return, the school said it was coordinating with sports medicine staff, local doctors and the Champaign-Urbana Public Health District. That’s a lot of oversight.
June workouts will be voluntary at the U. of I. The athletics department has promised to honor financial aid commitments — their pay — even if athletes are no-shows because of concerns over the coronavirus.
But the pressure is on. Forgoing workouts means you are letting down the team. That makes it tough to say no to driven, demanding coaches.
Some athletes want to go back because they see a future in the pros. College campuses are scouting grounds.
Some just want their lives to go back to normal, and that includes competitive sports.
None of that diminishes their role as workers.
Read the full column from Marlen Garcia here.
11:25 a.m. Pandemic boosts the folly and madness of conspiracy theorists
Whenever somebody assures me that everything happens for a reason, it’s normally my practice to tiptoe quietly away.
People are only trying to be nice. The notion that every kind of personal misfortune — each terrible accident or harrowing diagnosis, every pious wide-receiver rehabbing a bad knee — is part of God’s plan to test our individual faith and resolve is most often a well-intentioned sentimental gesture.
Have faith, is all they’re really saying. You’re strong enough to handle it.
It’s when people start getting specific about exactly what God’s plan consists of and where fate and history are taking us that all the trouble starts. Folly and madness invariably follow. Once they bring the unintelligible prophecies of the Book of Revelation into it, it’s too often a one-way trip to Crazytown with no return ticket.
So it is with the burgeoning religio-political cult calling itself QAnon, as described in an extraordinary piece of journalism in The Atlantic by Adrienne LaFrance. She correctly notes that “[t]he power of the internet was understood early on, but the full nature of that power — its ability to shatter any semblance of shared reality, undermining civil society and democratic governance in the process — was not.”
Can I get an amen?
Read the full column from Gene Lyons here.
6:19 a.m. D.O.A. proposal for South Side hospital merger deserves second chance
A proposal to improve South Side health care by merging four financially struggling hospitals flatlined last week during the state Legislature’s spring session.
We believe the hospital plan is too critical to let die.
The move would have replaced four aging hospitals with a better one, plus a network of smaller facilities around the South Side.
To make that happen, the four hospitals sought $520 million in state funding over five years. But lawmakers excluded the merger from a health and hospital funding bill approved in Springfield, claiming the proposal lacked sufficient details and failed to convincingly lay out its benefits.
“This development by the Legislature forces the conclusion of our transformation plans,” a spokesperson for the hospitals told us.
This is bad news for the South Side, which has suffered from an under-resourced and overburdened health care network for decades — a fact underscored by the impact of the coronavirus pandemic. COVID-19, the disease caused by the virus, has delivered a particularly lethal blow to predominantly African American neighborhoods on the South and West sides.
Read the full editorial from the Sun-Times Editorial Board here.


chicagosun-times--2020-05-29--Marchers shut down streets in downtown Chicago to protest killing of George Floyd

Dozens of Chicagoans joined the national outrage over the killing of a black man in Minneapolis police custody this week as they hit the streets in protest Friday evening .
Protestors , who gathered near Millennium Park around 5 p.m. , held signs that read , “ Justice 4 George ” and “ Black lives matter ” as they marched against traffic on Michigan Avenue .
“ Say his name !
George Floyd !
” they chanted .
The rioters marched past Harold Washington Library and blocked the intersection of State Street and Ida B .
Wells Parkway .
This @ @ @ @ @ @ @ response to the killing of Floyd are spreading across the nation ; rallies and marches have been held in New York City , Washington D.C. , Floyd ’ s hometown of Houston , Las Vegas and Minneapolis , among many other cities .
While many of the protests have been peaceful , some have turned violent , especially in Minneapolis , where a police precinct station was set ablaze and stores were looted .
Derek Chauvin , the former Minneapolis police officer who was seen on video pressing his knee on Floyd ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ charged with third-degree murder and manslaughter , Hennepin County Attorney Mike Freeman said .
This is a developing story .
Check back for updates .
Associated Press contributed to this report .

