chicagotribune--2020-09-17--Remote learning, in school? Some suburban public schools closed by COVID-19 have reopened for e-lear

Remote learning, in school? Some suburban public schools closed by COVID-19 have reopened for e-learning supervision — at a price to taxpaying parents.

“ When we made the decision to start the new school year remotely , so many families reached out to @ @ @ @ @ , asking if we could offer some type of child care , ” District 25 @ @ @ @ @ “ We knew all along that this would work for some families and not for @ @ @ @ @ to offer an option , which was in response to requests from many families .
@

Students from Arlington Heights School District 25 complete their remote learning in the multipurpose room in South Middle School on Sept. 11, 2020. The students are enrolled in a park district program called Children at Play (CAP +). (Stacey Wescott / Chicago Tribune)
After being inundated with emails and calls from frustrated parents who wanted their kids back in class this fall, Arlington Heights School District 25 officials sought a way to help.
Working with the Park District, they decided to reopen closed schools for moderately priced remote learning supervision to a limited number of elementary-age kids.
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But as Arlington Heights resident Chuck Miller sees it, the flaw in the program comes down to a math problem his second grader could solve: At $50 per student per day, it would cost the Millers $1,000 a week to enroll their four children — a sum he said is unrealistic for many families, including his.
The irony isn’t lost on him that the program is taking place in schools that were deemed unsafe to fully open for in-person classes.
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“I’m frustrated that the Park District is able to figure out how to bring kids back into the schools safely, but the school district has told us they can’t, so the students have to do remote learning,” Miller said. “It sounds like a great program, giving parents some help and giving kids a chance to socialize. But we just can’t afford to pay for that.”
A student dances during a "brain break" from her remote learning an an Arlington Heights. (Stacey Wescott / Chicago Tribune)
Such programs sprouted up across the Chicago suburbs in recent weeks, and while many critics do applaud officials for stepping up to help families, some say the concept seems both puzzling and hypocritical. They question why the Park District is offering fee-based programs — some held in school buildings — when the school districts and teachers unions have repeatedly said remote learning is the only safe way to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
Detractors say it is unacceptable for taxpaying families to foot the bill for remote learning supervision — especially when, in some cases, their child’s teacher is in the very same school building, delivering remote lessons to an empty classroom.
But officials say the programs are desperately needed to support working families during the pandemic.
“When we made the decision to start the new school year remotely, so many families reached out to us and the Park District, asking if we could offer some type of child care,” District 25 Superintendent Lori Bein said. “We knew all along that this would work for some families and not for others. But we wanted to offer an option, which was in response to requests from many families.”
Bein stressed officials can safely bring children back into schools for the supervision program because enrollment is capped at 45 students at each of four buildings. That adds up to 180 kids — just a fraction of the 5,500 students enrolled in the district.
“The intent here was a positive one, to provide a service that doesn’t exist, and we can make it work through this model, which we would not be able to do with 5,500 students," Bein said.
At South Middle School in Arlington Heights, students work individually on remote learning lessons. Though schools are closed for in-person classes, families are paying to have their children supervised in school. (Stacey Wescott / Chicago Tribune)
On a recent school day, 26 students were receiving supervision at Olive-Mary Stitt School and 20 others at South Middle School. The numbers are a bit lower than expected, said Katie Waszak, supervisor for the Arlington Heights Park District’s Children at Play Plus and day camp programs.
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She said when the pandemic hit in March, abruptly closing schools across Illinois, the Park District’s Children at Play program, which provides before- and after-school care at local schools, was also shut down. Now, after a successful summer camp season, the park and school districts have partnered to offer Children at Play Plus. From 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., children receive supervision during their remote schooling and are able to have socially distant gatherings during frequent activity breaks, including time spent outdoors.
A typical day starts with COVID-19 safety protocols, including temperature checks of students and Park District employees before they enter the school. Then, in a large commons area, children take their seats at desks placed 6 feet apart, plug in their devices and begin a day of remote learning.
Though the Park District activity leaders aren’t there to teach, they help students stay on track with their class schedules and troubleshoot technical difficulties.
“The students have a lot better understanding about the importance of wearing masks than I would have imagined, and all-in-all the kids are doing a fantastic job of social distancing,” Waszak said.
Barrington is offering a similar program, at a similar cost, though it’s based at a Park District recreation center, where the children are split into pods of 15 students each. About 45 students in kindergarten to fifth grade are enrolled.
“We decided to offer this program after we ran a very successful summer camp, and saw that the kids were doing an amazing job staying masked, and social distancing,” said Kim Sweeney, the Park District’s recreation manager. “The kids are having fun, and we’re providing an important service to the community.”
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An Arlington Heights School District 25 student, working in a multipurpose room at South Middle School, interacts with her teacher during remote learning. (Stacey Wescott / Chicago Tribune)
As a single mother of three and a special education administrator, Laura Swanick said she had “a moment of panic” when she heard District 25 would begin the school year with remote learning.
“It was my worst nightmare, because I knew with my job I would need to be in the building, but then my own kids would be doing remote learning home alone,” Swanick said.
Though her 11-year-old son is able to do remote learning from home alongside a neighborhood high school student, Swanick said she scrambled to find child care for her 8-year-old twins and quickly realized that she could not afford a nanny.
“I started calling and emailing the school district and Park District, explaining I was a working, single mom in need of help,” Swanick said. “I had a great sense of relief when I learned that the CAP Plus program was being offered, and I’d have a safe place where the twins would be cared for and could also socialize.”
Swanick is paying $500 a week for her boys to attend, an expense that she said required her to dip into her savings.
“It’s a lot of money for me, and I don’t know how much longer I’ll be able to keep this up,” she said. “But I feel badly for other families who would not be able to pay for this out of pocket."
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Though the program fees fall far below what many day care centers, private tutors or nannies charge, some parents say that, as taxpayers, they’re troubled that they’re being asked to pay for child care when many think the schools should be open.
Chicago resident Mary Herzog said that after Chicago Public Schools announced it would start the school year with remote learning, she decided to withdraw her daughter, a first grader, from Edgebrook Elementary on the Northwest Side.
“I think it’s ridiculous that they have told us they can’t safely have students back at school, but now they’re planning on offering these child care programs at the schools,” said Herzog, who said she is home schooling her daughter this fall.
To help parents with child care needs, CPS has opened at least six schools for free child supervision for families who qualify, and CEO Janice Jackson has said the district anticipates opening more sites, expanding the number of children receiving care from hundreds to thousands.
Rolling Meadows resident Laura Schillmoeller said the prospect of more remote learning this fall prompted her to withdraw her daughter from her senior year at Rolling Meadows High School. So Schillmoeller was disheartened to learn Township High School District 214 had reopened one of its buildings for fee-based remote learning supervision for elementary school students.
“I was floored. … We have a lot of low-income families in Rolling Meadows who are the least able to afford these remote learning supervision programs, and the most vulnerable kids are going to end up falling further and further behind,” Schillmoeller said.
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She said she feels fortunate to have the resources to enroll her daughter in Indiana University Online High School, which cost roughly $3,000 for the school year. But she is well aware those opportunities are not available for many families in the community.
District 214 is offering a supervised care program for first through eighth graders from area elementary districts. The Remote Learning Lab, housed at Forest View Educational Center in Arlington Heights, costs $249 per week per student, spokesman Dave Beery said. Part-time options are also available, and District 214 employees are eligible for a 25% discount for their own children, Beery said.
The program provides supervision for students “as they learn at their own pace, using the curriculum provided by their school system,” and is staffed by employees from District 214′s Community Education program, Beery said.
“We’ve received questions about why this is available when most of our high school students are engaged in remote learning, per public health official guidelines and expertise,” Beery said. “This program is specifically designed to allow for a small number of elementary and middle school students … to achieve consistent social distancing.”
He noted that, unlike a full school reopening, spaces are limited to 15 students, masks are required and there is no “passing period” during which students typically crowd into hallways between classes.
In regard to the fees, which for a family with two children would be roughly $2,000 a month, Beery said the program “is a direct response to the needs in our community, which is something we try to consistently address through our Community Education program, which is not funded by tax dollars and relies on fees to cover costs of providing programs.”
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Swanick, the Arlington Heights mom whose twins attend the Park District program, said she’s received mixed responses about the program from other parents.
“Quite a few people have said, ‘If they can open the schools for CAP, why can’t they be open for school?’” Swanick said. “There’s a bit of anger, and I get it, even though the CAP program is obviously quite a bit smaller. I think all of us are looking forward to schools to be able to reopen safely.”
Chicago Tribune’s Hannah Leone contributed.
kcullotta@chicagotribune.com
Twitter @kcullotta


