chicagosuntimes--2020-02-17--Dear Abby: My wife, a great cook, resents when I season her creations

DEAR ABBY : I ’ ve been happily married for 34 years , and my wife and I are supportive of each other .
She ’ s a gourmet cook , and I ’ m an OK one .
She takes extra care when she cooks .
She wants her meals to be exceptional , and I appreciate it .
Sometimes she will cook something like an awesome enchilada casserole or pork loin .
When she serves it , I like to add lots of other toppings , like sour cream and hot sauce or BBQ sauce .
I don @ @ @ @ @ @ @ just with certain dishes .
I always taste the food first , but I know how I like my food , and I season it the way I like .
She wishes I would eat her food the way she prepared it .
She insists that by altering the dish , I ruin her creation , which is disrespectful .
I disagree .
I should be allowed to enjoy my food the way I want and not be made to feel bad about it .
Why would she want me to enjoy my @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the way I enjoy ?
We both agreed to seriously consider what you have to say about this .
— RECIPE FOR DISASTER IN TEXAS DEAR RECIPE : Your wife feels creative pride in the meals she prepares for you .
When you alter them with “ lots of ” sour cream , hot sauce or BBQ sauce , she may feel that somehow her creation was a failure .
Reassure her that her meals are excellent , but not everyone has the same palate .
It may have something to do with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was raised , or the household in which someone grew up .
If you need certain dishes spicier in order to enjoy them , perhaps your wife should consider altering the seasonings in a portion of what she prepares to suit you .
If she can ’ t do that , she shouldn ’ t blame you for doing it .
To each his own .
DEAR ABBY : I need some help .
A terrible car accident happened in front of my house a few months ago that resulted in the death @ @ @ @ @ @ @ family comes out every Sunday to place flowers at the accident site , which is my front yard .
At first , I had no problem with them expressing their grief and tried to console the widow every time I saw her .
The problem is , she has gradually added to the area a memorial stone , an angel statue , vases and some of her husband ’ s belongings .
My front yard is beginning to look like a graveyard — a tacky one .
Now she ’ s asking to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
I don ’ t know how to respond .
My husband is threatening to go and pull everything up as it is .
To add to the stress of all this , another fatal accident occurred last month , resulting in the death of a 22-year-old .
He was the son of one of my children ’ s teachers .
I can ’ t imagine what she must be feeling right now , passing our home and seeing the graveyard out front .
It must be heartbreaking .
We live on a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for changes , but I don ’ t want to make our front yard a spectacle .
— GRIEVING IN THE MIDWEST DEAR GRIEVING : You are obviously a caring person or you wouldn ’ t have allowed this situation to have gone as far as it has .
It won ’ t be a pleasant conversation , but the time has come for you and your husband to talk with the widow together and explain that while you sympathize with her devastating loss , you prefer your yard not be used this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ It ’ s private property .
Suggest to her that there may be some other way to memorialize her husband , but you need the stone and other objects removed within a reasonable time frame .
You may also want to check with your local officials to see what the laws are about this .
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 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ guide to becoming a better conversationalist and a more sociable person , order “ How to Be Popular.
” Send your name and mailing address , plus check or money order for $ 8 ( U.S. funds ) , to : Dear Abby , Popularity Booklet , P.O .
Box 447 , Mount Morris , IL 61054-0447 .
( Shipping and handling are included in the price . )

DEAR ABBY: I’ve been happily married for 34 years, and my wife and I are supportive of each other. She’s a gourmet cook, and I’m an OK one. She takes extra care when she cooks. She wants her meals to be exceptional, and I appreciate it.
Sometimes she will cook something like an awesome enchilada casserole or pork loin. When she serves it, I like to add lots of other toppings, like sour cream and hot sauce or BBQ sauce. I don’t do it with everything — just with certain dishes. I always taste the food first, but I know how I like my food, and I season it the way I like.
She wishes I would eat her food the way she prepared it. She insists that by altering the dish, I ruin her creation, which is disrespectful. I disagree. I should be allowed to enjoy my food the way I want and not be made to feel bad about it.
Why would she want me to enjoy my meal less by not fixing it up the way I enjoy? We both agreed to seriously consider what you have to say about this. — RECIPE FOR DISASTER IN TEXAS
DEAR RECIPE: Your wife feels creative pride in the meals she prepares for you. When you alter them with “lots of” sour cream, hot sauce or BBQ sauce, she may feel that somehow her creation was a failure. Reassure her that her meals are excellent, but not everyone has the same palate. It may have something to do with the geographic region in which a person was raised, or the household in which someone grew up.
If you need certain dishes spicier in order to enjoy them, perhaps your wife should consider altering the seasonings in a portion of what she prepares to suit you. If she can’t do that, she shouldn’t blame you for doing it. To each his own.
DEAR ABBY: I need some help. A terrible car accident happened in front of my house a few months ago that resulted in the death of a husband and father. The family comes out every Sunday to place flowers at the accident site, which is my front yard. At first, I had no problem with them expressing their grief and tried to console the widow every time I saw her. The problem is, she has gradually added to the area a memorial stone, an angel statue, vases and some of her husband’s belongings. My front yard is beginning to look like a graveyard — a tacky one.
Now she’s asking to place a protective shelter over the site. I don’t know how to respond. My husband is threatening to go and pull everything up as it is.
To add to the stress of all this, another fatal accident occurred last month, resulting in the death of a 22-year-old. He was the son of one of my children’s teachers. I can’t imagine what she must be feeling right now, passing our home and seeing the graveyard out front. It must be heartbreaking. We live on a dangerous road, and we are petitioning for changes, but I don’t want to make our front yard a spectacle. — GRIEVING IN THE MIDWEST
DEAR GRIEVING: You are obviously a caring person or you wouldn’t have allowed this situation to have gone as far as it has. It won’t be a pleasant conversation, but the time has come for you and your husband to talk with the widow together and explain that while you sympathize with her devastating loss, you prefer your yard not be used this way. You have that right. It’s private property.
Suggest to her that there may be some other way to memorialize her husband, but you need the stone and other objects removed within a reasonable time frame. You may also want to check with your local officials to see what the laws are about this.
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.
For an excellent guide to becoming a better conversationalist and a more sociable person, order “How to Be Popular.” Send your name and mailing address, plus check or money order for $8 (U.S. funds), to: Dear Abby, Popularity Booklet, P.O. Box 447, Mount Morris, IL 61054-0447. (Shipping and handling are included in the price.)


chicagosuntimes--2020-02-17--A wave of church closings is coming to a place near you

If you examine the “ property for sale ” list posted by the Archdiocese of Chicago , you get no inkling of its crisis and the coming wave of closed churches .
There ’ s only one church listed for sale .
Two others , with their attendant properties such as the rectory and convent , are listed as under contract .
Over time , a lot more will hit the market .
The Catholic church ’ s selloff of property will play out over the next few years , and the results won ’ t be good for neighborhoods @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that will see distinctive and often historic institutions disappear .
Chicago has seen a winnowing of neighborhood schools , some of which have found alternate lives , but the focus will shift to the spires of a heavily Roman Catholic city , features that long ago helped immigrants assimilate and defined a neighborhood ’ s character .
By my count , the archdiocese since early 2019 has announced plans to close anywhere from 19 to 25 churches in the next few years .
The exact number will depend on circumstances ; a few @ @ @ @ @ @ @ locations for the adjoining parish , with their status to be reviewed later .
Most of these closings have been announced within the past four months .
They are the product of Cardinal Blase Cupich ’ s “ Renew My Church ” campaign .
Eric Wollan , chief capital assets officer for the archdiocese , handles whatever is decided about the properties .
“ From my perspective , they ’ re all hard decisions , all emotional and difficult , ” he said .
Wollan said the archdiocese is “ still on the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Church ’ effort .
It ’ s a major strategic initiative that allows our parishes to evaluate how best to fulfill their missions and decide which properties help them do that.
” He could recall only four or five church sales in the past two years .
Wollan said decisions about what to close are made in consultation with parish leaders and proceeds from sales don ’ t get transferred downtown but stay within the surviving parish .
The nonemotional factors at work here are well known .
Churches of all types have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , their buildings age and require massive upkeep and the general interest in religious worship declines .
The closings aren ’ t new to Chicago , but their pace will be .
The archdiocese will consider selling to another denomination or faith , Wollan said , or consider other buyers .
In canonical terms , the aim is for “ profane but not sordid ” use .
He said the former St. Isidore Church in Blue Island was sold to another denomination and one church the website still lists as “ under contract @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Park , is being sold to the village to become a community center .
But Wollan knows the pitfalls .
Churches were built for worship and their sanctuaries don ’ t adapt readily to some other purpose .
The heating bills alone are a deterrent .
“ We don ’ t want properties sitting there that aren ’ t benefiting the parish and the community , ” he said .
A prime example of a church becoming a blight is the sad case of the former St. Boniface at 1358 W. Chestnut St. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ago .
With four bell towers , it stood regally across from Eckhart Park .
Now it ’ s defaced and plundered , with development proposals having come and gone .
The most recent , a condo plan from Stas Development , surfaced in 2018 .
But Stas ’ phone is disconnected and contractors have filed at least $ 180,000 in liens against the property .
Its corporate status with the state is listed as “ not in good standing.
” Terrence McConville , senior attorney with the Illinois secretary of state , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ report , due Feb. 1 , and has three or four months to fix that before being involuntarily dissolved .
A potential problem is St. Adalbert , 1650 W. 17th St. , which the archdiocese closed last year .
News reports have had it under contract to a developer , but Wollan said the archdiocese is still trying to sell it .
“ It ’ s a large property that requires a significant investment , ” he said .
Any sale would stir both angry parishioners wanting it to remain a church and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ housing .
The recently announced closings will hit over the next couple of years and range from Waukegan to South Holland , West Ridge to Hegewisch .
To those who say the archdiocese is acting to pay settlements related to priestly abuse , Wollan said , “ That ’ s certainly an inaccurate characterization of any of our ‘ Renew My Church ’ initiatives .
Our goal here is to strengthen the church and its ability to deliver on its mission.
” The archdiocese , meanwhile , has properties left in its own @ @ @ @ @ @ @ former seminary at 835 N. Rush St. and the mansion at 1555 N. State Parkway .
Will those be sold ?
Wollan said , “ We constantly evaluate which assets are critical .
We don ’ t have any specific plans for those assets .
”

