chicagotribune--2020-06-01--Mayor Lori Lightfoot says looting ‘spread like a wildfire’ in Chicago and vows to help businesses re

Mayor Lori Lightfoot says looting ‘spread like a wildfire’ in Chicago and vows to help businesses rebuild

“ There were too few police and no National Guardsmen in the neighborhoods where overnight and throughout Sunday armed vandals @ @ @ @ @ in a letter to Lightfoot .
“ The people of the west and south sides @ @ @ @ @ by COVID-19 , by disinvestment and by the kind of police brutality that killed George @ @ @ @ @ that provide the food and medicine that we rely on , are now being attacked @ @ @ @ @ take advantage of the real and righteous grievances expressed by the peaceful protests — is @ @ @ @ @ stopped .
Yes , to the protection of the city ’ s central area but @ @ @ @ @ , let ’ s protect the people and neighborhoods that make our city what it @ @ @

Police officers guarding the Trump International Hotel & Tower hold back protesters in the Loop on May 30, 2020, during a rally and march to remember the May 25 killing of George Floyd by a Minneapolis police officer. (John J. Kim/Chicago Tribune)
As widespread looting overshadowed peaceful protests for a third straight day, Gov. J.B. Pritzker on Monday intensified the state’s response to the civic unrest that has erupted since the police killing of George Floyd, even as the governor battled President Donald Trump on the national stage.
Pritzker declared seven Illinois counties a disaster zone and announced 250 members of the Illinois National Guard and an additional 300 members of the Illinois State Police would be deployed to help reinforce suburban and downstate police departments. That comes in addition to the 375 guard members Pritzker activated in Chicago over the weekend at Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s request.
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The announcement came as shattered storefront windows and rampant theft have become commonplace in many Chicago neighborhoods and suburban shopping centers, crimes that in most cases have not been tied to ongoing protests of Floyd’s killing last week by a Minneapolis police officer who has been charged with his murder.
Pritzker called the state reinforcements necessary to respond to a “surge of destructive action," which in Chicago started in the Loop and the River North neighborhood Saturday night and became particularly acute on the city’s South and West Side neighborhoods for much of Sunday and Monday.
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Protesters demonstrate in front of Chicago police and a previously looted City Sports store along 71st Street at Chappel Avenue on June 1, 2020, in the South Shore neighborhood of Chicago. (Brian Cassella/Chicago Tribune)
“The looting on the South and West sides and really all over the city, not to mention the state, is abhorrent,” Pritzker said in a late afternoon news conference. “It is certainly the obligation that we all have to keep our communities safe.”
Pritzker did not say where the additional guard troops would be deployed or which communities have requested help, and his spokeswoman did not respond to repeated requests for that information. The State Police on Monday reported having already assisted Chicago, Aurora, Oak Lawn, North Riverside, Evergreen Park, Joliet, Calumet City, Lansing, Rochelle, Rockford, Freeport, Champaign and Carbondale. How the additional 300 officers would be distributed around the state also was unclear.
The governor made the decision on a day when tensions with police continued to heighten in many Chicago neighborhoods and suburbs and as Lightfoot defended the city’s attempts to stem the looting. Pritzker also spent the day trading barbs with Trump over the president’s rhetoric in response to Floyd’s death, which has included tweeting that “when the looting starts, the shooting starts" and calling for governors to “dominate the streets.”
During a phone call Trump held with the nation’s governors, Pritzker told Trump his “inflammatory” rhetoric over Floyd’s death was unacceptable. Pritzker called for “national leadership in calling for calm and making sure that we’re addressing the concerns of the legitimate peaceful protesters. That will help us to bring order.”
Protesters climb the Irving Park Road ramp to Lake Shore Drive on June 1, 2020, in Chicago in response to the killing of George Floyd. (Armando L. Sanchez / Chicago Tribune)
Trump responded by telling Pritzker he did not approve of his rhetoric or his handling of the coronavirus pandemic in Illinois. Later Monday, Trump held a Rose Garden news conference to announce he would mobilize the U.S. military to end “riots and lawlessness” in states, though it was unclear what form such an action might take.
Trump then walked across Pennsylvania Avenue to St. John’s Church, where he held a Bible for a photo-op, after federal officers had used tear gas, flash bangs and rubber bullets to clear peaceful protesters to make way for the president. Pritzker appeared on CNN as the scene unfolded and condemned Trump’s actions.
“I reject the notion that the federal government can send troops into the state of Illinois. The fact is that the president has created an incendiary moment here,” Pritzker said, calling such a move illegal and a distraction from the president’s “miserable failure” over the coronavirus. “Now, seeing a moment where there is unrest because of the injustice that was done to George Floyd, he wants to create another topic, something where he can be the law and order president. He’s been a miserable failure.”
Across Chicago, its suburbs and in many downstate cities on Monday, elected officials and police leaders struggled to manage their share of the national fallout from Floyd’s death last week. Pritzker issued a disaster declaration for Cook, DuPage, Kane, Kendall and Will counties in the Chicago region, Madison County near St. Louis and Macon County, which includes Decatur.
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Protesters demonstrate in front of Chicago City Hall on Monday, June 1, 2020. (Zbigniew Bzdak / Chicago Tribune)
Prtizker emphasized that the state was acting as a “support mechanism" and that decisions on how to respond to looting remained a local one. In Chicago, some aldermen already were questioning the response by Lightfoot and new police Superintendent David Brown.
Far South Side Ald. Anthony Beale, 9th, was joined by Near North Side Ald. Brian Hopkins, 2nd, and Southwest Side Ald. Raymond Lopez, 15th, in calling for Lightfoot to request 3,000 National Guard troops to help patrol the South and West sides.
“There were too few police and no National Guardsmen in the neighborhoods where overnight and throughout Sunday armed vandals looted,” Beale wrote in a letter to Lightfoot. “Yes, to the protection of the city’s central area but also, if not first, let’s protect the people and neighborhoods that make our city what it is.”
Lightfoot denied that the city prioritized protecting the Loop over neighborhoods on the South and West sides and promised to help those neighborhoods rebuild.
“There is no way, no way we would ever let any neighborhood receive more resources and protection than any others. Ever,” Lightfoot said. “That certainly didn’t happen over the course of the weekend.”
Lightfoot said such criticism is offensive to her as a black woman and added, “We did not stand by and let the South and West sides burn as some are propagating," while noting that the looting “spread like a wildfire over the weekend.”
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Brown countered the contention that officers stood by and allowed the South and West sides to be looted by rattling off arrest statistics — nearly 700 of them on Sunday in the neighborhoods compared with less than half that in the Loop on Saturday night. He said at least 132 officers were injured on Sunday alone.
Protesters sit on the 4400 block of North Broadway during a march in response to the killing of George Floyd, June 1, 2020, in Chicago. (Armando L. Sanchez / Chicago Tribune)
“If the narrative is true, you would have greater numbers in the downtown area than you would have in the neighborhoods,” Brown said. “So the facts just don’t support the presumption that we did something more in downtown than we did in neighborhoods. All of our efforts (Sunday) were in the neighborhoods on the West and South sides.”
So far, the 375 National Guard members allotted to the city have been used to secure the Loop and adjacent downtown neighborhoods. On Monday, the Loop remained locked down to only residents and workers in the area, with the L and CTA buses barred from making stops in the area.
The city’s 9 p.m. curfew remained in effect, and the CTA suspended all bus and train service overnight beginning at 9:30 p.m. and ending at 6 a.m. on Tuesday, citing public safety concerns. Metra suspended all service Monday.
Brown and Lightfoot said the National Guard was used to secure downtown so that more officers would be available to patrol the neighborhoods. But the looting continued throughout the city nonetheless.
In South Shore, looters cleared out City Sports, a clothing and shoe store on 71st Street near Jeffery Boulevard. The windows were broken with shattered glass, and hangers and shoe boxes spilled out onto the street.
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A Chicago police officer watches over a large gathering of protesters in the 4400 block of North Broadway during a march, June 1, 2020, in Chicago in response to the killing of George Floyd. (Armando L. Sanchez / Chicago Tribune)
Across the street, a group of volunteers gathered in the Jeffery Plaza parking lot on the south side of 71st Street to begin cleaning up.
“We were hoping whatever damage was done was done," said Ibrahim Okoe, 38. “And we could come clean up.”
The store was in shambles, with mannequins toppled over and the counter smashed. By 10 a.m., police had set up yellow caution tape and stood guard in front of the store.
Despite the damage, people were still arriving at the store looking for free clothes and shoes.
“They took everything,” an officer told a citizen.
The area, which Brown later toured with top department brass, was the scene of several clashes with police Monday afternoon. At one point, looters tried to break into the Boost Mobile store on 71st Street just east of City Sports and a large group of police officers responded. More than two dozen officers, wearing helmets and face shields, and carrying batons stood by.
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In Old Town at the intersection of North Avenue and Wells Street, there were plenty of reminders of protest left behind: handmade signs and graffiti such as “ACAB" — “all cops are b-------” — or “George Floyd” written on walls and benches.
Some residents stood outside to guard their neighborhoods and deter looters. Some stores hired security. Some boarded up their windows with plywood. Latin Saints gang members chased off looters in the Back of the Yards neighborhood, Lopez said in a tweet.
But the looting continued.
In the Logan Square neighborhood early Monday, police officers and looters met each other throughout the night near Diversey Avenue and Kimball Avenue. Cars would line up on Kimball and people would walk or run into the Foot Locker, then come out carrying boxes of shoes.
Officers would ride up to the scene, flashing their lights and shining a spotlight on the looters, who would jump back into their cars and drive away or wait it out. Many of them came back again and again. At one point, several loud reports — possibly gunshots — were heard nearby, causing the officers to leave the scene as quickly as they had come. The looting continued.
“They’re our usual looters. Just let them go," an officer said around 1:30 a.m. over the police scanners in response to another call of looting in the area. Neighborhoods such as Chatham, South Chicago, Little Village, Canaryville, West Garfield Park, Calumet Heights and more saw similar destruction by early Monday morning.
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Plenty of destruction took place across the suburbs, too.
In Waukegan, police cruisers and shopping centers were damaged. Aurora’s downtown was boarded up after looting and clashes between protesters and police. In Evanston, police increased patrols at retail stores. Joliet announced a curfew. Downers Grove saw electronics stores cleaned out. The Oakbrook Center and Yorktown Center malls in the western suburbs closed as a precaution, and Naperville business owners covered storefronts with boards as a preventive measure.
Hundreds, if not thousands, of business owners across the region were left to assess the damage once looters struck. In many cases, residents took it upon themselves to help.
Holding nothing but a yellow broom, Lurrie Fuentes left her Cicero home Monday evening to help clean up after looters hit several stores in a strip mall at Cermak Road and Cicero Avenue.
Fuentes, who said she currently works from home, said she heard police sirens at 3 p.m. and peeked her head out the window to see looters jumping out of several cars lined up on her residential street.
“It was scary,” she said, as police sirens continued to sound outside her home. “I was trying to talk to them and say, ‘This isn’t the way to do it, you’re hurting our community.’”
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Fuentes said she estimates a couple of hundred people ran into the shopping district. She stayed inside at her window.
“I’m all for the protests, but go against the big corporations, not the mom and pop stores,” she said.
Footage from TV news helicopters showed dozens of looters streaming in and out of the nearby El Patron Liquor Store. Afterward, shattered glass and the remnants of liquor littered the floor, creating small pools of mixed drinks, and the scent of spiced rum, wine and vodka filled the aisles.
Fuentes began to sweep up broken glass near liquor displays into piles.
Cicero police arrested 60 people and confirmed two deaths Monday evening.
Sandip Patel, owner of the store, stood at the register and surveyed the damage.
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“It was bound to happen,” Patel said, shrugging. “We’re all safe. This is replaceable; lives aren’t. America has to build again, so we have to build again.”
Cicero police arrested 60 individuals and confirmed two deaths Monday evening.
The peaceful protests persisted, too.
Large crowds gathered Monday evening in Uptown on the city’s North Side. Thousands of protesters, many wearing masks, set off from the Belmont “L” stop and headed north on Halsted Street, converging near the Stewart School Lofts at West Sunnyside Avenue and Broadway to listen to speakers and join in cheers. Along the way, calls of “Black Lives Matter” filled Boystown streets, where some businesses had boarded up. Volunteers handed out masks, gloves, hand sanitizer and water to marchers. Protesters carried signs with messages such as “Stop killing black people” and “Defund the police.”
Dejon Crockran and Liv Upstone, of Edgewater, said they were happy to be able to come out to show support Monday in their own neighborhood.
“Especially since there’s been sort of a disconnect it seems from the North Side to the rest of the city as far as what’s been going on in the past couple of days,” Upstone said. “I think it’s really important for North Siders, people that live up here, to come out if they’re able.”
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Crockran felt similarly, saying: “I just want to get out and make a change.”
By 8 p.m., a crowd of thousands of protesters paused at Irving Park Road and moved on to Lake Shore Drive. Some cars stopped and honked in solidarity. Other drivers held up their fists through open windows.
One driver stepped out of his car to hold up a cardboard sign that read “No Justice No Peace."
Hundreds of youths gathered outside Chicago City Hall late Monday afternoon, among them a large group that walked six miles from the Harold Washington Cultural Center.
That group, who insisted on a peaceful protest, stopped midway at the Chicago Police Department’s Central District precinct at State Street and 18th Street, where they were joined by others and confronted with a line of police in helmets, some carrying shields.
Demonstrators formed a line of their own facing the officers, and some demanded information on people they believe were arrested at weekend protests. “Where are our loved ones?” they asked. “You can’t kidnap us.”
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Many of the young demonstrators showed up after seeing social media posts by the group FourtuneHouse: “Calling all Chicago kids. This is not a riot.” Among their demands: the release of all protesters, police to wear their badges visibly, no denial of public transit, police accountability, and justice for George Floyd “and all those lost and damaged by the American criminal justice system.”
Other protesters also have focused their attention on police stations, and this effort included another meetup at the 18th District headquarters in the Near North Side. After regrouping at City Hall, the group headed north over the LaSalle Street Bridge, one of the few ways to get across the river downtown, as the city had raised many of the bridges.
Around 1:45 p.m. at the cultural center, hoping for peace but wary of what could happen, leaders with megaphones asked white participants to stand in between black demonstrators and police, saying, “Please use your privilege as an ally to help protect us as a movement.” They told everyone to find out each other’s names, have a partner and protect each other.
Amir Felton, 22, of Chicago Lawn, brought a camera.
“I come from the district of Laquan McDonald, at the time I was the same age as him," he said of the 17-year-old who was gunned down by then-Officer Jason Van Dyke, who later was convicted of McDonald’s murder. “Being a black man ... I wanted to come out here and support.”
He walked among young people from all over the city, including students from Simeon, Lane Tech and Lincoln Park High Schools.
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“People were saying the youth start the riots when half the people were actually adults,” said one high school student. “We’re here to show that youth can be peaceful. ... There’s a bigger fight to fight outside of school.”
On the way to the 1st District police station, leaders tried to keep the group on the sidewalk, and a small contingent of police followed in the street, some on foot and others in cars. When demonstrators noticed an officer holding a phone at his side, appearing to aim the camera at the group, they called him out, teasing him for trying to be sneaky with a bright orange phone case.
“That’s why you got a bodycam! Make sure it’s on,” said one young man.
As the group approached a checkpoint at Cermak Road, more police cars drove alongside them. Some people in a blue car drove up to one of the police SUVs and someone leaned out an open window to bang on the cop car, prompting two young men with megaphones to run toward the car and ask them to stop. “This is a peaceful protest!” they repeated. And it remained one, as the group moved through the checkpoint, past tan Humvees and National Guard troops holding batons in addition to Chicago officers.
When the group made it to City Hall, they gathered around an entrance, where several people spoke and led chants such as the ones they’d bellowed on the way there: “Black Lives Matter.” “No justice, no peace, no racist a-- police.”
They repeated “George Floyd,” and the names of other black Americans killed by police. “I will participate in a peaceful protest,” they chanted. “I will no longer stand for police violence. I will no longer stand for white supremacy. I will not be silenced.”
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Tribune reporters John Keilman, Jamie Munks, Stacy St. Clair, Laura Rodriguez, Sarah Freishtat, Suzanne Baker, Erin Hegarty, Emily K. Coleman and Genevieve Bookwalter contributed.
gpratt@chicagotribune.com
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chicagotribune--2020-06-01--Tracking Illinois coronavirus: 5,412 deaths, 121,234 confirmed cases, 918,273 tests,  13% positivity

