chicagotribune--2020-04-24--Is it crazy to launch a restaurant during the pandemic shutdown? North Shore to-go spot stays on sch

Is it crazy to launch a restaurant during the pandemic shutdown? North Shore to-go spot stays on schedule and finds success

“ When people started to get news that we might be opening something there , there were plenty of Facebook @ @ @ @ @ time to be opening right now !
’ or , you know , ‘ not @ @ @ @ @ smartest move in the world , ’ ” said Walker , one of BWB ’ @ @ @ @ @ in our view , it may be the best time for us , as a @ @ @ @ @ ”

How do you host an opening during a mass closing?
That was the question facing Paul Bumbaco, Jeff Hoobler and Kris Walker, the group behind BWB Rocks, a new fast casual restaurant in North Shore, as they had already made plans to open before the coronavirus pandemic shut everything down.
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The group pressed on, which elicited some surprise on social media.
Bruce Linderman wears a bandana over his face while looking up at order tickets as he talks to a customer over the phone at BWB Rocks Wednesday, April 22, 2020 in Highland Park. (Armando L. Sanchez / Chicago Tribune)
“When people started to get news that we might be opening something there, there were plenty of Facebook posts saying, ‘strange time to be opening right now!’ or, you know, ‘not sure that’s the smartest move in the world,’” said Walker, one of BWB’s co-founders. “But in our view, it may be the best time for us, as a takeout and delivery concept.”
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BWB is one of several restaurants in the Chicago area that have seen their grand openings disrupted by the COVID-19 restrictions. Other openings have included Miki’s Park, a Korean-inspired bar concept; Beautiful Rind, a cheese shop/restaurant in Logan Square; Bryn Mawr Breakfast Club and the upcoming Happy Monday Coffee Roasters, coming to an Uptown storefront.
The “BWB” in BWB Rocks stands for bowls, wings and burgers. The restaurant specializes in classic American fare with an accessible menu that’s “fast, fresh and local,” Walker said.
Serving that kind of need was the plan even prior to COVID, Walker said, but the shutdown and increased emphasis on locations offering carryout or delivery simply amplified that need.
Paul Bumbaco wears a mask over his face while placing an order inside customer Alec Ross' car outside BWB Rocks Wednesday April 22, 2020 in Highland Park. (Armando L. Sanchez / Chicago Tribune)
BWB is located in Highland Park, next-door to Ravinia Brewing Co., and many of the staff — including Walker — work for Ravinia as well. Originally, the plan had been to use the BWB space as an overflow kitchen for Ravinia’s taproom, but the brewery only needed about a quarter of the space. Eventually, some staff decided to create a group and build out a separate dining concept in the space.
Then, when the taproom was forced to close, BWB’s opening plans were actually moved up.
“It just worked out like that. From (the closing), it was like, ‘how can we get this place open?’, especially from a staff perspective,” Walker said. “We haven’t been able to bring everybody back, but, knock on wood, we’ve been able to double the staff that we brought back since the opening.”
The approach fell into place. Since BWB’s soft opening last week, Walker said the support from the community has been fantastic. The biggest challenge has been disrupted supply chains, which is part of the reason BWB’s menu remains modest right now.
Guests can get the restaurant’s namesake food items, however. The bowls are customizable, with various protein and vegetable options. All of the ingredients, including sauces, are made in-house.
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An order of wings is ready for packaged for delivery at BWB Rocks Wednesday, April 22, 2020. (Armando L. Sanchez / Chicago Tribune)
In some ways, Walker said the manner in which the stay-at-home order has shaped our thinking about dinner — particularly dining out — has helped a burger-and-wings joint.
“What do you look forward to during the day, when you’re in this world of sameness?” he said, “I mean, 8 hours a day are always the same, and something people really get excited about is you know, ‘what can I do for dinner?’”
586 Roger Williams Ave., Highland Park, 847-748-8759, bwb.rocks


chicagotribune--2020-04-24--A Chicago nurse returned to work after recovering from coronavirus. His cough came back. He tested 2

A Chicago nurse returned to work after recovering from coronavirus. His cough came back. He tested 2 more times and got different results.