If you examine the “property for sale” list posted by the Archdiocese of Chicago, you get no inkling of its crisis and the coming wave of closed churches. There’s only one church listed for sale. Two others, with their attendant properties such as the rectory and convent, are listed as under contract.
Over time, a lot more will hit the market. The Catholic church’s selloff of property will play out over the next few years, and the results won’t be good for neighborhoods — mostly Chicago but some suburban — that will see distinctive and often historic institutions disappear. Chicago has seen a winnowing of neighborhood schools, some of which have found alternate lives, but the focus will shift to the spires of a heavily Roman Catholic city, features that long ago helped immigrants assimilate and defined a neighborhood’s character.
By my count, the archdiocese since early 2019 has announced plans to close anywhere from 19 to 25 churches in the next few years. The exact number will depend on circumstances; a few churches could hang on as ancillary Mass locations for the adjoining parish, with their status to be reviewed later. Most of these closings have been announced within the past four months. They are the product of Cardinal Blase Cupich’s “Renew My Church” campaign.
Chicago Enterprise bug Chicago Enterprise
Eric Wollan, chief capital assets officer for the archdiocese, handles whatever is decided about the properties. “From my perspective, they’re all hard decisions, all emotional and difficult,” he said. Wollan said the archdiocese is “still on the front end of the ‘Renew My Church’ effort. It’s a major strategic initiative that allows our parishes to evaluate how best to fulfill their missions and decide which properties help them do that.” He could recall only four or five church sales in the past two years.
Wollan said decisions about what to close are made in consultation with parish leaders and proceeds from sales don’t get transferred downtown but stay within the surviving parish.
Eric Wollan LinkedIn
The nonemotional factors at work here are well known. Churches of all types have withered as their ethnic base moves on, their buildings age and require massive upkeep and the general interest in religious worship declines. The closings aren’t new to Chicago, but their pace will be.
The archdiocese will consider selling to another denomination or faith, Wollan said, or consider other buyers. In canonical terms, the aim is for “profane but not sordid” use. He said the former St. Isidore Church in Blue Island was sold to another denomination and one church the website still lists as “under contract,” Seven Holy Founders in Calumet Park, is being sold to the village to become a community center.
But Wollan knows the pitfalls. Churches were built for worship and their sanctuaries don’t adapt readily to some other purpose. The heating bills alone are a deterrent. “We don’t want properties sitting there that aren’t benefiting the parish and the community,” he said.
A prime example of a church becoming a blight is the sad case of the former St. Boniface at 1358 W. Chestnut St., which the archdiocese closed 30 years ago. With four bell towers, it stood regally across from Eckhart Park. Now it’s defaced and plundered, with development proposals having come and gone. The most recent, a condo plan from Stas Development, surfaced in 2018. But Stas’ phone is disconnected and contractors have filed at least $180,000 in liens against the property. Its corporate status with the state is listed as “not in good standing.” Terrence McConville, senior attorney with the Illinois secretary of state, said Stas is late filing its annual report, due Feb. 1, and has three or four months to fix that before being involuntarily dissolved.
A potential problem is St. Adalbert, 1650 W. 17th St., which the archdiocese closed last year. News reports have had it under contract to a developer, but Wollan said the archdiocese is still trying to sell it. “It’s a large property that requires a significant investment,” he said. Any sale would stir both angry parishioners wanting it to remain a church and Pilsen residents who fear gentrification from expensive housing.
The recently announced closings will hit over the next couple of years and range from Waukegan to South Holland, West Ridge to Hegewisch. To those who say the archdiocese is acting to pay settlements related to priestly abuse, Wollan said, “That’s certainly an inaccurate characterization of any of our ‘Renew My Church’ initiatives. Our goal here is to strengthen the church and its ability to deliver on its mission.”
The archdiocese, meanwhile, has properties left in its own account, including its headquarters in the former seminary at 835 N. Rush St. and the mansion at 1555 N. State Parkway. Will those be sold? Wollan said, “We constantly evaluate which assets are critical. We don’t have any specific plans for those assets.”


chicagosuntimes--2020-02-17--ENDORSEMENT: Abdelnasser Rashid for Board of Review in Cook County Democratic primary

The thrust of reform of Cook County ’ s property tax system in recent years has been toward reducing the number of appeals and eliminating insider dealing .
Abdelnasser Rashid , a former aide to Cook County Assessor Fritz Kaegi and former Cook County Clerk David Orr , is the candidate in the Board of Review ’ s 1st District Democratic primary who would most aggressively pursue those goals .
The Board of Review is a little-understood body , but the decisions by its three commissioners affect the tax bills of every property owner in the county .
Rashid would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ appeals only on the basis of a property ’ s fair market value , rather than to placate those property owners who make the most noise or who hire the most politically connected lawyers .
Rashid also wants to make more transparent how the board reaches assessment decisions by spelling out the market assumptions , data and vacancy rates used in its calculations .
As an aide to Kaegi , Rashid spent the last year working in support of a stalled bill in the Legislature that would require commercial property owners to disclose @ @ @ @ @ @ @ properties accurately and fairly .
Rashid correctly points out that an opaque assessment system , especially in a state that has high property taxes , is a deterrent to businesses coming to Illinois because they don ’ t know what their property tax bills will be from one year to the next .
Also running is property tax appeals lawyer Tammy Wendt , an attorney for convicted former Police Officer Jason Van Dyke who is backed by the Fraternal Order of Police , Chicago Lodge No .
7 .
The winner in this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the fall .
For more information about this race and others , including candidate questionnaires , go to our Illinois primary voting guide .
Our newspaper is owned by a group of civic-minded and , in some cases , politically active investors ; for details , see our owner information page .

The thrust of reform of Cook County’s property tax system in recent years has been toward reducing the number of appeals and eliminating insider dealing.
Abdelnasser Rashid, a former aide to Cook County Assessor Fritz Kaegi and former Cook County Clerk David Orr, is the candidate in the Board of Review’s 1st District Democratic primary who would most aggressively pursue those goals.
The Board of Review is a little-understood body, but the decisions by its three commissioners affect the tax bills of every property owner in the county. Rashid would work to make sure the board grants appeals only on the basis of a property’s fair market value, rather than to placate those property owners who make the most noise or who hire the most politically connected lawyers. Rashid also wants to make more transparent how the board reaches assessment decisions by spelling out the market assumptions, data and vacancy rates used in its calculations.
As an aide to Kaegi, Rashid spent the last year working in support of a stalled bill in the Legislature that would require commercial property owners to disclose information that’s necessary to assess properties accurately and fairly. Rashid correctly points out that an opaque assessment system, especially in a state that has high property taxes, is a deterrent to businesses coming to Illinois because they don’t know what their property tax bills will be from one year to the next.
Also running is property tax appeals lawyer Tammy Wendt, an attorney for convicted former Police Officer Jason Van Dyke who is backed by the Fraternal Order of Police, Chicago Lodge No. 7. The winner in this race will face Republican incumbent Dan Patlak in the fall.
For more information about this race and others, including candidate questionnaires, go to our Illinois primary voting guide. Our newspaper is owned by a group of civic-minded and, in some cases, politically active investors; for details, see our owner information page.
Send letters to letters@suntimes.com.


chicagosuntimes--2020-02-17--Scarlet letters, political payback and City Hall’s do-not-hire list

A big company will often maintain a confidential do-not-hire list , and for good reason .
A bad apple fired from one store or office might otherwise be hired at another , nobody being the wiser .
It ’ s hard to quarrel with do-not-hire lists in the private sector .
When a government agency keeps such a list , though , the stakes are higher .
The list can become a tool of disproportionate punishment or political retribution for the simple reason that it can not be kept so strictly confidential .
The government agency must cough it up @ @ @ @ @ @ @ — who files a Freedom of Information Act request .
The list can follow you anywhere .
This gets to the heart of why we ’ re uneasy with seeing the names of two prominent former Chicago city employees , former Police Supt .
Eddie Johnson and former Law Department spokesman Bill McCaffrey , on City Hall ’ s do-not-hire list .
Maybe they deserve to be on the list or maybe not ; we actually don ’ t have many clues as to why McCaffrey ’ s name is on it .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ anybody who asks to see it , as City Hall Sun-Times reporter Fran Spielman did , it effectively works as a kind of public shaming .
It is , as Spielman wrote , “ a scarlet letter.
” In Johnson ’ s case , we have to wonder if City Hall could have kept his name off the list at least until an internal investigation is completed by the city ’ s inspector general .
Mayor Lori Lightfoot sent Johnson into early retirement in December because , she says , he lied to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and driving .
It ’ s not as if the former police chief is about to put on a fake beard and apply for a job driving a city truck .
This is not about cutting Johnson a special break .
Given the public nature of a government do-not-hire list , every last consideration of fairness should be made , beyond the standards of the private sector , before putting anybody ’ s name on the list .
As for McCaffrey , Lightfoot says she fired him in December “ for cause ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” about his “ professionalism and his judgment.
” Obviously , it would be inappropriate for the mayor to reveal the particulars of why McCaffrey was fired .
Bosses can ’ t do that .
But going only on what we do know — that McCaffrey had stirred things up at City Hall by raising “ ethical issues ” about his own boss — it ’ s fair to question why his name is on the do-not-hire list along with those of former employees who have committed crimes or taken advantage of city @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ?
Or is this payback ?