Tracking Illinois coronavirus: 5,412 deaths, 121,234 confirmed cases, 918,273 tests,  13% positivity rate for Northeast region

As the coronavirus spreads and local , state and national governments work to contain and mitigate the outbreak , the @ @ @ @ @ .

Johns Hopkins University & Medicine tracked coronavirus cases, deaths and test totals from Jan. 22, 2020 through March 10, 2023, but is no longer providing this data. These charts will no longer be updated.
Check the Illinois Department of Public Health for the most up-to-date data for Illinois.
[ Remembering the lives of those in Illinois who died from coronavirus ]
Can’t see these charts? Go here.


chicagotribune--2020-06-01--Coronavirus in Illinois updates: Here’s what’s happening Monday with COVID-19 in the Chicago area

Trawinski said she can still get help with what is sent by email , but “ I ca n't get @ @ @ @ @ n't take care of snail mail , I do n't have activities .
What used @ @ @ @ @ takes eight steps to get accomplished .
They are really integral to our lives .
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We have lifted the paywall on this story. To support essential reporting, please consider becoming a subscriber .
Paca Kujtim of Arlington Heights self-administers a COVID-19 test in his car at the Arlington International Racecourse on March 31, 2021 in Arlington Heights. Kujtim was getting testing as a precaution for upcoming travel. (Stacey Wescott / Chicago Tribune)
Illinois officials on Monday announced 974 new known cases of COVID-19 and 23 additional fatalities, bringing the total number of known cases to 121,234 and the death toll to 5,412 statewide since the start of the pandemic. Officials also reported 20,014 new tests.
The new figures are the lowest single-day totals reported in a 24-hour period in nearly two months, when 899 new cases were announced on April 5 and 16 deaths were recorded on April 2.
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[ Tracking Illinois reopening metrics: Phase 4 can begin as soon as June 26. Here’s where each region stands. ]
[ How will Illinois reopen? Three charts breaking down Pritzker’s plan ]
[ COVID-19 cases in Illinois by ZIP code: Search for your neighborhood ]
[ As the coronavirus spreads, the Tribune is tracking Illinois cases here ]
Here’s what’s happening Monday with COVID-19 in the Chicago area and Illinois:
2:36 p.m.: 974 new known COVID-19 cases, 23 additional deaths
State officials on Monday announced 974 new known cases of coronavirus, pushing the statewide total to 121,234. Officials also reported 23 additional deaths, bringing the death toll statewide to 5,412. —Jamie Munks
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1:42 p.m.: No buildings and new rules, but Morton Arboretum becomes first to re-open after coronavirus closure
The morning did not seem extraordinary. People on their own or in pairs walked around Morton Arboretum’s Meadow Lake. A worker on a large mower cut grass, the machine’s noise unable to overwhelm all the bird calls, while another crew cleared tree limbs. Men on pricey bicycles zipped by on one of the tree preserve’s meandering roads.
But for all the quotidian goings on, Monday was nonetheless exceptional at the sprawling nature park in west suburban Lisle.
Morton became the first of the area’s major cultural institutions to reopen after almost all closed in mid-March to help prevent the spread of COVID-19. Read more here. —Steve Johnson
1:37 p.m.: Protests erupting across the nation are threatening to upend efforts by health officials to contain the spread of coronavirus
Protests erupting across the nation over the past week — and law enforcement’s response to them — are threatening to upend efforts by health officials to track and contain the spread of coronavirus just as those efforts were finally getting underway.
Health experts need newly infected people to remember and recount everyone they've interacted with over several days in order to alert others who may have been exposed, and prevent them from spreading the disease further. But that process, known as contact tracing, relies on people knowing who they’ve been in contact with — a daunting task if they’ve been to a mass gathering.
And the process relies on something that may suddenly be in especially short supply: Trust in government. Read more here. —Associated Press
1:13 p.m.: Gov. Gretchen Whitmer lifts Michigan’s stay-at-home order and says restaurants can reopen for dine-in service next week
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer lifted Michigan’s coronavirus stay-at-home order Monday, letting restaurants reopen to dine-in customers next week and immediately easing limits on gatherings while keeping social-distancing rules intact.
The governor moved six remaining regions comprising 93% of the state's population to phase 4 — “improving" — two weeks after she announced that two regions in northern Michigan could advance to that stage. Some businesses where close contact is necessary — gyms, hair salons, indoor theaters and casinos — will remain closed.
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Retailers can reopen to customers without an appointment on Thursday and restaurants can offer dine-in service on June 8 — both with capacity limits. Day camps for children and pools can open June 8. Groups of up to 100 can gather outside with social distancing, up from a threshold of 10. Read more here. —Associated Press
12:10 p.m.: Unrest prompts Chicago Public Schools to suspend meal pickup, but restaurants step in to help
Chicago Public Schools temporarily closed its “grab and go” free meal sites Monday due to unrest in the city. But home delivery of meals continues, and officials hope to restart meal pickup on Tuesday, though that remains uncertain.
CEO Janice Jackson announced the suspension at a news conference Monday saying the decision was made “out of an abundance of caution” to protect workers, students and families.
She emphasized that delivery of about 18,000 meals a day would continue, and that anyone in need of emergency food delivery may call 773-553-KIDS (5437).
“This is an emergency,” Jackson said. “I hope that it’s just one day. We will continue to monitor the situation and see how things progress.”
Jackson also said that teachers should be addressing the ongoing violence in the city in the wake of protests over the death of George Floyd following his arrest by police in Minneapolis, calling the situation a “crisis.”
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“I don’t think any teacher worth their salt needs me to tell them that this is a unique time and we have to stop and we have to actually talk to students and help them understand what’s going on,” she said. “That’s what’s going to be happening throughout this city today.”
After Chicago Public Schools announced the change, some restaurants, churches and food banks stepped up to help. Here is a running list of restaurants serving free lunch to CPS students and their families. If you want to be included in this list, please email us at food@chicagotribune.com.
Bohkeh This cocktail bar and restaurant will provide free lunch to kids in Albany Park and its surrounding neighborhoods from noon until it runs out. They ask that everyone wear masks and maintain social distance. 4716 N. Kedzie Ave., 773-754-0129, bohkehchicago.com
Paulie Gee’s Logan Square The pizzeria will be making more than 350 pizzas for CPS kids before boarding up the restaurant at 1 p.m. 2451 N. Milwaukee Ave., 773-360-1072, pauliegee.com
Urban Grill Chicago This Uptown restaurant will offer free lunch to any CPS student who walks in between noon and 3 p.m. Choose from a hot dog with fries or five boneless wings with fries. People can also opt to sponsor a meal via Zelle. 1132 W. Wilson Ave., 773-754-7137, urbangrillchicago.com
Mi Tocaya Antojeria This Mexican restaurant is giving out 350 meals, starting at 11 a.m.. “Our restaurant is an antojeria made to make/share food of our heritage. To honor our ancestors, pay homage to the women whom created it and most importantly made with LOVE,” according to an Instagram post. 2800 W. Logan Boulevard, 872-315-3947, mitocaya.com
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Cesar’s Killer Margaritas This Tex-Mex restaurant will have boxed meals available for pickup from 2:30-4:30 p.m. They ask that patrons practice social distancing and wear a face mask. 3166 N. Clark St., 773-248-2835, killermargaritasclark.com
Humboldt Park Montessori Bagged lunches offered for families from 12:15 p.m. until they run out. 2540 W. Division St., 312-613-7115, humboldtparkmontessori.com
A Just Harvest This Rogers Park food pantry is providing free hot meals from noon to 2 p.m. 7653 N. Paulina St., 773-262-2297, ajustharvest.org
—Robert McCoppin and Grace Wong
6:45 a.m.: CPS suspends food distribution Monday because of unrest, will announce if resuming Tuesday, even as state announces summer food program
The Chicago Public Schools will not distribute food at schools Monday “out of an abundance of caution” and because of the difficulty families and staff might have getting to schools, according to CPS.
“The safety of our school community is top of mind, and we are closely monitoring the situation in our city,” CPS said in a note emailed to parents.
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CPS has distributed food every day since soon after the Chicago Board of Education suspended in-person classes as COVID-19 infections because widespread in Illinois. Although CTA service was again running Monday, buses and trains still weren’t operating in a large area surrounding and including downtown, because of the unrest of recent days following protests over the death of George Floyd and looting and arsons that have broken out across the Chicago area in the wake of the protests.
“Based on the evolving nature of activity across the city, we are suspending grab-and-go meal sites and all other school and administrative office activities tomorrow, 6/1,” according to the note. “Staff will telework, and remote learning will proceed as scheduled.”
The move by CPS came even as Illinois State Board of Education officials announced the state will offer free meals to school-age children throughout the state over the summer.
The Illinois State Board of Education said more organizations are needed to participate in the summer food program, as the number of families relying on the assistance for meals when school isn’t in session has increased because of the coronavirus outbreak.
“COVID-19 has turned many families’ lives upside down,” said State Superintendent of Education Carmen Ayala. “Illinois’ summer meals programs help to ensure that one thing families do not have to worry about is where their children will get their next meal.”
As CPS has, schools have found safe and creative ways to provide food to students while schools have been closed, including curbside pickup and providing meals for multiple days at one time, Ayala said in the release. Those options will continue during the summer.
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Schools, faith-based groups, local governments and nonprofit organizations are encouraged to participate, and meals are available to those age 18 and younger. Families may locate their summer food site by calling (800) 359-2163, texting “FoodIL” to 877-877, or visiting summermealsillinois.org.
CPS was expected to announce later Monday whether food will be distributed Tuesday. —Chicago Tribune staff and Associated Press
6 a.m.: Critics decry remote learning in Chicago Public Schools as unfair, say it ‘rewards those with privilege’
With virtual summer school weeks away and final grades soon due for the school year interrupted by the coronavirus pandemic, critics of remote learning in Chicago Public Schools continue to push for change.
District leaders have presented the policy used to grade remote schoolwork as equitable, offering students time to improve their letter grades without the risk of failing. But a growing contingent of student activists and teachers say it has torn up the playing field for already disadvantaged students, in part because those who complete work on paper but not online are ineligible for letter grades.
Lane Tech College Prep junior Finley Williams said the “vast majority” of CPS students she’s aware of oppose the grading policy announced April 30. She cited widely circulated petitions with nearly 20,000 signatures in remarks last week to the Chicago Board of Education.
“It does not allow students without access to technology to raise their grades,” she argued, calling the incomplete a “thinly veiled fail” that penalizes students and “will doubtless result in thousands of students enrolled in virtual summer school.” Read more here. —Hannah Leone
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6 a.m.: Rentervention helps tenants with their housing issues. With COVID-19, the timing couldn’t be better.
South Chicago resident Anita Jordan, 38, was having issues getting her landlord to make repairs in her three-bedroom apartment, including fixing water damage and holes in walls and ceilings, which meant she had to buy a convection oven because she couldn’t use the stove.
“There were some repairs that needed to be done on my unit that she was just not repairing,” she said of her landlord. “She was insisting on rent money. ... And she would just give me: ‘I’m going to fix it’ and never would show up.”
After months of trying to get her concerns resolved, she reached out last fall to Rentervention.com, a tool touted as “a Chicago tenant’s best friend," which helped her withhold a portion of her $700 rent so that she’s now paying $337 per month.
A collaborative endeavor of the Lawyers Trust Fund of Illinois, the Lawyers’ Committee for Better Housing (LCBH) and Illinois Legal Aid Online, Rentervention is a free tool that helps Chicago tenants with myriad problems like Jordan’s. Rentervention guides people from any Chicago ZIP code through steps to address eviction notices, security deposit concerns or apartment conditions that affect livability or safety, said Hanna Kaufman, counsel for innovation & technology with the Lawyers Trust Fund (the original funder and creator of Rentervention). Read more here. —Darcel Rockett
6 a.m.: Association that helps visually impaired is struggling to reopen. ‘I can’t get things read, I don’t have activities. They are really integral to our lives.’
Several times a week, 72-year-old Marcia Trawinski would visit the downtown office of the Blind Service Association where a volunteer would spend a few hours reading nearly everything she got in the mail, from bills to census forms.
"If you think about your daily life, that covers most of it,” said Trawinski, who has been visually impaired most of her life.
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Things changed more than two months ago when the nearly 100-year-old association closed its doors because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Those who depend on the volunteers say they have been able to get some reading assistance over the phone, but it has been a challenging time.
Trawinski said she can still get help with what is sent by email, but “I can't get things read, I can't take care of snail mail, I don't have activities. What used to take three steps now takes eight steps to get accomplished. They are really integral to our lives.”
As Chicago and the rest of Illinois begin to reopen, it's still unclear when the association will resume office visits.
While the association was deemed an essential business and could have stayed open under the stay-at-home order, Executive Director Debbie Grossman said that was not an option because of the vulnerability of the people it serves, particularly the elderly with compromised health conditions. Read more here. —Sophie Sherry


chicagotribune--2020-06-01--60 suburban Chicago restaurants reopening for outdoor dining

All guests and restaurants are expected to abide by the regulations issued by Gov .
J.B. Pritzker .
Guests are @ @ @ @ @ times , only removing them while they ’ re at a table .
Parties are @ @ @ @ @ fewer ; tables are mandated to be 6 feet apart , ideally separated by barriers @ @ @ @ @ adhere to safety and sanitations rules , such as disinfecting tables and chairs between every @ @ @ @ @ going above and beyond to ensure customer safety , like only using disposable flatware .