chicagotribune--2020-09-17--Masked robbers snatch Celine handbags worth more than $40,000 during Neiman Marcus 'grab and run’ at

Masked robbers snatch Celine handbags worth more than $40,000 during Neiman Marcus 'grab and run’ at Northbrook Court: police

In less than a minute , they demolished the luxury handbag section and alarmed staffers , leaving broken glass scattered @ @ @ @ @ several Celine purses after pushing over multiple thick , heavy glass display cabinets , causing @ @ @ @ @ to Strickland and a witness .

It took ‘less than a minute’ for about a dozen robbers to knock over heavy glass display cases filled with expensive Celine handbags and flee with them Wednesday night at Neiman Marcus in Northbrook Court.
One injury was reported — a loss prevention officer, who was punched during the "grab and run,'' which took place near closing time Wednesday at the upscale department store, according to Northbrook police Deputy Chief Dan Strickland.
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Witnesses reported seeing about 10 to 12 younger-appearing males who quickly strode into one of the store’s main entrances in a single-file line wearing bright colored hoodies pulled over their heads.
Strickland and a witness said the robbers, who swept past men’s shoes and left the same way, were also wearing masks.
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In less than a minute, they demolished the luxury handbag section and alarmed staffers, leaving broken glass scattered everywhere before running away with several Celine purses after pushing over multiple thick, heavy glass display cabinets, causing a deafening crash, according to Strickland and a witness.
Thirteen handbags worth a total of $43,300 were taken, and another 11 handbags worth $31,150 were damaged, according to Thomas Moore, a police spokesman.
The robbers, who appeared to be between the ages of 16 and 20, fled east on Lake Cook Road in two dark-colored SUVs, according to Strickland.
No weapons were used and as of Thursday no one had been arrested.
Kaitlin Edquist contributed.
rsobol@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-09-17--2 charged in Michigan Avenue shooting attack, Near West Side pursuit and crash, cops say

Davarius Minor , 21 , of the 5400 block of South Justine Avenue , was charged with firing the shots @ @ @ @ @ , of the 1000 block of West 104th Street , was charged with being the @ @ @ @ @ , according to a police news release .
Two others taken into custody following the @ @ @ @ @ , according to police .

A person in handcuffs is placed into an ambulance as Chicago police secure the scene of a crash that caused injuries near Roosevelt Road and Union Avenue in Chicago on Sept. 15, 2020. (Antonio Perez / Chicago Tribune)
Two men have been charged after Chicago police officers witnessed someone fire gunshots downtown late Tuesday morning and people were taken into custody following a traffic crash on West Roosevelt Road, police said.
Shots were fired about 11:20 a.m. Tuesday in the 600 block of South Michigan Avenue and officers saw the attack, which led to a crash on the Near West Side following a pursuit, according to police.
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Davarius Minor, 21, was charged with firing shots in the 600 block of South Michigan Avenue on Sept. 15, 2020. (Chicago Police Department)
Daquan Dunn, 20, was charged with being the driver of a getaway car that later crashed following a police pursuit, according to police. (Chicago Police Department)
Davarius Minor, 21, of the 5400 block of South Justine Avenue, was charged with firing the shots. Daquan Dunn, 20, of the 1000 block of West 104th Street, was charged with being the driver of the getaway car, according to a police news release. Two others taken into custody following the crash were released without charges, according to police.
Minor faces felony weapons charges related to shooting a gun at a vehicle and an occupied building, and Dunn faces felony charges of aggravated fleeing and leaving the scene of an accident with injuries, as well as a misdemeanor charge of reckless driving and traffic citations, according to police and court records.
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Minor and Dunn were each given a $200,000 bond during a Wednesday afternoon bail hearing and will be required to go on electronic monitoring if they post the required $20,000.
According to prosecutors, the ordeal began when Minor spotted a man who fired shots at him and Dunn the night before.
Holding a baby with three others near the Congress Hotel, Minor passed the child to another person, drew a .40-caliber Glock loaded with an extended magazine and fired nine shots toward that person, Assistant State’s Attorney James Murphy told the court. Nearby surveillance video captured the shooting, authorities said.
Police arrived just in time to see Minor get into a Toyota 4Runner with Dunn in the driver’s seat and flee the scene, Murphy said.
The 4Runner exceeded 80 mph as it raced away from officers south on Michigan Avenue. The vehicle sped into oncoming traffic several times, and through traffic lights and signs, hoping to evade arrest, authorities said.
The vehicle eventually caused a four-car pileup on Roosevelt Road near the University of Illinois at Chicago campus, Murphy said. Both men fled the vehicle, leaving behind the loaded weapon, but they were caught after foot chases and each gave confessions to police, Murphy said.
Prosecutors sought a significant cash bond for both men, noting that the shooting and chase occurred during a time when downtown streets are usually filled with people.
Judge Mary C. Marubio gave them a higher bond than the men said they could pay because of the evidence against them and the “high level of danger” they brought to downtown.
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The crash on the Near West Side just west of the Dan Ryan Expressway on Roosevelt led to at least one person being taken to a hospital, according to a Fire Department spokesman. One person, who was in handcuffs and surrounded by police, was placed in an ambulance at the Roosevelt Road scene.


chicagotribune--2020-09-17--Want to vote by mail in Illinois? Here’s how.