Hospital policies vary as far as when and how nurses can return to work .
Many follow the Centers for @ @ @ @ @ for health care workers , with strategies for a test-based return and one without testing @ @ @ @ @ used , workers may return to work after three days without a fever and fever-reducing @ @ @ @ @ days have passed since the onset of symptoms .
Otherwise , improvement of symptoms and @ @ @ @ @ administered at least 24 hours apart is recommended .

Day after day, Daniel Ortiz walks into a hospital and treats patients who are struggling with the coronavirus. He hoped he wouldn’t test positive for the virus. But it was, he felt, inevitable.
That fear came true, not once, but twice.
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Ortiz’s ordeal started in March, when he was assigned to the COVID-19 unit at the University of Illinois Hospital in Chicago. Although escaping exposure felt impossible, he took measures to protect his wife, carefully removing contaminated clothing before entering their home and sleeping on the couch.
Still, a coronavirus test in late March came back positive.
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“It felt like somebody was constantly hitting me in the head with a hammer,” said Ortiz, who returned to work in early April. At the time, he said, protocol to return to work did not include further testing. Nurses could go back once symptoms subsided after seven days. “I go right to the place that got me sick, that took my power, that took everything.”
Ortiz is one of thousands of people working in Illinois health care systems who have been infected with the virus. Eight have died, according to the state Health Department. He and other nurses who have tested positive for the coronavirus told the Tribune they worry about getting sick again.
Daniel Ortiz, a nurse in the COVID-19 unit at the University of Illinois Hospital, is seen near his home in Cicero on April 24, 2020. Ortiz recently took two coronavirus tests and they came back with different results. (Terrence Antonio James / Chicago Tribune)
Last week, Ortiz’s cough returned. Under new hospital policy, he was tested twice before he could return to work this time.
The first result came back negative. But on Wednesday, two days later, he tested positive.
“I feel like I kind of had a hold on this, I felt like I could control it,” he said. “But today, I just feel like I’m defeated. I’m at the mercy of the virus.”
Susan Bleasdale, medical director of infection control at the University of Illinois Hospital & Health Sciences System, said while she could not specifically comment on Ortiz’s situation, false negatives are possible and could be caused by an insufficient specimen, among other reasons. In this case, it could be that Ortiz had the coronavirus in his body for weeks. She said people often have the virus for several weeks.
Mariellen Bardahl, a nurse at a suburban hospital, tested positive March 25. She woke up with a 102.5 fever a day after screening emergency room visitors. Her bout with the virus included headaches that made her weep, and one night she fainted in her bathroom.
Finally feeling better, she returned to work Tuesday, nearly four weeks after her confirmed result.
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“I’m ready and willing, and I’m just going to take my precautions,” she said. “It’s my duty, and it’s in me to want to help, so I really can’t wait to go help and just be careful.”
While reinfection is unlikely, Bleasdale said it is not impossible.
Because of recent cases where people have tested positive multiple times, the UIC health system is testing more often, she said.
“If there’s more people that this is happening to, this is going to tell us whether or not people can get reinfected,” Bleasdale said. “I think the big message is there’s still a lot of unknowns, but we’re getting data, day by day, moment by moment, that’s helping us.”
Although many discussions about reopening the country include an assumption that some people will be less vulnerable to the coronavirus after having it, experts say there is much we do not know about immunity.
“We are in this time period where we’re going to learn more about whether people are protected,” said Bleasdale.
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Hospital policies vary as far as when and how nurses can return to work. Many follow the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention regulations for health care workers, with strategies for a test-based return and one without testing. If tests are not used, workers may return to work after three days without a fever and fever-reducing medications, or if seven days have passed since the onset of symptoms. Otherwise, improvement of symptoms and two consecutive negative COVID-19 tests administered at least 24 hours apart is recommended.
Some nurses shared concerns about using up sick time during a crisis many expect to last for months. One nurse, who did not want to give her name because she was worried about losing her job for speaking out, said she had already taken unpaid time after running out of sick time because of two separate quarantines.
SherriLynn Smith, a nurse at Lurie Children’s Hospital, tested positive in early April.
Working at the children’s hospital, she hoped that more telehealth appointments and fewer pediatric patients with the coronavirus might mean avoiding exposure.
“Both my husband and I were very scared that if I got it, it would shut my lungs down,” said Smith, who has had pneumonia before.
Since her positive result, it has been “this up-and-down roller coaster of you’re feeling better, you’re feeling worse.” Fighting COVID-19, she said, is “both not as bad as I thought it would be, and the worst thing I’ve ever had, all at the same time.”
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After weeks with the virus, she has experienced shortness of breath and still is coughing.
“I try to wash off the counters in the kitchen, and it puts me down for three hours,” she said.
She had hoped to go back to work this week, but the exhaustion dashes her plans of returning.
Ortiz had been taking his temperature each night. Every day, he readied himself to return to the hospital, where he often leaves a shift crying. He got into nursing to save lives, and now he fights a virus without a cure. He watches people die. Each time, he feels he’s failed.
As he awaited his more recent test results, he watched people protest orders to stay home and rally for the reopening of businesses.
“It’s like a slap in the face,” Ortiz said. “I ask myself, is that what my life and health is worth to people, a haircut?”
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Ortiz uses his Facebook page to urge people to follow precautions and wear masks. Earlier this month, when it snowed twice, he said it felt like it was a gift from God to keep people indoors.
Smith said it’s hard to shake the fear.
“If I catch this again, I know it will put me on a vent,” she said.
She wakes up every morning hoping the worst is behind her. Sometimes, it feels that way.
Despite uncertainty about what is ahead, she knows what she will do next. Like the rest of the nurses, when cleared to return, she will put on a face mask and go back to the hospital.
abowen@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-04-24--Out of work during the coronavirus pandemic?  Here are 5 tips to win your virtual job search.

