chicagotribune--2020-09-01--Problems on the smallest Great Lake

Problems on the smallest Great Lake

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Nancy Sullivan with dog, Carter, tends to her house along the shore of Lake Ontario in Greece, New York, on July 30, 2020. She has lived at this house for the past 55 years and recently spent some of her retirement money to repair her seawall. (Zbigniew Bzdak / Chicago Tribune)


chicagotribune--2020-09-01--Big problems for smallest Great Lake: More precipitation, warmer temperatures and controversial regu

Big problems for smallest Great Lake: More precipitation, warmer temperatures and controversial regulation plan upend life along Lake Ontario

The smallest of the Great Lakes by surface area , Lake Ontario , straddling the international border between the United @ @ @ @ @ facing a cascade of threats .
Some , like high water levels , have become @ @ @ @ @ Lakes .
But Lake Ontario , which holds nearly four times the volume as Lake @ @ @ @ @ deeper — is unique among its sister lakes .
It serves as the gateway to @ @ @ @ @ and the Atlantic Ocean beyond — and its coast is home to Canada ’ s @ @ @ @ @ The lake also is affected by human regulation more intensely and directly than the other @ @ @ @ @

Nancy Sullivan with dog, Carter, tends to her house along the shore of Lake Ontario in Greece, New York, on July 30, 2020. She has lived at this house for the past 55 years and recently spent some of her retirement money to repair her seawall. (Zbigniew Bzdak / Chicago Tribune)
SODUS POINT, N.Y. — On Mother’s Day three years ago, Tom Frank was at his bayside restaurant, Captain Jack’s Good Time Tavern, when a brimming Lake Ontario surged onto the back patio.
Water spilled across the wooden deck, a sun-soaked spot popular with beachgoers and boaters, taking aim at the kitchen and the bar.
Tom Frank, owner of Captain Jack's Good Time Tavern, at his restaurant on Lake Ontario in Sodus Point, New York, on July 30, 2020. He has suffered flood damage twice since 2017. (Zbigniew Bzdak / Chicago Tribune)
“All of a sudden, water’s coming through the floors, through the walls, flooding the restaurant,” Frank said. “You’re fighting to survive.”
Frank’s restaurant was one of many businesses and homes that suffered flood damage in Sodus Point, an upstate New York town of about 900 on Lake Ontario’s southern shore, two hours northeast of Buffalo. From Captain Jack’s and the vacation homes on Greig Street to the town’s wide sandy beach, few areas escaped the damage that storms and a surging lake caused throughout the spring and summer of 2017.
Two years later, the lake swelled again to historically high levels, following another period of heavy rains and — in the eyes of many — exacerbated by a new international regulation plan. The double-barreled floods caused millions of dollars of damage, leaving businesses, homes and parkland soaked, eroded and destroyed.
This series received financial support from the Pulitzer Center’s Connected Coastlines initiative.
Flooding is the most conspicuous example of how a changing climate is having a profound effect on Lake Ontario. Drenching rains, wet winters, warmer air and water temperature, less ice cover and more runoff throughout the entire Great Lakes basin, scientists say, have formed a meteorological cocktail that has contributed to unprecedented lake levels, flood-producing storms and the degradation of the shoreline, both natural and developed.
More variability in conditions over shorter periods of time is pushing Lake Ontario — and all of the Great Lakes — as high as ever recorded in wet years, conditions that arrived only a few years after water levels were extremely low.
“This is going to be the new normal,” said Charles Driscoll, a professor of environmental systems and civic and environmental engineering at Syracuse University.
In a special report on climate change, the Tribune is visiting each Great Lake to discover how coastal communities are adapting to a warming world.
To the residents and business owners along the Lake Ontario shore, the last few years have been maddening and nerve-wracking. Restaurants and shops along the New York shoreline have been forced to close. Homeowners have paid thousands of dollars to dry out swamped basements, install shoreline barriers and raise the foundations of their houses. The coronavirus pandemic, and the ripple of economic consequences, has only added to the challenges.
After the Mother’s Day deluge, Frank and his family went into crisis mode, bringing in 15 pumps, buying plywood to raise the floor and sealing cracks in the walls. They reopened the next day. The flooding throughout 2017 cost Frank’s business $400,000, he said. Two years later, when Sodus Point was once again swamped with high water, Frank said his business suffered a $300,000 loss.
Frank and his staff have soldiered onward. The regulars and tourists returned to Captain Jack’s. But the lake was changed. The back deck of the restaurant, where families, fishermen and motorcyclists watch the boats in the harbor as they savor fried fish, pizza, scallops and an ample selection of draft beer, is now at risk daily.
“The shoreline can’t take another ’19,” Frank said. “It just can’t.”
Frank recalled recent summer afternoons when the waitstaff needed to issue warnings to the guests whenever a big wave caused by the wake of a boat sent water streaming across the deck.
“Lift your feet!” Frank and the others yelled, and patrons kindly obliged, pulling their legs up a few inches while water washed across the patio. Then they gingerly set their feet back on the soggy surface and continued their meals.
(Chad Yoder/Chicago Tribune)
(Jemal R. Brinson)
Help or hindrance
The smallest of the Great Lakes by surface area, Lake Ontario, straddling the international border between the United States and Canada, is facing a cascade of threats. Some, like high water levels, have become common refrains throughout the Great Lakes. But Lake Ontario, which holds nearly four times the volume as Lake Erie because it is much deeper — is unique among its sister lakes. It serves as the gateway to the St. Lawrence River — and the Atlantic Ocean beyond — and its coast is home to Canada’s largest city, Toronto. The lake also is affected by human regulation more intensely and directly than the other lakes to the west.
That regulation, designed to balance the lake’s role as host to international commerce, coastal cities, tourist towns and natural habitats ranging from rocky shoals, sandy dunes and marshland, plays an outsize role in Lake Ontario’s health and its future.
The International Joint Commission, a binational organization founded a century ago by the governments of the United States and Canada, cooperatively manages lake and river systems of the borderlands.
A sign in front of a restaurant on Edgemere Drive in O'Neil Point in Greece, New York, on July 28, 2020, shows frustration with the International Joint Commission. (Zbigniew Bzdak / Chicago Tribune)
(Jemal R. Brinson)
In the wake of the devastating coastal flooding, the IJC has come under fire for the implementation and then deviation from a new Great Lakes management plan, known as Plan 2014. The IJC says its goal is to protect against extreme water levels, restore wetlands and prepare for climate change.
Critics, including the New York state government, small town mayors and shoreline residents, say the plan contributed and worsened the damaging floods of 2017 and 2019.
“It’s our belief that the IJC completely ignored us in the development of Plan 2014,” said Dave McDowell, mayor of Sodus Point and member of the group Save Our Sodus. “Because what we told them was going to happen was exactly what happened.”
A major component of Plan 2014, which went into effect in 2016, sets forth parameters for regulating the outflow from the Moses-Saunders Dam on the St. Lawrence River, located about 75 miles southwest of Montreal. The dam, which straddles the U.S.-Canada border and provides hydroelectric power to both countries, is used to regulate water levels in the St. Lawrence River and Lake Ontario upstream, while providing a navigable waterway for ships traveling to and from the Atlantic Ocean.
Plan 2014 sets out a series of trigger levels — both high and low water — in which IJC regulators will change the amount of water released or blocked at Moses-Saunders.
McDowell said he believes the trigger levels are set too high. At the upper limits, “it’s too late,” he said, and the shoreline flooding in upstate New York towns like Sodus Point will be, in his estimation, inevitable.
Frank, the restaurant owner, said he doesn’t understand regulators’ decisions, or even why the rules of lake management needed to change.
“Why? To ruin everyone’s livelihood?” Frank asks.
People dine on a patio at Captain Jack's Good Time Tavern in Sodus Point on Lake Ontario in New York on July 30, 2020. Shown are the new dock and pathways built on top of the existing dock below. (Zbigniew Bzdak / Chicago Tribune)
In communities along the shore, most people know the lake level numbers like they do their address or phone number: 242 feet, 246, 247, 249. They know what section of road floods at each level, how high to build docks, when the breakwater will disappear, how much beach will be gone.
So for homeowners and business operators up and down the picturesque coastline, it’s hard to reconcile that two of the worst floods in recent memory — and for many long-timers, any memory — came on the heels of the new lake levels management plan.
George Smith, whose family members settled the town of Sackets Harbor on the lake’s eastern shore, where he has now returned to live, remembers when the marina and the boat slips at the town square park were all underwater in the early 1970s as well.
“High water’s not unusual,” Smith said.
But this time it’s different.
“Follow the money,” Smith said, believing that the IJC’s decisions regarding regulation tie directly to the sway of the shipping industry. But he also said that Canada has not done its part, failing to manage the flow of the Ottawa River and prioritizing the politically powerful Montreal region at the expense of the small towns and open space along Lake Ontario’s southern shore.
George Smith walks a dock at his family house in Sackets Harbor, New York, on July 31, 2020. His family members were among the founders of the town in the early 1800s. (Zbigniew Bzdak / Chicago Tribune)
He’s not alone. From Greece, Oswego and Sodus Bay in the central shore, to Sackets Harbor and Cape Vincent at the eastern end, the yards in the shoreline communities are dotted with signs criticizing Plan 2014 and the IJC.
New York state, in a lawsuit the attorney general filed against the IJC in October 2019, argues the commission failed to provide remedy for shoreline property owners and “prioritized commercial shipping interests, causing large-scale injury and damage to the state.” In a federal report, officials with the New York Department of Environmental Conservation also said the IJC did not adequately balance environmental restoration goals with the needs of property owners.
IJC disputes the allegations in the lawsuit.
In a public webinar in early July, the IJC provided updates on their work and plans for the future.
Jane Corwin, the IJC’s U.S. commissioner and chair, said the region has experienced unprecedented wet conditions over the past several years and the IJC has authorized changes to Plan 2014 in order to reduce Lake Ontario levels.
“The last few years have been very difficult for all of us in the Great Lakes basin,” said Corwin, a former Republican member of the New York State Assembly. She said the commission is testing deviation levels and the plan’s limits, and also is listening to all stakeholders from both the U.S. and Canada when making future decisions.
“We also know that the outflow regulation will be unable to maintain water levels within the desired ranges when extreme weather conditions occur,” Corwin said. “We, the people of the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence River basin, have to learn to cope with the full range of conditions.”
(Jemal R. Brinson)
‘The big driver'
Driscoll, the Syracuse professor, said the IJC is not the problem.
“Climate change is the big driver,” Driscoll said.
“To blame the IJC is just a ridiculous situation because we’ve had three (very wet years) and these are very clearly documented in the record and in the scientific research,” Driscoll said. “The IJC took the long-term view. … It’s a very challenging task they have.”
Driscoll said he believes a detailed analysis of the records shows where most of the blame should be directed.
“It’s the weather,” Driscoll said. The best way forward, he said, is to “de-harden” surfaces, support wetland coastline buffers and fund natural-based solutions.
Three main factors, Driscoll said, contributed to the floods and shoreline erosion two of the previous three years: high Lake Ontario water levels heading into autumn, the quantity of precipitation throughout the entire Great Lakes basin during the winters and, more specifically, the quantity of precipitation in the Lake Ontario basin during the spring.
But climate change is not the only factor. As humans build more along the shores, and as coastline cities and suburbs expand, more of the water running into the Great Lakes basin will find its way to the region’s rivers and streams and into the lakes.
“It’s not only precipitation that’s doing this, it’s the development as well,” Driscoll said.