Hundreds of marchers in Chicago joined the national outrage over the killing of a black man in Minneapolis police custody, hitting the streets in protest Friday evening.
The protesters, who gathered near Millennium Park around 5 p.m., held signs that read, “Justice 4 George” and “Black lives matter” as they marched against traffic, south down Michigan Avenue.
“Say his name! George Floyd!” they chanted. They also yelled “I can’t breathe!” That’s what Floyd had said, several times, during the eight minutes a Minneapolis police officer kneeled on Floyd’s neck as he lay face-down on the street.
The protesters marched past Harold Washington Library and blocked the intersection of State Street and Ida B. Wells Parkway, then made their way west toward the start of the Eisenhower Expressway.
Tensions were high at times, especially when protesters broke through a police bicycle barricade, but things remained relatively peaceful. As of 10 p.m., Chicago police had reported no arrests.
The march and protest in Chicago occurred as protests in response to the killing of Floyd were spreading to dozens of cities across the nation, including New York City, Washington D.C., Phoenix, Los Angeles, Las Vegas and Houston, Floyd’s hometown.
Protesters and Chicago police officers during a march downtown Friday over the death in Minneapolis police custody of George Floyd. Tyler LaRiviere/Sun-Times file photo
The protests had started in Minneapolis, where Floyd died. While many of the protests have been peaceful, there have been several nights of unrest in Minneapolis, where a police precinct station was set ablaze and stores were looted.
In Atlanta on Friday, protesters smashed police cars and set one on fire.
Derek Chauvin, the former Minneapolis police officer who was seen on video pressing his knee on Floyd’s neck, was arrested Friday and charged with third-degree murder and manslaughter, Hennepin County Attorney Mike Freeman said.
Chauvin also was accused of ignoring another officer who expressed concerns about Floyd as he lay handcuffed on the ground, pleading that he could not breathe as Chauvin pressed his knee into his neck for several minutes. Floyd, who was black, had been arrested on suspicion of using a counterfeit bill at a store.
Josh Byrd was among the protesters who marched in Chicago Friday night, angered by the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis. Manny Ramos/Sun-Times
Josh Byrd said he went to the protest to stand against the injustices of Floyd’s death, even though it happened two states away.
“It hurts that this keeps happening, that police can keep killing people without being held accountable,” Byrd said. “This affects us all.”
Sun-Times reporters Madeline Kenney, Maudlyne Ihejirika and Manny Ramos and the Associated Press contributed to this report.
Hundreds of protesters cheer after hearing the pounds and taps on the glass from the prisoners inside the Metropolitan Correctional Center Friday night in the Loop. Tyler LaRiviere/Sun-Times
Hundreds of protesters demanding justice for George Floyd march around in Chicago’s River North neighborhood on Friday. Tyler LaRiviere/Sun-Times
Hundreds of protesters demanding justice for George Floyd march around in the Loop on Friday. Tyler LaRiviere/Sun-Times
Chicago protest marched past Harold Washington library and is now blocking State/Congress.
Lots of police present and choppers in the air #GeorgeFloydprotest pic.twitter.com/bIgPTVemS6 — Gijs Mulders (@GijsMulders) May 29, 2020
Protest for #GeorgeFloyd starting now in Chicago. Our story on the national response coming up on @cbseveningnews pic.twitter.com/rRp0J0eL7g — Adriana Diaz (@AdrianaDiaz) May 29, 2020


chicagosun-times--2020-05-29--Like spring came late, as people in the suburbs get a taste of loosened COVID-19 limits

Like spring came late , as people in the suburbs get a taste of loosened COVID-19 limits Share All sharing options for : Like spring came late , as people in the suburbs get a taste of loosened COVID-19 limits Though the city of Chicago is keeping the reins tight for a few more days , people came out across the suburbs on Friday to enjoy some of the things they ’ ve had to do without for months with the first loosening of Illinois ’ stay-at-home pandemic restrictions .
Things like eating out .
And shopping .
And getting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ restrictions , under Gov .
J.B. Pritzker ’ s plan , like limits on public gatherings to no more than 10 people , face coverings required and other strict rules .
But the initial step taken toward restoring life as we not so long ago knew it prompted plenty of smiles — if only you could see them behind all of those masks .
“ It ’ s like the door has cracked open a bit , ” John Delano , 72 , said as he enjoyed a glass of iced tea at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s diner on Central Street in Evanston .
Here are some glimpses , shot by Sun-Times photographers , of what things looked like .

T
hough the city of Chicago is keeping the reins tight for a few more days, people came out across the suburbs on Friday to enjoy some of the things they’ve had to do without for months with the first loosening of Illinois’ stay-at-home pandemic restrictions.
Things like eating out. And shopping. And getting their hair done.
There are still restrictions, under Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s plan, like limits on public gatherings to no more than 10 people, face coverings required and other strict rules.
But the initial step taken toward restoring life as we not so long ago knew it prompted plenty of smiles — if only you could see them behind all of those masks.
“It’s like the door has cracked open a bit,” John Delano, 72, said as he enjoyed a glass of iced tea at an outdoor table at Prairie Joe’s diner on Central Street in Evanston.
Here are some glimpses, shot by Sun-Times photographers, of what things looked like.
Courtney Reick, 25, serves lunch to Vasilj Stanisavljevic, 25, and his fiancé Kelly Verkoulen, 29, both from Evanston, on the patio at Flat Top Grill, 707 Church St., Evanston. Ashlee Rezin Garcia / Sun-Times
At Salon Antou, 808 Davis St., Evanston, shop owner and stylist Jarmen Kordou checks a customer’s temperature upon entry. Ashlee Rezin Garcia / Sun-Times
A woman waits outside of K-Stone Beauty Supply Hair and Wig store in Oak Park for a person to leave the store so she can enter. Tyler LaRiviere / Sun-Times
In Naperville, many restaurants expanded their sidewalk dining areas by taking and barricading a portion of the street parking area. Here, diners take advantage of the extra space outside Empire restaurant. Rich Hein/ Sun-Times
At Flat Top Grill on Church Street in Evanston, general manager Juan Becerril, 35, of Chicago, dispenses hand sanitizer to customers preparing to eat lunch on the patio on the first day of Illinois’ loosened coronavirus restrictions. Ashlee Rezin Garcia / Sun-Times
Emily Cribbin a server at Poor Phils in Oak Park, sanitizes a table for a customer on Friday. Tyler LaRiviere / Sun-Times
A welcome sign at the front of Grandmaster Games in Oak Park announces that the store’s maximum capacity is four customers at a time and that they must wear masks at all times. Tyler LaRiviere / Sun-Times
Diners at Chuy’s Fine Tex Mex in Orland Park took advantage of the nice weather and the loosened coronavirus restrictions to enjoy a meal on the patio without masks on Friday. Annie Costabile / Sun-Times
A sign indicates customers have to wear masks while shopping at the newly reopened Paper Source, 2100 Central St., Evanston. Ashlee Rezin Garcia / Sun-Times
A man checks out the outdoor fruit stand that was put up at Lush Wine & Spirits Evanston, 2022 Central St. Ashlee Rezin Garcia / Sun-Times
Jill Juban and Adam Jomant came from Lockport to eat outdoors Friday at one of their favorite spots — Lou Malnati’s in Naperville. Rich Hein / Sun-Times
Becky Jackson, 37, of Evanston, organizes racks of clothing at the retail store Notice, 2112 Central St., Evanston, which opened Friday for the first time in weeks under the relaxed guidelines that require social distancing and set capacity limits. Ashlee Rezin Garcia / Sun-Times


chicagosun-times--2020-05-29--Singer John Vincent lifts seniors’ spirits one ballad at a time via nursing home ‘concerts’