A big company will often maintain a confidential do-not-hire list, and for good reason. A bad apple fired from one store or office might otherwise be hired at another, nobody being the wiser.
It’s hard to quarrel with do-not-hire lists in the private sector.
When a government agency keeps such a list, though, the stakes are higher. The list can become a tool of disproportionate punishment or political retribution for the simple reason that it cannot be kept so strictly confidential. The government agency must cough it up for anybody — including a prospective employer — who files a Freedom of Information Act request.
The list can follow you anywhere.
Editorials bug Editorials
This gets to the heart of why we’re uneasy with seeing the names of two prominent former Chicago city employees, former Police Supt. Eddie Johnson and former Law Department spokesman Bill McCaffrey, on City Hall’s do-not-hire list.
Maybe they deserve to be on the list or maybe not; we actually don’t have many clues as to why McCaffrey’s name is on it. But because the list is public to anybody who asks to see it, as City Hall Sun-Times reporter Fran Spielman did, it effectively works as a kind of public shaming.
It is, as Spielman wrote, “a scarlet letter.”
In Johnson’s case, we have to wonder if City Hall could have kept his name off the list at least until an internal investigation is completed by the city’s inspector general. Mayor Lori Lightfoot sent Johnson into early retirement in December because, she says, he lied to her about a long night involving drinking and driving.
It’s not as if the former police chief is about to put on a fake beard and apply for a job driving a city truck.
This is not about cutting Johnson a special break. Given the public nature of a government do-not-hire list, every last consideration of fairness should be made, beyond the standards of the private sector, before putting anybody’s name on the list.
As for McCaffrey, Lightfoot says she fired him in December “for cause” after receiving information raising “serious concerns” about his “professionalism and his judgment.”
Obviously, it would be inappropriate for the mayor to reveal the particulars of why McCaffrey was fired. Bosses can’t do that. But going only on what we do know — that McCaffrey had stirred things up at City Hall by raising “ethical issues” about his own boss — it’s fair to question why his name is on the do-not-hire list along with those of former employees who have committed crimes or taken advantage of city taxpayers.
Is his scarlet letter justified? Or is this payback?
Send letters to letters@suntimes.com.


chicagosuntimes--2020-02-17--‘Hunters’ balances the silly and the somber of its Nazi-chasing posse

“ The Talmud was wrong .
Living well is not the best revenge .
You know what the best revenge is ?
Revenge.
” – Nazi tracker Al Pacino to a protégé in “ Hunters.
” The wildly shifting tones in the Amazon Prime series “ Hunters ” reminded me of the parable about the blind men and the elephant .
You remember the story .
A group of blind men are introduced to a strange new animal called an elephant .
The man who touches the trunk says , “ This is a thick snake.
” The man with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he ’ s like a wall .
The man who feels the tusk says he ’ s a spear .
So it goes with “ Hunters , ” which follows an underground band of Nazi hunters in the mid-1970s .
If your initial exposure to the series was via one of the flashback scenes set in World War II concentration camps , you ’ d say this was a somber , heartbreaking , piercingly memorable drama .
Ah , but if you happened on “ Hunters ” in one of the stylized sequences @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is a satirical comedy/drive-in action hybrid , dripping with pop culture references — something along the lines of “ Jojo Rabbit ” meets Quentin Tarantino .
But if you dropped in on “ Hunters ” during one of the sequences involving the FBI agent on the verge of uncovering a world-shattering conspiracy , or a New York plagued by rats and graffiti and the Son of Sam killings — you ’ d have a different characterization of the show .
Even in chronological order — and if you ’ re not watching in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with you — “ Hunters ” will put you in danger of Viewer Whiplash as it shifts gears more rapidly than Baby Driver behind the wheel of a red Subaru Impreza WRX .
I mean , when a 13-year-old girl in a Bat Mitzvah candle-lighting setting introduces “ The Hunters ” one by one to a “ Misirlou ” style cover of “ Hava Nagila , ” and we see B-movie style clips and posters for each character , you know we ’ re in irreverent territory .
“ Hunters ” has the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ graphic novel , but it ’ s actually an original creation by David Weil , inspired by true events , including stories Weil heard from his grandmother , a Holocaust survivor , when he was a little boy .
The series has a lush and vibrant production design , an overwhelmingly array of stylistic touches , rich and vibrant writing — and appropriately oversized , comic-book performances from a terrific cast .
The 90-minute series premiere begins with Bob Seger ’ s “ Night Moves ” on the soundtrack as we swoop in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ — complete with the host wearing a cheesy apron while manning the grill , kids happily splashing around in the pool and a newly arrived guest saying , “ I ’ ll take a Schlitz if you got it.
” By the time that scene is over , there ’ s zero doubt we ’ re in for one crazy-ass viewing experience .
Cut to Brooklyn , where 20-year-old Jonah Heidelbaum ( Logan Lerman from the “ Percy Jackson ” films ) and his buddies have just exited a screening of the hit @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a comics store and even has a bit of a “ superpower ” himself in that he can look at maps and puzzles and coded messages and instantly sort out patterns and secret meanings in a “ Beautiful Mind ” kind of way .
Still , Jonah ’ s just a normal , good-natured , regular guy — until his grandmother ( and sole guardian ) is executed in their home in the dead of night by a masked gunman , and his world is turned upside down .
Jonah knew his beloved @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , but only after her death does he learn she was part of a super-secret band of Nazi hunters who recently had started tracking down — and executing — former war criminals who had assimilated into American culture .
Al Pacino , looking and sounding like he kept the accent and mannerisms from playing Hollywood agent Marvin Schwarz in “ Once Upon a Time in Hollywood , ” is Meyer Offerman , a multi-millionaire who bankrolls and masterminds the Nazi-hunting missions .
Meyer ’ s core team includes the wonderful combination of Saul @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Mindy Markowitz , who fuss about like kindly grandparents but are in fact experts in weapons and gadgets ; Tiffany Boone as Roxy Jones , who looks like she just stepped off the set of a blaxploitation film ; Josh Radnor as the preening actor and master of disguise Lonny Flash ; Louis Ozawa Changchien as Joe Torrance , a combat vet with Bruce Lee fighting skills , and Kate Mulvany as Sister Harriet , a lethal weapon in a nun ’ s habit .
Told you it was like a Tarantino film @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hiss-worthy villains , including Dylan Baker as the oily politician Biff Simpson ; Greg Austin as an American-born , next-generation Nazi killer , and Lena Olin as “ The Colonel , ” the leader of what she calls “ The Fourth Reich.
” And there ’ s a compelling storyline involving Jerrika Hilton ’ s Millie Malone , a rookie FBI agent who begins to see a stunning pattern in what initially appeared to be a series of unrelated deaths in New York and Florida .
There ’ s a LOT going on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ harrowing and brutally shocking concentration camp sequences to the bloody developments in the 1970s to the avalanche of pop culture references ( “ Kojak , ” Tab , “ The Six Million Dollar Man , ” a certain TV Guide with Farrah Fawcett on the cover ) .
This is not a show made for casual viewing while you ’ re in and out of the room , or occasionally checking your phone .
You ’ ll want to strap in and pay attention and hang on for the full effect of the @ @

“The Talmud was wrong. Living well is not the best revenge. You know what the best revenge is? Revenge.” – Nazi tracker Al Pacino to a protégé in “Hunters.”
The wildly shifting tones in the Amazon Prime series “Hunters” reminded me of the parable about the blind men and the elephant.
You remember the story. A group of blind men are introduced to a strange new animal called an elephant. The man who touches the trunk says, “This is a thick snake.” The man who touches the elephant’s side says he’s like a wall. The man who feels the tusk says he’s a spear.
So it goes with “Hunters,” which follows an underground band of Nazi hunters in the mid-1970s.
‘Hunters’
Untitled Begins streaming Friday on Amazon Prime Video
If your initial exposure to the series was via one of the flashback scenes set in World War II concentration camps, you’d say this was a somber, heartbreaking, piercingly memorable drama.
Ah, but if you happened on “Hunters” in one of the stylized sequences, you’d be convinced this is a satirical comedy/drive-in action hybrid, dripping with pop culture references — something along the lines of “Jojo Rabbit” meets Quentin Tarantino.
But if you dropped in on “Hunters” during one of the sequences involving the FBI agent on the verge of uncovering a world-shattering conspiracy, or a New York plagued by rats and graffiti and the Son of Sam killings — you’d have a different characterization of the show.
Even in chronological order — and if you’re not watching in chronological order, what’s wrong with you — “Hunters” will put you in danger of Viewer Whiplash as it shifts gears more rapidly than Baby Driver behind the wheel of a red Subaru Impreza WRX.
I mean, when a 13-year-old girl in a Bat Mitzvah candle-lighting setting introduces “The Hunters” one by one to a “Misirlou” style cover of “Hava Nagila,” and we see B-movie style clips and posters for each character, you know we’re in irreverent territory.
“Hunters” has the vibe of something based on a super-cool graphic novel, but it’s actually an original creation by David Weil, inspired by true events, including stories Weil heard from his grandmother, a Holocaust survivor, when he was a little boy.
The series has a lush and vibrant production design, an overwhelmingly array of stylistic touches, rich and vibrant writing — and appropriately oversized, comic-book performances from a terrific cast.
The 90-minute series premiere begins with Bob Seger’s “Night Moves” on the soundtrack as we swoop in on a backyard barbecue in 1977 Maryland — complete with the host wearing a cheesy apron while manning the grill, kids happily splashing around in the pool and a newly arrived guest saying, “I’ll take a Schlitz if you got it.”
By the time that scene is over, there’s zero doubt we’re in for one crazy-ass viewing experience.
Cut to Brooklyn, where 20-year-old Jonah Heidelbaum (Logan Lerman from the “Percy Jackson” films) and his buddies have just exited a screening of the hit movie “Star Wars.”
Jonah manages a comics store and even has a bit of a “superpower” himself in that he can look at maps and puzzles and coded messages and instantly sort out patterns and secret meanings in a “Beautiful Mind” kind of way.
Still, Jonah’s just a normal, good-natured, regular guy — until his grandmother (and sole guardian) is executed in their home in the dead of night by a masked gunman, and his world is turned upside down.
Jonah knew his beloved, sweet grandmother was a Holocaust survivor, but only after her death does he learn she was part of a super-secret band of Nazi hunters who recently had started tracking down — and executing — former war criminals who had assimilated into American culture.
Al Pacino, looking and sounding like he kept the accent and mannerisms from playing Hollywood agent Marvin Schwarz in “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood,” is Meyer Offerman, a multi-millionaire who bankrolls and masterminds the Nazi-hunting missions.
Weapons experts Murray and Mindy Markowitz (Saul Rubinek and Carol Kane) help chase the Nazi war criminals in “Hunters.” Amazon
Meyer’s core team includes the wonderful combination of Saul Rubinek and Carol Kane as Murray and Mindy Markowitz, who fuss about like kindly grandparents but are in fact experts in weapons and gadgets; Tiffany Boone as Roxy Jones, who looks like she just stepped off the set of a blaxploitation film; Josh Radnor as the preening actor and master of disguise Lonny Flash; Louis Ozawa as Joe Torrance, a combat vet with Bruce Lee fighting skills, and Kate Mulvany as Sister Harriet, a lethal weapon in a nun’s habit.
Told you it was like a Tarantino film!
“Hunters” also features some hiss-worthy villains, including Dylan Baker as the oily politician Biff Simpson; Greg Austin as an American-born, next-generation Nazi killer, and Lena Olin as “The Colonel,” the leader of what she calls “The Fourth Reich.”
And there’s a compelling storyline involving Jerrika Hinton’s Millie Malone, a rookie FBI agent who begins to see a stunning pattern in what initially appeared to be a series of unrelated deaths in New York and Florida.
There’s a LOT going on in “Hunters,” from the harrowing and brutally shocking concentration camp sequences to the bloody developments in the 1970s to the avalanche of pop culture references (“Kojak,” Tab, “The Six Million Dollar Man,” a certain TV Guide with Farrah Fawcett on the cover).
This is not a show made for casual viewing while you’re in and out of the room, or occasionally checking your phone. You’ll want to strap in and pay attention and hang on for the full effect of the ride.