“There are things that we can do in terms of smart development to at least try to mitigate the situation,” Driscoll said. “Why not understand the problem we have and deal with it in a natural way?”
Basil Seggos, the commissioner of the New York Department of Environmental Conservation, said the federal government has failed to acknowledge the environmental issues facing Lake Ontario and the other Great Lakes.
“The economy and the environment are interrelated, inextricably so,” Seggos said.
That connection, he said, is lost on some of the politicians in Washington.
“The Trump administration,” Seggos said, “has pulled the rug out very powerfully” on a number of environmental and climate regulations and policies.
Climate change, and the cascade of issues it causes, he said, is real.
“It’s irrefutable that we have a massive problem on our hands,” Seggos said. “And it’s not going to go away.”
‘You keep going’
This year the weather pendulum has swung back the other way, with much of upstate New York under drought conditions and Lake Ontario’s water level noticeably lower than 2019, when the lake reached its all-time high in June. But monthly levels are still consistently above average this year, and upstate New Yorkers are looking to the west, where the near-record Lake Michigan water levels are already weighing on their minds. Since the Great Lakes are all connected, the water of the west will eventually make its way into Lake Ontario.
Nancy Sullivan, edging her front lawn along the pathway that leads to her front porch in the Edgemere area of Greece, N.Y., has been on the front lines of water level and shoreline changes.
“You bet your booty I had damage,” Sullivan said. She lost two decks and several trees in her yard. Her basement flooded, multiple times. Now she keeps nothing on the basement floor. “It’s cost me a fortune.”
Nancy Sullivan with dog, Carter, tends to her house along the shore of Lake Ontario in Greece, New York, on July 30, 2020. She has lived at this house for the past 55 years and recently spent some of her retirement money to repair her seawall. (Zbigniew Bzdak / Chicago Tribune)
With the road in front of her house flooded for weeks, Sullivan said she went through multiple pairs of rubber boots.
“It’s just a mess,” Sullivan said. “But you keep going.”
The high waters, flooding and the damage it delivered has had long-lasting ramifications. Sullivan once had a small beach on her lakefront property and a dock. Both are now gone.
“At this time in August, I should have a beach,” Sullivan said.
Sullivan, a retired accountant, calls herself a Lake Ontario “lifer.” The house has been in her family for three generations, and she has lived there for more than 40 years.
“Never saw anything like it, never,” Sullivan said of 2017 and 2019.
Scores of homeowners like Sullivan have shelled out thousands to bail out flooded basements or even raise their foundations to avoid future flooding. The state of New York and the Federal Emergency Management Agency also have provided millions for stormwater projects, shoreline rehabilitation efforts and sewer upgrades.
About 125 miles to the east, then north up the coast in the quiet town of Sackets Harbor, flooding, property damage, dents in tourist visits and shoreline erosion have taken a toll on residents. But more than the financial repercussions, Mayor Eric Constance said, has been the emotional effects: business owners forced to close, residents wondering if they can pay their mortgage, townspeople worrying about what the future holds.
“I’d say they’re nervous,” Constance said. Now, he said, residents — and potential buyers — are conditioned to consider what the lake may have in store for them in the coming years.
“It’s in the back of your mind: Can this be flooded?” Constance said. “To us, that became the new norm, to protect your property.”
High water, and now the coronavirus, have scuttled many plans. At Navy Point Marine, which caters to boaters and sailors who use the historic harbor as the launching spot for lake access, including the popular two- to five-hour journey along the eastern Lake Ontario shoreline to Kingston, Ontario, the docks aren’t as busy these days.
Co-owner Peter Leubner said in 2017, he was forced to shut down the power to the marina as waves crashed into the docks, boats slips, service road and offices. Navy Point Marine lost 35 boat slips. With the average yearly rental about $4,000 a year, the cost of the floods and storms rose quickly.
“There were water boils up through everywhere,” Leubner said. “Pumps were useless.”
Navy Point Point Marine co-owner Peter Leubner walks his docks at Sackets Harbor, New York, on July 31, 2020. In 2017, he said he was forced to shut down the power to the marina as waves crashed in and they lost 35 boat slips. (Zbigniew Bzdak / Chicago Tribune)
Leubner and the staff dealt with flooded facilities. Boots were required work attire. The discoloration of the support column at the covered marina, inches higher than the base of the wooden walkway and the docks, is lingering proof of the lake level’s role.
For each of the flood years, Leubner said, his business went $150,000 to $170,000 in the red.
Leubner was looking forward to a drier, calmer 2020. Then the pandemic arrived, closing the border with Canada and leading other American customers to alter their plans for the boating season.
“We can’t go there and they can’t come here,” Leubner said about the usual popular boat travel across the international border.
The government finance programs, Leubner said, aren’t exactly practical. He and his business partners would need to spend $400,000 to get $200,000 back, and with the losses of the last few years, that’s not feasible. Real change to the marina, and others along the shores of the lake, Leubner said, will take millions in investment.
“Look at the last four years,” Constance said. “If it’s not one tragedy, it’s another.”
Many masters
Bill Reilich, the commissioner of Greece and a former New York state assemblyman who recently was added to the IJC’s Lake Ontario-St. Lawrence River Board, said the IJC needs to do a better job of managing lake levels. Plan 2014, he said, was designed to allow for higher highs, but also lower lows.
“Well, all we’ve seen so far are higher highs,” Reilich said.
As high water and storm surges again battered the coastline in the spring of 2019, the IJC deviated from the plan, but in many ways it was too late. Plus, Reilich said, “It’s not as simple as letting water out.”
“It’s not like we can flip a switch tomorrow,” Reilich said about high levels. “It’s not like it’s going to be gone.”
Still, Reilich said that since his priority is to protect both shoreline residents and the natural shoreline ecosystems, more balance is needed. Shipping and hydropower and the more populated regions of Canada, especially the Montreal region, should not take priority over the rest of the coastline, many on the New York coast say.
Such a balance, Reilich acknowledged, is far from simple.
The IJC and the river board, he said, are “trying to please about six masters, right?”
About 150 million tons of cargo, valued at $15 billion, move annually through the Great Lakes on commercial ships, according to the Lake Carriers’ Association’s 2019 State of the Lakes report and a study commissioned by the Great Lakes Seaway Partnership. U.S. flag ships, the association says, move between 80 and 90 million tons. The shipping industry says the commerce supported 238,000 jobs and $35 billion in economic activity in 2017. Iron ore is by far the most-shipped material (46 million tons) on the lakes, followed by limestone (22 million tons), according to lake carrier statistics.
Near the eastern end of Lake Ontario, a freighter travels the St. Lawrence River at Cape Vincent, New York, on July 30, 2020. (Zbigniew Bzdak / Chicago Tribune)
Jim Weakley, president of the Lake Carriers’ Association, made up of the owners and operators of U.S. cargo ships that are licensed for Great Lakes travel, said he is sympathetic to shoreline residents and business owners. He said ships do all they can to minimize the damage that ship traffic causes to coastal areas, from slowing down in high water, avoiding passing other ships to prevent too much water displacement and avoiding travel close to the shore when possible.
But Weakley said that most of his members’ traffic is centered in the other four Great Lakes, not Lake Ontario, where Canadian and foreign flag ship traffic dominates. He expressed frustration that U.S. ships are lumped in with Canadian vessels and framed the issue as more of a schism between Canadian business interests and the United States.
“We do everything we can to reduce the impact on the shore, the shoreline businesses and the homeowners,” Weakley said. “I get very frustrated when we are painted as the greedy shipowners.”
The port in Montreal on the St. Lawrence River handles more than 40 million metric tons of cargo each year and is a major hub of commerce for eastern Canada, with direct connections to more than 140 countries.
On the Canadian side of the lake, Jolanta Kowalski, spokeswoman for the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry, said in an emailed response that the province provides funding for the maintenance of existing infrastructure, such as dams, dikes, shorelines and channels, that are critical to public safety, and flooding and erosion minimization.
Earlier this year the province released a plan that will examine existing flood data, make predictions under a changing climate and review flood-proofing recommendations.
‘Saying no’
Seggos, the environmental commissioner, stood atop the recently completed gravel, stone and grass berm near Buck Pond in Greece, a short walk from Edgemere Drive and the houses that line the shoreline of Lake Ontario. The berm, meant to protect residents while at the same time fitting into the marshland habitat, is one of a bevy of projects funded under New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s Resiliency and Economic Development Initiative in response to the lakeshore flooding.
The state’s goal, Seggos said, is to fund projects that strike a balance between protecting residents and businesses, and preserving the coastline and near-shore natural environments.
In 2017, the area where Seggos stood was underwater for 100 days. On a beautiful, clear late July day, it is easy to forget the neighborhood, and the natural areas to the south and west, were inundated by storm surges in previous years.
In conjunction with the New York state initiatives, the town of Greece, which has 8 miles of Lake Ontario shoreline, 98% of which is residential, has permanently installed a series of underground pumps and pipes to help deal with anticipated future flooding. In the flood years, with water slamming into the shore from both the lake and the ponds to the south overflowing, the temporary pumps the town brought in had a hard time keeping up.
From the Niagara River in the west to the Moses-Saunders dam on the St. Lawrence in the northeast, New York is spending $300 million on 135 shoreline-related projects. The DEC received more than 500 proposals for projects, Seggos said, and ultimately whittled that down based on engineering, environmental and economic factors.
Workers reinforce a rock wall in front of a residential house on the shore of Lake Ontario in Greece, New York, on July 28, 2020. (Zbigniew Bzdak / Chicago Tribune)
Some homeowners have been frustrated with various government agencies rejecting their applications for shoreline projects. Others don’t want FEMA to reclassify their properties into the floodplain or floodway because of the insurance ramifications and have paid to install giant boulders along the shore.
Seggos said he knows the shoreline is a ”very emotional issue” for those whose home or livelihood is tied to the lake. But he said that hard infrastructure projects, such as sea walls, “are not a sustainable approach” going forward. Such projects have the potential to cause more damage in the long term, especially if they are done piecemeal, with one homeowner here and there completing work, leaving others to bear the brunt of future storms and high water.
“Look, I’m sympathetic,” Seggos said, when asked to respond to residents who expressed frustration at the DEC’s priorities. “Edgemere is a very challenging example.”
Still, he said, the best approach is a “more comprehensive, wholesale approach rather than strengthening one-offs.”
“Our role is to protect the environment and also to open up economic opportunity for the state,” Seggos said. That means “saying no to some projects that will cause damage to the environment and neighbors.”
Despite all of the damage and headaches, Sullivan, who lives a few minutes from where Seggos outlined the new flood-control measures, isn’t going anywhere. She loves the water, monitoring the minks as they dart into the shoreline rocks, welcoming herons to her yard.
“I still get up in the morning and it’s a gorgeous sunrise,” Sullivan said. “Absolutely stunning. And I get gorgeous sunsets too. I never blame it on the lake. The lake can’t help it. It’s the people controlling it. I love the lake.
“It’s a man-made-caused mess,” she said.
Her freshly edged lawn looked crisp and clean. Beyond the path leading to the house, Lake Ontario shimmered in the summer sun, waves licking the shore.
poconnell@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-09-01--The wilds of one Lake Ontario bay reveal how coastal habitats suffer from a changing climate and hum