You ’ re allowed to vote in person only if you haven ’ t yet cast your ballot by mail @ @ @ @ @ ’ d rather vote in person , you ’ ll need to bring your mail-in @ @ @ @ @ site or your election precinct polling place and surrender it to an election judge .
@ @ @ @ @ give you a standard ballot , which you can fill out to vote in person @

Election Day is scheduled for Nov. 3, but many Illinois residents already have requested mail-in ballots, an option state officials encourage for all registered voters this year because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
By early October, Illinois election authorities had received more than 378,000 returned mail-in ballots of the more than 2 million applications, indicating the state likely will break its record for voting by mail set two years ago, when 430,000 votes, or 9.3%, of the total ballots were cast by mail.
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[ Map: Where to securely drop off your mail-in ballot in Chicago and the suburbs ]
Here’s what you need to know about voting by mail in the general election:
Applying for a mail-in ballot
If you plan to vote by mail, you have to apply first. Voters can download the application for a vote-by-mail ballot.
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The form may be completed online or printed and mailed to your county clerk’s office. Under a state law passed in May, some 5 million Illinois residents who have voted since November 2018, as well as anyone who registered for the first time or updated their registrations since March 18, are receiving applications in the mail.
If you apply online, you’ll need either your driver’s license, state identification number or Social Security number. You’ll also have to include an email address and address where the ballot should be mailed. If you mail a paper application, you’ll need to sign the form.
The earliest that applicants can receive their mail-in ballot is Sept. 24. Voters can track their application and ballot in numerous ways through their local election office. In Chicago, they will receive emails confirming their applications and can track their ballot through the U.S. Postal Service.
By early October, the Chicago Board of Elections said it had received more than 484,000 applications for mail-in ballots this year. That’s more than four times the board’s all-time record of about 118,000, for this year’s primary election.
[ About three-quarters of American voters can cast ballots by mail this November, despite President Trump’s objections ]
What’s on the ballot?
Candidates for president and vice president of the United States, candidates for U.S. senator and U.S. representative, candidates for state senator and state representative, as well as county state’s attorneys and county court clerks, and judicial candidates. The state board of elections has a rundown of all candidates who have filed.
The ballot also will include a proposal on whether to allow varying income-tax rates based on income levels, retention of judges and, in Chicago only, three referendums on expanding internet service, creating a plan for sustainability and the regulation of assault weapons.
Ballots should be completed in black or blue ink to be most legible, election officials said.
Mailing in your ballot
Once you’ve filled out your ballot, you can return it through the U.S. Postal Service or licensed couriers, or bring it to the election board that has jurisdiction over your area, such as the Chicago Board of Elections or the Cook County clerk.
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Voters will be able to drop off their ballots at various locations in Illinois starting in mid-October. In Cook County, drop boxes will be at every early voting site. Chicago locations will be listed in September.
Before mailing their ballot, voters must seal and sign their postage-paid return envelope wherever indicated. Ballots must be received within 14 days after Election Day. Any ballot postmarked after Election Day, Nov. 3, will not be counted.
Voters should receive an email confirming the ballot was received by the election board, and another when the vote officially has been counted. There are no takebacks; once a mail ballot has been received by the election board, it can’t be retrieved or withdrawn.
What if I decide to vote in person after receiving a mail-in ballot?
You’re allowed to vote in person only if you haven’t yet cast your ballot by mail. If you decide you’d rather vote in person, you’ll need to bring your mail-in ballot to an early voting site or your election precinct polling place and surrender it to an election judge. The election judge should then give you a standard ballot, which you can fill out to vote in person.
Keep in mind it’s illegal to vote more than once in an election, so only choose one method. In Illinois, knowingly voting more than once or attempting to do so is a class 3 felony.
What dates do I need to know for voting early?
Registered voters may cast a ballot before Election Day without having to provide a reason for wanting to vote early. For mail-in ballots, you can drop it in the mail as early as Sept. 24. Early voting at the local election authority or designated early polling places also begins Sept. 24. Early voting by those methods ends Nov. 2.
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Are mail-in ballots a COVID-19 health risk?
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the World Health Organization have indicated that there is currently no evidence that COVID-19 is being spread through the mail.
Scientists generally agree that the main way COVID-19 spreads is through the tiny droplets that are sprayed into the air with each cough or sneeze. Still, the Postal Service has undertaken several protective measures for its employees in the Chicago district and around Illinois.
Even if you choose to vote in person, there are ways to stay safe. The CDC recommends reducing crowd size at polling stations and using voting methods to minimize direct contact with other people. If you do choose to vote in person, the CDC recommends going to your polling place at off-peak times, when the crowds might be lighter.
How will COVID-19 affect mail-in voting?
Chicago election officials don’t anticipate the Nov. 3 election date changing because of COVID-19. Even so, they said nearly everything has been affected by the pandemic, including poll worker recruitment, employee training and vote-by-mail services.
The Chicago Board of Elections urged all registered voters to vote by mail as early as possible this year to reduce in-person traffic and to prevent delays.
If voters are admitted to a hospital, nursing home or rehabilitation center 14 days or fewer before Election Day, they can have their ballot delivered directly to them. They’ll just need to sign a legal affidavit with their doctor, then arrange to have it sent to the clerk’s office to receive their ballot (which someone can then return for them before 7 p.m. on Election Day).
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Is mail-in voting more susceptible to fraud?
Nationally, efforts to expand mail-in voting because of the coronavirus pandemic have become a focus of partisan debate, with Republicans led by President Donald Trump opposing voting by mail, based in part on unsubstantiated claims that it leads to fraud. Numerous investigations have found no evidence that voting by mail results in increased voter fraud.
For more on the 2020 elections, check the Tribune’s Elections Page.
Editor’s note: Earlier versions of this story incorrectly referred to “online voting” beginning Sept. 24. There is no online voting in Illinois.


chicagotribune--2020-09-17--Visitor to Chicago comes to the aid of man shot in drive-by at Morse ‘L’ station. ‘I’ve never been a

Visitor to Chicago comes to the aid of man shot in drive-by at Morse ‘L’ station. ‘I’ve never been around gunshots that close in the city.’