chicagosuntimes--2020-02-17--Pritzker plans $147 million boost for DCFS in second-year budget

Gov .
J.B. Pritzker ’ s second-year budget will include a $ 147 million increase in funding for DCFS to boost staffing and increase support for investigations .
The Democratic governor also plans to increase the agency ’ s headcount to 3,056 employees , up from the 2,758 employed in 2018 .
That ’ s intended to reduce caseloads for overwhelmed investigators and to boost staffing at a hotline set up to receive calls about cases of child abuse and neglect .
Pritzker ’ s budget also proposes funding a third simulation lab in Illinois , to help train investigators @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
That ’ s among several highlights the Democratic governor released ahead of his budget speech in Springfield on Wednesday .
There were 123 deaths of children who had been in contact with the Department of Children and Family Services last year , according to an inspector general ’ s report released in January .
Pritzker said he has personally reviewed each case with DCFS heads .
He described the agency as being in a “ terrible downward spiral ” and blamed the budget impasse for the staffing declines and shuttered social service @ @ @ @ @ @ @ substance abuse or mental health problems .
“ When I took office , we had to reverse all those things , including bringing in new leadership and then the new leadership needs to bring in more new leadership under them , ” Pritzker said .
“ ... We needed to staff up .
We needed to retrain everybody , because a lot of these people — 20 years , 10 years on the job — they never got trained or they got two weeks of training at the beginning.
” Last week the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a child was “ unacceptably restrained with hard ankle restraints ” during a transfer to an out-of-state facility .
For decades , the agency has relied on private vendors — which in many ways are hard to oversee .
Pritzker called that an “ ongoing problem ” — and plans to help battle retention by providing an additional $ 21.2 million for a cost-of-living increase in contracts .
Private agency partners provide 85 % of the child welfare work in Illinois and have seen only three cost-of-living bumps in 19 years , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ You ’ ll see in this budget that there ’ s a COLA [ cost-of-living adjustment ] increase in order to start to revitalize those outside agencies and increase retention — because the children are affected by turnover , ” Pritzker said .
There ’ s also $ 500,000 more to invest in the agency ’ s technology ; that includes its database to report cases , as well mobile technology to allow investigators to immediately upload photos they take during home visits .
Pritzker , too , said he learned last year @ @ @ @ @ @ @ workers visiting homes with a parent with a past substance abuse problem were providing those parents with both transportation vouchers and vouchers to take a drug test .
Workers would ask those parents to “ get that done in the next number of days , ” Pritzker said .
The governor said he asked whether the state couldn ’ t afford drug test kits .
“ No , they just stopped doing it , ” Pritzker said .
“ So we ’ re back to providing drug test kits for many of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ do a drug test — and you can on the spot — and can get a reading on somebody , you can get a very good idea of whether this child needs to be removed or the parent needs more services.
” Besides the need to boost DCFS — an embattled agency whose priorities largely supersede bipartisan bickering — Republicans hope Pritzker ’ s address also focuses on the state ’ s fiscal stability .
As the governor prepares his budget , Illinois House Republican Leader Jim Durkin , R-Western Springs , said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ look at 5 % or 6 % in agency cuts across-the-board .
He also wants to see a major effort in tackling the state ’ s massive pension debt .
“ I would like to see a greater emphasis from the administration of how we ’ re going to move forward to reform our public pension systems , ” Durkin .
“ We can ’ t kick this any further .
The liabilities are crushing this state .
We believe this next budget cycle that pensions will be the second highest budget demand @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ re talking over $ 8 billion we will have to fund in our public pension systems and our liabilities are well in excess of $ 200 billion .
I just wish there was a sense of urgency from the Democrats to do something more.
” Last year ’ s budget was $ 40 billion .
Durkin hopes it stays there .
“ For a Democratic governor to say that we ’ re keeping spending flat , I think it would be a wonderful message to Illinois , ” Durkin said .

Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s second-year budget will include a $147 million increase in funding for DCFS to boost staffing and increase support for investigations.
The Democratic governor also plans to increase the agency’s headcount to 3,056 employees, up from the 2,758 employed in 2018. That’s intended to reduce caseloads for overwhelmed investigators and to boost staffing at a hotline set up to receive calls about cases of child abuse and neglect.
Pritzker’s budget also proposes funding a third simulation lab in Illinois, to help train investigators on finding signs of abuse and neglect.
That’s among several highlights the Democratic governor released ahead of his budget speech in Springfield on Wednesday.
There were 123 deaths of children who had been in contact with the Department of Children and Family Services last year, according to an inspector general’s report released in January. Pritzker said he has personally reviewed each case with DCFS heads. He described the agency as being in a “terrible downward spiral” and blamed the budget impasse for the staffing declines and shuttered social service agencies that could have helped parents with substance abuse or mental health problems.
“When I took office, we had to reverse all those things, including bringing in new leadership and then the new leadership needs to bring in more new leadership under them,” Pritzker said. “...We needed to staff up. We needed to retrain everybody, because a lot of these people — 20 years, 10 years on the job — they never got trained or they got two weeks of training at the beginning.”
Last week the state terminated a private transportation contract after a child was “unacceptably restrained with hard ankle restraints” during a transfer to an out-of-state facility. For decades, the agency has relied on private vendors — which in many ways are hard to oversee.
Pritzker called that an “ongoing problem” — and plans to help battle retention by providing an additional $21.2 million for a cost-of-living increase in contracts. Private agency partners provide 85% of the child welfare work in Illinois and have seen only three cost-of-living bumps in 19 years, the governor’s office said.
“You’ll see in this budget that there’s a COLA [cost-of-living adjustment] increase in order to start to revitalize those outside agencies and increase retention — because the children are affected by turnover,” Pritzker said.
There’s also $500,000 more to invest in the agency’s technology; that includes its database to report cases, as well mobile technology to allow investigators to immediately upload photos they take during home visits.
Pritzker, too, said he learned last year when talking to DCFS personnel that frontline workers visiting homes with a parent with a past substance abuse problem were providing those parents with both transportation vouchers and vouchers to take a drug test. Workers would ask those parents to “get that done in the next number of days,” Pritzker said.
The governor said he asked whether the state couldn’t afford drug test kits.
“No, they just stopped doing it,” Pritzker said. “So we’re back to providing drug test kits for many of the case workers. And if you can do a drug test — and you can on the spot — and can get a reading on somebody, you can get a very good idea of whether this child needs to be removed or the parent needs more services.”
Besides the need to boost DCFS — an embattled agency whose priorities largely supersede bipartisan bickering — Republicans hope Pritzker’s address also focuses on the state’s fiscal stability.
As the governor prepares his budget, Illinois House Republican Leader Jim Durkin, R-Western Springs, said Pritzker must keep spending flat and should look at 5% or 6% in agency cuts across-the-board. He also wants to see a major effort in tackling the state’s massive pension debt.
“I would like to see a greater emphasis from the administration of how we’re going to move forward to reform our public pension systems,” Durkin. “We can’t kick this any further. The liabilities are crushing this state. We believe this next budget cycle that pensions will be the second highest budget demand that we’ll have. We’re talking over $8 billion we will have to fund in our public pension systems and our liabilities are well in excess of $200 billion. I just wish there was a sense of urgency from the Democrats to do something more.”
Last year’s budget was $40 billion. Durkin hopes it stays there.
“For a Democratic governor to say that we’re keeping spending flat, I think it would be a wonderful message to Illinois,” Durkin said.


chicagosuntimes--2020-02-17--Man killed, 2 wounded in shooting at Jackson CTA station: police

A man was killed and two other people were injured Monday in a shooting at a CTA subway station in the Loop .
The shooting happened just after 2 a.m. in the tunnel connecting the Jackson Blue Line and Red Line stations in the 200 block of South Dearborn Street , according to Chicago police .
One man was shot in the abdomen and chest and pronounced dead at the scene , police said .
Another was hit in the head and arm and taken to Northwestern Memorial Hospital in critical condition .
Chicago Fire Department officials said both men @ @ @ @ @ @ @ County medical examiner ’ s office has not released details about the fatality .
A 19-year-old woman was also shot in the lower backside and taken to Northwestern in good condition , police and fire officials said .
Investigators think she was with the men but was not an intended target .
Police said the male shooter and the two men apparently know each other and “ had a prior dispute making this incident personal in nature.
” The suspect ran away after the shooting and no arrests have been made .
Red @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Jackson stations Monday morning as police investigate , according to CTA service alerts .
The attack comes nearly two weeks after another man was shot on a Blue Line train Feb. 5 at the UIC-Halsted station .
Parolee Patrick Waldon remains held without bail on charges of aggravated battery , armed robbery and being an armed habitual criminal in connection with that shooting .
A musician was also stabbed the day before that on the platform at the Jackson Red Line station .
Barbara Johnson , 38 , was charged in the attack @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Read more on crime , and track the city ’ s homicides .