The wilds of one Lake Ontario bay reveal how coastal habitats suffer from a changing climate and human choices

The Braddock Bay ecosystem where Schultz and Kirkpatrick are conducting a series of studies is a prime example of how @ @ @ @ @ on Lake Ontario have altered the shoreline habitat .
Only minutes away from the residential @ @ @ @ @ suburb Greece in upstate New York , the marshland on the central Lake Ontario shore @ @ @ @ @ about how more precipitation , warmer temperatures and a historically high lake have changed the @ @ @

A barrier beach is shown on Lake Ontario at Braddock Bay in Greece, New York, on July 28, 2020. The stone, sand and vegetation barrier was designed to block storm surges, reduce wave action in the back bay, and protect the vegetation and animal species that thrive in the coastal wetlands. (Zbigniew Bzdak / Chicago Tribune)
GREECE, N.Y. — Lake Ontario is more swamp than mighty Great Lake at the edge of Braddock Bay, where 15-foot cattails rustle in the breeze.
The wetland is thick with the giant invasive plants. They stretch from the coastal forest into the bay, obscuring the view of the choppy open water beyond the peninsula that shields the calm inlet.
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Somewhere among the cattails is wetland scientist Rachel Schultz, tromping through the soupy muck in knee-high wading boots. She’s talking with graduate student Sarah Kirkpatrick, and while her voice is audible, the wall of vegetation obscures the two scientists from view even though they stand only a few yards off in the marsh.
Rachel Schultz, associate professor of wetland science at SUNY Brockport, looks at an invasive cattail species as she visits sites of her wetlands research project on Lake Ontario at Braddock Bay in Greece, New York, on July 29, 2020. She researches how Lake Ontario’s coastal wetlands have been affected by the water level fluctuations. (Zbigniew Bzdak / Chicago Tribune)
The Braddock Bay ecosystem where Schultz and Kirkpatrick are conducting a series of studies is a prime example of how climate change and fluctuating levels on Lake Ontario have altered the shoreline habitat. Only minutes away from the residential neighborhoods of Rochester and its suburb Greece in upstate New York, the marshland on the central Lake Ontario shore provides a series of clues about how more precipitation, warmer temperatures and a historically high lake have changed the natural environment.
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This series received financial support from the Pulitzer Center’s Connected Coastlines initiative.
Great Lakes wetlands like the ecosystem in Braddock Bay are particularly susceptible and have been lost at a higher rate than other types of ecosystems, Schultz said. Throughout the Great Lakes basin, about 70% of wetlands have vanished, and coastal areas in particular have lost 50% of their wetlands, mainly because of urban development and agriculture.
Cattails thrive, native plans suffer
The cattails are one of the most noticeable warning signs of a changing coast. Braddock Bay has been inundated with high water two of the last four years, and while flooding has provided complicated challenges for coastal residents, business owners and the natural shore, the fluctuation of levels and how humans regulate them also alters the wetlands.
While higher highs grab headlines, since the mid-1960s, Lake Ontario also has experienced a lack of low lake levels compared with its Great Lakes counterparts. Man-made regulation of the lake’s outflow reduced some fluctuations in water levels, helping the invasive variety of cattail crowd out other plants better suited for lower water conditions.
The cattails overtake native vegetation, steal nutrients from the soil and emit higher quantities of methane into the air. Their presence also hurts fish like the northern pike, which thrives in marshland channels and uses marsh meadows to spawn and lay eggs. Frogs, toads and turtles also have suffered.
But the effects of the invasive variety of cattails are more than a science geek’s concern. The people who zoom past Braddock Bay on the Lake Ontario State Parkway may overlook the ecosystem’s importance to both the natural landscape and the nearby residential neighborhoods. An altered coastal landscape hurts the wetland’s ability to perform a critical role: serving as a giant sponge. The wetlands buffer the effects of flooding, reduce the destruction of waves and help prevent shoreline erosion.
A multifaceted ecosystem
The cattail eradication is part of the Braddock Bay Ecosystem Restoration project, a collaboration between the New York Department of Environmental Conservation, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the town of Greece and SUNY Brockport.
Another key element of the project involved the construction of a large natural barrier beach at the entrance to the bay. The stone, sand and vegetation barrier was designed to block storm surges, reduce wave action in the back bay, and protect the vegetation and animal species that thrive in the coastal wetlands. It has the added benefit of attracting shorebirds such as sandpipers and piping plovers.
On a late July visit, birds flocked to the earthen barrier as waves lapped into the stones. Kayakers slipped through the shallow, narrow passageway between the barrier and the finger-like peninsula popular with hikers, fishermen, birdwatchers and bored teenagers.
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Before the construction of the barrier beach, about 100 acres of emergent wetlands were lost to erosion over the last 200 years. Now the earthen barrier protects the entrance to the bay.
Schultz, associate professor of wetland science at SUNY Brockport, not far from Rochester, researches how Lake Ontario’s coastal wetlands have been affected by the water level fluctuations. The scientists at SUNY Brockport also are studying how the changed ecosystem has affected climate change and how much the ongoing removal of cattails and ecosystem restoration can reduce methane and increase carbon storage.
Kayakers enter Lake Ontario at Braddock Bay in Greece, New York. (Zbigniew Bzdak / Chicago Tribune)
“All of this was underwater last year,” Schultz said, pointing to the fringes of the forested marshland, where the trees end and the marsh vegetation takes over.
Lake Ontario hit a record high in June 2019. Schultz turns and points to the silt line on the trunk of one tree, the discoloration where the lake water once was still visible.
A ripple effect
It can be difficult for the untrained eye to see from the wooden boardwalk or the marshland trails, but the cattail removal has allowed native marsh plants such as giant bur-reed and common arrowhead to grow and thrive.
These changes have multiple advantages, Schultz says. The cattails emit three times as much methane into the atmosphere as native plants. Restoring the balance to the bay allows for the water to more naturally spill into the wetlands and reduces the amount of gases that contribute to warming temperatures.
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Researchers at SUNY Brockport have set up a series of portable greenhouse gas analysis stations in the marsh. These stations will allow scientists to compare the gas emissions in the area treated for cattail removal, the area where cattails remain prevalent, the Cranberry Pond area south of the Lake Ontario shore as well as the natural sedge meadow. Although a full set of data will not be available until 2021, preliminary results so far show the sedge meadow emits significantly less methane.
Schultz emphasizes that the seasonal fluctuations of the lake have been changing over time, with higher highs happening more frequently and lows occurring less often. A chart that shows yearly water levels stretching over decades shows how the line of levels angles upward, with a clear absence of dips on the low end.
While Lake Ontario water levels are tied to the regulation by the International Joint Commission, a binational board of U.S. and Canadian members, Schultz said that “water regulation can’t make lows happen.”
On the flip side, Schultz said, the IJC cannot eliminate the highs.
“It’s just responding to the other inputs of all the other lakes, which are at record highs,” she said.
“Lake Ontario is a Great Lake, and all Great Lakes have fluctuation of water levels,” Schultz said. “There is no normal year. Because normal is a fluctuating water pattern. The normal is to have highs and lows. ... We need to understand that the normal is the fluctuations, not an average year.”
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poconnell@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-09-01--Kenosha leaders uneasy with Trump visit, but say they aim to ensure safety; president appears to def