Thomas Hunt , 56 , who has lived in the area for about 16 years , also stopped by the @ @ @ @ @ was walking to the Morse Market when he passed by Jenkins and a woman .
@ @ @ @ @ Morse and kissing .
They were familiar faces on the block in recent years , @ @ @ @ @ didn ’ t know them personally .

Troy Laird, left, washes his bloody hands with his friend, Michael Robinson, as Chicago police officers work the scene of a drive-by fatal shooting outside the Morse Red Line CTA "L" station, Sept. 15, 2020, in the Rogers Park neighborhood. "I was compressing one of his bullet wounds while a cop was giving chest compressions," Laird said. (Erin Hooley / Chicago Tribune)
Troy Laird used a water bottle from a friend to wash his bloody hands outside the Morse “L” station in Rogers Park.
The glass door of the station was shattered from a drive-by shooting that killed a man Tuesday night. Inside was Laird’s T-shirt he had used to try to save the man’s life.
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“I was compressing one of his bullet wounds while a cop was giving chest compressions,” Laird said. “I’ve never been around gunshots that close in the city.”
Told the victim, Joel Jenkins, later died at a hospital, he said, “I suspected as much.” He was the same age as Laird, 26.
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Laird said he was in Chicago to visit a childhood friend from Pittsburgh. They were sitting on a platform bench waiting for a southbound train about 6 p.m. when they heard five gunshots beneath them. They saw people scatter and a black Infiniti SUV speed down Glenwood Avenue, then come back around to Morse Avenue and turn south on Sheridan Road.
A squad car on a nearby block chased it but a supervisor terminated the pursuit, according to police radio traffic. The police car made a U-turn on Sheridan and headed back to the scene, a neighbor said.
Laird, his friend Michael Robinson and another friend headed down the steps to the mezzanine level. They saw a man in a black jacket on the ground on the other side of the turnstiles and a young woman next to him crying, “Please, no,” and breathing into his mouth.
Laird said he threw down the bag he had packed for a Lincoln Park hostel that night and rushed to help the man. He had taken an EMT training course but this was the first time he put it to use.
“I just never thought it would’ve happened in front of a station in daylight,” he said.
He performed CPR on the man until an officer tagged him off. Then he took off his shirt and held it to man’s bleeding abdomen. The man also appeared to have been shot in the chest, Laird said. Another good Samaritan held the man’s head.
Laird said not much was running through his head. He just tried to help the man.
Paramedics arrived and took over, eventually taking the man out on a stretcher, one paramedic holding the man’s chest. The man was taken to St. Francis Hospital in Evanston, where he was pronounced dead at 6:58 p.m. The Cook County medical examiner’s office said Jenkins was from the South Shore neighborhood.
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As officers marked off the scene, Laird grabbed another shirt from his overnight bag. “I know that s--- happens (in Chicago),” he said, “but I didn’t expect to be directly above it.”
His friend Robinson, 27, said he moved to Rogers Park from Pittsburgh last August to attend Loyola University Chicago and study cybersecurity. “I’m not going to tell my mom about it. I knew Chicago wasn’t the safest place,” he said. “If we were three minutes a little later, we could’ve been there with him.”
Alan Thies, 44, was on his daily walk on Morse to the lake when he heard the gunshots behind him and started to walk back toward the station. But he had second thoughts and turned around. He eventually headed back to see what happened.
He has lived in the area for more than five years. At the scene, he thought about the 2017 killing of 64-year-old Cynthia Trevillion, a teacher and innocent victim of a shooting near the Morse station in the 6900 block of North Glenwood Avenue.
“It’s a beautiful area,” he said. “But the rents keep going up. Crime keeps going up. Shootings keep going up. I used to take walks at night but not so much anymore.”
“I just hope they catch this guy because this is ridiculous,” he said.
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Thomas Hunt, 56, who has lived in the area for about 16 years, also stopped by the scene. He said he was walking to the Morse Market when he passed by Jenkins and a woman. They were walking together on Morse and kissing. They were familiar faces on the block in recent years, Hunt said, though he didn’t know them personally.
He saw the couple again in the market’s parking lot talking to someone in a white car. Then as he was leaving the market, he saw the man outside a liquor store. The girl was no longer with him. As Hunt made his way home, he heard the gunshots and turned around.
He saw Jenkins inside the station and the girl in hysterics. People were yelling, “He went that way!” Hunt said he took note of the size of one of the bullet holes in the glass and thought to himself, “If they hit him, I didn’t think he was going to make it.”
Hunt noted that Morse Avenue has changed a lot since he moved there. Violence used to be more common a decade ago, but “every now and then something pops off.”
In June of last year, 17-year-old Quintin Brown was fatally shot near the CTA station in the middle of the afternoon. There were at least 25 people shot in the Rogers Park police district last year, at least eight of them fatal, according to Tribune data. So far this year, more than 35 people have been shot, seven fatally.
Outreach workers from Communities Partnering 4 Peace stood at the scene. Chanel Jones said they learned about this shooting while they were canvassing a nearby area in Sheridan Park, where a man was shot and killed Monday in the 1200 block of West Leland Avenue after getting into an Uber.
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“He doesn’t bother nobody,” she said of Jenkins. “He just walks with his girlfriend, minding his own business. I’m not sure why somebody would shoot that man.”
Before she walked around to the other side of the scene, Jones spoke to two teenage boys by the crime tape and made sure they had the group’s contact information. Make sure you reach out, she told them.
“You can’t come back from this,” she said. “Once you’re gone, you’re gone.”
Chicago Tribune’s Erin Hooley contributed.
pfry@chicagotribune.com
Twitter @paigexfry


chicagotribune--2020-09-16--Teenage boy wounded in shooting on Far South Side

The shooting happened about 4:55 p.m. in the 400 block of West 118th Street , leaving the boy with gunshot @ @ @ @ @ forearm , police said .