Adam Lukach, Grace Wong, Laura Rodríguez Presa, Holly Baumbach

Allegory restaurant chef-owner Chris Mason makes picnic tables on May 27, 2020, behind his Naperville restaurant. He's building five tables to accommodate outdoor diners starting Friday. (Chris Sweda / Chicago Tribune)
Though Chicago restaurants won’t be able to open for outdoor dining until June 3 or later, dozens of suburban restaurants began reopening their patios and rooftops May 29, the first time they have been allowed since the pandemic shutdown.
All guests and restaurants are expected to abide by the regulations issued by Gov. J.B. Pritzker. Guests are to wear masks at all times, only removing them while they’re at a table. Parties are limited to six people or fewer; tables are mandated to be 6 feet apart, ideally separated by barriers. Restaurants are expected to adhere to safety and sanitations rules, such as disinfecting tables and chairs between every party, and some are going above and beyond to ensure customer safety, like only using disposable flatware.
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Here is a running list of suburban restaurants that have reopened for outdoor dining, plus some beginning this week. We will continue to update the list. If you own or manage a restaurant that is not included here, please let us know at food@chicagotribune.com.
[ For more details on dining outside this weekend, check out our FAQ here. ]
Arlington Heights
Passero Enjoy brunch outside on one of two patios, which seats a total of 56 people. Guests are encouraged to wear PPE, like the staff, and will used disposable flatware. 3 S. Evergreen Ave., Arlington Heights, 224-857-8900, eatpassero.com
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Berwyn
Buona About five tables of four will be available. Though the restaurant will continue to focus on pick-up and delivery, it will open the patio for those who wish to use it. 6801 W. Roosevelt Road, Berwyn, 708-749-2555, buona.com
Fill Up Station The neighborhood bar will open its patio with tables featuring cleaning wipes and hand sanitizers so that guests can enjoy the beer garden safely. 2627 Ridgeland Ave., Berwyn, 708-795-6744, fillupstationbar.com
Lavergne’s Tavern Patio is open daily for outdoor dining. First come, first served. 6546 Windsor Ave., Berwyn, 708-956-7405, lavergnes.com
Burr Ridge
Topaz Cafe You can have dinner and cocktails on the patio, where tables are placed six feet apart. You’ll enter and exit through separate areas to minimize contact and you’ll be greeted with hand sanitizer when you arrive. 780 Village Center Dr, Burr Ridge, 630-654-1616, topazcafe.com
Countryside
7 Gates Restaurant The restaurant built out a side patio that it hopes will be able to accommodate up to five four-person tables. 7 Gates had not yet decided at publication time if it will take reservations this weekend. 10050 55th St., Countryside, 708-582-6800, 7gatesrestaurant.com
Elmwood Park
Jim and Pete’s Last year the restaurant added a new “spacious and safe” patio which will be put to use this Friday. The restaurant will also convert its parking lot into an outdoor dining area that will open for lunch and dinner. 7806 W. North Ave., Elmwood Park, 708-453-5204, jimandpetes.com
Massa Cafe Italiano Guests can dine at the sidewalk patio with eight tables available overlooking Elmwood’s “Restaurant Road.” First come, first served. 7434 W. North Ave., Elmwood Park, 708-583-1111, massacafe.com
Trattoria Peppino Up to 60 people on the patio, masks will be available. First come, first served. 7440 W. North Ave., Elmwood Park, 708-453-2155, peppinotrattoria.com
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Evanston
Good to Go Jamaican Cuisine owner Lenice Levy sets up additional outdoor space on the sidewalk in front of the restaurant Thursday, May 28, 2020, in Evanston. Starting Friday, the patio will be open to dine-in customers as well as some tables near the open garage door and additional sidewalk space. (Erin Hooley / Chicago Tribune)
The Barn Steakhouse Full outside dining service at one of six tables in the garden patio. 1016 Church St. Rear, Evanston, 847-868-8041, thebarnsteakhouse.com
Good to Go Jamaican Cuisine The patio will be open Friday, plus additional space near the open garage door and additional sidewalk space, providing potentially enough seats for 40 people. 711 Howard St., Evanston, 847-868-8226, .goodtogorestaurant.com
Glen Ellyn
Ellyn’s Tap & Grill Bar food and craft beer. Seating is first come, first served. 940 Roosevelt Road, Glen Ellyn, 630-942-0940, ellyns.com
Highland Park
Max’s Deli Once you’ve finished your meal of corned beef sandwiches, lox platters or fresh bagels, you can even pick up a Max’s Deli face mask. The patio will seat 25 people. 191 Skokie Valley Road, Highland Park, 847-831-0600, maxs-deli.com
Michael’s Grill & Salad Bar Guests are encouraged to order online and their food will be brought out to you. All of the regular menu items will be available, like char burgers, hot dogs, wraps, salads, grilled chicken sandwiches, baked potatoes, milkshakes and Kosher items. The sidewalk patio has nine tables and can seat a total of 54 people. 1879 2nd St., Highland Park, 847-432-3338, eatmichaels.online
Hinsdale
Egg Harbor Cafe Guests are encouraged to add their name to a virtual waiting list online, so they can get a better estimate of potential waiting times. The breakfast cafe’s front patio should seat about 40 people in groups of four. 777 N. York Road, Hinsdale, 630-920-1344, eggharborcafe.com/location/hinsdale
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Il Poggiolo Ristorante The italian restaurant will extend its outdoor seating area in the front, with up to 14 tables, a mix of six-tops and four-tops. Walk-ins only. 8 E. 1st St., Hinsdale, 630-734-9400, ilpoggiolohinsdale.com
Kildeer
Fresh Stack Burger During peak hours, a walk-up menu board will greet guests, who will give orders to a “Covid Concierge.” Diners will be seated at outdoor dining tables where they will be notified when their orders are ready to be picked up at the counter inside the restaurant, with the concierge ensuring compliance with safety regulations. Staff will manage guest flow and capacities. During non-peak hours, orders will be taken at the counter. 20413 N. Rand Road, Kildeer, 847-847-7223, freshstackburger.com
La Grange
1416 Restaurant Reservations required, and the restaurant is already booked out for the May 29 weekend. 1416 will be seating guests in three areas: an indoor/outdoor space with open garage door, patio and rooftop. 14 W. Calendar Ave., La Grange, 708-469-7896, 1416lagrange.com
Balkan Bakery Patio seating opens for burek, desserts and more. 541 S. LaGrange Road, La Grange, 708-588-1899, facebook.com/BalkanBakery
Barrel House Social The beer garden will seat approximately 40 guests, with some additional seating in front. Availability will be half reservations, half walk-ins. Food menu will be limited. 100 W. Burlington Ave., La Grange, 708-469-7529, bhsociallagrange.com
Casa Margarita The Mexican restaurant will have about 16 tables on a front patio, plus a small side-lot expansion. Reservataions recommended. 32 S. LaGrange Road, LaGrange, 708-354-2272, casamargarita.com
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The Elm The rooftop will seat up to 70 people and is reservation only. The restaurant will serve sandwiches and salads. 23 W Harris Ave., La Grange, 708-639-4068, theelmlagrange.com
Kama Bistro The Indian restaurant will operate at approximately 25% capacity, with up to 15 tables in the front and back, as well as a section with large open windows. Reservations recommended. 9 S. La Grange Road, La Grange, 708-352-3300, kamabistro.com
Little Joe’s The burger joint with a small sidewalk patio is planning for up to six tables. 20 E. Plainfield Road, La Grange, 708-352-9696, littlejoesbeef.net
MAK’S House The casual American fare spot hopes for up to five four-peron tables on its sidewalk patio. Walk-ins only. 46 S. La Grange Road., La Grange, 708-469-7264, makshouse.com
Palmer Place Restaurant and Biergarten The large, three-level outdoor space includes a patio and rooftop. No reservations, and Palmer Place will encourage considerate table turnover times, with up to six guests per table. 56 S. La Grange Road, La Grange, 708-482-7127, palmerslagrange.com
Posto 31 A true backyard patio will seat about 80 guests. Reservations required. 1017 E. 31st St.,, La Grange, 708-469-7233, posto31.com
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Q-BBQ The patio will be open with an outdoor host stand to greet guests. Walk-ins only. 70 S. La Grange Rd., La Grange, 708-482-8700, q-bbq.com