Kenosha leaders uneasy with Trump visit, but say they aim to ensure safety; president appears to defend Kyle Rittenhouse

“ There are so many things that have gone on in this community , and it just seemed to me @ @ @ @ @ , that it would be better for us to be able to pull together , @ @ @ @ @ and actually heal up … and start dealing with the concerns we have that need @ @ @ @ @ he said .
“ So it would have been nice if ( he ) had @ @ @ @ @ down the road , but it is what it is .
”

Patrick M.  O'Connell, John Keilman, Genevieve Bookwalter

Madison Taft and Black Lives Matter activists march through a Kenosha neighborhood Jan. 5, 2021, after news that no charges will be issued against the Kenosha police officer who shot Jacob Blake. (E. Jason Wambsgans / Chicago Tribune)
KENOSHA — Local leaders in Kenosha on Monday displayed their uneasiness with President Donald Trump’s planned trip to their town but said they will do all they can to ensure a problem-free visit.
“The president is going to be, hopefully, quite safe here,” Kenosha County Sheriff David Beth said at a news conference. “That’s our goal.”
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The White House has said Trump plans to meet with local leaders Tuesday and view some of the destruction inflicted over three nights following the Aug. 23 police shooting that left Jacob Blake, a 29-year-old Black man, paralyzed. Though Mayor John Antaramian and Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers have asked Trump not to come, the president has ignored the requests.
Kenosha Mayor John Antaramian at a news conference in Kenosha on Aug, 31, 2020. He has asked President Donald Trump not to come to the city. (E. Jason Wambsgans / Chicago Tribune)
“I will see you on Tuesday!” he tweeted Monday morning.
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Trump also took credit for calming the riots in his tweet, saying: “If I didn’t INSIST on having the National Guard activate and go into Kenosha, Wisconsin, there would be no Kenosha right now.”
Kenosha County Executive Jim Kreuser said that was untrue.
“Kenosha is a strong community and we were going to come back regardless,” he said. “Every day, great things happen in Kenosha County. … For someone to say we wouldn’t exist but for their action, when I believe it to be false because I know things, too, I just have to tell you what I believe the answer is, and that’s false.”
Paul Knapp, adjutant general of the Wisconsin National Guard, declined to comment on Trump’s tweet but said activation decisions are done at the state level.
The White House said Trump’s visit will not include a sit-down with Blake’s family. Blake’s uncle, Justin Blake, said neither he nor Blake’s father are interested in a meeting, citing “all the stuff that (Trump) has done ... to empower white supremacists around the nation and the world.”
At a White House press briefing Monday, Trump did appear to defend Kyle Rittenhouse, the 17-year-old from Antioch who has been charged with murder and other offenses after allegedly shooting two protesters to death in Kenosha and wounding another, saying Rittenhouse was “in very big trouble” and “probably would have been killed” during the confrontation.
Prosecutors said two of the protesters were shot while Rittenhouse, who had a rifle, was being chased following an earlier shooting.
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As the city plans for Trump’s visit, Kenosha police provided new details about arrests that took place during the unrest.
Kenosha County Executive Jim Kreuser at a news conference about President Donald Trump's scheduled visit to Kenosha at the Kenosha County Public Safety Building on Aug, 31, 2020. (E. Jason Wambsgans / Chicago Tribune)
Beth said of the 205 people arrested, 114 have addresses outside of Kenosha, including 44 other cities. They face charges that include carrying concealed weapons, burglary and drug possession.
Beth said a “carload” of people even came from northern Wisconsin with the intent of killing the sheriff.
“Unfortunately, the person wasn’t very smart, had an ankle bracelet on, and we were able to intercept him as he was coming into Kenosha,” he said. “And they had guns.”
He and Antaramian said the city has also been hit with a flurry of misinformation, as social media posts claim people are coming to Kenosha and nearby towns to continue the looting and arson. By the time law enforcement researches the claims and proves them false, they said, the rumors have already spread widely, terrifying residents.
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“To me, it’s one of the most aggravating things that can happen,” Antaramian said. “People are trying to instigate a problem. … Hopefully as time goes on we can track down some of those folks and they will be dealt with according to the law.”
The mayor said he asked the White House to schedule Trump’s visit at a different time, but did not receive a response.
“There are so many things that have gone on in this community, and it just seemed to me, and I think others, that it would be better for us to be able to pull together, let the community get together and actually heal up … and start dealing with the concerns we have that need to be addressed,” he said. “So it would have been nice if (he) had waiting for a little longer down the road, but it is what it is.”
Not everyone agrees with that sentiment. On Sunday, seven Kenosha County Board supervisors wrote to Trump and urged him to carry on with his visit.
“Kenoshans are hurting and looking for leadership, and your leadership in this time of crisis is greatly appreciated by those devastated by the violence in Kenosha,” the letter said.
There were few indications of the impending presidential visit in the city yesterday afternoon, save for signs banning parking on streets close to downtown.
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Residents sign petitions to recall Wisconsin Gov. Tim Evers and Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes in downtown Kenosha on Aug, 31, 2020. (E. Jason Wambsgans / Chicago Tribune)
Farther west, at the corner of 35th Avenue and 52nd Street, a bustling thoroughfare that connects downtown with Interstate 94, a giant “Biden” sign adorned one front yard. Down the block, Amanda Jones sat on her front porch, enjoying the late summer sun.
Jones said it was “a good thing” the president was visiting, but that he was too late.
“Why did it have to take all of this to come?” said Jones, 64, who has lived in Kenosha for 40 years. “I don’t think it’s going to help. It’s too far gone.”
Near the city’s harbor, a small group of people set up a table and collected signatures in an effort to recall Evers. One young man sported a Trump baseball cap.
“I’m excited that he’s coming here,” said Merrie Smith, a Kenosha resident at the anti-Evers event.
She said she supports Trump (aside from his Twitter posts) and approves of his performance in the White House, especially on the economy. Asked if she would like to see the president when he comes to Kenosha, Smith said, “I’m going to try.”
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Others weren’t as enthusiastic.
“I just rolled my eyes,” said Shad, the manager at S.J. Crystal’s Menswear, who declined to provide his last name. “We don’t need that right now. Tomorrow is not the day to come here.”
Shad, the manager/buyer at S.J. Crystal's Menswear in Kenosha on Aug, 31, 2020. (E. Jason Wambsgans / Chicago Tribune)
Shad said his objection was more about the timing than the president himself. The downtown clothing store reopened Monday after it was forced to close for a week; the manager said he was worried the president’s visit will hurt business and reignite violence.
“This is not a well thought-out plan,” he said. “His coming tomorrow is not helping me sell all those suits up there.”
Down the street, three friends and their children took in the artwork painted on plywood covering the doors and windows of businesses. They had mixed feelings on the president’s visit.
Carrie Bourgo, 35, of Kenosha County, encouraged everyone to remain true to themselves no matter who comes to the city.
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“Love and compassion, that’s how things change over the long term,” Bourgo said.
Carrie Bourgo, left, of Kenosha County, encouraged everyone to remain true to themselves no matter who comes to the city. (E. Jason Wambsgans / Chicago Tribune)
Some civil rights leaders have encouraged people to avoid confrontations.
The Rev. Jesse Jackson on Monday encouraged protesters to hold prayer vigils and community outreach efforts instead of a march to deprive the president of conflict that would benefit him politically. Clyde McLemore of the Lake County chapter of Black Lives Matter, who led marches in Kenosha last week, said his group aims to demonstrate along the expected path of Trump’s motorcade but has nothing planned for the city.
Local leaders, however, remain wary. Asked if he was concerned the presidential visit might lead to new violence, Kreuser responded:
“We’ll find out tomorrow, won’t we?”
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Patrick O’Connell reported from Kenosha. Genevieve Bookwalter is a Pioneer Press reporter. Tribune reporter Lisa Donovan and The Associated Press contributed.
poconnell@tribpub.com
jkeilman@chicagotribune.com
gbookwalter@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-09-02--Coronavirus in Illinois updates: 1,492 new known COVID-19 cases and 39 more deaths reported as Pritz

Coronavirus in Illinois updates: 1,492 new known COVID-19 cases and 39 more deaths reported as Pritzker orders tighter restrictions for Metro East region outside St. Louis

“ I think the most rewarding thing to see was the excitement from teachers students as all of these important @ @ @ @ @ ” Kocanda said .
“ The fact that we all worked together to make this @ @ @ @ @ sense of pride .
This school year we ’ ll have a combination of both @ @ @ @ @ and it was great to see us start with something so positive .
”