A 17-year-old boy was injured Wednesday evening in a shooting in the West Pullman neighborhood on the Far South Side, Chicago police said.
The shooting happened about 4:55 p.m. in the 400 block of West 118th Street, leaving the boy with gunshot wounds to the neck and forearm, police said.
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He was taken in good condition to Advocate Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn.
Initially, police had reported the boy was shot in the chest and taken to the hospital in critical condition.
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No one was in custody, and police were investigating.


chicagotribune--2020-09-16--Citing pandemic’s ‘unprecedented’ impact on November vote, Pritzker asks election officials to put f

Citing pandemic’s ‘unprecedented’ impact on November vote, Pritzker asks election officials to put federal funds behind drop boxes, election judge recruitment

“ If we do not immediately provide the resources through direct grants and the promise of reimbursement to local election @ @ @ @ @ be too late , ” Pritzker wrote .
“ Drop boxes , especially those secured @ @ @ @ @ time to order and install .
Election judges take time to recruit .
Postal delays @ @ @ @ @ unable to open due to a lack of election judges have the potential to disenfranchise @ @ @

Anticipating “the most logistically challenging election of our lifetimes,” Gov. J.B. Pritzker on Wednesday asked state election officials to redirect at least $4 million in federal funding to expand the availability of mail-in ballot drop boxes and to assist with recruiting election judges.
“This election cycle, where the presidential contest may not be decided on election night while vote by mail ballots are tabulated, will test the limits of our democracy and the faith of our people in it,” Pritzker wrote in a letter to State Board of Elections Executive Director Steve Sandvoss. “These unprecedented times require unprecedented involvement and action by the State Board of Elections.”
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The $4 million would come from the $27.1 million the elections board received in federal election security grants through the Help America Vote Act for 2018 and 2020. The U.S. Election Assistance Commission has issued guidance authorizing such uses.
Pritzker signed a law in June that aims to expand voting by mail for the November election to reduce the risk of spreading COVID-19 at crowded polling places. One provision allows local election authorities to set up secure collection sites for people who don’t want to send their ballots through the U.S. mail.
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However, citing a recent survey by the elections board, Pritzker said only half of the state’s 108 local election authorities plan to offer ballot drop boxes. And 60 of the local jurisdictions report they are having trouble recruiting enough election judges to work the polls Nov. 3.
The governor is asking the board to set up an emergency grant program to address these and other concerns in the run-up to Election Day.
“If we do not immediately provide the resources through direct grants and the promise of reimbursement to local election authorities, it will soon be too late,” Pritzker wrote. “Drop boxes, especially those secured in public places, take time to order and install. Election judges take time to recruit. Postal delays or polling places that are unable to open due to a lack of election judges have the potential to disenfranchise voters.”
The State Board of Elections is an independent agency whose members are appointed by the governor. Spokesman Matt Dietrich said the board will consider Pritzker’s request at its Monday meeting.
In the early days of the pandemic, Pritzker faced criticism, including from local election authorities in Chicago, for allowing in-person voting to proceed for the March 17 primary. The governor’s office argued that he had no authority to unilaterally postpone the voting.
As a result of the legislation Pritzker signed in June, vote-by-mail applications are being sent to everyone who voted in either the 2018 general election, the 2019 municipal election or this year’s March 17 primary, as well as to voters who registered or changed their address since the primary.
As of Tuesday, nearly 1.6 million voters had applied to receive a mail-in ballot.
dpetrella@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-09-16--Chicago health commissioner looks ahead to building vaccine trust, eventual distribution

“ We ’ ve all gotten used to this idea of drive-thru testing .
Drive-thru vaccination very well may be @ @ @ @ @ can ’ t vaccinate a child in that context , ” Arwady said .
“ @ @ @ @ @ might that look like ?
What might it look like to have sort of a @ @ @ @ @ actually getting out of a car , but it ’ s socially distanced ?
”

Chicago Public Health Commissioner Dr. Allison Arwady wears a face mask during a news conference at a coronavirus test site in the parking lot of Dr. Jorge Prieto Math and Science Academy in May. (Antonio Perez / Chicago Tribune)
Chicago’s health commissioner on Wednesday said the coronavirus fight in 2021 could shift to convincing people to get the anticipated vaccine and then figuring out how to safely administer it to huge numbers of residents.
In her latest update to aldermen, Dr. Allison Arwady said it’s tough to predict whether the city will see its health care facilities heavily taxed by the combination of COVID-19 and flu cases this winter.
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The flu season has been light this year in parts of the Southern Hemisphere, she said, possibly because people are wearing masks and distancing because of the coronavirus. “It’s very clear we’re still learning about this virus,” Arwady said.
Looking ahead, Arwady told the City Council Health Committee that while a vaccine might be medically available before the end of 2020, it still would need more testing before the huge task of distributing it could begin.
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Then, when it does become widely available, how to get it to people? Arwady said the city is thinking about different ways to administer this year’s flu vaccines as a precursor to the coronavirus effort.
“We’ve all gotten used to this idea of drive-thru testing. Drive-thru vaccination very well may be a possibility, but you can’t vaccinate a child in that context,” Arwady said. “Would we try, what might that look like? What might it look like to have sort of a drive-thru setting where people are actually getting out of a car, but it’s socially distanced?”
Big outdoor spaces could be part of it, she said.
“What would it look like to do this in a very large open setting like a city college or a large high school, versus doing more kind of smaller, community based, making sure all of the appropriate safety precautions are in?” she said.
The city likely will broaden the types of people who can administer COVID-19 vaccines, including paramedics and pharmacy students with supervision, she said. “It’s going to be all hands on deck, and we’re going to need to be organized about it across the board,” she said.
Arwady also pointed to the need to convince people the COVID-19 vaccine is safe, if and when one gets approved. “What we can start really laying the groundwork on is how vaccines and medicines in this country are scientifically reviewed and approved,” she said.
“We want to have calm, sober messaging based on science here in Chicago about vaccines, how they work, how we know we can trust them,” Arwady told aldermen. “When will we know a vaccine is something that we can recommend for Chicagoans? And we’ll be working very hard on uptake and trust there.”
jebyrne@chicagotribune.com
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chicagotribune--2020-09-16--The Spin: Signs that sin taxes may be pandemic-proof | Ex-state Sen. Link pleads guilty - now who wi

The Spin: Signs that sin taxes may be pandemic-proof | Ex-state Sen. Link pleads guilty - now who will be his replacement? | Lightfoot vs. police union boss over contract

Where the weed revenues go : Of the $ 52.8 million in weed tax revenue in the year ’ s @ @ @ @ @ state collected about $ 34.7 million in cannabis excise taxes — more than the $ @ @ @ @ @ projected — and $ 18 million in sales taxes , with the latter to be @ @ @ @ @ The state expects $ 25.9 million to go into its general fund , which pays @ @ @ @ @ and a portion is set to be reinvested into communities hit hard by the war @ @ @