“ My advice to the unemployed is that when the stay-at-home directive releases , there is going to be a @ @ @ @ @ are going to try to get jobs , ” Trzupek Lynch said .
“ So @ @ @ @ @ in right now with a company that is hiring , you have a head start @ @

With hiring freezes, furloughs, stay-at-home orders and more than 26 million Americans filing for unemployment benefits over the last five weeks, the coronavirus pandemic may not be the best time to find a new job.
But career experts say you can get hired now, and despite enhanced unemployment benefits, those who have been laid off might not want to spend their time watching Netflix until the stay-at-home order is lifted.
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In Illinois, more than 737,000 people have filed initial claims for jobless benefits since mid-March. Finding a job may be even tougher when those benefits run out and all those applicants hit the job market.
The ranks of unemployed are growing and fewer companies are hiring, but there are still jobs to be had. (Gregor Schuster/Getty Images)
There may be opportunities for remote work in distant markets that wouldn’t have been possible before COVID-19. So update your resume, arrange your home office for a good video interview and, experts advise, don’t forget to wear pants.
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Be willing to pivot
In Chicago, month-over-month job postings are down 41% through April 19, according to a survey by online job and recruitment site Monster, which said about two-thirds of employers have decreased the number of postings since the pandemic began.
Finding work during the health crisis may require pivoting, with truck drivers, nurses, software developers, store clerks and customer service representatives among the occupations with the most new job listings in Chicago last week, according to Monster.
“Maybe this isn’t necessarily a long-term move, but in the short term, there’s a demand right now for these workers,” said Monster career expert Vicki Salemi.
At Skills for Chicagoland’s Future, a not-for-profit job placement service that launched during the Great Recession, the number of participating companies is down 55% year-over-year, but hiring is down only 15%, as certain jobs are in high demand.
[ Looking for a job? Here’s a list of places that are hiring right now in Chicago ]
The opportunities are in health care, distribution of food and cargo, store clerks and other essential businesses, with companies such as Walgreens, Walmart, Jewel-Osco and CVS seeking workers.
“Across the board, hiring is down,” said Marie Trzupek Lynch, president and CEO of Skills for Chicagoland’s Future. “However, there are deep pockets right now of hiring in the entry-level space.”
Because some companies need workers quickly, a candidate can go from application to job offer in as little as 48 hours, Trzupek Lynch said. Those who apply through the organization must live in the Chicago area and, given the recent spike in unemployment, be out of work.
Consider remote opportunities
Remote working has become the norm for many companies during the COVID-19 pandemic, with a huge spike in the search term “remote,” according to Monster.
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The concept of working from home is working. The majority of companies polled by Monster plan to reexamine their work-from-home policies after the coronavirus shelter-in-place orders are lifted, Salemi said.
“You can think outside of the box, outside of your state and outside of the geographic constraints, now that companies are open to this,” Salemi said. “Job seekers should go where the jobs are, but in some instances, they may be in your home.”