As the city prepares to unveil a new security plan for the CTA, the third tragedy in a month struck the transit system when a man was shot to death and two other people were wounded early Monday in a downtown train station.
The 2 a.m. shooting was sparked by a “personal” dispute but the reason for the argument was unclear, said Anthony Guglielmi, chief spokesman for the Chicago Police Department. He said police were searching for the shooter, whose image was captured on surveillance cameras.
The shooting happened in the tunnel connecting the Jackson Red and Blue lines in the 200 block of South Dearborn.
Crime has been rising on CTA property in recent years, with a nonfatal shooting on a train and a stabbing on a platform also happening just this month.
Guglielmi said a retired Chicago police deputy chief — now the head of security for CTA — has been helping the Police Department design an enhanced safety plan for public transit.
The plan, which will be unveiled in about a week, will include more police manpower on CTA property and improved use of technology to thwart crime, Guglielmi said.
Under a reorganization of the Police Department announced earlier this month, a new counter-terrorism unit will be responsible for policing mass transit in Chicago.
Guglielmi noted that police officers riding CTA trains are now dressed in uniform instead of plainclothes.
“We want their presence known,” he said.
In the Monday morning attack, Edward Charleston, 24, was killed when he was shot in the stomach and chest. Another man was shot in the head and arm and taken to Northwestern Memorial Hospital, where he was in critical condition.
A 19-year-old woman was shot in the back and taken to the same hospital, where she was listed in good condition. Police said she doesn’t appear to have been involved in the argument between the men.
Two babies were in the vicinity of the shooting, Guglielmi said. The children were in the group that included the three victims, but the woman who was shot isn’t their mother, he said.
Crime scene tape hangs on the railing at the entrance of the Red Line’s Jackson station after a man was killed and two other people were wounded in a shooting in the underground pedestrian tunnel overnight, Monday morning, Feb. 17, 2020. The shooting happened in the tunnel connecting the Jackson Red and Blue lines in the 200 block of South Dearborn. Ashlee Rezin Garcia/Sun-Times
On Feb. 4, Mike Malinowski, a 26-year-old musician performing in the Red Line station at Jackson, was wounded in a stabbing after a woman attacked him. She said his guitar was giving her a headache, prosecutors said.
Barbara Johnson, 38, of Blue Island, was arrested by police officers at the station and she was identified as the attacker by witnesses and Malinowski, officials said.
Street musician Quron Jackson, 23, who said he knows Malinowski, is taking precautions.
“I try to stay aware of my surroundings always when I am down here,” said Jackson, who was playing guitar in the Blue Line’s Washington station Monday morning. He keeps a close eye on the money people toss his way.
“I try to limit the amount of tips I let be shown after a certain amount in case somebody tries to get an idea.”
The day after Malinowski was attacked, a man was shot in a robbery on the Blue Line at the CTA’s UIC-Halsted stop. Police arrested Patrick Waldon, 31, for allegedly shooting the victim as they struggled over his backpack.
Police released photos of Waldon from CTA surveillance cameras and got “multiple calls from the public ID’ing this individual,” interim Chicago police Supt. Charlie Beck said at a news conference after Waldon’s arrest.
“We also had great cooperation from witnesses at the scene who also identified him,” Beck said. “This is the key to solving crime, particularly violent crime. I am very proud of the people of Chicago for coming forward.”
Police are still seeking a second suspect in that shooting.
UIC student Cara Satoskar said the “transportation system cannot handle” the recent number of incidents. She carries pepper spray and doesn’t take public transportation after 10 p.m.
This year, there have been at least 45 robberies on CTA trains, stations and platforms, according to the city’s crime data portal. Last year, there were 591 robberies on CTA property, the most in five years, the data show.
Overall crime also has been creeping upward on CTA property for the past five years. There were 6,321 reports of crime last year, up from 4,116 in 2015.
There were seven murders over that period on CTA property, the data show.
Contributing: David Struett, Ahlaam Delange
Read more on crime, and track the city’s homicides.


chicagosuntimes--2020-02-17--Carjackers steal woman’s car at gunpoint in Old Town

A woman was carjacked at gunpoint Sunday in Old Town on the Near North Side .
The 26-year-old was sitting @ @ @ @ @ at 10:45 p.m. in the 200 block of West Scott Street when three males approached @ @ @ @ @ a gun to her face , according to Chicago police .
He demanded her keys @ @ @ @ @ , police said .
All three suspects then got into the car and drove away @ @ @ @ @ , police said .
No one is in custody as Area Central detectives investigate .
@ @ @ @ @ and track the city ’ s homicides .

A woman was carjacked at gunpoint Sunday in Old Town on the Near North Side.
The 26-year-old was sitting in her parked Honda CR-V at 10:45 p.m. in the 200 block of West Scott Street when three males approached and one of them held a gun to her face, according to Chicago police.
He demanded her keys and she handed them over, police said. All three suspects then got into the car and drove away.
No injuries were reported, police said. No one is in custody as Area Central detectives investigate.
Read more on crime, and track the city’s homicides.


chicagosuntimes--2020-02-17--Girl, 17, shot in Logan Square

Girl, 17, shot in Logan Square

A 17-year-old girl was hurt in a shooting early Monday in Logan Square on the Northwest Side , making her @ @ @ @ @ gunfire in Chicago this weekend .
She was walking with her friend , a 19-year-old @ @ @ @ @ in the 2900 block of North Harding Avenue when three males approached in a tan @ @ @ @ @ wanted to buy drugs , according to Chicago police .
When they refused , someone @ @ @ @ @ , hitting the girl in the foot , police said .
She was taken to @ @ @ @ @ good condition .
No one is in custody as Area North detectives investigate .
Ten @ @ @ @ @ across the city since Friday evening , at least three of them in accidental shootings @ @ @ @ @ , and track the city ’ s homicides .

A 17-year-old girl was hurt in a shooting early Monday after refusing to buy drugs from someone in Logan Square, making her the 11th minor struck by gunfire in Chicago this weekend.
She was walking with her friend, a 19-year-old man, at 12:14 a.m. in the 2900 block of North Harding Avenue when three males approached in a tan SUV and asked if they wanted to buy drugs, according to Chicago police.
When they refused, someone in the SUV fired shots, hitting the girl in the foot, police said. She was taken to Illinois Masonic Medical Center in good condition.
No one is in custody as Area North detectives investigate.
Ten other children have been shot across the city since Friday evening, at least three of them in accidental shootings.
Read more on crime, and track the city’s homicides.


chicagosuntimes--2020-02-17--HIV agency uncovers ‘fraud scheme’ after former CFO charged with embezzling money from Planned Paren

HIV agency uncovers ‘fraud scheme’ after former CFO charged with embezzling money from Planned Parenthood

A local HIV services organization has launched a fundraising campaign to recover stolen money from “ a complex fraud scheme ” that was uncovered at the nonprofit after its former CFO was recently charged with embezzling money from her previous employer .
Chicago House and Social Service Agency reported the theft to Chicago police on Jan. 10 after learning that its ex-CFO Andrea Peoples was charged in January with stealing more than $ 100,000 from Planned Parenthood of Illinois , where she worked until April 2017 .
Eric Wilkerson , chief development officer at Chicago House , would not comment @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the agency , but its board chairman Ryan Garrison told WBEZ it ’ s suspected to be a six-figure amount .
Wilkerson said after learning of Peoples ’ arrest , Chicago House launched an internal investigation that found several employees allegedly committed fraud against the organization .
Peoples was among several employees who were subsequently fired , Wilkerson said .
No one has been charged yet in the alleged scheme at Chicago House , which provides housing , health and employment services to people who are vulnerable to HIV .
“ At the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ our clients , staff and everybody at risk , ” Wilkerson said of the financial impact from the alleged scheme that is still being investigated by authorities .
“ We are in a tough spot right now , but we are a viable agency and will continue serving the populations most affected by HIV and AIDS.
” To recover from the loss , Chicago House launched a fundraising campaign on Jan. 28 to raise at least $ 500,000 by April 1 .
As of Feb. 11 , the organization had already raised about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , 41 , started working at Chicago House in August 2018 , more than a year after she was fired from Planned Parenthood .
In a recent emailed statement , a Planned Parenthood spokesperson said a routine audit found that Peoples had allegedly embezzled money from the organization ’ s operating budget between July 2015 and April 2017 .
“ The conduct as alleged in the criminal complaint violates the mission and values of Planned Parenthood of Illinois , ” the organization ’ s statement said .
“ We take our responsibility to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are committed to upholding the public ’ s trust.
” Howard Wise , Peoples ’ attorney , did not respond to a request for comment .