As the new era for legal marijuana in Illinois begins, Brian Hopkins smokes a joint containing legally purchased marijuana at his home in Calumet City Jan. 1, 2020. (Antonio Perez/Chicago Tribune)
Former state Sen. Terry Link this morning pleaded guilty to a federal count of filing a false tax return, the latest conviction in a series of wide-ranging investigations against Illinois Democratic political leaders, the Tribune’s Jason Meisner writes. The Vernon Hills Democrat resigned from the legislature over the weekend, touching off a war of words between Democrats and Republicans over finding his replacement.
Illinois' newest sin taxes — generated by legal recreational weed and sports gambling — may very well be pandemic-proof. Signed into law before COVID-19 was even coined, online gambling is taking off after the delayed NFL season kicked in. With the Big Ten football conference’s announcement this morning it’s ready to return to the gridiron, those numbers likely will grow.
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Meantime, legal weed sales are outpacing predictions, but they’re only a small part of the state’s revenue pie. Still, it’s revenue coming in at a time when the tax spigot from hotel and car rentals to restaurant meals has been diminished due to the coronavirus.
Discussing the Republican vs. Democratic stalemate over a new COVID-19 relief package in Congress, President Donald Trump said during a town hall last night that he doesn’t want to see “poorly run” states with Democratic governors get a bailout for long-standing fiscal issues. That includes Illinois, he said. Moderator George Stephanopoulos pushed back on the president’s narrative saying it is a state in the U.S., of which he’s president.
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And Chicago’s police union and city officials are knocking heads over contract negotiations. The biggest sticking point right now seems to be the city’s proposed changes in how the police handle misconduct allegations. The public animosity between Chicago’s Fraternal Order of Police President John Catanzara and Mayor Lori Lightfoot seems likely to exacerbate tensions. Stay tuned.
Welcome to The Spin.
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Then-state Sen. Terry Link, D-Gurnee, appears at the Illinois Capitol in May 2013. (E. Jason Wambsgans / Chicago Tribune)
Terry Link’s guilty plea today in the tax case against him capped a swift fall from grace, but his case is far from over, the Chicago Tribune’s Jason Meisner writes.
Link, of Vernon Hills, agreed to wear a wire for the FBI in a bribery investigation of his colleague, then-state Rep. Luis Arroyo, in exchange for what Link hopes will be leniency at sentencing, the Tribune reported last year. Read the full story here.
On Friday, the veteran lawmaker announced he’d officially resign from the legislature a day later, but the timing has prompted some partisan bickering. The Daily Herald’s Russell Lissau reports that Link’s Saturday exit was “one day after a state-prescribed deadline for letting voters choose his successor in a special election Nov. 3 — the same date as the general election.”
Lissau also notes: Instead of Democratic and Republican candidates facing off for the post, Lake County Democratic Chair Lauren Beth Gash along with Wheeling Township Democratic committeeman and state Rep. Mark Walker will tap a new senator by Oct. 12.
Lake County Republican Party Chair Mark Shaw took to social media where he complained about the timing and alleged Gash and Link collaborated to ensure a Democrat remains in the seat. Gash dismissed that notion. Read Shaw’s full comments here. Read the rest of the Daily Herald story here.
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Customers watch a game during the 2019 NCAA March Madness college basketball tournament at the Hard Rock casino in Atlantic City, New Jersey. (Wayne Parry/AP)
In July, the Tribune reported Illinois' $52.8 million take from weed sales in the first six months of the year exceeded state officials’ expectations.
But it’s not the only sin tax taking off. As the Tribune’s Robert Channick writes: “Despite a dearth of major sports and only two places to place bets, legal sportsbooks generated more than $52.5 million in wagers during July, the first full month of activity in Illinois.”
With the kickoff of the NFL season last weekend, and the recent launch of several online and retail sportsbooks, Illinois' sports betting industry could get a lot bigger in the months ahead, experts say.
And the more people spend, the more money keeps rolling into government coffers. Channick lays out the math: “The adjusted gross revenue — the amount the sportsbooks keep after winnings are paid — totaled $3.6 million. The state gets 15% of that revenue in taxes, which amounted to about $544,000 for July.” Read the full story here.
Sports betting is part of a wider gambling expansion plan the legislature approved last year. The state’s take in revenues will go toward funding a $45 billion capital construction plan that the Illinois General Assembly approved last year.
Where the weed revenues go: Of the $52.8 million in weed tax revenue in the year’s first six months, the state collected about $34.7 million in cannabis excise taxes — more than the $28 million the governor had projected — and $18 million in sales taxes, with the latter to be shared with local governments. The state expects $25.9 million to go into its general fund, which pays for most day-to-day operations, and a portion is set to be reinvested into communities hit hard by the war on drugs.
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Pew Charitable Trusts, which researches public policy, reports that some states see these sin taxes as pandemic-proof: “Taxes on those items often are more politically palatable because they generally affect a smaller portion of the population and the purchases are seen more as a choice than a necessity,” Pew notes in this piece.
Illinois racing board grants 2021 race dates to Arlington International despite uncertainty over track’s future: The Tribune’s Robert Channick has that story here.
Sports and the pandemic: As other states play high school football, Pritzker says COVID-19 makes it still too risky for Illinois — The Tribune’s John Keilman has the details here.
Big Ten football is coming back in October with 8 games in 8 weeks — and ‘significant medical protocols’ — The Tribune’s Teddy Greenstein has the details here.
The government amid the COVID-19 outbreak is protecting renters, but who Is looking out for the landlords? WBEZ-91.9 FM’s Michael Puente offers a look at how landlords who own properties in Illinois and northwest Indiana “are navigating a series of new eviction moratoriums that vary by location.” Lauded by housing advocates, some landlords say the protections favor renters while experts say new rules could lead to a surge in landlord foreclosures down the road. Read the piece here.
Today Gov. Pritzker announced the soon-to-expire Illinois moratorium on evictions would be extended another month. But some experts say they think it will be further extended through the end of the year.
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Wearing a mask with the State of Illinois emblem, Gov. J.B. Pritzker arrives at a coronavirus testing site at Coles Elementary School on the Southeast Side July 8, 2020. (Abel Uribe / Chicago Tribune)
Anticipating “the most logistically challenging election of our lifetimes,” Gov. Pritzker today asked state election officials to redirect at least $4 million in federal funding to expand the number of mail-in-ballot drop boxes and to assist with recruiting election judges, the Tribune’s Rick Pearson writes.
The $4 million would come from the $27.1 million the elections board received in federal election security grants through the Help America Vote Act for 2018 and 2020.
Pearson writes, “Pritzker signed a law in June that aims to expand voting by mail for the November election to reduce the risk of spreading COVID-19 at crowded polling places.”
He also notes: “Citing a recent survey by the elections board, Pritzker said only half of the state’s 108 local election authorities plan to offer ballot drop boxes. And 60 of the local jurisdictions report they are having trouble recruiting enough election judges to work the polls on Nov. 3”
Commissioner, Chicago Dept. of Health, Dr. Allison Arwady answers questions on Chicago's first ever community based Contract Tracing Corps and Resource Coordination Hub, during a press conference at the Greater Western Community Development Project in Chicago, Monday, Sept. 14, 2020. (Antonio Perez / Chicago Tribune)
The Tribune’s John Byrne writes: Chicago’s health commissioner on Wednesday said the coronavirus fight in 2021 could shift to convincing people to get the vaccine and then figuring out how to safely administer it to huge numbers of residents.
In her latest update to aldermen, Dr. Allison Arwady said that while a vaccine might be medically available before the end of 2020, it still would need more testing before the huge task of distributing it could begin. She pointed, too, to the need to convince people the COVID-19 vaccine is safe, when one gets approved. Read the full story, here.
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RELATED: US outlines sweeping plan to provide free COVID-19 vaccines in two doses — 21 to 28 days apart: Read the Associated Press story here.
Will, Kankakee counties closer to return to looser phase 4 restrictions: The Tribune’s Jamie Munks has the details here.
CPS reports 258 cases of COVID-19 among staff and vendors, including eight deaths, in six months since schools shut down: The Tribune’s Hannah Leone has the details here.
Fraternal Order of Police Chicago Lodge 7 President John Catanzara Jr. gives an interview at his office in the 1400 block of West Washington Boulevard June 18, 2020. (John J. Kim / Chicago Tribune)
During contract negotiations yesterday, the city offered the police union a 10% raise for thousands of rank-and-file cops over a four-year period — along with changes to how the city handles disciplinary issues involving allegations of misconduct, the Tribune’s Jeremy Gorner and Gregory Pratt write.
FOP President John Catanzara declined to get into specifics on the city’s offer when the Tribune reached him. But, Gorner and Pratt write, he said “the union was unhappy with the city’s proposed changes to the contract that could weaken the rank-and-file’s rights when faced with disciplinary investigations by the Police Department’s Bureau of Internal Affairs or the Civilian Office of Police Accountability.”
Gorner and Pratt remind: “A police accountability task force headed by Lightfoot during former Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s administration recommended that negotiations over the next contract should focus on removing provisions that prevent people from filing anonymous complaints and force them to sign affidavits describing police misconduct.”
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Indeed, the contract negotiations come amid a national dialogue about police mistreatment of Black people and a call to deal more swiftly with those showing signs of bias.
The union’s last contract expired at the end of June 2017; Catanzara said a counterproposal would be delivered to the city by week’s end.
Programming note: I’ll be off tomorrow and Friday, but The Spin will keep spinning. See you Monday.
Thanks for reading The Spin, the Tribune’s politics newsletter. Have a tip? Email host Lisa Donovan at ldonovan@chicagotribune.com.
Twitter @byldonovan