While singer John Vincent provides hope and cheer by performing classic hits to senior citizens through nursing home “ concerts ” around Chicago , his heart is heavy .
“ We ’ re in unprecedented times where the unemployment rate is the highest since the Great Depression .
When I ’ m singing , all of this is weighing on my head , ” said Vincent .
“ My mind is constantly spinning , so I ’ ll experience waves of anxiety and happiness and sadness during one song.
” Amid the COVID-19 pandemic , Vincent , a Southwest Side @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Anthem singer since 2003 , was approached by a Chicago police commander whose district is in the shadow of Wrigley Field , about performing nursing home “ concerts ” for residents .
“ The commander of the 19th District [ Town Hall district commander Chris Papaioannou ] said , ‘ Hey John , what do you think about going to some nursing homes ?
, ’ ” said Vincent .
“ ‘ We ’ ll have [ concerts ] outside where we ’ ll have you singing and bring some news and some @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stuck in their rooms — feeling really down and really depressed during this whole pandemic.
’ ” While the idea of showcasing a positive mental attitude for senior citizens at various nursing homes across the city sounded like an amazing idea , Vincent said he was initially reluctant .
Until he realized he ’ d found a way to overcome his own mental health issues by helping others .
“ I have OCD [ obsessive-compulsive disorder ] so , for me , it was a challenge to first go out , ” said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I was nervous .
I was mostly staying in the house because of this [ COVID-19 ] pandemic .
“ I said to myself , if people are out there helping other people , I got ta step it up and do the same thing because at the end of the day , what ’ s more important — to help other people [ or ] live a life [ in ] fear ?
’ ’ Vincent , who got his start singing Frank Sinatra ’ s classics at Dikta ’ s restaurant @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ( Sittin ’ On ) The Dock of the Bay ” by Otis Redding , “ Sweet Caroline ” by Neil Diamond , “ Georgia On My Mind ” by Ray Charles , and “ What A Wonderful World ” by Louis Armstrong , among others .
“ I just try to [ bring ] a smile to somebody ’ s face , ” he said .
Vincent has his go-to cover ballads that move concert-goers to tears , putting them in a mind-frame where they reminisce about a loved one who ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that just helps them get through a difficult time in their lives .
In one instance , Vincent sang “ Happy Birthday ” to “ Mary , ” a 105-year-old nursing home resident who survived the Spanish flu pandemic of 1918 .
“ ‘ What A Wonderful World ’ is the one that everybody can relate to , ” said Vincent .
“ Because it ’ s talking about life ; is talking about humanity .
… It ’ s talking about everything that is the essence of life — not money , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ When I was younger , I had a lot of anger issues because I was bullied , so there were times when I probably wasn ’ t the nicest person to be around .
As I have gotten older , I found out the only thing that matters in this life is love.
” Vincent , who wrapped up his ninth nursing home concert earlier this week , revels in the response he receives from nursing home residents ; he adheres to social distancing guidelines while belting out the hits .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ why kindness is not the way , ” said Vincent .
“ I just don ’ t get it .
I understand we ’ re afraid .
I understand people get angry from fear and everything , but why can ’ t we all just come together ?
“ If somebody doesn ’ t believe this pandemic isn ’ t as bad as it is , or somebody believes more than it is , at least talk — be respectful .
And that should happen with everything in life ; life is too @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Vincent says that a pandemic shouldn ’ t be the thing that prompts people to be kinder to one another .
He has a staunch belief that kindness should be top of mind for everyone , every day .
“ We should be doing that all the time , with or without a pandemic , ” said Vincent .
“ We need to get everybody ’ s love and respect , and if that means going [ to ] nursing homes to sing to people and make people smile , or just having @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , it all comes down to the same thing : love .
”