Santiago’s Up to eight four-person tables will be set up along Santiago’s sidewalk and its parking lot in back. Walk-ins only. 24 Calendar Court, La Grange, 708-354-0700, santiagosatlagrange.com
Steak + Vine The steakhouse is planning for eight four-person tables at its sidewalk cafe. Reservations recommended. 37 S. La Grange Road, La Grange, 708-579-0520, steakandvine.com
Libertyville
Cafe Pomigliano Tables for outdoor dining open Friday. Reservations required. 160 E. Cook Ave., Libertyville, 847-247-2208, cafepomigliano.com
Casa Bonita Mexican Restaurant Reservations are highly encouraged as only one to two tables are available for walk-in customers. Seating is limited to 75-minutes for brunch/lunch and 90-minutes for dinner. 633 N. Milwaukee Ave., Libertyville, 847-362-4400, casabonitalibertyville.com
Dos Amigos Mexican Restaurant In the quaint outdoor dining area, the tables have been spaced at a safe distance and sanitation protocols are in place. 101 W. Rockland Road, Libertyville, 224-206-7282, dosamigosmexrestaurant.com
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Milwalky Taco Outdoor seating through reservations only. All reservations last 1 ½ hours at tables that have been safely spaced apart. 605 N. Milwaukee Ave., Libertyville, 224-513-5766, milwalkytaco.com
O’Tooles of Libertyville Outdoor seating has been reconfigured to meet social distancing guidelines. Floor decals have been placed throughout public areas to maintain distance protocols. 90-minute maximum at tables to allow every guest the opportunity to dine out. 412 N. Milwaukee Ave., Libertyville, 847-984-2599, timothyotooles.com/libertyville
Lincolnwood
L. Woods It’s first come, first served at this barbecue restaurant, which seats up to 28 people outside. 7110 N. Lincoln Ave., Lincolnwood, 847-677-3350, lwoodsrestaurant.com
Stefani Prime Tables will be spread 6 feet apart and the restaurant will serve its regular menu of steak, seafood and Italian dishes and daily specials. The capacity is about 52 seats. 6755 N. Cicero Ave., Lincolnwood, 847-696-6755, stefaniprime.com
Naperville
Allegory With picnic tables just built by the chef and owner, diners can enjoy farm-to-table fare outside and in the parking lot. 224 S. Main Street, Naperville, 630-536-8862, allegorynaperville.com
Empire Burgers & Brew You won’t be able to bring in large bags to this burger restaurant, but you should keep your phone with you to look at the menu online. The bar is closed to guests, but you’ll still be able to sit on the spacious patio overlooking the river. The restaurant can seat a maximum of 140 people, and hopes to add tables outside the front on the street. 48 W. Chicago Ave., Naperville, 630-355-9000, empireburgerbar.com
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Lazy Dog Restaurant & Bar When you arrive at the restaurant, you’ll be asked for your information and asked to sit in your car or at one of the socially distant waiting areas before being seated. The patio, opening June 1, has 10 tables and you can figure out what to eat by getting a single-use menu or reading the menu on your phone. You can also make a reservation. 436 S. Illinois Rte 59, Naperville, 630-481-7301, lazydogrestaurants.com
Schmaltz’s Deli While remaining open for carry out and pickup, the Jewish deli will also put out four picnic tables in the front of the restaurant for diners to sit and enjoy their food. 1512 N. Naper Blvd. #152, Naperville, 630-245-7595, schmaltzdeli.com
Taps N Tenders Outdoor patio seating, drive-through pickup and expanded curbside pickup with three covered lanes. 3320 S. IL-59, Naperville, 630-961-8277, tapsntenders.com
Northbrook
Allgauer’s on the Riverfront The 26-seat patio will serving its regular and brunch menus with grilling specials beginning Saturday. The temperatures of restaurant staff will be taken before each shift and all kitchen staff and servers will wear gloves and masks. Contactless menus and contactless payment options will also be available. 2855 N Milwaukee Ave., Northbrook, 847-664-7999, allgauers-on-the-riverfront.business.site
Northfield
Happ Inn Bar & Grill The carryout has resumed, plus limited outdoor seating has opened. In addition, a tent will offer additional al fresco seating. Reservations required. 305 Happ Road, Northfield, 847-784-9200, happinn.com
Oak Brook
Antico Posto Enjoy pasta, weekend specials, fresh salads and more at this Italian restaurant’s patio, which seats up to 36 people. Seating is first come, first served. 118 Oakbrook Center, Oak Brook, 630-586-9200, antico-posto.com
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Mon Ami Gabi The patio will open, but only half of it will seat customers. Reservations are required, as distanced dine-in spots are limited. Enjoy a prixe-fixe lunch menu as well as an all day a la carte menu. The restaurant is also doing carryout and delivery. 260 Oakbrook Center, Oak Brook, 630-472-1900, monamigabi.com
Perry’s Steakhouse & Grille You can still experience Perry’s signature tableside carving demonstration, but now from a safe distance. The patio menu features pork chops, whipped potatoes, soups, salads and desserts. Reservations recommended. 5 Oakbrook Center, Oak Brook, 630-571-1808, perryssteakhouse.com
Table at Crate With a 40-seat patio, this restaurant at Crate & Barrel beginning Saturday will serve salads, tartines and a kid’s menu, plus wine, beer, canned cocktails and coffee. The restaurant will also have single-use menus and check presenters, as well as hand sanitizers for staff and guests. 35 Oakbrook Center, Oak Brook, 630-590-9444, tableatcrate.com
Oakbrook Terrace
Brook’s Kitchen & Tap Spacious outdoor patio with large awning. Credit cards only. Reservations highly encouraged. 1919 S. Meyers Road, Oakbrook Terrace, 630-613-9588, brooks-obt.com
Oak Lawn
Deja Brew Bar & Grille The bar and grill will only be seat guests through reservations that can be made through email. The restaurant will limit six guests per table on the patio and will allow a 90-minute time slot. 5219 95th St., Oak Lawn, 708-423-0484, dejabrewbargrille.com
Rosemont
Bub City Guests can order sandwiches, cocktails and milkshakes from an outdoor counter before finding a table on the patio. First come, first served. 5441 Park Place, Rosemont, 847-261-0399, bub-city.com/rosemont
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Schaumburg
Shaw’s Crab House Dine on oysters, hand-rolled sushi and other seafood dishes on this patio starting June 2. First come, first served. 1900 E. Higgins Road, Schaumburg, 847-517-2722, shawscrabhouse.com/schaumburg
Skokie
Epic Burger This fast-casual burger joint set up santizing stations and PathSpot at each store, which scans employee’s hands post-wash to monitor how effective they are washing their hands. If you don’t want to go inside the restaurant, you can order from an app and have your food brought out to you. 4999 Old Orchard Shop Center East Ring Road, Skokie, 847-933-9013, epicburger.com
Wheaton
Warren’s Ale House. Seating is first come, first served. 51 Town Square, Wheaton, 630-462-5126. warrensalehouse.com
Wheeling
Saranello’s Choose from a patio menu or enjoy Saranello’s classics at dinnertime at this Italian restaurant’s patio. Reservations are required. 601 N. Milwaukee Ave, Wheeling, 847-777-6878, saranellos.com
Tuscany Tables will be 8 feet apart with a two-guest maximum in the building to use restrooms. No waiting in the building or outside in line, and the restaurant will seat 96 people. The restaurant will serve an updated regular menu featuring pasta and wood-fired pizza. 550 S. Milwaukee Ave. Wheeling, 847-465-9988, TuscanyChicago.com
Western Springs
Davanti Enoteca This location of the Italian restaurant plans to seat about 24 people on a front patio with an awning. Reservations highly recommended. 800 Hillgrove Ave., Western Springs, 708-783-1060, davantienoteca.com/location/western-springs
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Winnetka
Avli The full menu — plus cocktails, beer and wine — will be available at this Greek restaurant’s patio, which will have 11 tables of two and four. Reservations are recommended. 566 Chestnut St., Winnetka, 847-446-9300, avli.us
George Trois Group, Aboyer The patio will be open Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays starting June 5 with expanded hours to come. There are 20 seats available. The restaurant will have stands with liquid hand sanitizer and only four people are allowed into the restaurant at one time. Enjoy a new grill menu with Michael Lachowicz and Charlett Perez cooking outside on the patio. 64 Green Bay Road, Winnetka, 847-441-3100, georgetroisgroup.com
Rise n Dine Pancake Cafe Patio open for dining daily. 102 S. Milwaukee Ave., 847-541-4900, risendinecafe.com