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· The restaurant review of Ever in Wednesday’s A+E section was missing a star in its rating. The correct rating is four stars.
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chicagotribune--2020-09-16--‘He took a life, the life of a friend’: North Chicago man sentenced to 28 years in fatal shooting

Although the men had been close , in October 2016 , their relationship had deteriorated , and authorities say Collins @ @ @ @ @ intent on a fight .
The two met in an alleyway , and Bailey shot @ @ @ @ @ him and pushed him .

A North Chicago man, who authorities say arranged to meet a longtime friend to an alley and then shot him to death during an altercation, was sentenced Wednesday to 28 years in prison.
Undra Bailey, 34, had been found guilty earlier this year in Lake County for the second-degree murder of John Collins of North Chicago, who was shot to death on Oct. 22, 2016.
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Judge Victoria Rossetti handed down the sentence after listening to victim impact statements from family members of Collins, who was 28 when he died.
His 12-year-old son, John Collins Jr., said he had lost his innocence as a result of the crime.
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“I lost a connection, and you took that away, and I can never get it back,” Collins told Bailey, who was quietly crying.
The victim’s sister, Beverly, described how her brother and Bailey had been friends growing up together in the same Chicago neighborhood, and had remained friends when both moved to the Waukegan area.
Although the men had been close, in October 2016, their relationship had deteriorated, and authorities say Collins was looking for Bailey, intent on a fight. The two met in an alleyway, and Bailey shot Collins after Collins rushed at him and pushed him.
Bailey then fled, but was arrested after police found security camera footage that captured the crime.
Before sentencing, Bailey apologized to the Collins family members who were in court.
“Murder was not what I intended,” he said. “I also lost a friend who was like family.”
Bailey had contended at trial that he acted in self-defense, but the judge said Bailey’s belief was not reasonable. He had been found guilty of second-degree murder, which usually carries a 20-year maximum term. However, he was eligible for 30 years based on prior convictions.
Assistant State’s Attorney Stella Day asked the judge to impose the maximum sentence on Bailey
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“He took a life, the life of a friend,” Day said.
After the sentencing, State’s Attorney Mike Nerheim said, “I hope this sentence brings some sense of justice to the family of John Collins, and helps them in their healing process.”


chicagotribune--2020-09-16--Attorney for woman slain in Wicker Park Walgreens questions state’s attorney’s handling of suspect’s

Attorney for woman slain in Wicker Park Walgreens questions state’s attorney’s handling of suspect’s gun burglary case

“ To the people in businesses down Milwaukee who refused to help the police , I need you to know @ @ @ @ @ ’ t the police asking you for help , it was my fiancee , and @ @ @ @ @ ” Alvarado said .
“ If they didn ’ t catch him because of the @ @ @ @ @ , that would be on your head and you have to live with that .
@