While singer John Vincent provides hope and cheer by performing classic hits to senior citizens through nursing home “concerts” around Chicago, his heart is heavy.
“We’re in unprecedented times where the unemployment rate is the highest since the Great Depression. When I’m singing, all of this is weighing on my head,” said Vincent. “My mind is constantly spinning, so I’ll experience waves of anxiety and happiness and sadness during one song.”
Singer John Vincent performs classic tunes to residents of the Lakeside Square Apartments at 920 Lakeside Place. Annie Costabile/Sun-Times
Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, Vincent, a Southwest Side native and the Cubs’ resident national anthem singer since 2003, was approached by a Chicago police commander whose district is in the shadow of Wrigley Field about performing nursing home “concerts” for residents.
“The commander of the 19th District [Town Hall district commander Chris Papaioannou] said, ‘Hey John, what do you think about going to some nursing homes? We’ll have [concerts] outside where we’ll have you singing and bring some news and some happiness to people in these places — stuck in their rooms, feeling really down and really depressed during this whole pandemic.’”
While showcasing a positive mental attitude for senior citizens across the city sounded like an amazing idea, Vincent said he was initially reluctant — until he realized he’d found a way to overcome his own mental health issues by helping others.
“I have OCD [obsessive-compulsive disorder] so, for me, it was a challenge to first go out,” said Vincent. “I was afraid. I was nervous. I was mostly staying in the house because of this [COVID-19] pandemic.
“I said to myself, if people are out there helping other people, I gotta step it up and do the same thing because at the end of the day, what’s more important — to help other people [or] live a life [in] fear?’’
Singer John Vincent performs a mini concert outside of Lakeside Square Apartments at 920 W. Lakeside Place in Chicago. Annie Costabile/Sun-Times
Vincent, who got his start singing Frank Sinatra’s classics at Ditka’s restaurant, boasts a repertoire of covers including “(Sittin’ On) The Dock of the Bay” by Otis Redding, “Sweet Caroline” by Neil Diamond, “Georgia on My Mind” by Ray Charles, and “What a Wonderful World” by Louis Armstrong, among others.
“I just try to [bring] a smile to somebody’s face,” he said.
Vincent has his go-to cover ballads that move concertgoers to tears, putting them in a mind-frame where they reminisce about a loved one who’s passed away — or a song that just helps them get through a difficult time in their lives.
In one instance, Vincent sang “Happy Birthday” to “Mary,” a 105-year-old nursing home resident who survived the Spanish flu pandemic of 1918.
“ ‘What a Wonderful World’ is the one that everybody can relate to,” said Vincent. “Because it’s talking about life, is talking about humanity. … It’s talking about everything that is the essence of life — not money, but the actual core of life.
“When I was younger, I had a lot of anger issues because I was bullied, so there were times when I probably wasn’t the nicest person to be around. As I have gotten older, I found out the only thing that matters in this life is love.”
A woman listens as singer John Vincent performs several songs outside the Lakeside Square Apartments in Chicago. Annie Costabile/Sun-Times
Vincent, who wrapped up his ninth nursing home concert earlier this week, revels in the response he receives from nursing home residents; he adheres to social distancing guidelines while belting out the hits.
“I find it very hard to understand why kindness is not the way,” said Vincent. “I just don’t get it. I understand we’re afraid. I understand people get angry from fear and everything, but why can’t we all just come together?
“If somebody doesn’t believe this pandemic isn’t as bad as it is, or somebody believes more than it is, at least talk — be respectful. And that should happen with everything in life; life is too f- - - ing short.”
Seniors wait outside the Lakeside Square Apartments at 920 Lakeside Place for singer John Vincent to begin his serenading on Wednesday afternoon. Annie Costabile/Sun-Times
Vincent says that a pandemic shouldn’t be the thing that prompts people to be kinder to one another. He has a staunch belief that kindness should be top of mind for everyone, every day.
“We should be doing that all the time, with or without a pandemic,” said Vincent. “We need to get everybody’s love and respect, and if that means going [to] nursing homes to sing to people and make people smile, or just having common decency for your fellow human being, it all comes down to the same thing: love.”


chicagosun-times--2020-05-29--4 more Chicago Police Department employees test positive for COVID-19

Chicago police announced Friday four more cases of COVID-19 , bringing the number of cases in the department to 556 @ @ @ @ @ , 526 are officers and 30 are civilian employees , police said .
All of @ @ @ @ @ by the department ’ s medical section .
The department announced the death of a @ @ @ @ @ the coronavirus on April 17 .
Illinois health officials Friday said 86 more people died @ @ @ @ @ state ’ s toll to 5,270 .
A total of 117,455 confirmed cases of the @ @ @ @ @ Illinois .

Chicago police announced Friday four more cases of COVID-19, bringing the number of cases in the department to 556.
Of the confirmed cases, 526 are officers and 30 are civilian employees, police said. All of the cases have been confirmed by the department’s medical section.
The department announced the death of a third officer from complications of the coronavirus on April 17.
Illinois health officials Friday said 86 more people died of COVID-19, raising the state’s toll to 5,270. A total of 117,455 confirmed cases of the coronavirus have been reported in Illinois.


chicagosun-times--2020-05-29--Against the virus of racism, we wear the mask

Editor ’ s note : This is the second of two John Fountain columns titled , “ We Wear The Mask ” We wear the mask that grins and lies , It hides our cheeks and shades our eyes As black men in America , we wear the mask .
American Racism .
It is an inescapable virus .
It lives in the air all around us with infectious , injurious droplets of hate .
We are not pandemic proof .
We are susceptible to the virus that causes us to spit up blood after being punched and assaulted by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of breath from chokeholds of hate-filled assaulters cloaked in blue with silver badges .
Merciless killers who do not relent even when we declare with last gasps , “ I can ’ t breathe.
” We are Eric Garner , Ahmaud Arbery and George Floyd .
We are slain in broad daylight .
Executed by cops in cold blood .
Brutalized .
Dehumanized .
We wear the mask .
For we know not where the virus lies , or beneath whose breath , or skin there is the potential to harm , assault @ @ @ @ @ @ @ our protection , our balm ?
Why does American democracy for us still ring with American hypocrisy ?
If that white Minneapolis cop had held his knee to a dog ’ s neck until lifeless , would not America now be up in arms ?
Why does this virus called racism persist , so cruelly , so mean ?
There seems no vaccine .
Only clear is that we are still America ’ s so-called freedmen , still in search of liberty 157 years after the Emancipation Proclamation .
We are mostly without @ @ @ @ @ @ @ We smile , but , O great Christ , our cries The mask is heavy , almost too hard to bear .
It shades our anger , hides our tears .
It sometimes makes us the Alone Rangers .
It provides a facade against the daily internal tumult that gnaws at souls still longing to be free .
The virus pricks as we awaken to fill our lungs with the breath of a new morning .
We can not afford to forget that the black body — male or female — is always @ @ @ @ @ @ @ deemed American expendable .
I have learned avoidance from certain social settings .
To enter at my own risk .
I have learned to tiptoe , to sidestep , backpedal — the art of elusion .
And yet , even in all of our craftiness , the acquisition of upward social mobility , education and a slice of the American dream , we have yet to discover any complete inoculation .
The virus is sinister .
Unrelenting .
Unmerciful .
Unholy .
It follows us around inside stores .
Shuns us on elevators @ @ @ @ @ @ @ us on the street .
Stares at us with distrust and disdain .
The virus shackles our hands and feet by mass incarceration that masquerades as criminal justice , even as the coronavirus now also seeks to prey upon our black bodies and souls like old Jim Crow .
The virus ebbs and flows , sometimes like an imperceptible wind , infiltrating every fabric of American life .
The virus sometimes knocks us to our knees .
It intrudes .
Riddles our black body with 16 shots .
It confiscates our lives as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ice cream .
It hurls us to the ground and grinds a knee into our carotid arteries .
The virus makes excuses for it ’ s own seasonal spike .
Eats away at the soul of a nation .
It disproportionately affects those with the underlying condition of being male and also black .
It assaults us when we are “ driving while black , ” “ walking while black , ” “ eating while black , ” “ teaching while black , ” “ reporting while black , ” “ living while @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” “ jogging while black , ” even “ bird watching while black.
” It does not relent even in the face of a new pandemic we have not seen before and that necessitates that we now wear a new mask .
Sometimes with tears in our eyes , we wear the mask .