chicagotribune--2020-06-01--No buildings and new rules, but Morton Arboretum becomes first to re-open after coronavirus closure

The arboretum on Monday , though , was markedly different from the one that visitors would have seen a year @ @ @ @ @ are open , the Visitor Center , which includes the cafe and shop , remains @ @ @ @ @ other buildings .
New fences , designed to keep people from congregating , surround the @ @ @ @ @ popular “ Troll Hunt ” exhibition ; the trolls themselves got a reprieve when an @ @ @ @ @ them this month was postponed a year .

Mark Witteveen, owner of The Chicago Flyhouse, places a city of Chicago flag mask on one of the lions outside the Art Institute on April 30, 2020. (Jose M. Osorio / Chicago Tribune)
The morning did not seem extraordinary. People on their own or in pairs walked around Morton Arboretum’s Meadow Lake. A worker on a large mower cut grass, the machine’s noise unable to overwhelm all the bird calls, while another crew cleared tree limbs. Men on pricey bicycles zipped by on one of the tree preserve’s meandering roads.
But for all the quotidian goings on, Monday was nonetheless exceptional at the sprawling nature park in west suburban Lisle.
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Morton became the first of the area’s major cultural institutions to reopen after almost all closed in mid-March to help prevent the spread of COVID-19.
“We’re so happy to be back,” said Penny Fruechte, a retired high-school English teacher who, with her husband Harry, was one of the first back into the arboretum when it opened at 7:30 on the cool morning.
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Visitors take in Morton Arboretum's Meadow Lake as the nature park reopened Monday. (Steve Johnson / Chicago Tribune)
Their stroll around the central Meadow Lake, by the Visitor Center, was now one way, counterclockwise, to encourage people to keep their distance. Masks are now encouraged, and the Fruechtes kept theirs on, including Harry’s custom White Sox logo face covering.
And, yes, there were regrets at what the Naperville residents, arboretum members, had been unable to witness in in the early weeks of spring. “We;re so sorry we missed all the daffodils, the blooming trees … ” Penny said.
“The redbuds around Lake Marmo,” added her husband, a retired pharmacist.
But that was water under the bridge.
“We’re so happy to be back,” Penny said again.
The members-only opening was sold out for Monday, a function of pent-up demand and of Morton limiting capacity to less than a third of what it might typically accommodate. Indeed, the surge in demand temporarily crashed the new, online-only ticketing system, an executive said.
The 98-year-old institution established by the salt baron Joy Morton exists on 1700 acres and, trying to take advantage of all that open space, was the last of the area’s major cultural institutions to close when the pandemic hit. It stayed open through April 1.
The arboretum on Monday, though, was markedly different from the one that visitors would have seen a year ago. While outdoor spaces are open, the Visitor Center, which includes the cafe and shop, remains closed, as do all other buildings. New fences, designed to keep people from congregating, surround the wooden sculptures that comprise the popular “Troll Hunt” exhibition; the trolls themselves got a reprieve when an exhibit that was to replace them this month was postponed a year.
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A wooden troll sculpture, part of Morton Arboretum's "Troll Hunt" exhibition, is surrounded by new fencing to keep the public from congregating near it on the Arboretum's first day of being open again. (Steve Johnson / Chicago Tribune)
There are some portable toilets placed outside, but visitors are encouraged to try to plan around bathroom trips to minimize the need for people to serially occupy such small indoor spaces. The Children’s Garden and Maze Garden, where people are closer together than in other areas, remain closed.
All tickets are sold online for specific entry times and must be purchased in advance. Morton plans to open to non-members beginning June 15.
And there was the new unidirectional pathway, which had early visitor Amy Narot, of Lisle, joking that “I’m going to be lopsided after walking on the path one-way.”
Still, it felt important on both a practical and symbolic level to be back in business, even with the limitations, said Alicia LaVire, vice president of marketing and communications, who was on the grounds for the occasion.
“It’s so important at this time when people are stressed and people have been housebound or neighborhood-bound to give them a piece of their old routine,” she said. “So that feels really good.”
And being able to allow about 3,000 people a day in — as opposed to 10,000 who might come on a busy day — helps to offset the financial hit the not-for-profit is taking, which LaVire said was on the order of $40,000 a day when closed.
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The arboretum members who were walking around Meadow Lake early on Reopening Day certainly seemed to appreciate it.
Narot was with a friend but missed other Monday morning walkers, some of whom she said she knows more by face than name. “I don’t see my other people,” she said.
As for other arboretum regulars, “we’re wondering what the animals are thinking,” Narot said, “because they’ve had the place to themselves.”
Carol Higgins, a special education teacher from Naperville, said she’s been coming to Morton for decades and was “ecstatic” to have the opportunity to do so again.
She cited its value “for exercise and for an emotional outlet, especially with everything going on right now,” she said. “I’m going to walk, and then I’m going to go home and garden.”
She took a right turn off of the loop around the lake and headed up the hill toward the big evergreens, on Conifer Walk.
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sajohnson@chicagotribune.com
Twitter @StevenKJohnson


chicagotribune--2020-06-01--Waukegan mayor imposes curfew amid unrest; protesters return after looters take over weekend demonst

Waukegan mayor imposes curfew amid unrest; protesters return after looters take over weekend demonstration

“ I want to make it well known that the Lake County State ’ s Attorney ’ s Office will @ @ @ @ @ anyone in the future who continues along this destructive path that threatens the safety of @ @ @ @ @ , or businesses of Lake County , ” Nerheim said .
“ Protests are designed @ @ @ @ @ but criminal conduct like this deflects attention from these important conversations and positive changes .
@