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 health officials on Tuesday announced 1,492 new known cases of COVID-19 and 39 additional fatalities, bringing the total number of known infections in Illinois to 236,515 and the statewide death toll to 8,064 since the start of the pandemic. Officials also reported 22,961 new tests in the last 24 hours. The seven-day statewide positivity rate is 4.3%.
Meanwhile, the city of Chicago on Tuesday added North Carolina, Hawaii and Nebraska to its mandatory quarantine order, while warning that a recent spike in cases in Indiana could put that state on the list. The order for the three additional states is effective Friday, at which point 21 states and Puerto Rico will be covered under the order.
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Also on Tuesday, Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s administration announced it will crack down further on the Metro East region outside St. Louis, barring indoor bars and dining service. The state put in place a series of stricter rules in Metro East two weeks ago, but Pritzker last week called it a “mistake” to not implement the tougher rules in the Metro East from the start.
A day earlier, Mayor Lori Lightfoot laid out a $1.2 billion shortfall for what she called Chicago’s “pandemic budget” in 2021. Lightfoot cited the “catastrophic collapse of our local and national economy” because of COVID-19 and damage to local businesses from civil unrest.
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Here’s what’s happening Tuesday with COVID-19 in the Chicago area and Illinois:
7:45 p.m.: Chicago closes 4 more restaurants and bars for COVID-19 guideline violations
Five businesses were temporarily closed this weekend for violating COVID-19 reopening guidelines. Among them were four food and beverage establishments.
All business were closed for one night and allowed to reopen the next day.
This weekend’s citations were conducted by the Chicago Department of Business Affairs and Consumer Protection. Investigators check to ensure sure businesses follow social distancing, capacity and masking guidelines, including the state’s new masking guideline requiring patrons to wear one when interacting with business employees.
The enforcement team investigated 93 businesses, eight of which were at residential locations. Since June 3, BACP has conducted 1,488 investigations and issued 106 citations.
Read more here. —Grace Wong
5:35 p.m.: In Chicago visit, Dr. Birx raises alarm over growing COVID-19 positivity rates in parts of Illinois
White House coronavirus response coordinator Dr. Deborah Birx expressed concern during a visit to Chicago Tuesday about the growing number of counties in Illinois where 5% to 10% of COVID-19 tests are coming back positive.
“Over the last four weeks we’ve seen a steady increase in the number of counties that are over 10% and over 5% test positivity,” Birx said at a press conference following a private meeting with state and local officials at Rush University Medical Center.
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Illinois now has more than 60 counties where 5% or more of tests are coming back positive, and more than a dozen of those counties have test positivity rates of 10% or higher, according to the Illinois Department of Public Health.
She said “intensifying communication” with rural areas could help turn those numbers around, citing Ohio as an example.
“When we see those rural counties move into the 5% range and continue to increase, it’s really an alert to every rural community that you need to take the same precautions as the urban communities are taking,” Birx said.
Read more here. —Lisa Schencker
4:52 p.m.: NU president says decision to keep freshmen and sophomores off campus came amid worries officials would run out of quarantine space
Facing backlash from angry first- and second-year students who recently learned they can’t study at Northwestern University’s campus this fall, school president Morton Schapiro apologized Tuesday.
Schapiro said he previously was “absolutely convinced” that NU could reopen its residence halls to all students but began to worry late last week as COVID-19 cases rose in suburban Cook County and the school readjusted its capacity to quarantine students on campus.
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“I apologize for people who are so angry, and I understand that anger as a parent and as an educator,” Schapiro said. “In retrospect, I probably should have decided earlier in the week.”
Read more here. —Elyssa Cherney
4:35 p.m.: Pritzker orders tighter restrictions for Metro East region outside St. Louis
Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s administration will crack down further on the Metro East region outside St. Louis on Wednesday, barring indoor bars and dining service in an effort to curb the spread of coronavirus.
Pritzker’s administration put in place a series of stricter rules in Metro East two weeks ago that included a curfew for bars and restaurants after the region was the first in the state to surpass a positivity rate threshold that triggered a reversal in the reopening of its economy.
The region that includes Will and Kankakee counties soon followed in surpassing the positivity rate threshold and seeing stricter rules as a result, but Pritzker faced criticism last week for closing indoor dining and bars in that region from the outset after allowing indoor service to continue in the Metro East.
Pritzker last week called it a “mistake” to not implement the tougher rules in the Metro East from the start.
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Under the rules that take effect Wednesday, bar service and dining in the seven-county Metro East region will only be able to be outdoors with six feet of space between tables, required reservations and an 11 p.m. curfew.
Weddings, funerals and all other gatherings and meetings will be limited to 25 people or under, or 25% of a room’s overall capacity. Casinos must also close at 11 p.m., and limit capacity to 25%.
If the region’s average positivity rate dips to 6.5% or under during a two-week period, it can return to Phase 4 rules under Pritzker’s statewide reopening plan. On the other hand, stricter rules can again be applied if the region remains steady with the elevated rate or sees an increase.
The Metro East region’s COVID-19 test positivity rate has increased since the initial reopening rollback took effect last month, and its seven-day rolling positivity rate stood at 9.6% as of Tuesday, according to the Illinois Department of Public Health.
One trigger for scaling back the reopening in a region is when the positivity rate for COVID-19 testing reaches 8% for three consecutive days.
Pritzker’s reopening plan divides the state into 11 regions, and the other regions are all currently in Phase 4, which took effect statewide in late June, allowing for indoor dining, gathering sizes of up to 50 and a range of other activities that hadn’t been allowed since March, before Pritzker implemented a statewide stay-at-home order
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—Jamie Munks
3:55 p.m.: Illinois warns extra $300 in weekly unemployment benefits will last only three weeks and leave out thousands of jobless workers
Illinois hasn’t been approved for the extra $300 weekly unemployment benefits authorized by President Donald Trump, but is already warning the aid will be limited.
The state said Monday it has applied for the Lost Wage Assistance program, which President Donald Trump created through executive action to extend federal jobless benefits after the $600 weekly supplement ran out at the end of July.
The state said in a news release it expects the “shelf-life” of the program under the current funding model to last about three weeks. It said about 55,000 low-income claimants won’t be eligible for the funds, which are limited to those who qualify for at least $100 in weekly unemployment benefits, either through state programs or the federal pandemic assistance program.
Read more here. —Abdel Jimenez
1:45 p.m.: North Carolina, Hawaii, Nebraska added to Chicago’s travel quarantine order; Indiana may be added later
The city of Chicago added North Carolina, Hawaii and Nebraska to its mandatory quarantine order, while warning that a recent spike in cases in Indiana could put that state on the list.
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The order for the three additional states is effective Friday, at which point 21 states and Puerto Rico will be covered under the order. The city adds a state to its quarantine list if the state averages more than 15 new daily COVID-19 cases per 100,000 residents over a seven-day period. People who have spent more than 24 hours in the high-risk states are required to self-quarantine for 14 days after entering Chicago.
The latest order covers Iowa, North Dakota, South Dakota, Alabama, Mississippi, Kansas, Oklahoma, Georgia, Arkansas, Missouri, Tennessee, South Carolina, Louisiana, Idaho, Texas, Hawaii, Nebraska, Nevada, North Carolina, Florida, California and Puerto Rico.
Read more here. —Alice Yin
12:55 p.m.: North Center Catholic school switches junior high students to remote learning after teacher tests positive for coronavirus
St. Benedict Preparatory School has postponed in-person classes for junior high students after a teacher tested positive for COVID-19, the Archdiocese of Chicago confirmed.
The Catholic school located in the North Center neighborhood started classes on Aug. 24 and the teacher tested positive five days later. As a result of the test, a group of sixth-grade students was sent home to quarantine for at least 14 days, an archdiocese spokesman said in an email.
“Out of an abundance of caution, all junior high students were switched to remote learning and will resume in-person classes on Sept. 9,” the spokesman said.
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St. Benedict is the latest in a string of Chicago-area Catholic schools whose in-person learning has been disrupted because of positive COVID-19 tests.
—Javonte Anderson, Sophie Sherry
12:40 p.m.: Winnetka schools reopen, students return to the classroom in year ‘unlike any other’
A new school year “unlike any other” has begun in Winnetka, featuring reopened school buildings and students back in the classroom this week under a hybrid learning plan.
On Tuesday, Winnetka Public Schools District 36 Superintendent Trisha Kocanda said the district’s new COVID-19 health and safety measures were front and center as around 1,600 students returned to the classroom Aug. 27 for the first time since schools were shuttered in mid-March.
“I think the most rewarding thing to see was the excitement from teachers students as all of these important in-person connections were made,” Kocanda said. “The fact that we all worked together to make this happen gave me a great sense of pride. This school year we’ll have a combination of both in-person and remote instruction, and it was great to see us start with something so positive.”
Featuring a hybrid instructional model, students gather for in-person instruction for roughly half of the school day, with the second half of the day devoted to remote learning.
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Read more here. —Karen Ann Cullotta, Pioneer Press
12:12 p.m.: 1,492 new known COVID-19 cases and 39 more deaths reported
Illinois health officials on Tuesday announced 1,492 new known cases of COVID-19 and 39 additional fatalities, bringing the total number of known infections in Illinois to 236,515 and the statewide death toll to 8,064 since the start of the pandemic. Officials also reported 22,961 new tests in the last 24 hours. The seven-day statewide positivity rate is 4.3%.
12:10 p.m.: Cook County Health puts out call for subjects in COVID-19 ‘antibody cocktail’ clinical trial with biotech company
Cook County Health is seeking adults living with someone recently diagnosed with the novel coronavirus for a study on an experimental antibody therapy that has been used to treat cancer and autoimmune disorders.
Those who are asymptomatic, negative for COVID-19 and live with an individual who recently tested positive for the virus are eligible for the clinical trial that will take about a month followed by a seven-month assessment period, according to a news release from Cook County Health.
The potential treatment involves two monoclonal antibodies known as REGN-COV2 developed by the biotech company Regeneron Pharmaceuticals. In addition to successfully treating cancer and autoimmune diseases, monoclonal antibody therapies decreased deaths from the Ebola virus and are now being studied in HIV prevention, according to the news release.
“In response to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, there is an urgency to develop safe, effective methods to prevent and treat this virus,” Dr. Sybil Hosek, a clinical psychologist and principal investigator at Cook County Health, said in a statement. “This unique antibody cocktail could have a major impact on the medical and public health need to slow the spread of the virus, as well as provide a treatment for those who are already sick.”
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Cook County Health joins other main medical centers in the U.S. to seek enrollment in the Phase III prevention trial. Besides the household members who are uninfected but live with someone who is positive, the trial also will also study hospitalized COVID-19 patients and non-hospitalized, symptomatic COVID-19 patients.
The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, part of the National Institutes of Health, and Regeneron are funding the study.
Those seeking more information can go to https://www.regeneron.com/covid19.
—Alice Yin
11:40 a.m.: AstraZeneca’s coronavirus vaccine enters final testing stage, third in US to reach that goal
A handful of the dozens of experimental COVID-19 vaccines in human testing have reached the last and biggest hurdle — looking for the needed proof that they really work.
AstraZeneca announced Monday its vaccine candidate has entered the final testing stage in the U.S. The Cambridge, England-based company said the study will involve up to 30,000 adults from various racial, ethnic and geographic groups.
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Two other vaccine candidates began final testing this summer in tens of thousands of people in the U.S. One was created by the National Institutes of Health and manufactured by Moderna Inc., and the other developed by Pfizer Inc. and Germany’s BioNTech.
“To have just one vaccine enter the final stage of trials eight months after discovering a virus would be a remarkable achievement; to have three at that point with more on the way is extraordinary,” Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar said in a statement.
Read more here. —Associated Press
11 a.m.: Donald Trump tweets he had a ‘very productive conversation’ with Kevin Warren and that Big Ten football is ‘on the one yard line’
President Donald Trump is diving headfirst into Big Ten football.
He tweeted this Tuesday: “Had a very productive conversation with Kevin Warren, Commissioner of the Big Ten Conference, about immediately starting up Big Ten football. Would be good (great!) for everyone - Players, Fans, Country. On the one yard line!”
The reaction?
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A Big Ten football coach texted “Major Wow!!!!!!” to the Tribune.
Now to pump the brakes: No one from the Big Ten has confirmed the contents of the call or whether it took place. Two media relations officials from the conference did not immediately reply to a text.
Warren said on Aug. 18 that the decision to scrap fall football because of the coronavirus pandemic “would not be revisited.”
Read more here. —Teddy Greenstein
8:40 a.m.: The US sent $1.6 billion in stimulus checks to dead people, and 30% of that money hasn’t been repaid
The Trump administration says that it has recovered nearly 70% of the government relief payments that went to dead people.
The Government Accountability Office said Monday it had been told by the Treasury Department that nearly 70% of the $1.6 billion that had mistakenly gone to dead people had been recovered.
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Read more here. —Associated Press
8:35 a.m.: You know who’s had a good pandemic quarantine? Zoom.
Zoom’s videoconferencing service is deepening its integral role in life during the pandemic as tens of thousands more businesses and other users pay for subscriptions to get more control over their virtual meetings.
The surge in paying customers enabled Zoom to hail another quarter of explosive growth. The company on Monday reported that its revenue for the May-July period more than quadrupled from the same time last year to $663.5 million, boosted by a steadily rising number of users converting from the free to paid version of Zoom’s service.
Zoom finished its fiscal second quarter with 370,200 customers with at least 10 employees, a gain of about 105,000 customers from the end of April. Just a year ago, Zoom only had 66,300 customers with at least 10 employees paying for subscriptions.
Read more here. —Associated Press
6:45 a.m. USDA extends summer meals program
The U.S. Department of Agriculture has extended its meal program for children through at least Dec. 31, the department announced Monday.
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The program, which allowed meals to be distributed at no cost to families through the summer months as an extension of the department’s school lunch program, makes families that wouldn’t necessarily qualify for taxpayer-supported food eligible for the meals, according to a news release from the U.S.D.A.
Waivers by the department’s Food and Nutrition Service allow meals to continue to be picked up by parents and served throughout the country, according to the release.
The Chicago Public Schools and other area schools have been distributing the free meals since the beginning of coronvirus shutdowns in March.
—Chicago Tribune staff
Breaking coronavirus news Stay up to date with the latest information on coronavirus with our breaking news alerts.
In case you missed it
Here are five stories from Monday related to COVID-19:
Citing a “catastrophic collapse” of the economy, Mayor Lori Lightfoot says Chicago faces a $1.2 billion shortfall in what she called her 2021 “pandemic budget.”
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With threats of $10,000 fines for COVID-19 violations, some restaurants say the punishment doesn’t fit the crime.
Need to get your driver’s license renewed? Be prepared to wait — maybe for hours — or take advantage of extended deadlines.
Man wins freedom after COVID-19 delays, philosophical change on teenage sentences.
A Zoom Thanksgiving? COVID-19 summer could give way to a bleaker fall.