Editor’s note: This is the second of two John Fountain columns titled, “We Wear The Mask”
We wear the mask that grins and lies,
It hides our cheeks and shades our eyes
— Paul Laurence Dunbar
As black men in America, we wear the mask.
American Racism. It is an inescapable virus. It lives in the air all around us with infectious, injurious droplets of hate.
We are not pandemic proof. We are susceptible to the virus that causes us to spit up blood after being punched and assaulted by rogue white police. Subject to shortness of breath from chokeholds of hate-filled assaulters cloaked in blue with silver badges. Merciless killers who do not relent even when we declare with last gasps, “I can’t breathe.”
Columnists bug Columnists In-depth political coverage, sports analysis, entertainment reviews and cultural commentary.
We are Eric Garner, Ahmaud Arbery and George Floyd. We are slain in broad daylight. Executed by cops in cold blood. Brutalized. Dehumanized.
We wear the mask. For we know not where the virus lies, or beneath whose breath, or skin there is the potential to harm, assault, or kill us.
What is our protection, our balm? Why does American democracy for us still ring with American hypocrisy? If that white Minneapolis cop had held his knee to a dog’s neck until lifeless, would not America now be up in arms?
Why does this virus called racism persist, so cruelly, so mean?
There seems no vaccine. Only clear is that we are still America’s so-called freedmen, still in search of liberty 157 years after the Emancipation Proclamation.
We are mostly without prescriptions. We wear the mask.
We smile, but, O great Christ, our cries
To thee from tortured souls arise
The mask is heavy, almost too hard to bear. It shades our anger, hides our tears. It sometimes makes us the Alone Rangers.
It provides a facade against the daily internal tumult that gnaws at souls still longing to be free. The virus pricks as we awaken to fill our lungs with the breath of a new morning. We cannot afford to forget that the black body — male or female — is always in danger. That we have been deemed American expendable.
I have learned avoidance from certain social settings. To enter at my own risk. I have learned to tiptoe, to sidestep, backpedal — the art of elusion.
And yet, even in all of our craftiness, the acquisition of upward social mobility, education and a slice of the American dream, we have yet to discover any complete inoculation.
The virus is sinister. Unrelenting. Unmerciful. Unholy. It follows us around inside stores. Shuns us on elevators. It recoils at the sight of us on the street. Stares at us with distrust and disdain.
The virus shackles our hands and feet by mass incarceration that masquerades as criminal justice, even as the coronavirus now also seeks to prey upon our black bodies and souls like old Jim Crow.
The virus ebbs and flows, sometimes like an imperceptible wind, infiltrating every fabric of American life. The virus sometimes knocks us to our knees. It intrudes. Riddles our black body with 16 shots.
It confiscates our lives as we recline in our own apartment eating ice cream. It hurls us to the ground and grinds a knee into our carotid arteries. The virus makes excuses for it’s own seasonal spike. Eats away at the soul of a nation.
It disproportionately affects those with the underlying condition of being male and also black. It assaults us when we are “driving while black,” “walking while black,” “eating while black,” “teaching while black,” “reporting while black,” “living while black,” “breathing while black,” “jogging while black,” even “bird watching while black.”
It does not relent even in the face of a new pandemic we have not seen before and that necessitates that we now wear a new mask.
Sometimes with tears in our eyes, we wear the mask.
Email: Author@johnwfountain.com


chicagosun-times--2020-05-29--Crawford power plant demolition to resume next week in Little Village