A group of community organizers, B.L.M. activists, and protesters gathered at the Waukegan Plaza on Lewis Ave. the morning after looting and vandalism occurred at the plaza and in other areas of Waukegan. (Rob Dicker / Chicago Tribune)
Waukegan Mayor Sam Cunningham imposed a curfew until at least Wednesday and protesters gathered Monday at the plaza targeted by the looters who damaged property and robbed businesses Sunday night.
About 50 to 75 people gathered at the Waukegan Plaza at West Glen Flora and North Lewis avenues, some holding Black Lives Matter signs, to push back against the violence and to attempt to refocus attention on systemic police brutality, before dispersing at the request of organizers said who said “professional provocateurs” and two intoxicated locals tried to incite the gathered crowd.
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The protests in Waukegan and other Lake County communities follow a sweep of civil unrest across the country in the wake of the in-custody death of George Floyd.
Waukegan Plaza was hit particularly hard by looters Sunday night, Mayor Sam Cunningham said.
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“The small business that really supported this community the last three months” during the COVID-19 pandemic – just “got really trashed,” he said.
Cunningham drew a strong distinction between the protesters who led a march east down Grand Avenue from Green Bay Road to the city’s downtown and those behind the looting that followed later that night.
A peaceful protest was taken over by vandals Sunday in Waukegan, drawing a large police presence at Lewis Ave. and Glen Flora Ave. Several city vehicle and businesses were damaged. (Joe Shuman / Lake County News-Sun)
The protesters “did a fantastic job, no marching in the streets and no profanity,” said Cunningham, who said he went out to check out the protests earlier in the evening.
Later Sunday night, some of the protesters continued the march toward Washington and Jackson where “the mood changed and the people changed,” Cunningham said. He heard calls come in over the police radio that a currency exchange and then a dollar store had been targeted.
Numerous businesses were looted and a large amount of property was damaged. Five county squad cars “sustained significant damage from individuals who intentionally damaged the cars,” according to a news release from the Lake County Sheriff’s Office. Businesses in Beach Park were also burglarized.
The manager of the Boost Mobile store on Washington Ave in Waukegan, Marilyn Sanchez shoots video through the broken window of the shop. (Rob Dicker / Chicago Tribune)
Dozens of deputies with the Lake County Sheriff’s Office responded to assist the Waukegan Police Department with the riots, according to the release.
More than 100 police officers from other area departments and a regional law enforcement collaborative were dispatched to Waukegan, Cunningham said.
More than 20 people were arrested, Cunningham said.
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Several people were arrested and charged with felonies, including burglary, looting and criminal damage to property, connected to the damage in Waukegan and other Lake County communities, Lake County State’s Attorney Michael Nerheim said in a statement Monday.
“I want to make it well known that the Lake County State’s Attorney’s Office will aggressively prosecute these offenders and anyone in the future who continues along this destructive path that threatens the safety of the people, law enforcement, or businesses of Lake County,” Nerheim said. “Protests are designed to bring about change, but criminal conduct like this deflects attention from these important conversations and positive changes.”
The most painful part was that early information indicates that a “vast majority” of those behind the looting were Waukegan residents, Cunningham said.
“That really hurts, that you would hurt your own block, your own store, your own business, your own neighborhood, city,” Cunningham said, adding that he has been encouraged by the outpouring of phone calls from those who now want to help clean up.
Gerardo Gordillo, a 24-year-old graphic designer born and raised in Waukegan, was among those looking to help out Monday morning.
He had gone to the protest Sunday evening, in part because of the unrest he had seen in other cities and to be a positive force on the streets. He didn’t see any damage or violence while protesting downtown but heard at least three instances of fireworks.
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Board-up contractors cut plywood to cover the broken windows at the Dunkin’ Donuts on Grand Avenue in Waukegan following sporadic vandalism in the early hours of Monday, June 1, 2020. (Rob Dicker / Chicago Tribune)
The protestors holding Black Lives Matter listen to the speakers at the protest. A group of community organizers, B.L.M. activists, and protesters gathered at the Waukegan Plaza on Lewis Ave. the morning after looting and vandalism occurred at the plaza and in other areas of Waukegan. (Rob Dicker / Chicago Tribune)
“There was no shoving, no real violence,” Gordillo said. “It was loud and aggressive, but that’s how we were feeling.”
Clyde McLemore, the founder of the Lake County chapter of Black Lives Matter, said he had attempted to defuse some of the violence that erupted Sunday night, confronting one man carrying a Black Lives Matter sign who was getting in a police officer’s face.
“Black Lives Matter, we’re for the all the protesting that you want to do,” McLemore said. “We do not promote looting or rioting. That is not in our mission. That is not what we’re about. People (who are looting) that are under our sign, the Black Lives Matter sign, they’re not doing it right.”
Ralph Peterson, a Waukegan activist who helped organize Monday’s “pop-up” protest at Waukegan Plaza, said he had planned to host another protest Monday evening but had cancelled it. He wants more time to plan to ensure the next protest remains peaceful.
He said two intoxicated locals and about five “professional provocateurs” who he said no one else recognized tried “to start trouble." He said the police arrived and some shoving broke out before he called for the rally to disperse.
“I’m so disappointed,” Peterson said.
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The area around Waukegan Plaza has since been closed off, some of the precautionary measures the city has taken to prevent anything like Sunday from happening again, Cunningham said. He also imposed a curfew that prohibits people of any age from being out in public between 8 p.m. and 6 a.m.
The curfew started June 1 and does not have an end date.
Waukegan City Hall also closed early and a “strong police presence” will continue across town, Cunningham said. The Waukegan City Council meeting, which are being held virtually because of the COVID-19 pandemic, will continue.
The Gurnee Village Board canceled its scheduled meeting.
Gurnee Mills was closed Monday afternoon with the entrances blocked with Dumpsters. Some other businesses near the mall were also closed.
Some businesses in Gurnee decided to close Monday after learning of threats on social media that specific businesses would be looted, according to a Facebook post by the Gurnee Police Department. The village of Gurnee has not imposed a curfew or mandated any closings.


chicagotribune--2020-06-01--Downtown Aurora begins to clean up after unrest, violence

The city cautiously looked to move forward , even as police closed downtown streets and advised businesses near the Fox @ @ @ @ @ warning of the possibility of additional unrest .
Mayor Richard Irvin announced a state of @ @ @ @ @ would again be under curfew from 8:30 p.m. Monday through 6 a.m. Tuesday , and @ @ @ @ @ I-88 were closed .

Volunteers on Monday help clean up and secure the Happy Daze smoke shop in downtown Aurora after it was damaged during unrest in the city center Sunday night. (Sarah Freishtat / The Beacon-News)
Volunteers turned out in droves Monday to help clean up from a night of violence that left shattered glass, boarded up windows and graffiti along swaths of downtown Aurora, and business owners feared the looting might leave lasting effects on the city’s downtown.
The city cautiously looked to move forward, even as police closed downtown streets and advised businesses near the Fox Valley Mall to close, warning of the possibility of additional unrest. Mayor Richard Irvin announced a state of emergency would continue and Aurora would again be under curfew from 8:30 p.m. Monday through 6 a.m. Tuesday, and entrances to the city from I-88 were closed.
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The Fox Valley Mall, shut down since March due to the COVID-19 pandemic, remained closed, though it had been set to open Monday.
Monday morning, volunteers swept broken glass and nailed plywood to shattered windows along Broadway, one of the entrances to the downtown that city officials have said was on the cusp of a long-sought revitalization before the COVID-19 pandemic forced stores and restaurants to close.
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Fernando Salina on Monday helps board up a business in downtown Aurora that was damaged during Sunday night's unrest. (Mike Mantucca / The Beacon-News)
Scattered throughout the rest of downtown and the city were other businesses that bore the marks of Sunday night’s violence, including a boarded up McDonald’s along East New York Street and nearby a burned out Family Dollar.
One of them was Rosie Alvarez’s martial arts studio on Broadway, where the front window had been shattered. She was grateful for the volunteers and the plywood donated to board up her window, she said. But she felt violence the night before set back the entire community.
“Aurora wants to have businesses, they want to have people moving, they want to have people active,” she said. “How can you have people active with all this?”
Sunday’s looting and unrest came amid fallout from the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis.
Largely peaceful protests earlier in the day turned tense Sunday evening near downtown. People hurled water bottles and launched fireworks, and police appeared to use pepper spray and fire rubber bullets late in the evening.
Three squad cars were destroyed by fire, windows were smashed in city businesses and looting ensued. People pulled up in front of a jewelry store, went inside through a broken window and returned with trays of necklaces.
Police used tear gas to break up the crowd downtown both before and after a curfew took effect. Protesters were seen crying with stinging eyes, using milk to alleviate the pain, and a reporter felt the sting of the gas in the air.
“We have a duty to protect the peaceful protesters from the violent actors," Police Chief Kristen Ziman said Monday. "And we attempted to do just that.”
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Later in the night, a large fire burned at the Family Dollar store on East New York Street. Aurora Fire Chief Gary Krienitz said it was arson.
In all, Irvin estimated $3 million in damage was done to the city.
Earlier Sunday afternoon, hundreds of people gathered outside the Aurora Police Department then marched through city streets, condemning Floyd’s death and airing grievances toward police.
Floyd, a black man, died May 25 after Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin, who is white, was captured on video pinning down Floyd by his neck.
Chauvin and three other officers were fired, and Chauvin was charged with third-degree murder and manslaughter.
Floyd’s death has sparked national outrage and led to protests and looting in cities across the country. Rallies and marches took place throughout the weekend in various suburbs, and protests in Chicago turned violent.
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In Aurora, The Illinois National Guard provided aerial support Sunday night and was on standby in case the situation worsened, Irvin said. The guard remained on standby Monday, he said.
Seventeen people had been arrested by noon Monday, Ziman said. Police had responded to 65 criminal damage reports by Monday morning, she said.
Ziman welcomed protesters to the Aurora Police Department Sunday afternoon, though she and Irvin have sought to characterize those who looted and clashed with police at night as outsiders. Ziman said Monday afternoon she did not know where those who were arrested lived.
The Kane County state’s attorney’s office said felony charges were filed against three people in connection with the unrest in Aurora. Two people were from the northwest suburbs and one from Aurora.
The man who organized the initial protest, Andy Williams, said he understood people’s frustrations, but he didn’t support the damage done to the city’s downtown. He called on the city to meet with protesters and said he and others were working on a list of demands for police.
“I still love Aurora and I’m not going to stop loving it because some people went downtown,” Williams said. “I can’t speak to who they were. But it shows the frustration, anger and systemic oppression that has been brewing, and it didn’t start yesterday.”
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Some of those who protested earlier in the day Sunday were helping clean up Monday morning, as passersby in cars honked and yelled their gratitude out the window. Volunteers brought donuts, water, coffee and chicken sandwiches.
Elsewhere downtown, some businesses had signs in the windows reading “stop police brutality."
Sania Henry said she was at the protest Sunday from the beginning until the 8:30 p.m. curfew took effect. She felt it would be wrong not to protest, and was angry with police, she said.
“My life matters,” she said. “And the people in my community, their lives matter.”
But she didn’t condone the looting and violence, she said, calling it “inhumane.”
“I’m all for looting, but not for small businesses,” she said. “And these are black and latinx owned.”
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Another group of men cleaning included Michael Turner, who also said he attended the protest but left downtown before the fires and chaos began. Many of the businesses that were looted along Broadway were small and minority owned," he said.
“To go around and destroy what you’re actually fighting for?” he questioned.
For the owners and employees at downtown businesses - both those that were looted and those that weren’t - Sunday night’s violence fill them with uncertainty about the future.
Irvin acknowledged the violence could be a blow to the momentum downtown.
“I won’t lie to tell you it doesn’t affect it, doesn’t set us back," he said. "But we’re going to work even harder, even stronger to make sure that we continue to be successful and stay on that path.”
Michael Menias and Dave Darwish, co-owners of Happy Daze smoke shop, said they weren’t sure they’d be able to reopen after the damage their store sustained. The front windows were broken, and they said the store had lost more than $200,000 worth of items.
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“This has done nothing for anyone, the community, the business owners," they said.
The Diaz family, which owns Balderas Beauty Salon on Broadway, stood outside their shop protesting earlier in the evening, said Laura Diaz. They left before the curfew took effect, as they became worried about looting.
Their shop was not damaged. Signs in the windows showed support for the Black Lives Matter movement and read “Aurora Strong” and “Latinx owned business.”
“We do believe, coming from brown individuals ourselves, people of color, our system is broken,” Laura Diaz said. “Our system needs to be fixed. People need to be heard.”
Aurora Jewelry was boarded up on Monday after being damaged during unrest in Aurora's downtown on Sunday night. (Sarah Freishtat / The Beacon-News)
The most important thing now, though, was to come together as a community and determine the needs of businesses, she said.
Kristina Young, brand manager at All Spoked Up bike shop, which was not vandalized, said she thought downtown had finally reached a tipping point in a positive direction earlier this year. The opening of the new downtown restaurant Stolp Island Social would encourage people to invest in Aurora and get the ball rolling, she said.
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“What happened yesterday was just a big blow,” she said.
Vape and smoke shop Happy Daze along Broadway was looted Sunday evening. (Megan Jones / Pioneer Press)
Gary and Susan Brown, who own an art gallery between the Water Street Mall and Broadway, said they were heartbroken about the violence downtown. Their shop was not harmed.
But it did take a blow during the COVID-19 shutdown, Gary Brown said. Still, they, like Young, were optimistic downtown would bounce back.
“I believe that Aurora, the businesses down here and the people down here, will not let this be a setback,” Susan Brown said.
Beacon-News reporter Megan Jones contributed
sfreishtat@tribpub.com