Israel Alvarado stands near a memorial for his fiancee, Olga Maria Calderon, outside a Walgreens where she worked, following a news conference Sept. 16, 2020. Calderon was stabbed to death at the store in Wicker Park. (Antonio Perez / Chicago Tribune)
An attorney for the family of a woman stabbed to death in a Wicker Park neighborhood Walgreens slammed prosecutors for their handling of a prior burglary case against the man accused in the killing and some area businesses for not cooperating with the Chicago Police Department’s investigation.
The allegations came at a news conference Wednesday morning outside the Walgreens, 1372 N. Milwaukee Ave., where Olga Maria Calderon was working Sept. 6 when a man stabbed her to death.
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Israel Alvarado, Calderon’s fiance, spoke about how bright, caring and funny his fiancee was.
Israel Alvarado recalls his fiancee, Olga Maria Calderon, during a news conference Sept. 16, 2020. (Antonio Perez / Chicago Tribune)
Attorney Frank Sommario speaks Sept. 16, 2020, about the stabbing death of Olga Maria Calderon. (Antonio Perez/Chicago Tribune)
He and his attorney also faulted State’s Attorney Kim Foxx’s office for its handling of a gun burglary case involving the man accused in Calderon’s killing. Sincere Williams, 18, was charged with burglarizing a suburban gun store earlier this year.
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Williams, who was under the age of 18 at the time, allegedly stole several firearms and was arrested shortly afterward, sources said, and had been placed on electronic monitoring in May.
Williams was released from electronic monitoring, without objection from the state’s attorney’s office, while that case was pending.
“What we want to know is why would the state’s attorney allow a person who robbed a gun store be allowed to walk free to commit other crimes,” attorney Frank Sommario said. “If it was because he is schizophrenic, as is reported in the news, then why wasn’t he required to be electronically monitored while getting the necessary medical or psychological treatment?”
A spokesperson for the state’s attorney’s office said in an emailed statement that the Juvenile Court Act prohibits the release of information regarding juvenile matters unless ordered by the court.
Alvarado said he hopes that “the mistakes that happened before this event never happen again. That this person, if he needs help that he gets it. And the state’s attorney does her job this time, and cares. To get justice for (Calderon) and our kids and our family.”
Additionally, Alvarado and community activist Andrew Holmes both said businesses on Milwaukee Avenue did not cooperate with the police investigation.
“To the people in businesses down Milwaukee who refused to help the police, I need you to know one thing: It wasn’t the police asking you for help, it was my fiancee, and you told her no,” Alvarado said. “If they didn’t catch him because of the help of other good citizens, that would be on your head and you have to live with that.”
Israel Alvarado, fiance of Olga Maria Calderon, center, is comforted by family following a news conference Sept. 16, 2020. (Antonio Perez / Chicago Tribune)
Holmes said police encountered businesses that said their cameras weren’t working, the same businesses he alleged would have working cameras if it was their store getting robbed or burglarized.
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Chicago police would not say whether they encountered uncooperative businesses in their investigation, saying only that the Walgreens “fully cooperated” and detectives were seeking more information from other businesses.
Williams, who appeared in court on first-degree murder charges, is suspected of robbing the same Wicker Park Walgreens a few days before — so while prosecutors assume that his motive in the stabbing was robbery, they can’t be sure.
The day of the killing, Williams entered the Walgreens with a knife, hoping to rob the store, Area 5 Detective Cmdr. Eric Winstrom said during a news conference when charges were announced. He said Williams grabbed Calderon, who had been stocking shelves, around the neck.
Judge Arthur Wesley Willis ordered Williams held without bail after prosecutors detailed the case against him, including copious video evidence that shows him stabbing 32-year-old Calderon and then calmly walking home.
“He did not take anything in this case … (video) does show him walk straight to the victim and viciously attack her,” Assistant State’s Attorney James Murphy said in court last week. “I cannot give you a definitive motive here other than sometimes people just do evil things.”
Williams even had the forethought to wear two sets of clothing on his way to the Walgreens, then discard the outer layer on his way back, Murphy said.
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Williams is a high school student who lives with his mother and has a history of schizophrenia and seizures, said his attorney, Assistant Public Defender Chris Anderson.
In holding Williams without bail, Willis acknowledged the potential mental health issues that may have been at play but told the defendant “at this time I cannot release you.”
Chicago Tribune’s Megan Crepeau contributed.


chicagotribune--2020-09-16--Stefani group drops request for court order to stop Navy Pier from evicting Riva and The Crystal Gar

Stefani group drops request for court order to stop Navy Pier from evicting Riva and The Crystal Gardens after access to properties restored

On Aug. 28 , Navy Pier Inc. gave Stefani ’ s Pier Front a notice of termination of lease agreement @ @ @ @ @ 288,352 , as of Aug. 13 .
According to the notice , Navy Pier can @ @ @ @ @ tenant is notified , as well as enter the premises ; remove the tenant , @ @ @ @ @ store the property in a public warehouse at the expense of the tenant — all @ @ @ @ @ process or the landlord being guilty of trespassing .

Two Stefani businesses, Riva Restaurant and The Crystal Gardens, are tied up in a rent dispute with Navy Pier related to the COVID-19 pandemic. (Scott Strazzante / Chicago Tribune)
After Navy Pier sought to remove two Stefani businesses from the lakefront property, the Stefani group pushed back by seeking a court order to stop the eviction.
As of Wednesday afternoon, Navy Pier has acquiesced, restoring access to the properties back to the Stefani group. The restaurateur subsequently dropped its petition for a temporary restraining order that would have halted the move.
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After Navy Pier allegedly terminated the two Stefani leases and restricted access to its properties, Stefani’s Pier Front Inc. filed for a temporary restraining order and injunctive relief Monday. If granted, the order would have temporarily halted any efforts to remove the Stefani businesses from Navy Pier.
Both Riva Restaurant and The Crystal Gardens event space are owned and operated by Stefani’s Pier Front Inc. and have been renting space at Navy Pier since 1994. However, the two companies have been in a rent dispute since the COVID-19 pandemic began earlier this year.
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The petition was dropped Wednesday because Navy Pier voluntarily gave Stefani Pier Front possession of Riva Restaurant and The Crystal Gardens event space, said Daniel Berry, an attorney for Stefani’s Pier Front.
“We got what we wanted,” he said.
On Aug. 28, Navy Pier Inc. gave Stefani’s Pier Front a notice of termination of lease agreement for unpaid rent totaling $288,352, as of Aug. 13. According to the notice, Navy Pier can terminate the lease after the tenant is notified, as well as enter the premises; remove the tenant, people and property; and store the property in a public warehouse at the expense of the tenant — all without going through a legal process or the landlord being guilty of trespassing.
A Sept. 8 email from Daniel Blondin, executive vice president and general counsel for Navy Pier, to Phil Stefani, the owner of Stefani’s Pier Front, says Stefani was offered “significant relief” from his rent that was due, nearing $300,000.
However, despite “receiving significant funds under the PPP program intended to include, among other things, rental obligations of the tenant, Riva opted to forego this rent relief offer and demands to operate virtually rent free,” the email said.
The email, which was included in the court filing, concluded that Navy Pier would proceed to “secure the Riva facility” the following day and remove all fixtures inside the space.
Berry said the actions of Navy Pier were illegal in Illinois, and that the petition for a restraining order was separate from the ongoing rent dispute.
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Navy Pier declined to comment on the petition beyond confirming that it was dropped.
gwong@chicagotribune.com