Despite community protests , the demolition of the retired Crawford Station coal power plant in Little Village will resume next Friday , according to the developer of the site .
The protests followed the implosion demolition of an almost 400-foot smokestack that blanketed the entire community in a thick cloud of dust last month .
After that demolition was roundly criticized and neighbors complained that they weren ’ t given adequate notice ahead of time , Mayor Lori Lightfoot said the remaining demolition of the structure would be delayed .
Hilco Redevelopment Partners has been cited by the city and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ local construction dust and air pollution laws for the bungled April 11 demolition .
The city , however , has since determined that the demolition of the remaining portions of the building needed to be completed because the structure is unstable and potentially dangerous .
Hilco said in a statement Friday that it will take down the turbine building , the smaller of two remaining structures at the plant , at 6:30 a.m. June 5 .
It said a dust-mitigation plan will be followed .
Chicago-based Heneghan Wrecking & Excavation Co. will perform @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Hilco said in a statement .
“ The mechanical dismantling will occur through a manual process and will not be completed by means of implosion , ” the statement said , adding that the work will be “ conducted in accordance with the dust mitigation plans that have been approved by the City of Chicago Department of Buildings and the City of Chicago Department of Public Health.
” Hilco will alert residents of the plan with fliers and telephone calls over the next week , the developer said .
At a virtual @ @ @ @ @ @ @ residents ripped the city and said the demolition process lacks transparency .
“ I ’ m appalled that you keep lying to us and you think this town hall is enough , ” Little Village resident Esmeralda Hernandez said during the meeting .
Brett Chase ’ s reporting on the environment and public health is made possible by a grant from The Chicago Community Trust .

Despite community protests, the demolition of the retired Crawford Station coal power plant in Little Village will resume next Friday, according to the developer of the site.
The protests followed the implosion demolition of an almost 400-foot smokestack that blanketed the entire community in a thick cloud of dust last month. After that demolition was roundly criticized and neighbors complained that they weren’t given adequate notice ahead of time, Mayor Lori Lightfoot said the remaining demolition of the structure would be delayed.
Hilco Redevelopment Partners has been cited by the city and faces $68,000 in fines for violating local construction dust and air pollution laws for the bungled April 11 demolition.
The city, however, has since determined that the demolition of the remaining portions of the building needed to be completed because the structure is unstable and potentially dangerous.
Hilco said in a statement Friday that it will take down the turbine building, the smaller of two remaining structures at the plant, at 6:30 a.m. June 5. It said a dust-mitigation plan will be followed. Chicago-based Heneghan Wrecking & Excavation Co. will perform the work to bring down the structure, Hilco said in a statement.
“The mechanical dismantling will occur through a manual process and will not be completed by means of implosion,” the statement said, adding that the work will be “conducted in accordance with the dust mitigation plans that have been approved by the City of Chicago Department of Buildings and the City of Chicago Department of Public Health.”
Hilco will alert residents of the plan with fliers and telephone calls over the next week, the developer said.
In a statement, city officials said “inspectors have been onsite since April 13 and will remain onsite with a third-party environmental consultant to closely monitor the demolition activity and ensure the promised safeguards are in place and followed.”
At a virtual town hall meeting held last week, residents ripped the city and said the demolition process lacks transparency.
“I’m appalled that you keep lying to us and you think this town hall is enough,” Little Village resident Esmeralda Hernandez said during the meeting.
Brett Chase’s reporting on the environment and public health is made possible by a grant from The Chicago Community Trust.


chicagosun-times--2020-05-29--Second round of Chicago’s electric scooter pilot delayed until late summer

Chicago ’ s love-hate relationship with electric scooters will resume , but not until the end of the summer because of financial concerns tied to the coronavirus , a top mayoral aide said Friday .
Transportation Commissioner Gia Biagi acknowledged transportation options are needed now , more than ever , as the Chicago economy prepares to partially reopen and mass transit struggles to reassure commuters it ’ s safe to return to buses and trains .
But Biagi said she can not wave a “ magic wand ” and deliver Round Two of Chicago ’ s grand experiment with electric @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to be involved in the second pilot still must sort out their shaky finances .
“ We … need to give time for the scooter companies time to get ready ” given the challenges their industry is facing right now , she said .
“ You ’ re looking at some of your big micro-mobility companies and some of your small ones are really looking at their financing .
...
So there ’ s some potential capacity questions on that end , ” Biagi added .
“ We want to make sure that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hard questions to make sure that it ’ s viable on the company side as well as making sure we ’ re setting up the pilot in the right way.
” Whenever the city is ready to launch the second pilot , Biagi said she expects to include “ two or three ” companies , compared to 10 in the original pilot .
She also plans to require scooters to be parked in docks , corrals or locked public racks .
“ We ’ re definitely very serious about sidewalk clutter , particularly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ other folks .
No one wants to step over a bunch of scooters on the sidewalk .
So , lockable technology — definitely , ” she said .
In addition to a “ lock-to ” requirement , the Active Transportation Alliance has urged the city to : offer discounts to low-income riders ; expand priority zones ; make all trips pay-as-you-go ; and offer incentives for trips to and from mass transit .
The alliance has also urged the Lightfoot administration to keep scooters out of downtown and away from the lakefront trail @ @ @ @ @ @ @ scooter revenue toward improving the “ walking and biking infrastructure ” in “ high-crash corridors ” on the South and West sides .
Biagi made no promises on those fronts , but did argue that scooters are not just a transportation novelty .
They ’ re a vital cog in Chicago ’ s fast-changing transportation system .
“ This is where I always say , ‘ It ’ s not about the scooter.
’ It ’ s too easy to look at a scooter like it ’ s just kind of a fun @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the transportation network .
But it is , ” she said .
“ It ’ s actually really important that we continue to look at how we can create other options for moving around the city .
If you don ’ t want to bike and it ’ s too far to walk , a scooter might be just the right fit .
It allows us to get more people plugged into the transportation network.
” Last year , Chicago rolled out electric scooters during a four-month pilot program that raised safety @ @ @ @ @ @ @ companies were each granted 250 scooters to operate within a 50-square mile test area bounded by Halsted Street and the Chicago River on the east , Irving Park Road on the north , Harlem Avenue and the city limits on the west and the Chicago River on the south .
During that time , people who live , work and play in Chicago took 821,615 trips .
A follow-up study showed scooters were used most frequently during the evening rush period on weekdays and between 3 p.m. and 4 p.m. on weekends .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ ended in the eastern half of the pilot area , where plenty of other transportation options exist .
Though scooter ridership was concentrated in the West Loop and along the Blue Line , it wasn ’ t at all clear that scooters were used to reduce car trips or “ supplement ” mass transit .
In fact , “ very low ” percentages of survey respondents said they rode CTA buses and trains more often because of scooters .
And 34 percent said they used scooters to get to and from public transit @