chicagotribune--2020-06-01--Naperville closes city hall, urges downtown businesses to do the same as a precaution

“ Watching the video of George Floyd , in distress , pleading for mercy/help , which he did not receive @ @ @ @ @ , '' he said .
`` Condolences to the Floyd family-Npd officers are trained continuously @ @ @ @ @ render aid to those who need it .
I know people are hurting and in @ @ @ @ @ to work together in our community .
”

Workers install wooden boards over the windows of Hugo's Frog Bar & Fish House on Van Buren Avenue in downtown Naperville Monday as a precaution should violence that's broken out in other communities occur in the city. (Erin Hegarty / Naperville Sun)
Naperville shut down its municipal center at noon Monday and alerted downtown businesses they should do the same as a precaution.
In a community message sent via Naperville Notify, the city warned they’ve received multiple reports of protests planned for Monday throughout the western suburbs. Similar protests turned into riots and looting Sunday in some suburban areas.
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“Please avoid avoid the downtown area for your safety and call 9-1-1 if you witness criminal activity,” the notification said.
Downtown businesses, including the Apple store, The Lantern and Hugo’s Frog Bar, have boarded up their windows should potential protests Monday shift to destruction and rioting.
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Two peaceful rallies were held in Naperville over the weekend to protest the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis and police violence against black people, and to combat racism in the community. As of Monday morning there was no apparent property damage in downtown Naperville.
Teri Feldott, daughter-in-law of Don Feldott, who purchased The Lantern in 1966, was in tears as she watched as a volunteer crew boarded up the front windows of the bar and restaurant at Washington Street and Chicago Avenue Monday afternoon.
The only time they’ve ever had to board up was when a window was broken accidentally, she said.
Teri Feldott talks about the regular customers who Monday morning volunteered to board up the bar as a precautionary measure in case a planned protest shifts to destruction. (Erin Hegarty / Naperville Sun)
A group of regular customers and a Lantern employee and his dad volunteered to buy the plywood and install the walls, she said.
“I literally started to cry three times,” Feldott said. “It’s so touching; it really is.”
What’s disheartening, however, was the restaurant finally being able to open on the weekend, only to close up Monday, she said. “That’s what’s so frustrating,” she said. “Hopefully this is all an overreaction.”
Feldott, her husband and staff planned to stay inside throughout the afternoon and evening just in case something bad happens. “How can you go away and cross your fingers?" Feldott said.
Volunteers helped board up the windows at The Lantern in downtown Naperville Monday just in case a planned protest results in rioting and destruction. (Erin Hegarty / Naperville Sun)
The windows on the Apple store in downtown Naperville were boarded up Monday as a precaution should violence occur in the wake of the protests being held over the death of Floyd George, the Minneapolis man killed last week when arrested by police. (Erin Hegarty / Naperville Sun)
Anthony Losurdo, general manager of Hugo’s Frog Bar & Fish House on Van Buren Avenue in downtown Naperville, said there had been no direct threats to the restaurant. The boards being installed Monday morning are a precaution “to protect the business” in the event of violence, he said.
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He closed the restaurant is closed for the day Monday, Losurdo said, because he’d heard protesters may be downtown in the afternoon. He expects to reopen at 11 a.m. Tuesday as long as there’s no threat of destruction, he said.
In his 25 years years in the restaurant business, Losurdo said he’s never had to take an action like this.
Monday’s Hugo’s closure follows a weekend of good business as restaurants and bars were able to open for al fresco dining for the first time in months due to the coronavirus pandemic. Hugo’s had 40 tables set outside, and Losurdo said restaurant sales Saturday were as strong as an ordinary Saturday in June.
About a block away, the downtown Naperville Apple store was also boarded up.
Hand-written signs attached to the wood read, “Black Lives Matter" and “They were supposed to protect us.” Another sign on the store included the change.org website and listed initiatives to provide justice for Floyd and others targeted in hate crimes and police violence.
Pedestrians stopped to read and take photos of the small signs, and vehicles slowed as they passed the Apple building Monday morning.
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Several handwritten signs were placed on the wooden boards protecting the windows of the downtown Naperville Apple store, including this one, which supports several change.org initiatives aimed at ending hate crimes and police violence targeting black people. (Erin Hegarty / Naperville Sun)
Among the other businesses with boards on their windows were Allegory restaurant on Main Street and Naper Nuts & Sweets on Jefferson Avenue.
A handwritten sign on the Starbucks at Main Street and Jefferson Avenue reads, “All lives cannot matter until Black ones do #BLM.”
Another sign posted in the Starbucks window notified customers the coffee shop is temporarily closed and will reopen Tuesday.
Fiammé on Washington Street just north of downtown Naperville closed early Sunday night.
“To any of our guests that had to leave early or reservations canceled this evening, this was all for your safety as rioters move into the western suburbs. Please be safe and thank your local public safety officers,” the restaurant posted on its Facebook page.
The windows of Allegory restaurant on Main Street in downtown Naperville have been covered with wood to provide protection should protests to the George Floyd death in Minneapolis result in violence or looting, which has occurred in other cities. (Erin Hegarty / Naperville Sun)
Among the towns hit by rioters and looters were Aurora and Downers Grove.
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Naperville Police Chief Robert Marshall on Twitter Sunday night said his department was assisting the Aurora Police Department with the the ongoing vandalism and criminal behavior in that city.
He also said his department was adding extra patrol officers to enhance visibility and an operations plan was in place should they need to respond to violence.
The Naperville Police Department put out a statement Sunday evening saying officials were following what was happening in neighboring communities.
“The Naperville Police Department is closely tracking reports out of neighboring communities of roving groups possibly causing damage. At this time there is no credible threat to our community,” the Facebook post said. “Please be aware of your surroundings and as always, please call 911 if you need us. The Naperville Police Department will continue to monitor the situation closely.”
Marshall Sunday issued an online statement condemning the actions of Minneapolis police that led to Floyd’s death.
“Watching the video of George Floyd, in distress, pleading for mercy/help, which he did not receive, saddened and disgusted me," he said. "Condolences to the Floyd family-Npd officers are trained continuously how to de-escalate conflict & render aid to those who need it. I know people are hurting and in pain but we must continue to work together in our community.”
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ehegarty@tribpub.com
subaker@tribpub.com


chicagotribune--2020-06-01--Lootings spread into neighborhoods as Chicago sees one of its most violent weekends with more than 8

Lootings spread into neighborhoods as Chicago sees one of its most violent weekends with more than 80 shot

Officers would ride up to the scene , flashing their lights and shining a spotlight on the looters , who @ @ @ @ @ cars and drive away or wait it out .
Many of them came back again @ @ @ @ @ point , several loud reports — possibly gunshots — were heard nearby , causing the @ @ @ @ @ as quickly as they had come .
The looting continued .