chicagotribune--2020-09-02--Chicago closes 4 more restaurants and bars for COVID-19 guideline violations

This weekend ’ s citations were conducted by the Chicago Department of Business Affairs and Consumer Protection .
Investigators check @ @ @ @ @ distancing , capacity and masking guidelines , including the state ’ s new masking guideline @ @ @ @ @ when interacting with business employees .

Five businesses were temporarily closed this weekend for violating COVID-19 reopening guidelines. Among them were four food and beverage establishments.
J & L Lounge (3402 N. Cicero Ave.), a bar in Portage Park, was closed and issued two citations for failing to enforce social distancing, operating after midnight and violating masking guidelines.
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Grota Banquets and Catering (3112 N. Central Ave.), a Polish banquet hall in Belmont Central, was closed and issued two citations for not enforcing social distancing, not keeping patrons seated and violating masking guidelines.
The Family Den (8942 S. Stony Island Ave.), a bar in Calumet Heights, was closed and issued two citations for operating over capacity indoors, not enforcing social distancing, not keeping patrons seated and violating masking guidelines.
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Dirty Doz Motorcycle Club (720 E. 67th St.), a motorcycle dealer in West Woodlawn, was closed and issued two citations for not enforcing social distancing and violating masking guidelines.
B’z Sports Bar & Grill (12001 S. Halsted St.), a sports bar in West Pullman, was closed and issued two citations for letting patrons drink indoors without it having a retail food license and for violating masking guidelines.
All business were closed for one night and allowed to reopen the next day.
This weekend’s citations were conducted by the Chicago Department of Business Affairs and Consumer Protection. Investigators check to ensure businesses follow social distancing, capacity and masking guidelines, including the state’s new masking guideline requiring patrons to wear one when interacting with business employees.
The enforcement team investigated 93 businesses, eight of which were at residential locations. Since June 3, BACP has conducted 1,488 investigations and issued 106 citations.
gwong@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-09-02--The Spin: Trump manages to bash Chicago during Kenosha visit | In Chicago, Dr. Birx warns of rising

The Spin: Trump manages to bash Chicago during Kenosha visit | In Chicago, Dr. Birx warns of rising COVID-19 cases in Illinois | Ex-Cook Commissioner Tobolski pleads guilty in extortion case

There ’ s more : “ Tobolski also admitted in the plea that he extorted or collected bribes with at @ @ @ @ @ abusing his official position as mayor or county commissioner , ” Meisner writes .
“ @ @ @ @ @ collected totaled at least $ 250,000 , though the plea does not spell out how @ @ @ @ @ Read the full Tribune story , including a cast of Democrats linked to the sprawling @ @ @ @ @