Tom Gimbel, founder and CEO of LaSalle Network, a Chicago-based staffing and recruiting firm, said the advent of remote working could hurt Chicagoans, however, by increasing competition for local jobs from people who live outside the area.
“You could have a whole new range of unemployment in major metropolitan areas where work is getting farmed out to remote workers in less expensive rural areas,” Gimbel said.
Prep your interview space
Nailing the virtual job interview requires practice, preparation and a quiet place within the home office where pets, partners and other distractions won’t knock you off your game.
First, treat the online job interview as if it were an in-person interview, including prepping your resume and supporting material, and girding for it mentally at least a half-hour before it begins — as you would if you were coming into the city for the meeting, Salemi advised.
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Set up your interview space in a quiet corner of your house that looks “professional,” Salemi said. That means avoid the kitchen, for example. Lighting is crucial, she said. Have a light behind your laptop to illuminate your face and try not to have a window behind you.
Background is important too. You might consider removing that “Fast & Furious” movie poster with Vin Diesel behind you when you’re talking to the head of human resources.
“A blank wall is fine behind you,” Salemi said “You don’t want it to be too distracting.”
Practice video chatting
Get your laptop or phone at eye level, and put a Post-it note just below the camera, so you remember to make eye contact during the interview, Salemi said. Practice a Zoom call with a friend to get comfortable with the format, and get feedback on how you’re doing.
It is difficult to pick up body language and other cues during a remote interview, but it is important for both the applicant and potential employer to connect, Salemi said.
At the same time, don’t be afraid of “dead air” during the interview — it may be video, but it’s not the network news.
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“Try not to rush it and just allow for those silences, even though you’re staring at your computer thinking this feels awkward,” Salemi said. “In reality, it’s only a few seconds and it’s not a big deal. You’re better off taking a beat or two, gathering your thoughts and articulating your best answer.”
When the interview comes, close the door and put a sign on it warning others to stay out. Sit up straight and relax.
Don’t forget to dress up
And finally, wear pants. A suit jacket on top with shorts and flip-flops down below may seem safe enough, but if you need to get up to retrieve your resume or answer your door, your first impression may be your last.
“Anything can happen, so just look polished from head to toe,” Salemi said.
Whatever you wear, the most important thing for job seekers is to get going now.
“My advice to the unemployed is that when the stay-at-home directive releases, there is going to be a surge of unemployed people who are going to try to get jobs,” Trzupek Lynch said. “So if you can get yourself in right now with a company that is hiring, you have a head start.”
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rchannick@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-04-24--Aurora Public Library to consider employee furloughs due to pandemic

It could be even worse in September , when the second installment of taxes is due .
For that reason @ @ @ @ @ financial advisor , Jamie Rachlin , of Meristem Advisors , draw up different scenarios .
@ @ @ @ @ the library with 90 % of its financial resources coming in June , another shows @ @ @ @ @ June , 60 % in September and 80 % again in June 2021 .
He @ @ @ @ @ could happen if tax disbursements after the upcoming June installment are delayed altogether .