A local HIV services organization has launched a fundraising campaign to recover stolen money from “a complex fraud scheme” that was uncovered at the nonprofit after its former CFO was recently charged with embezzling money from her previous employer.
Chicago House and Social Service Agency reported the theft to Chicago police on Jan. 10 after learning that its ex-CFO Andrea Peoples was charged in January with stealing more than $100,000 from Planned Parenthood of Illinois, where she worked until April 2017.
Eric Wilkerson, chief development officer at Chicago House, would not comment on the amount of money stolen from the agency, but its board chairman Ryan Garrison told WBEZ it’s suspected to be a six-figure amount.
Wilkerson said after learning of Peoples’ arrest, Chicago House launched an internal investigation that found several employees allegedly committed fraud against the organization. Peoples was among several employees who were subsequently fired, Wilkerson said. No one has been charged yet in the alleged scheme at Chicago House, which provides housing, health and employment services to people who are vulnerable to HIV.
“At the end of the day, this puts our clients, staff and everybody at risk,” Wilkerson said of the financial impact from the alleged scheme that is still being investigated by authorities.
“We are in a tough spot right now, but we are a viable agency and will continue serving the populations most affected by HIV and AIDS.”
To recover from the loss, Chicago House launched a fundraising campaign on Jan. 28 to raise at least $500,000 by April 1. As of Feb. 11, the organization had already raised about 28% of that goal.
Peoples, 41, started working at Chicago House in August 2018, more than a year after she resigned from Planned Parenthood.
In a recent emailed statement, a Planned Parenthood spokesperson said a routine audit found that Peoples had allegedly embezzled money from the organization’s operating budget between July 2015 and April 2017.
“The conduct as alleged in the criminal complaint violates the mission and values of Planned Parenthood of Illinois,” the organization’s statement said. “We take our responsibility to the communities we serve very seriously and are committed to upholding the public’s trust.”
Howard Wise, Peoples’ attorney, did not respond to a request for comment.


chicagosuntimes--2020-02-17--Daniel Pierce, former Highland Park mayor, dies at 91

Daniel M. Pierce , former Highland Park mayor and president of the North Shore Water Reclamation District , died Feb. 13 at 91 .
Pierce served as mayor for three terms , from 1987 to 1995 and then again from 1999 to 2003 .
“ As the city ’ s mayor , the issues that were most important to him were parking , infrastructure and preserving the natural environment and character of the community , ” city officials said .
He led the efforts for the Clavey Road cloverleaf project to make the intersection of Clary Road and Route 41 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ work on the Sisters Cities Foundation and preserving the former American Legion building .
After his last term as mayor , Pierce was elected to the North Shore Water Reclamation District in 2004 and served as president for over a decade .
As president , Pierce was respected for his wit and intelligence and was known to say he dealt “ with the effluent and the affluent , ” officials said .
Pierce was born March 31 , 1928 , in Chicago .
His family moved to the North Shore , and he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Winnetka .
He served in the United States Air Force Judge Advocate General ’ s Corps and attended the U.S. Air Force Command and Staff School during the Korean War .
After earning degrees from Harvard College and Harvard Law school , Pierce served in the Illinois State Legislature from 1965 to 1985 , where he was chairman of the House Environment Committee .
“ He was a mentor , friend , and colleague to all who came to know him .
He leaves behind a legacy of community and public service accomplishments @ @ @ @ @ @ @ officials said .
He is survived by his of wife of almost 39 years , Rhoda .
Between the two of them they have five sons .
A public memorial service will be held April 26 at Congregation Makom Solel Lakeside at 1301 Clavey Road in Highland Park .

Daniel M. Pierce, former Highland Park mayor and president of the North Shore Water Reclamation District, died Feb. 13 at 91.
Pierce served as mayor for three terms, from 1987 to 1995 and then again from 1999 to 2003. “As the city’s mayor, the issues that were most important to him were parking, infrastructure and preserving the natural environment and character of the community,” city officials said.
He led the efforts for the Clavey Road cloverleaf project to make the intersection of Clary Road and Route 41 safer. His other accomplishments include his work on the Sisters Cities Foundation and preserving the former American Legion building.
After his last term as mayor, Pierce was elected to the North Shore Water Reclamation District in 2004 and served as president for over a decade. As president, Pierce was respected for his wit and intelligence and was known to say he dealt “with the effluent and the affluent,” officials said.
Pierce was born March 31, 1928, in Chicago. His family moved to the North Shore, and he graduated from New Trier High School in Winnetka. He served in the United States Air Force Judge Advocate General’s Corps and attended the U.S. Air Force Command and Staff School during the Korean War.
After earning degrees from Harvard College and Harvard Law school, Pierce served in the Illinois State Legislature from 1965 to 1985, where he was chairman of the House Environment Committee.
“He was a mentor, friend, and colleague to all who came to know him. He leaves behind a legacy of community and public service accomplishments and will be truly missed,” officials said.
He is survived by his of wife of almost 39 years, Rhoda. Between the two of them they have five sons.
A public memorial service will be held in May at Congregation Makom Solel Lakeside at 1301 Clavey Road in Highland Park.


chicagosuntimes--2020-02-17--Haven’s Ian Damont Martin gives ‘Titus Andronicus’ a contemporary, inclusive staging

Before he became fascinated with “ Titus Andronicus ” through a college seminar on William Shakespeare ’ s early plays , Haven artistic director Ian Damont Martin had mostly encountered the play through the lens of a single character : the villainous Aaron the Moor .
“ As a black person who is participating in theater and has been in Shakespeare productions , the two characters that are given to you to look at for monologue work , or even in production work , are Othello and Aaron , ” explained Martin .
In his new production of the play @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Martin has turned Aaron from the lone character of color onstage — as he is in most productions — into one among many .
He ’ s set the story inside what he describes as a “ black imperial state , ” pulling from sources like the Black Panthers and the medieval Mali Empire in West Africa .
“ There are certain reorientations of identity and character — and gender , even — that we are playing with that really just unlock a whole new sort of world and meaning for much @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ It means something different for a black man to come home from this military campaign , having buried 21 of his sons in service for his country .
Yes , it means something on the page .
But when a black man puts that in his mouth — and today — it means something different.
” “ Titus Andronicus ” was the Bard ’ s first tragedy , and it rarely ranks high on the Shakespearian power grade .
One of the factors is blood : The play spills a lot @ @ @ @ @ @ @ war , the titular Roman general is shocked when his defeated foe , Tamora , is then taken by the slimy emperor Saturninus as his queen .
Subsequently , Tamora wastes little time enacting her bloody revenge on Titus and his family for the murder of her children , igniting what actor Colin Jones , who portrays Titus , described as an “ endless cycle of revenge.
” “ You ’ ve got the hero who — yeah , I guess , the ‘ hero ’ of this play — who starts everything @ @ @ @ @ @ @ when that fails .
It just leads to more pain , ” said Jones .
“ You can only get so far with that one skill , but if that ’ s all you have — if all you have a hammer , everything starts to look like a nail.
” In one of the play ’ s most infamous scenes , Titus ’ s daughter Lavinia ( Tarina Bradshaw ) is sexually assaulted and mutilated , with her hands cut off and her tongue removed by Tamora ’ s children .
In @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Lavinia ’ s uncle , Marcus , is the one who discovers her .
But here , Marcus isn ’ t Lavinia ’ s uncle ; it ’ s her aunt , played by actress Gabrielle Lott-Rogers .
“ It means something different , ” said Martin , “ that is actually an older black woman finding her young black niece after this act and not being able to reckon with it — and then to say , let me speak on your behalf.
” He classified that shift in this scene as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ Titus Androncius ” is Martin ’ s directorial debut as Haven ’ s head honcho — he took over as artistic director last year — but that ’ s not the production ’ s only “ first.
” Jones has been working onstage in Chicago since the 1980s , but his performance as Titus will be his first Shakespearian lead .
He called acting Shakespeare his secret passion , adding “ but now it ’ s not gon na be a secret anymore.
” For Martin , the play speaks to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ define a “ new canon ” — an effort that he says goes beyond simply producing new work .
“ It ’ s really sort of pulling the thread on the new canon , on who gets to canonize work and why is the canon the canon ?
” said Martin .
“ Why is Shakespeare canon ?
Why is Arthur Miller ?
I don ’ t think it ’ s enough to just make additions .
I think we ’ ve got to investigate that as well .
”

Before he became fascinated with “Titus Andronicus” through a college seminar on William Shakespeare’s early plays, Haven artistic director Ian Damont Martin had mostly encountered the play through the lens of a single character: the villainous Aaron the Moor.
“As a black person who is participating in theater and has been in Shakespeare productions, the two characters that are given to you to look at for monologue work, or even in production work, are Othello and Aaron,” explained Martin.
Titus Andronicus ‘Titus Andronicus’ When: Through March 5 Where: Haven at the Den Theatre, 1331 N. Milwaukee Tickets: $35-$60 Info: havenchi.org
In his new production of the play opening this week at the Den Theatre, Martin has turned Aaron from the lone character of color onstage — as he is in most productions — into one among many. He’s set the story inside what he describes as a “black imperial state,” pulling from sources like the Black Panthers and the medieval Mali Empire in West Africa.
“There are certain reorientations of identity and character — and gender, even — that we are playing with that really just unlock a whole new sort of world and meaning for much of the text,” he said. “It means something different for a black man to come home from this military campaign, having buried 21 of his sons in service for his country. Yes, it means something on the page. But when a black man puts that in his mouth — and today — it means something different.”
“Titus Andronicus” was the Bard’s first tragedy, and it rarely ranks high on the Shakespearean power grade. One of the factors is blood: The play spills a lot of it. After returning home from war, the titular Roman general is shocked when his defeated foe, Tamora, is then taken by the slimy emperor Saturninus as his queen. Subsequently, Tamora wastes little time enacting her bloody revenge on Titus and his family for the murder of her children, igniting what actor Colin Jones, who portrays Titus, described as an “endless cycle of revenge.”
“You’ve got the hero who — yeah, I guess, the ‘hero’ of this play — who starts everything and is sort of at a loss when that fails. It just leads to more pain,” said Jones. “You can only get so far with that one skill, but if that’s all you have — if all you have a hammer, everything starts to look like a nail.”
In one of the play’s most infamous scenes, Titus’s daughter Lavinia (Tarina Bradshaw) is sexually assaulted and mutilated, with her hands cut off and her tongue removed by Tamora’s children. In the play’s original text, Lavinia’s uncle, Marcus, is the one who discovers her. But here, Marcus isn’t Lavinia’s uncle; it’s her aunt, played by actress Gabrielle Lott-Rogers.
“It means something different,” said Martin, “that is actually an older black woman finding her young black niece after this act and not being able to reckon with it — and then to say, let me speak on your behalf.” He classified that shift in this scene as one of the production’s cornerstones.
“Titus Androncius” is Martin’s directorial debut as Haven’s head honcho — he took over as artistic director last year — but that’s not the production’s only “first.” Jones has been working onstage in Chicago since the 1980s, but his performance as Titus will be his first Shakespearean lead. He called acting Shakespeare his secret passion, adding “but now it’s not gonna be a secret anymore.”
For Martin, the play speaks to Haven’s mission of helping to define a “new canon” — an effort that he says goes beyond simply producing new work.
“It’s really sort of pulling the thread on the new canon, on who gets to canonize work and why is the canon the canon?” said Martin. “Why is Shakespeare canon? Why is Arthur Miller? I don’t think it’s enough to just make additions. I think we’ve got to investigate that as well.”
Alex Huntsberger is a local freelance writer.