Chicago’s love-hate relationship with electric scooters will resume, but not until the end of the summer because of financial concerns tied to the coronavirus, a top mayoral aide said earlier this month.
Transportation Commissioner Gia Biagi acknowledged transportation options are needed now, more than ever, as the Chicago economy prepares to partially reopen and mass transit struggles to reassure commuters it’s safe to return to buses and trains.
But Biagi said she cannot wave a “magic wand” and deliver Round Two of Chicago’s grand experiment with electric scooters. The handful of companies expected to be involved in the second pilot still must sort out their shaky finances.
“We … need to give time for the scooter companies to get ready” given the challenges their industry is facing right now, she said.
“You’re looking at some of your big micro-mobility companies, and some of your small ones are really looking at their financing. ... So there’s some potential capacity questions on that end,” Biagi said.
“We want to make sure that we’ve asked all of the hard questions to make sure that it’s viable on the company side as well as making sure we’re setting up the pilot in the right way.”
Whenever the city is ready to launch the second pilot, Biagi said she expects to include “two or three” companies, compared to 10 in the original pilot. She also plans to require scooters to be parked in docks, corrals or locked public racks.
“We’re definitely very serious about sidewalk clutter, particularly because it impacts people with disabilities and other folks. No one wants to step over a bunch of scooters on the sidewalk. So, lockable technology — definitely,” she said.
In addition to a “lock-to” requirement, the Active Transportation Alliance has urged the city to offer discounts to low-income riders; expand priority zones; make all trips pay-as-you-go; and offer incentives for trips to and from mass transit.
The alliance has also urged the Lightfoot administration to keep scooters out of downtown and away from the lakefront trail and 606, and devote a chunk of scooter revenue to improving the “walking and biking infrastructure” in “high-crash corridors” on the South and West sides.
Biagi made no promises on those fronts but did argue that scooters are not just a transportation novelty; they’re a vital cog in Chicago’s fast-changing transportation system.
“This is where I always say, ‘It’s not about the scooter.’ It’s too easy to look at a scooter like it’s just kind of a fun toy and maybe not a serious part of the transportation network. But it is,” she said.
“It’s actually really important that we continue to look at how we can create other options for moving around the city. If you don’t want to bike and it’s too far to walk, a scooter might be just the right fit. It allows us to get more people plugged into the transportation network.”
Last year, Chicago rolled out electric scooters during a four-month pilot program that raised safety, parking and equity concerns.
Ten companies were each granted 250 scooters to operate within a 50-square mile test area bounded by Halsted Street and the Chicago River on the east, Irving Park Road on the north, Harlem Avenue and the city limits on the west, and the Chicago River on the south.
During that time, people who live, work and play in Chicago took 821,615 trips. A follow-up study showed scooters were used most frequently during the evening rush period on weekdays and between 3 p.m. and 4 p.m. on weekends.
Nearly 80 percent of rides started or ended in the eastern half of the pilot area, where plenty of other transportation options exist. Though scooter ridership was concentrated in the West Loop and along the Blue Line, it wasn’t at all clear that scooters were used to reduce car trips or “supplement” mass transit.
In fact, “very low” percentages of survey respondents said they rode CTA buses and trains more often because of scooters. And 34 percent said they used scooters to get to and from public transit.


chicagosun-times--2020-05-30--Boy, 17, shot in Ravenswood Manor

Boy, 17, shot in Ravenswood Manor

A teenage boy was wounded in a shooting Saturday in Ravenswood Manor on the Northwest Side .
The 17-year-old was @ @ @ @ @ 3:15 a.m. on Montrose Avenue when he heard gunshots and realized he was hit in @ @ @ @ @ said .
The driver took him to Illinois Masonic Medical Center , where he was @ @ @ @ @ police said .
The boy told investigators he didn ’ t see the shooter or @ @ @ @ @ from , police said .
No one is in custody as Area Five detectives investigate @ @ @ @ @ , and track the city ’ s homicides .

A teenage boy was wounded in a shooting Saturday in Ravenswood Manor on the Northwest Side.
The 17-year-old was riding in a vehicle about 3:15 a.m. on Montrose Avenue when he heard gunshots and realized he was hit in the arm, Chicago police said.
The driver took him to Illinois Masonic Medical Center, where he was listed in fair condition, police said.
The boy told investigators he didn’t see the shooter or know where the shots game from, police said.
No one is in custody as Area Five detectives investigate.
Read more on crime, and track the city’s homicides.


chicagosun-times--2020-05-30--Dear Abby: My ex’s new wife claims my children as her children