President Donald Trump speaks with business owners and law enforcement officials on Sept. 1, 2020, as he tours an area damaged during demonstrations after a police officer shot Jacob Blake in Kenosha. At left is Kenosha County Sheriff David Beth. (Evan Vucci/AP)
President Donald Trump this afternoon parachuted into Kenosha, Wisconsin, the latest community to become a flashpoint in the debate about race and law enforcement in America after a white police officer shot a Black man in the back little more than a week ago.
While it was an official White House visit, the president doubled down on a law-and-order mantra that is shaping his reelection bid. He even managed to bash Chicago, just an hour’s drive south, while he was at it.
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The president made it very clear that he made the afternoon trip to Kenosha to thank police and other law enforcement who clashed with some protesters and had to respond when some businesses were looted and torched in the aftermath of the Aug. 23 police shooting of Jacob Blake.
Acknowledging there are some “bad apples” in law enforcement and others who “choke” on the job, Trump stressed that “the vast and overwhelming majority of police officers are honorable, courageous and devoted public servants. They’re incredible. Yet many politicians ignore their sacrifice and ignore the African American and Hispanic victims.”
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The White House did have a representative in Chicago today: Coronavirus coordinator Dr. Deborah Birx was in town and expressed concern over the rising COVID-19 rates in some pockets of the state.
Saying their white colleagues are “now uncomfortable,” the Illinois Legislative Black Caucus are calling for hearings on criminal justice, education and economic reform.
And disgraced former Cook County Commissioner and McCook Mayor Jeff Tobolski pleaded guilty to extortion charges in a hearing during which it was revealed he’s cooperating with authorities. While he’s facing up to 14 years behind bars, Tobolski is expected to get a break under the deal, my Tribune colleague Jason Meisner reports.
Tobolski is just the latest domino to fall in a sprawling federal corruption investigation that has touched some of the Democratic Party’s key suburban political players, Meisner points out.
Welcome to The Spin.
President Donald Trump speaks as he tours an emergency operations center and meets with law enforcement officers at Mary D. Bradford High School in Kenosha on Sept. 1, 2020. (Evan Vucci/AP)
The road to Kenosha: Air Force One landed in Illinois — at the Waukegan airport — over the noon hour. President Trump and Attorney General William Barr exited the aircraft and made the final leg of the trip to Wisconsin via motorcade. Supporters and protesters lined the route as the president made his way into the lakeside community about an hour’s drive north of Chicago, MSNBC reports,
“There was love in the streets ... when we were coming in,” Trump said in a meeting with officials.
The president stopped to view property damaged in the aftermath of Officer Rusten Sheskey’s shooting of Jacob Blake — caught on video — little more than a week ago. A visit to a public safety command center was followed by a roundtable discussion with law enforcement.
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His message: “We cherish our police” and “we honor you,” the president said to law enforcement, business and elected leaders at a roundtable event. He acknowledged that “bad apples” can end up in a workplace but that “anti-police rhetoric” must be condemned. The Tribune’s Bill Ruthhart and Rick Pearson have more dispatches from the president’s visit here.
Jacob Blake’s family threw a block party to help the community come together: As Trump met with business and law enforcement officers, the Tribune’s Ruthhart reports, Jacob Blake’s family was a few blocks over holding a block party. Justin Blake, Blake’s uncle, said: “Do you see Trump here? This is where you heal the community. He’s not present, is he?”
Justin Blake also said the family refuses to let Trump use Jacob’s shooting as a “political prop” and reported that his nephew’s spirits have improved over the last day or so, though he remains paralyzed from the waist down.
Trump toured the city after declining to condemn one of his supporters, 17-year-old Antioch native Kyle Rittenhouse, who is charged with murder after prosecutors said he shot three protesters during demonstrations in Kenosha last week.
He managed to slide Chicago into his comments: As WBBM-TV CBS 2 reports: “Without evidence, the president claimed there have been more than 1,000 arrests in Chicago in the first month after he deployed hundreds of federal agents to fight crime as part of ’Operation Legend’ in late July.”
“We went to Chicago very recently. Obviously, that’s been a disaster, Chicago, total disaster, with again radical left Democrat,” he said. “It’s all Democrat. Everything is Democrat. All of these problems are Democrat cities. We don’t want to say it, but it is.”
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Context: Trump is trying to portray himself as a friend of police and to place Democrats on the defensive, the Associated Press notes. He says he came to thank law enforcement and decried property destruction during last week’s protests, saying, “You don’t have a democracy when then happens.”
Kenosha and the November election: “Wisconsin is a swing state in the Nov. 3 election, and Trump narrowly carried it in 2016, in part by being the first Republican presidential candidate to carry Kenosha County in 44 years,” the Tribune’s Bill Ruthhart and Rick Pearson report.
“The president also took credit for the reduction in violence and destruction in Kenosha over the last several nights, which he said has coincided with the increase in National Guard and federal law enforcement officials in the city,” Ruthhart and Pearson remind.
Kenosha County officials said that wasn’t true, and the head of the Wisconsin National Guard noted that activation decisions are made at the state level. Read Ruthhart and Pearson’s full story here.
Road to November: Chicago-area counties boost election judges’ pay, ramp up recruitment efforts as nation faces ‘critical shortage’ of election workers: The Tribune’s Kelli Smith has the details here.
Gun control advocate Gabrielle Giffords, hosts virtual gun control event in Chicago: The former Arizona congresswoman, critically injured in a mass shooting a decade, is bringing her “Road to Universal Background Checks” campaign to Illinois tomorrow.
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The virtual event will feature Giffords along with U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin, the veteran Illinois Democrat who’s running for a 5th term this November, Giffords Managing Director Robin Lloyd and Youth Activist Ke’shon Newman. The aim of the event is to spotlight candidates who would support federally mandated universal background checks. The National Rifle Association, a powerful lobby with deep pockets, has opposed such gun control measures.
Since her shooting, Giffords founded with husband Mark Kelly – who’s now entered the political arena – the gun-control organization Americans for Responsible Solutions.
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File: Former Cook County Commissioner Jeff Tobolski. (Nancy Stone / Chicago Tribune)
The Tribune’s Jason Meisner writes: “Former Cook County commissioner and McCook Mayor Jeffrey Tobolski pleaded guilty in federal court Tuesday to conspiring with a local police official to extort” the owner of a restaurant on McCook property “who needed permission to host events serving alcohol.
“During the hearing before U.S. District Judge Harry Leinenweber, prosecutors announced that Tobolski is cooperating with the investigation and his assistance is ongoing.
There’s more: “Tobolski also admitted in the plea that he extorted or collected bribes with at least four other people by abusing his official position as mayor or county commissioner,” Meisner writes. “The amount of bribes he collected totaled at least $250,000, though the plea does not spell out how many victims were involved.” Read the full Tribune story, including a cast of Democrats linked to the sprawling federal investigation, here.
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FILE - In this April 30 ,2020 file photo, a barber shop shows closed and hiring sign during the COVID-19 in Chicago. (Nam Y. Huh / AP)
The Tribune’s Abdel Jimenez writes: “Illinois hasn’t been approved for the extra $300 in weekly unemployment benefits authorized by President Donald Trump, but is already warning the aid will be limited.
The state said Monday it has applied for the Lost Wage Assistance program, which President Donald Trump created through executive action to extend federal jobless benefits after the $600 weekly supplement ran out at the end of July.
The state said in a Monday news release it expects the “shelf-life” of the program under the current funding model to last about three weeks.
In a news release issued yesterday, the state said it expects the “shelf-life” of the program under the current funding model to last about three weeks. It said about 55,000 low-income claimants won’t be eligible for the funds, which are limited to those who qualify for at least $100 in weekly unemployment benefits, either through state programs or the federal pandemic assistance program. Read the full story here.
Dr. Deborah Birx, center, White House coronavirus task force coordinator, takes questions at a news conference outside Rush University Medical Center, after meeting with Chicago-area health officials on Sept. 1, 2020. (Abel Uribe / Chicago Tribune)
The Tribune’s Lisa Schencker writes: White House coronavirus response coordinator Dr. Deborah Birx expressed concern during a visit to Chicago on Tuesday about the growing number of counties in Illinois where 5% to 10% of COVID-19 tests are coming back positive.
“Over the last four weeks we’ve seen a steady increase in the number of counties that are over 10% and over 5% test positivity,” Birx said at a news conference following a private meeting with state and local officials at Rush University Medical Center.
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Schencker notes: Illinois now has more than 60 counties where 5% or more of tests are coming back positive, and more than a dozen of those counties have test positivity rates of 10% or higher, according to the Illinois Department of Public Health.
Datapoints: Illinois health officials on Tuesday announced 1,492 new known cases of COVID-19 and 39 additional fatalities, bringing the total number of known infections in Illinois to 236,515 and the statewide death toll to 8,064 since the start of the pandemic. The seven-day statewide positivity rate is 4.3%.
Also: The city of Chicago added North Carolina, Hawaii and Nebraska to its mandatory quarantine order, while warning that a recent spike in cases in Indiana could put that state on the list. Read the latest here.
Northwestern University president apologizes and reduces tuition after shifting 1st and 2nd-year students to remote learning. The Tribune’s Elyssa Cherney has the story here.
(Chad Yoder/Chicago Tribune)
Flooding is the most conspicuous example of how a changing climate is having a profound effect on Lake Ontario, Patrick O’Connell writes in the Tribune’s latest look at the Great Lakes.
The International Joint Commission, a binational organization founded a century ago by the governments of the United States and Canada, cooperatively manages lake and river systems of the borderlands in the U.S. and Canada.
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But in the wake of the devastating coastal flooding, the IJC has come under fire for the implementation and then deviation from a new Great Lakes management plan
The IJC says its goal is to protect against extreme water levels, restore wetlands and prepare for climate change. But critics, including the New York state government, small town mayors and shoreline residents, say the plan contributed and worsened the damaging floods of 2017 and 2019. Read the full story, including how businesses and resident are affected, here.
State Rep. La Shawn Ford and others raise fists after he speaks at a protest outside Chicago City Hall for equal funding for early child care education on June 16, 2020. (Jose M. Osorio / Chicago Tribune)
The Tribune’s Jamie Munks writes: Amid a nationwide reckoning on race, the Illinois Legislative Black Caucus on Tuesday floated an expansive agenda for legislative action on police accountability, economic access and health care.
Black caucus members are planning a series of legislative committee hearings over the next two-and-a-half months leading up to the Illinois General Assembly’s scheduled fall veto session to take up four policy areas: criminal justice reform, violence reduction and police accountability; education and workforce development; economic access and equity; and health care and human services.
“For years, the cries and the fight have been unheard. And we are now at a moment where our white colleagues, that have been raised in white communities that just didn’t understand what we were talking about, are now uncomfortable,” Chicago Democratic Rep. La Shawn Ford said at a Tuesday morning news conference. Read the full story here.
Thanks for reading The Spin, the Tribune’s politics newsletter. Sign up here to have it delivered to your inbox weekday afternoons. Have a tip? Email host Lisa Donovan at ldonovan@chicagotribune.com.
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chicagotribune--2020-09-02--Oak Park’s village board voted down a police defunding ordinance. Then a group of protesters vandali

Oak Park’s village board voted down a police defunding ordinance. Then a group of protesters vandalized Mayor Anan Abu-Taleb’s home.

“ When protests turn into trespassing and vandalizing someone ’ s back yard , I think those actions do more @ @ @ @ @ protesters are trying to convey , ” Andrews said .
“ I also worried about @ @ @ @ @ put in a potentially dangerous situation when they entered Anan ’ s back yard .
@ @ @ @ @ actions may have been met with trespassing charges or even violence .
However , our @ @ @ @ @ ticketed or arrested for their actions last night .
”