chicagosuntimes--2020-02-17--3 charged with robbing Joliet Verizon store at gunpoint

Three Chicago men are accused of robbing a Verizon store at gunpoint over the weekend in southwest suburban Joliet .
Tirnell L. Williams , 43 , 27-year-old Blaine I. Goodall and 44-year-old Tobert G. Walls are all charged with armed robbery , Joliet police said .
Officers were called about 12:44 p.m. Feb. 15 to a Verizon Wireless , 2941 W. Jefferson St. , after two masked suspects armed with handguns tied everyone up inside the store and made off with iPhones , iPads , and cash from the register , police said .
The suspected robbers drove off in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ store , police said .
No one was injured .
Officers found the vehicle near Bronk Road and Theodore Street , police said .
The driver of the vehicle didn ’ t pull over and sped off onto Interstate 55 .
A Will County sheriff ’ s deputy later located the vehicle in the 15000 block of Janas Drive in Lockport , police said .
Walls was outside of the vehicle and ran off when he was confronted .
He was taken into custody after a brief chase .
As officers chased him @ @ @ @ @ @ @ crashed into a snow bank in the 14000 block of West Hickory Avenue in Lemont , police said .
Williams was arrested and taken to an area hospital with non-life threatening injuries .
Goodall ran away from the vehicle and was taken into custody shortly after , police said .
Two weapons and the stolen items were found , police said .
The vehicle used in the robbery was reported stolen out of Indiana .
Goodall was also charged with aggravated unlawful restraint , unlawful use of a weapon by a felon , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ street gang member , aggravated fleeing and eluding and possession of a stolen motor vehicle , police said .
Walls faces additional charges of aggravated unlawful restraint , being an armed habitual criminal , unlawful use of a weapon by a street gang member , and possession of a stolen motor vehicle , police said .
Read more on crime , and track the city ’ s homicides .

Three Chicago men are accused of robbing a Verizon store at gunpoint over the weekend in southwest suburban Joliet.
Tirnell L. Williams, 43, 27-year-old Blaine I. Goodall and 44-year-old Tobert G. Walls are all charged with armed robbery, Joliet police said.
Officers were called about 12:44 p.m. Feb. 15 to a Verizon Wireless, 2941 W. Jefferson St., after two masked suspects armed with handguns tied everyone up inside the store and made off with iPhones, iPads, and cash from the register, police said.
Tobert Walls (L), Tirnell Williams (M), Blaine Goodall (R) Joliet police
The suspected robbers drove off in a vehicle that was waiting outside the store, police said. No one was injured.
Officers found the vehicle near Bronk Road and Theodore Street, police said. The driver of the vehicle didn’t pull over and sped off onto Interstate 55.
A Will County sheriff’s deputy later located the vehicle in the 15000 block of Janas Drive in Lockport, police said. Walls was outside of the vehicle and ran off when he was confronted. He was taken into custody after a brief chase.
As officers chased him, the other men sped off but crashed into a snow bank in the 14000 block of West Hickory Avenue in Lemont, police said. Williams was arrested and taken to an area hospital with non-life threatening injuries.
Goodall ran away from the vehicle and was taken into custody shortly after, police said.
Two weapons and the stolen items were found, police said. The vehicle used in the robbery was reported stolen out of Indiana.
Goodall was also charged with aggravated unlawful restraint, unlawful use of a weapon by a felon, unlawful use of a weapon by a street gang member, aggravated fleeing and eluding and possession of a stolen motor vehicle, police said.
Walls faces additional charges of aggravated unlawful restraint, being an armed habitual criminal, unlawful use of a weapon by a street gang member, and possession of a stolen motor vehicle, police said.
Read more on crime, and track the city’s homicides.


chicagosuntimes--2020-02-17--ENDORSEMENT: Mark Curran for U.S. Senate in Republican primary

It had been a long time since we heard anybody talk about the Gang of Eight .
But Mark C. Curran Jr. recently did , in an interview with the Sun-Times Editorial Board , and in a way that reflected why we think he ’ s the best choice — an excellent choice — in the March 17 Republican primary for the United States Senate .
The Gang of Eight , as you recall , was a bipartisan group of eight senators who in 2013 created a thoughtful plan for immigration reform — strong on border security and strong on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Senate before it was buried in the House .
The eight senators were motivated by a positive , bipartisan spirit that has all but died in Washington , but which Curran would like to revive .
“ We need to go back to that , ” he told us .
Curran was the sheriff of Lake County from 2006 to 2018 .
He is a lawyer , a law professor and a principled conservative .
He favors “ entrepreneurship , not socialism , ” believes a single-payer form of national health care would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
But Curran is not shy about calling out the worst policies , as he sees them , of his own Republican Party .
He questions , for example , why President Trump has increased military spending by “ approximately $ 100 million ” while allowing the national debt to explode .
“ The question , ” he said , “ must always be where is that money going to come from ?
” Curran says he favors a balanced budget amendment and changes in the tax code that favor entrepreneurs and small @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he said , to “ tax breaks for big banks , internet , oil , gas and other large corporations , giving them an unfair advantage.
” Also running in this primary are Casey Chlebek , a Glenview tech engineer ; Peggy Hubbard , a retired IRS analyst ; Robert Marshall , a doctor , and Tom Tarter , a Springfield urologist .
The victor in this race will face a steep climb in November in trying to unseat Sen. Dick Durbin , the popular Democratic incumbent .
We miss the Gang of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ primary , we endorse Mark Curran .
For more information about this race and others , including candidate questionnaires , go to our Illinois primary voting guide .
Our newspaper is owned by a group of civic-minded and , in some cases , politically active investors ; for details , see our owner information page .

It had been a long time since we heard anybody talk about the Gang of Eight.
But Mark C. Curran Jr. recently did, in an interview with the Sun-Times Editorial Board, and in a way that reflected why we think he’s the best choice — an excellent choice — in the March 17 Republican primary for the United States Senate.
The Gang of Eight, as you recall, was a bipartisan group of eight senators who in 2013 created a thoughtful plan for immigration reform — strong on border security and strong on common decency — that passed in the Senate before it was buried in the House. The eight senators were motivated by a positive, bipartisan spirit that has all but died in Washington, but which Curran would like to revive.
“We need to go back to that,” he told us.
Curran was the sheriff of Lake County from 2006 to 2018. He is a lawyer, a law professor and a principled conservative. He favors “entrepreneurship, not socialism,” believes a single-payer form of national health care would be “horrible” and is anti-abortion.
But Curran is not shy about calling out the worst policies, as he sees them, of his own Republican Party. He questions, for example, why President Trump has increased military spending by “approximately $100 million” while allowing the national debt to explode. “The question,” he said, “must always be where is that money going to come from?”
Curran says he favors a balanced budget amendment and changes in the tax code that favor entrepreneurs and small businesses. But he is opposed, he said, to “tax breaks for big banks, internet, oil, gas and other large corporations, giving them an unfair advantage.”
Also running in this primary are Casey Chlebek, a Glenview tech engineer; Peggy Hubbard, a retired IRS analyst; Robert Marshall, a doctor, and Tom Tarter, a Springfield urologist.
The victor in this race will face a steep climb in November in trying to unseat Sen. Dick Durbin, the popular Democratic incumbent.
We miss the Gang of Eight, too. In this Republican primary, we endorse Mark Curran.
For more information about this race and others, including candidate questionnaires, go to our Illinois primary voting guide. Our newspaper is owned by a group of civic-minded and, in some cases, politically active investors; for details, see our owner information page.
Send letters to letters@suntimes.com.


chicagosuntimes--2020-02-17--Who can keep sham candidates from screwing up elections? You

In just about every election , you come across sham candidates .
These are candidates whose names are put on the ballot for the sole purpose of drawing votes from somebody else .
They don ’ t campaign or raise money or give a hoot about winning .
Their job is to confuse voters and gum up the works of an honest choice .
The courts can ’ t stop it , nor really can the state Legislature .
How does a judge or lawmaker define who ’ s a “ real ” candidate and who ’ s a “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ democratic process ?
It ’ s up to you .
The best defense against a sham candidate is an educated voter .
A federal court did wade into the issue last year , considering a suit filed by Jason Gonzales , House Speaker Michael J. Madigan ’ s opponent in the 2016 Democratic primary in the 22nd District .
Gonzales claimed that Madigan had put two sham candidates on the ballot — a man and a woman with Hispanic surnames — to take votes away from Gonzales .
But U.S. District Judge Matthew @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , saying Gonzales did not have enough evidence .
On Sunday , John Sealy of Injustice Watch reported in the Sun-Times that a number of apparent sham candidates are on the ballot for judgeships in Cook County .
These are candidates , named by Sealy , who have reported no fund-raising or spending , and they are notably absent at campaign events .
The right to run for office — to get on a ballot without jumping through ridiculous hoops — is essential in a democracy .
But to ensure that a candidate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , our election laws already impose some limits .
A candidate must sign a statement of candidacy so that his or her name is not put on the ballot without permission .
And a would-be candidate must collect a certain number of petition signatures .
But how ’ s that going to stop a Mike Madigan , whose small army of political workers could collect enough valid signatures to put Santa Claus on the ballot ?
Sham candidates usual win only a small percentage of the vote , but that ’ s often @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a patron ’ s foe .
Every vote for a sham candidate is cast in ignorance .
The more voters bone up on a race , the more a sham candidate will come up empty .
We urge you , as a voter , to do your homework .
Check out the Sun-Times voting guide at https : //elections.suntimes.com/voting-guide/2020 .