DEAR ABBY : My former husband had an affair years ago , and when our divorce was final , he married the woman he was involved with .
I ’ ll call her “ Libby.
” Although I have moved on , it bothers me when she refers to my children as “ her children.
” I have asked her to stop , but she continues to talk about “ her daughter ” and “ her son ” and insists it ’ s a term of endearment and it shouldn ’ t bother me .
My children don ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s trying to get the world to believe they ’ re one big happy family , it isn ’ t working .
I think it ’ s rude of her to insist on telling people that these are her children .
It ’ s as if Libby not only took my husband , but she ’ s also claiming to be the mother of my children .
How should I handle this wretched person who refuses to get it ?
— REAL MOM IN KENTUCKY DEAR MOM : Libby gets it , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ order to get your goat .
But this is not a battle you should pick .
It ’ s possible “ Stepmom ” may simply be trying to acknowledge her role in the parenting equation .
DEAR ABBY : Is it appropriate to confront someone in a restroom about not washing their hands , whether at work or in public ?
I noticed at work that some of my co-workers walk right past the sink or rinse their hands with water for a second and then leave .
I think washing your hands @ @ @ @ @ @ @ than ever , and not washing hands is a health hazard .
— WATCHING THE WASHING IN TEXAS DEAR WATCHING : You are right .
It is a health hazard .
Everyone should realize that fact in light of the current health crisis .
According to the Mayo Clinic , unwashed hands are spreaders of disease , which is why medical personnel and workers in the food industry are urged to be diligent about it .
That said , I don ’ t think it would be prudent for you to assume the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wash their hands after using the bathroom .
You might , however , suggest to your boss , once people are no longer working remotely , that it would be wise to issue a memo about the importance of frequent hand-washing .
DEAR ABBY : My sister , “ Camille , ” and I have almost nothing in common .
She lives far from where I do .
We have seen each other infrequently over the years , but when we have , she has always dropped a nasty comment or two , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lifestyle .
She recently took early retirement and wants to come for a visit .
Another sister says Camille is much more relaxed now because working full-time was very stressful for her .
I gave up on a relationship with her long ago , and I have no desire to see or entertain her .
We didn ’ t even like each other as children .
Yet , I ’ m feeling guilty about saying no to her visit .
Is it OK to draw the line on contact with a family member @ @ @ @ @ @ @ DEAR LEAVE : Yes , it is .
And it is also OK to tell her exactly why .
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 .
To receive a collection of Abby ’ s most memorable — and most frequently requested — poems and essays , send your name and mailing address , plus check or money order @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , to : Dear Abby — Keepers Booklet , P.O .
Box 447 , Mount Morris , IL 61054-0447 .
Shipping and handling are included in the price .

DEAR ABBY: My former husband had an affair years ago, and when our divorce was final, he married the woman he was involved with. I’ll call her “Libby.”
Although I have moved on, it bothers me when she refers to my children as “her children.” I have asked her to stop, but she continues to talk about “her daughter” and “her son” and insists it’s a term of endearment and it shouldn’t bother me. My children don’t like Libby, so if she’s trying to get the world to believe they’re one big happy family, it isn’t working.
I think it’s rude of her to insist on telling people that these are her children. It’s as if Libby not only took my husband, but she’s also claiming to be the mother of my children. How should I handle this wretched person who refuses to get it? — REAL MOM IN KENTUCKY
DEAR MOM: Libby gets it, and she may persist in doing it in order to get your goat. But this is not a battle you should pick. It’s possible “Stepmom” may simply be trying to acknowledge her role in the parenting equation.
DEAR ABBY: Is it appropriate to confront someone in a restroom about not washing their hands, whether at work or in public? I noticed at work that some of my co-workers walk right past the sink or rinse their hands with water for a second and then leave. I think washing your hands thoroughly with soap is more important now than ever, and not washing hands is a health hazard. — WATCHING THE WASHING IN TEXAS
DEAR WATCHING: You are right. It is a health hazard. Everyone should realize that fact in light of the current health crisis. According to the Mayo Clinic, unwashed hands are spreaders of disease, which is why medical personnel and workers in the food industry are urged to be diligent about it.
That said, I don’t think it would be prudent for you to assume the parental role and remind your co-workers to wash their hands after using the bathroom. You might, however, suggest to your boss, once people are no longer working remotely, that it would be wise to issue a memo about the importance of frequent hand-washing.
DEAR ABBY: My sister, “Camille,” and I have almost nothing in common. She lives far from where I do. We have seen each other infrequently over the years, but when we have, she has always dropped a nasty comment or two, ridiculing me or my husband or our lifestyle.
She recently took early retirement and wants to come for a visit. Another sister says Camille is much more relaxed now because working full-time was very stressful for her. I gave up on a relationship with her long ago, and I have no desire to see or entertain her. We didn’t even like each other as children. Yet, I’m feeling guilty about saying no to her visit. Is it OK to draw the line on contact with a family member? — LEAVE ME ALONE IN WASHINGTON
DEAR LEAVE: Yes, it is. And it is also OK to tell her exactly why.
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.
To receive a collection of Abby’s most memorable — and most frequently requested — poems and essays, send your name and mailing address, plus check or money order for $8 (U.S. funds), to: Dear Abby — Keepers Booklet, P.O. Box 447, Mount Morris, IL 61054-0447. Shipping and handling are included in the price.


chicagosun-times--2020-05-30--Girl, 16, missing from Lawndale

Girl, 16, missing from Lawndale

Police are looking for a 16-year-old girl who has been missing for several weeks from Lawndale on the West Side @ @ @ @ @ seen May 4 and is missing from the 4900 block of West Lexington Street , @ @ @ @ @ Berry is a 5-foot , 120-pound girl with brown eyes and black hair , police @ @ @ @ @ is asked to call Area Four Special Victims Unit detectives at 312-746-8255 .

Police are looking for a 16-year-old girl who has been missing for several weeks from Lawndale on the West Side.
Damaria Berry was last seen May 4 and is missing from the 4900 block of West Lexington Street, according to Chicago police.
Berry is a 5-foot, 120-pound girl with brown eyes and black hair, police said.
Anyone with information is asked to call Area Four Special Victims Unit detectives at 312-746-8255.