Public works crews wash away messages and graffiti written in chalk and paint outside the home of Oak Park Mayor Anan Abu-Taleb the morning of Aug. 26. The night before, dozens of young people protested outside the home in support of a police defunding ordinance village trustees were voting on. (Dan Moroney )
Oak Park protesters upset with the village’s decision not to advance a measure to re-appropriate police funds walked into Mayor Anan Abu-Taleb’s front and back yards, ripping up his garden and causing property damage. In the aftermath, the Oak Park board remains divided about what happened that night, with all but one trustee condemning the damage and the mayor saying he feels betrayed by her refusal to criticize the destruction.
“I believe protesting is a right,” Abu-Taleb said after the incident. “I think no one should feel unsafe in their own home to the point where you know your family is in danger if you stay home. It’s not a feeling any of us should have.”
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The board was holding a virtual meeting Aug. 25, and trying to discuss a measure to move money earmarked for policing when protesters walked onto the front porch and steps of Abu-Taleb’s home and caused destruction in his family’s backyard. All the village’s trustees except Arti Walker-Peddakotla signed a letter the next day condemning the protesters’ behavior. Walker-Peddakotla said she reviewed the letter but did not agree with its contents.
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As the village board meeting was getting underway that day, protesters gathered at Fox Park, 624 S. Oak Park Ave., in support of the defunding resolution. They marched to the home of the mayor, who was inside taking part remotely in the meeting.
A livestream of the protest posted to social media, which has since been deleted, showed dozens of young people gathered outside the mayor’s home, with some sitting on the front steps and front porch. At times, others appeared to be walking alongside the home. The group played loud music and urged the mayor to “Come outside!” in an effort to have Abu-Taleb speak with them.
After the police defunding ordinance failed by a 5-2 vote, Abu-Taleb acknowledged the protesters outside his home as the meeting continued.
“I’ve been a little distracted during this meeting,” Abu-Taleb said. “There are some protesters in front of my house. People have the right to protest peacefully and I hope they’re protesting on the street, which I’m fine with. If I had time, I would talk to them, but it is important to keep this meeting going and to try to make some positive change.”
Before the board moved on to the next agenda item, a staff update on its review of Oak Park policing, Village Manager Cara Pavlicek asked for a 10-minute break. Afterward, board members, without Abu-Taleb, voted 6-0 to adjourn early.
On the morning of Aug. 26, police confirmed there was property damage discovered at the home. Public works crews also spent about two hours cleaning the public sidewalk outside of the home of chalk and paint, officials said.
Damage is shown on the back patio of the home of Oak Park Mayor Anan Abu-Taleb the morning of Aug. 26. The night before, dozens of young people protested outside the home, on the steps and in the yard, in support of a police defunding ordinance. (Anan Abu-Taleb)
Abu-Taleb said protesters caused damage to potted plants, broke vases and containers, uprooted plants and egged his home. Anti-police messages and other graffiti were written in chalk and paint on the sidewalk outside.
Abu-Taleb said his wife was home during the protest, and he told his kids to stay away from the house that night.
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“I called my kids and begged them not to come home,” Abu-Taleb said. “To serve the people, I shouldn’t have to put my family in a dangerous situation. I didn’t want any confrontation.”
The protest was organized by the Revolutionary Oak Park Youth Action League, or ROYAL, which describes itself as “a community-based organization led by Black and Latinx youth organizers.” ROYAL said the events on the night of Aug. 25 were in support of the police defunding ordinance.
Protesters made demands
Cindy Brito, an adult adviser to ROYAL, provided a statement on behalf of the young people, saying the group believes taking action is a “powerful way to regain agency and heal from oppression.” Brito said members of ROYAL “collectively” wrote the statement.
Organizers say the police defunding resolution was partly informed by their own experiences and demands brought to the village in recent years. During past protests, the group has demanded Oak Park defund its police department, remove a proposed new police station from its capital improvement plan, create a new village equity policy and declare June 4 as a day of recognition for victims of color who died as a result of police violence.
“Anan Abu-Taleb, the trustees and other white residents claim we made them feel unsafe, but what about our safety?” the statement read. “We’ve been feeling unsafe here in our home of Oak Park, but our sense of safety has not mattered. We are tired of living in fear and living with Oak Park’s everyday racism.”
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Organizers felt the protest was fair game, saying ROYAL has been reaching out to Abu-Taleb and the village board for a long time to demand that the group’s initiatives be approved. The ROYAL statement also discusses Abu-Taleb’s wife’s presence on the night of the protest, but, when asked about that, the mayor declined to comment.
Trustees split on incident
By Wednesday evening, a letter was released by village trustees Deno Andrews, Simone Boutet, Susan Buchanan, Dan Moroney and Jim Taglia saying that they “condemned the acts of vandalism and property damage” at the mayor’s home.
“These actions prevented the mayor and police chief from participating in the meeting, which resulted in the meeting being adjourned,” the letter said. “As a result, the police reform initiatives up for discussion and progress have stalled.”
Walker-Peddakotla, who asked for the “Freedom To Thrive” police defunding ordinance to be placed on the agenda, said she reviewed the letter prior to its release but did not sign it because she didn’t agree with its contents.
“I think it’s really interesting the rest of the board members acted so quickly,” Walker-Peddakotla said. “If we had exhibited similar speed and cohesion the last year and a half around these issues, then maybe the situation wouldn’t be what it is today. Instead, we’ve chosen to ignore the countless times youth have come to the board table and protested [publicly]. We haven’t done anything.”
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Walker-Peddakotla said she had nothing to do with the organization of the protest. When asked what would happen if a protest occurred at her own home, she said she would engage in dialogue with protesters, ask about their demands and “work with them to change our community for the better.”
When asked if the property damage was a legitimate form of protest, she said it was not in her purview to say.
“People who are not oppressed telling oppressed people how to protest is, in and of itself, an act of oppression,” Walker-Peddakotla said. “Not being an oppressed person, with regards to the issues that are being protested about, it is therefore not my place to say whether this particular act of protest is legitimate.”
While the board meeting was cut short Tuesday night, Walker-Peddakotla said she was pleased that the issues were raised and hopes that work can continue.
“We were willing to talk about things we’ve never talked about in my time on the village board,” she said. “Even though I am grateful for the conversation that occurred, we need to act on the issues presented to us. I will still fight for more.”
Abu-Taleb, however, was critical of Walker-Peddakotla for not signing the letter, saying he only asked her to condemn the damages and not the protest itself.
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“To this day, she never called me to see if I’m OK,” Abu-Taleb said. “I’m her colleague on this board.”
Born in the Gaza Strip, Abu-Taleb is the second-oldest of 13 children. He immigrated to the Chicago area at age 18 to attend college, later moving to Oak Park, where he and his wife Margi raised four children. Abu-Taleb said he ran for public office in 2013 to better his community, adding that the ongoing study of the village police department is a key priority of the village board.
Earlier this month, the village held two sessions allowing residents to share testimonials about their experiences with police, with officials saying those will help guide future discussions on police protocols.
“This issue of defunding the police is very complex,” Abu-Taleb said. “What needs to be rehabbed, we’ll rehab. I’m committed to reform.”
Abu-Taleb confirmed reports he instructed village police not to arrest or detain any protesters outside his home that night. At one point, Oak Park police Chief LaDon Reynolds arrived outside the home to speak with protesters.
“Our whole department is trained not to escalate,” Abu-Taleb said. “I have no grudges against anybody. I want us to live in a safe community and get along.”
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In the aftermath of the incident, Abu-Taleb said he and his wife are grateful for the many messages and gifts they have received from neighbors expressing support. During an interview with media Friday, a couple dropped off a note and included two plants to help replace ones lost in his backyard.
“People have been sending flowers, emailing, texting and wanting to come by to clean up and help replant our flowers,” Abu-Taleb said. “Even after I told them we’re OK, the outpouring of support keeps coming. It’s what gives us strength to serve the people of Oak Park.”
Public protests at private homes
The events of Aug. 25 follow a trend of recent protests outside the private homes of public officials, including at the home of Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot and the home of a Waukegan alderman the night of Aug. 24.
The city of Evanston held its own discussions regarding its police department earlier this summer, which led student organizer Mollie Hartenstein and others to take part in a protest outside the home of Mayor Steve Hagerty on July 6.
Hartenstein said the group went to sit outside Hagerty’s home with the assumption he was attending a virtual discussion inside.
“He wasn’t there, so we marched to the civic center,” Hartenstein said. “We got in contact with somebody close to him to convince him to come out and talk to us. I definitely think it was [productive].”
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Hartenstein, who said she’s in favor of defunding the Evanston Police Department in favor of funding social services, said the mayor spent about an hour speaking to the group.
“Our goal was to be heard,” Hartenstein said. “We were very loud. There was not any property damage caused by our actions. We did shut down traffic on a major street.”
Hartenstein said she believes public servants who receive taxpayer dollars should expect to face public resistance, adding they have an obligation to their constituents.
Regarding the Oak Park protest, Hartenstein said she didn’t know any of the participants, but felt they did what they needed to do.
“I think going to an official’s house during a Zoom meeting is a powerful tactic,” Hartenstein said. “I think you can still show respect and common decency for people while also calling for real change and holding them accountable. People who are in charge need to step up. If it takes going to their house and banging a few pots and pans, them I’m OK with that.”
Public works crews wash away messages and graffiti written in chalk and paint outside the home of Oak Park Mayor Anan Abu-Taleb the morning of Aug. 26. The night before, dozens of young people protested outside the home in support of a police defunding ordinance. (Dan Moroney)
Dick Simpson, a professor of political science at the University of Illinois at Chicago since 1967, said protesting at the homes of elected officials is nothing new, citing recent gatherings outside the homes of the Chicago mayor and some city aldermen.
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“It happens less frequently in the suburbs, but it’s not the first time,” Simpson said. “What is different is protesters did not respect property lines. It’s fine to protest on the sidewalk and in the street in those kinds of ways. It is not legal or desirable, from a public point of view, to enter private property.”
According to the American Civil Liberties Union, the First Amendment protects the right to assemble and express views through a protest; however, police and other government officials are allowed to place certain narrow restrictions on the exercise of speech rights.
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David Stovall, a professor of criminology, law and justice at UIC, said “the sidewalk in front of a residence is considered city property and is fair ground to protest. Going onto the lawn and porch could be considered a breach of private property, but it depends on the municipality or county.”
Oak Park trustees like Andrews said they felt terrible for what Abu-Taleb and his family experienced that night.
“When protests turn into trespassing and vandalizing someone’s backyard, I think those actions do more to undermine the very messages protesters are trying to convey,” Andrews said. “I also worried about our youth, who were put in a potentially dangerous situation when they entered Anan’s backyard. In other communities, those actions may have been met with trespassing charges or even violence. However, our mayor insisted that nobody be ticketed or arrested for their actions last night.”
Taglia said he feels there should be consequences for the behavior that took place at the mayor’s home.
“Trustees should not condone property damage of an elected official’s home, and they should immediately help identify those responsible,” Taglia said. “Both Freedom to Thrive and ROYAL should issue an apology to the mayor, as well as pay restitution. And no one should be chased from their home because they don’t agree with another person’s politics. Whatever good ROYAL and FTT have been able to accomplish as activist organizations has been severely diminished today.”
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Moroney called the protest a “planned disturbance,” citing the time and location for the gathering at Fox Park just prior to the meeting.
“While that, in isolation, is within their rights, the subsequent throwing of eggs at his home, destruction in his backyard, altercations with his family members and graffiti all over public and private walkways crossed a line that is unacceptable,” Moroney said.
Buchanan said she is worried the actions may delay or diminish the board’s work related to reforming the police department and addressing social issues.
“I acknowledge the protesters’ deep anger and disappointment at the village board’s unwillingness to make concrete changes to policing,” Buchanan said. “I support peaceful protest and even civil disobedience, when it’s necessary. But the destruction at the mayor’s home was neither of those. Those actions will set us back, and in fact this board may not recover the progress we had made on the issue.”
sschering@pioneerlocal.com
Twitter: @steveschering