In just about every election, you come across sham candidates.
These are candidates whose names are put on the ballot for the sole purpose of drawing votes from somebody else. They don’t campaign or raise money or give a hoot about winning. Their job is to confuse voters and gum up the works of an honest choice.
The courts can’t stop it, nor really can the state Legislature. How does a judge or lawmaker define who’s a “real” candidate and who’s a “sham” without treading all over the democratic process?
It’s up to you.
The best defense against a sham candidate is an educated voter.
Editorials bug Editorials
A federal court did wade into the issue last year, considering a suit filed by Jason Gonzales, House Speaker Michael J. Madigan’s opponent in the 2016 Democratic primary in the 22nd District. Gonzales claimed that Madigan had put two sham candidates on the ballot — a man and a woman with Hispanic surnames — to take votes away from Gonzales.
But U.S. District Judge Matthew F. Kennelly ruled against Gonzales in August, saying Gonzales did not have enough evidence.
On Sunday, John Seasly of Injustice Watch reported in the Sun-Times that a number of apparent sham candidates are on the ballot for judgeships in Cook County. These are candidates, named by Sealy, who have reported no fund-raising or spending, and they are notably absent at campaign events.
The right to run for office — to get on a ballot without jumping through ridiculous hoops — is essential in a democracy. But to ensure that a candidate is at least minimally credible and serious, our election laws already impose some limits. A candidate must sign a statement of candidacy so that his or her name is not put on the ballot without permission. And a would-be candidate must collect a certain number of petition signatures.
But how’s that going to stop a Mike Madigan, whose small army of political workers could collect enough valid signatures to put Santa Claus on the ballot?
Sham candidates usually win only a small percentage of the vote, but that’s often all that’s needed to thwart a patron’s foe.
Every vote for a sham candidate is cast in ignorance. The more voters bone up on a race, the more a sham candidate will come up empty.
We urge you, as a voter, to do your homework. Check out the Sun-Times voting guide at https://elections.suntimes.com/voting-guide/2020.
Send letters to letters@suntimes.com.


chicagosuntimes--2020-02-17--‘Glaring’ lack of diversity at city’s tech giants drives creation of new pipeline for people of colo

‘Glaring’ lack of diversity at city’s tech giants drives creation of new pipeline for people of color

Not many people in the tech industry , particularly in Chicago , look like Leonardo Jimenez .
Jimenez , a sales development representative with sales-i , a software company , is of Mexican descent and from Pilsen .
But just a small percentage of tech jobs in Chicago are filled by Latinos .
“ There aren ’ t many of us .
Actually , there ’ s very few , ” said Jimenez , an East Side native .
But despite not being a product of the tech jobs ’ pipeline that often favors white men , Jimenez says he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ word that “ there ’ s a lot of opportunity for people [ of ] Latino or Hispanic descent , especially if you ’ re bilingual or the Spanish speaker.
” Jimenez ’ path to a gig in tech came when he took part in a program run by re : work training , a nonprofit that helps tech companies including heavyweights like Google , LinkedIn and Groupon find candidates outside of where the companies traditionally recruit .
Candidates enroll in a free eight-week program where they get help with resume writing , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tech industry , conducting mock interviews and creating LinkedIn profiles .
Students also receive a stipend while in the program .
Re : work ’ s CEO , Shelton Banks , said the program provides critical training to help candidates from neighborhoods like the one where he grew up — Roseland— connect with tech companies .
Banks said he noticed the lack of diversity soon after he got a job at Groupon .
“ It was glaring , ” said Banks , 32 .
“ And for me it was tough because I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 103rd and Michigan — where I ’ m from — reach out to me for a job and I always would be intimidated and scared .
I ’ m like , ‘ Man , I ’ m the only person at this company.
’ If they mess up , it looks bad on me.
” The numbers across the tech industry back up Banks ’ experience .
Less than 5 percent of workers at Facebook , Instagram and LinkedIn are black , while the numbers are only slightly higher for Latinos at those @ @ @ @ @ @ @ figures available .
Only one demographic of color , Asian Americans , posted a significant representation in a sampling of the top tech companies in the industry .
Meanwhile , white employees made up as much as 62 percent of the workforce at Groupon , for example , and made up between 40 and 50 percent at companies like Google and Twitter .
Source : Groupon and Instagram figures are from May 2018 and reported in “ Diversity in Tech , ” by David McCandless • Other figures were taken from company reports @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Moore/Sun-Times Banks became CEO of re : work in 2018 , a company founded two years earlier by Oak Park native Harrison Horan .
Horan also saw a lack of workers of color when he worked at Sprout Social , and pledged to do something about it .
“ It was kind of half selfish and half understanding that there ’ s a real problem here that we have a good solution to , and then we can actually help , ” Horan said .
“ And so that ’ s kind of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on re : work ’ s website that society needs to “ simply acknowledge that the opportunities and resources are not balanced among all of Chicago ’ s communities .
As a result , Black and Latinx communities are filled with untapped talent that must overcome historic wage imbalances , undervalued housing markets and poorer quality schools.
” Re : work , the site says , seeks to help residents of those neighborhoods achieve personal and financial success and also provide technology companies across the city “ with ambitious , resourceful and qualified @ @ @ @ @ @ @ talent pool helps counter management at companies who claim they “ don ’ t know where to look ” for diverse candidates .
“ We kind of have a conversation about how do you do the majority of recruiting , ” Banks said , noting that even companies seeking to diversify often continue to use “ the same funnel that already exists.
” The companies soon realize that they can ’ t continue to operate the way they have in the past .
Banks believes when tech companies don ’ t have a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bottom line .
“ I feel like if you [ tech companies ] don ’ t change , you get left behind , ” Banks said .
“ There ’ s money in diversity.
” So far , about 100 people have completed the training , with 81 getting jobs with an average salary of about $ 50,000 .
Twenty people are currently in the program , which starts again in early March .
( For details on signing up , go to reworktraining.org . )
Jamie Bradley , 30 , of Portage @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
She says the support system she has with re : work goes further than the time she was in the program .
“ I was figuring out how to be successful in sales .
And now , I know that I have a community I can call , ” Bradley said .
“ ...
There ’ s a lot of room for growth.
” Jimenez has a message for tech companies who want to have a workforce that reflects the cities they operate in .
“ Yeah , we have talent , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an opportunity .
Let us shoot our shot .
”

Not many people in the tech industry, particularly in Chicago, look like Leonardo Jimenez.
Jimenez, a sales development representative with sales-i, a software company, is of Mexican descent and from Pilsen.
But just a small percentage of tech jobs in Chicago are filled by Latinos.
“There aren’t many of us. Actually, there’s very few,” said Jimenez, an East Side native.
But despite not being a product of the tech jobs’ pipeline that often favors white men, Jimenez says he is thriving — and also spreading the word that “there’s a lot of opportunity for people [of] Latino or Hispanic descent, especially if you’re bilingual or the Spanish speaker.”
Jimenez’ path to a gig in tech came when he took part in a program run by re:work training, a nonprofit that helps tech companies including heavyweights like Google, LinkedIn and Groupon find candidates outside of where the companies traditionally recruit.
Pilsen resident Leonardo Jimenez says there’s lots of opportunities for Spanish-speaking Latinos in Chicago’s tech industry. | Evan F. Moore/Sun-Times
Candidates enroll in a free eight-week program where they get help with resume writing, industry jargon, researching jobs in the tech industry, conducting mock interviews and creating LinkedIn profiles.
Students also receive a stipend while in the program.
Re:work’s CEO, Shelton Banks, said the program provides critical training to help candidates from neighborhoods like the one where he grew up — Roseland— connect with tech companies.
Representation lacking
Banks said he noticed the lack of diversity soon after he got a job at Groupon.
“It was glaring,” said Banks, 32. “And for me it was tough because I would have people that I knew from 103rd and Michigan — where I’m from — reach out to me for a job and I always would be intimidated and scared. I’m like, ‘Man, I’m the only person at this company.’ If they mess up, it looks bad on me.”
The numbers across the tech industry back up Banks’ experience.
Less than 5 percent of workers at Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn are black, while the numbers are only slightly higher for Latinos at those companies, according to the most recent figures available.
Only one demographic of color, Asian Americans, posted a significant representation in a sampling of the top tech companies in the industry.
Meanwhile, white employees made up as much as 62 percent of the workforce at Groupon, for example, and made up between 40 and 50 percent at companies like Google and Twitter.
Gender breakdown of employees at top tech companies
Diversity breakdown of employees at top tech companies
Source: Groupon and Instagram figures are from May 2018 and reported in “Diversity in Tech,” by David McCandless • Other figures were taken from company reports in 2019 and compiled by Evan F. Moore/Sun-Times
Banks became CEO of re:work in 2018, a company founded two years earlier by Oak Park native Harrison Horan. Horan also saw a lack of workers of color when he worked at Sprout Social, and pledged to do something about it.
“It was kind of half selfish and half understanding that there’s a real problem here that we have a good solution to, and then we can actually help,” Horan said. “And so that’s kind of the impetus for starting.”
Untapped talent
Banks says on re:work’s website that society needs to “simply acknowledge that the opportunities and resources are not balanced among all of Chicago’s communities. As a result, Black and Latinx communities are filled with untapped talent that must overcome historic wage imbalances, undervalued housing markets and poorer quality schools.”
Re:work, the site says, seeks to help residents of those neighborhoods achieve personal and financial success and also provide technology companies across the city “with ambitious, resourceful and qualified candidates with diverse backgrounds.”
Identifying the talent pool helps counter management at companies who claim they “don’t know where to look” for diverse candidates.
“We kind of have a conversation about how do you do the majority of recruiting,” Banks said, noting that even companies seeking to diversify often continue to use “the same funnel that already exists.”
The companies soon realize that they can’t continue to operate the way they have in the past. Banks believes when tech companies don’t have a diverse workforce, it can hurt their bottom line.
“I feel like if you [tech companies] don’t change, you get left behind,” Banks said. “There’s money in diversity.”
So far, about 100 people have completed the training, with 81 getting jobs with an average salary of about $50,000. Twenty people are currently in the program, which starts again in early March. (For details on signing up, go to reworktraining.org.)
Jamie Bradley, 30, of Portage Park, works at sales-i with Jimenez. She says the support system she has with re:work goes further than the time she was in the program.
“I was figuring out how to be successful in sales. And now, I know that I have a community I can call,” Bradley said. “ ... There’s a lot of room for growth.”
Jamie Bradley, of Portage Park, found out about re:work through LinkedIn. Evan F. Moore/Sun-Times
Jimenez has a message for tech companies who want to have a workforce that reflects the cities they operate in.
“Yeah, we have talent,” he said. “Give us an opportunity. Let us shoot our shot.”
Contributing: Alison Martin