Police officers guarding the Trump International Hotel & Tower hold back protesters in the Loop on May 30, 2020, during a rally and march to remember the May 25 killing of George Floyd by a Minneapolis police officer. (John J. Kim/Chicago Tribune)
After two straight nights of looting in Chicago, the scene almost seemed normal.
A man waited across the street as officers sped down Division Street and scattered looters from a Target store that had its glass doors shattered.
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After the last unmarked police SUV drove away around midnight Sunday, the man walked into the Wicker Park Target and spent several minutes inside. He came out with just one box of beer and passed it around to a handful of others standing outside.
With downtown Chicago cordoned off by the National Guard, violence spread into the neighborhoods Sunday night and early Monday as clashes with police continued after the death of George Floyd while under arrest in Minneapolis last week.
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Floyd, a black man, died May 25 after Minneapolis police Officer Derek Chauvin, who is white, was captured on video pushing his knee into Floyd’s neck despite Floyd’s protestations that he was unable to breathe.
[ Demonstrations turn violent Saturday as mayor enacts curfew ]
Throughout the night, police received call after call of lootings, shootings and fires on all sides of the city. There were several “10-1″ calls for officers in immediate need of help. It capped a weekend that was one of the most violent in recent years in Chicago, with more than 80 people shot, nearly 20 of them killed.
Police Superintendent David Brown said there were 699 looting arrests, mostly on the South and West sides. At least 132 officers were injured Sunday and there were 48 shootings, with 17 deaths, he said. Chicago officials said they received 65,000 calls in a 24-hour period, 50,000 more than typical day.
In the Old Town neighborhood, a modest-sized group of protesters met with police around 9 p.m. Sunday at North Avenue and Wells Street. The demonstrators were peaceful and some sat down in front of the police line on Wells. They chanted, “I can’t breathe,” “No justice, no peace” and “Black lives matter.”
“This is the Chicago Police Department,” played over a bullhorn. “You are in violation of the curfew law.”
“This is the Chicago Police Department. You are in violation of the curfew law.” #Chicago North/Wells pic.twitter.com/QeiLxdPZbG — Paige Fry (@paigexfry) June 1, 2020
Around 9:30 p.m., officers wearing gas masks and canisters arrived and the protesters shouted, “This is a peaceful protest!”
“I’ve already been tear-gassed,” said one protester on a bike. “It’s not that bad.”
But no one was sprayed. After police gave a fourth warning, many in the crowd walked away from the intersection. Several others were taken into custody.
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There were no more organized protests the rest of the night. Plenty of reminders were left behind: handmade signs and graffiti like “ACAB" — “all cops are bastards” — or “George Floyd” written on walls and benches.
A protestor was arrested here at North/Wells in #Chicago. “I’m not resisting,” she said. pic.twitter.com/ZgQswa6UcJ — Paige Fry (@paigexfry) June 1, 2020
Some residents stood outside to guard their neighborhoods and deter looters. Some stores hired security. Some boarded up their windows with plywood. Latin Saints gang members chased off looters in the Back of the Yards neighborhood, 15th Ward Ald. Raymond Lopez said in a tweet.
But the looting continued.
In the Logan Square neighborhood, police officers and looters met each other throughout the night near Diversey Avenue and Kimball Avenue. Cars would line up on Kimball and people would walk or run into the Foot Locker, then come out carrying boxes of shoes.
Officers would ride up to the scene, flashing their lights and shining a spotlight on the looters, who would jump back into their cars and drive away or wait it out. Many of them came back again and again. At one point, several loud reports — possibly gunshots — were heard nearby, causing the officers to leave the scene as quickly as they had come. The looting continued.
“They’re our usual looters. Just let them go," an officer said around 1:30 a.m. over the police scanners in response to another call of looting in the area.
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Looters make off with shoes from a shoe store on Milwaukee Avenue in the Wicker Park neighborhood on June 1, 2020. (E. Jason Wambsgans/Chicago Tribune)
Neighborhoods like Chatham, South Chicago, Little Village, Canaryville, West Garfield Park, Calumet Heights and more saw similar destruction.
Fires also occurred throughout the night, although it was not clear which were set.
A firefighter was injured in a large building fire at 306 E. 47th St. in the Bronzeville neighborhood earlier in the night, according to the Chicago Fire Department. A ceiling collapsed on the firefighter, who was taken to a hospital in fair condition. The fire was put out by 9 p.m.
Around 2:30 a.m., a residential building near Foster Avenue and Kenmore Avenue in the Edgewater Beach neighborhood caught on fire. Neighbor Felicity FitzGerald, 25, said she was about to go to bed when she saw the flames outside her window. She called 911 and then headed outside to the alley behind her building.
“The fire was so bright, my whole entire room was lit up,” she said.
Firefighters work a fire in a building in the 1000 block of Foster Avenue in the Edgewater Beach neighborhood on June 1, 2020. (E. Jason Wambsgans/Chicago Tribune)
Before firefighters arrived, she saw one man in the alley trying to use a fire extinguisher to put out the flames, she said. A video she took of two firefighters holding a hose shows electrical wiring above them popping with sparks, causing one of the firefighters to fall to the ground. By 3 a.m., most of the fire was contained, but the building appeared to be destroyed.
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FitzGerald hoped the fire wasn’t related to the unrest. “I understand the protests, and I plan to join myself,” she said. “If this is related, that would be evil. I really hope everyone is OK.”
pfry@chicagotribune.com
Twitter @paigexfry


chicagotribune--2020-06-01--Metra out of service on Monday, and CTA, Pace impose service cutbacks as George Floyd fallout contin

Metra out of service on Monday, and CTA, Pace impose service cutbacks as George Floyd fallout continues

On the CTA `` L '' trains , Red Line service is not operating from Belmont Avenue to 47th Street @ @ @ @ @ suspended from Western Avenue on the O ’ Hare branch to Western on the Forest @ @ @ @ @ Brown Line and the Purple Line express are suspended between the Loop and Belmont ; @ @ @ @ @ between California Avenue and 47th ; and the Orange Line is suspended between the Loop @ @ @ @ @ Avenue , the agency said .

Metra will be out of service for a second day on Tuesday, while the CTA and Pace both imposed multiple service cutbacks and a second overnight shutdown after a weekend of mass looting and violent clashes with police downtown and in other areas.
The transit shutdowns, along with closures of highway ramps and portions of Lake Shore Drive, made it tough for some essential workers to get to and from work on Monday.
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While CTA trains and buses resumed running on Monday morning, service was limited in a wide area, not just downtown, according to its website. The CTA announced that it would shut down transit service again on Monday evening at 9:35 p.m. until 6 a.m. on Tuesday.
Pace also suspended service on Monday evening between 7 p.m. and 6 a.m. on Tuesday. It had not offered service to downtown Chicago during the day.
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The CTA said on its website that all service cuts were “at the request of public officials.” The CTA was shut down altogether on Sunday night, and Mayor Lori Lightfoot said during a news conference on Monday that this was in part because people were threatening riders and attempting to commandeer buses.
The mayor’s office said access to the Loop and downtown will only be granted to people who work for businesses there or live there or who are engaged in essential activities.
Some CTA riders complained to the agency on social media that service interruptions were making it hard for them to get to work. All CTA service changes are on its website.
On the roads, Illinois State Police Sgt. Jacqueline Cepeda said that all exit ramps on I-90/94 from 18th Street to Division Street are closed until further notice. Also closed is I-290 eastbound to Ida B. Wells Drive.
Lake Shore Drive is closed between Fullerton Avenue and I-55 (the Stevenson Expressway), according to the Chicago Department of Transportation. The transportation department said in an email that all downtown bridges have been raised except for bridges at Columbus Drive, LaSalle Street, Harrison Street, Lake Shore Drive and Ida B. Wells Drive.
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Transportation department spokesman Michael Claffey could not say how long the closures would last. He said in an email that the Chicago Police Department, the Office of Emergency Communications and the Department of Transportation “will continue to enforce closures for the time being while assessing when to reopen Chicago’s full network of streets.”
Dr. Mark Primiano, a veterinarian who works at the Anti-Cruelty Society on Grand Avenue in the River North area, said he usually goes from his home in Uptown along Wilson to Lake Shore Drive to get to work, but found the entrance closed.
“I tried talking to a cop who was there, who said I can’t come through,” Primiano said. Primiano said when he asked how he could get to work, the officer responded, “Not my problem, buddy."
So Primiano instead took Marine Drive to Clark Street to Division Street. He kept finding barricaded streets, but was eventually able to get to Halsted Street, and go to work from there. Primiano said no police officers were checking IDs, though he had a letter identifying himself as an essential worker and could have presented it, if asked.
“Honestly, the whole thing is for show. It’s not any safer,” said Primiano. “It was just a hassle. It’s not going to stop anyone from getting down here if they want to get down here.”
mwisniewski@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-06-01--Remembering the lives of those in Illinois who died from coronavirus

As the number of deaths attributable to COVID-19 ticks upward , the Tribune is working to chronicle those who have @ @ @ @ @ Chicago area or who have connections to our region .
These are some of those @ @

They were mothers and fathers, daughters and sons. Many were proud grandparents. Two were sisters from a tight-knit South Side family. All were loved, relatives say, and will be forever missed.
As the number of deaths attributable to COVID-19 ticks upward, the Tribune is working to chronicle those who have lost their lives in the Chicago area or who have connections to our region. These are some of those victims.
If you know of someone or would like to offer a remembrance of someone please share your information here. To file a death notice, go here.
Subscribe to the Chicago Tribune: Our mission is to deliver trusted and meaningful local news. Your support allows us to continue providing the award-winning, watchdog and in-depth journalism our community deserves. Subscribe here.


chicagotribune--2020-06-01--Access remains restricted to Chicago’s Loop and downtown; CTA buses and trains running elsewhere

“ Individuals who reside within the designated area and all healthcare workers will be able to gain access in the @ @ @ @ @ providing identification or proof , ” it said .
“ To ensure that all other @ @ @ @ @ the central business district and Loop area , the city has communicated directly with essential @ @ @ @ @ that workers with vehicles can gain access at multiple established checkpoints across the city .
@

Police officers guarding the Trump International Hotel & Tower hold back protesters in the Loop on May 30, 2020, during a rally and march to remember the May 25 killing of George Floyd by a Minneapolis police officer. (John J. Kim/Chicago Tribune)
Access remained restricted to the Loop and Chicago's central business district Monday morning after a weekend of mass looting and violent clashes with police.
While CTA trains and buses resumed running across the city at 6 a.m., they were bypassing stops in the Loop and downtown. The transit agency said it would post updates throughout the day at transitchicago.com.
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The mayor’s office said access to the Loop and downtown will only be granted to people who work for businesses there or live there or who are “engaged in essential activities. ... The Chicago Police Department will remain strategically deployed in full force throughout Chicago’s neighborhoods.”
The boundaries of the restricted area are:
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• Division Street from Lake Shore Drive to Halsted Street
• Halsted Street from Division Street to Milwaukee/Grand Avenue
• Milwaukee Avenue from Grand Avenue to Kinzie Street
• Canal Street from Kinzie Street to Cermak Road
• 26th Street from State Street to Lake Shore Drive
• Cermak Road from Canal Street to State Street
• State Street from Cermak Road to 26th Street
CTA stations in the Loop were closed on May 31, 2020, after unrest led to widespread destruction downtown. Service resumed June 1, but access to the Loop remains limited. (Brian Cassella / Chicago Tribune)
The mayor’s office also warned that streets have been closed in business districts and neighborhoods across the city where there was looting Sunday through early Monday.
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“In addition to multiple hot spots throughout Chicago’s neighborhoods, every street in the Loop area perimeter is being manned by officers with the Chicago Police Department along with the help of the Department of Water Management, Department of Streets and Sanitation and the Chicago Department of Transportation,” the office said in a statement.
“Individuals who reside within the designated area and all healthcare workers will be able to gain access in the perimeter on all streets after providing identification or proof,” it said. “To ensure that all other essential workers have access to the central business district and Loop area, the city has communicated directly with essential industries, organizations and businesses that workers with vehicles can gain access at multiple established checkpoints across the city.”
The city urged workers to use cabs or ride-share services to get to their jobs to limit the number of vehicles downtown.