The Santori Public Library in downtown Aurora. Aurora Public Library officials are considering employee furloughs due to the coronavirus outbreak. (Jon Langham / The Beacon-News)
As the Aurora Public Library deals with financial issues related to the coronavirus crisis, board members are considering furloughing employees.
Discussion of the possibility took place at a recent Library Board meeting, held remotely online, after board members heard possible scenarios that could decrease revenue for the library in the coming months.
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“Nobody wants to talk about it, but I think senior staff has to get together to see if furloughs have to happen,” said Library Board President Andrew Smith. “We need to see that model sooner than later. I know, it’s ugly, unpleasant to discuss.”
Michaela Haberkern, library director, told the board she would begin having the discussion with staff. She also said she would organize a meeting of the board’s Finance Committee to discuss it too.
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Much of the library staff is not working right now, because library buildings have been closed, and programming at the library facilities has been canceled. Some employees are working remotely, organizing online materials for library patrons, and online programming for adults and children.
There currently are 147 library employees, although the library’s head count when full is 159 people. That means the library is at about 90% employment, and likewise is spending about 90% of its personnel budget, officials said.
The library has a planned tax levy of $13.5 million for this year, and another about $1.2 million for its bond fund. That makes its total levy about $14.7 million for 2020, which is what the Aurora City Council approved for it during last year’s budget preparation.
That was the last thing the city will approve for the library, because both entities voted last year to have the institution leave as a city library and become a library district - its own independent governmental body. Haberkern said planned court appearances relative to that still are happening.
So, while the levy is set for the library this year, library officials are concerned that some people might not be able to pay property taxes on time. Earlier this month, the city of Aurora estimated that 10% of people might not pay property taxes on time in June. Kane County has already said it would waive late fees for people paying up to 30 days after the June 1 payment date.
It could be even worse in September, when the second installment of taxes is due. For that reason, library officials had their financial advisor, Jamie Rachlin, of Meristem Advisors, draw up different scenarios. In one, he shows the library with 90% of its financial resources coming in June, another shows 80% taxes received in June, 60% in September and 80% again in June 2021. He also added one showing what could happen if tax disbursements after the upcoming June installment are delayed altogether.
In the first two scenarios, Rachlin said the effect is similar. By May 2021, the library still would have a fund balance of about $2 million, enough to run the library. In the third scenario, if no tax money is received and the library spends at its 2019 levels, the library would run out of money at the end of this July.
May is when the library traditionally has its lowest fund balance because it gets property tax installments twice a year - in June and September. The library runs almost entirely on property taxes.
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Rachlin said because it’s possible more people will lose jobs or not get jobs back during the summer, they could miss mortgage payments and there could be even less property tax in the second installment, in September.
Already, library administrators have kept spending to 2019 levels, instead of 2020, said Haberkern. She said because of that, the current fund balance “is better than we thought.”
Haberkern said one reason for that is that the library has stopped buying materials for the buildings, and is only buying materials that can be used or accessed online. Salaries have been kept where they are, although Haberkern said the library is in the midst of negotiations with units represented by the Association of Federal, State, County and Municipal Employees, or AFSCME.
The library also is holding off on any planned capital expenditures for at least a year, maybe two. The library had planned to do renovations at several of its locations this year.
Board members noted the irony of possibly having to cut at the library, which is an important resource for children who are out of school and their parents. Library Board member Joe Filapek noted that the staff and the library have resources to help people “navigating unemployment.”
“If there ever was a time the importance of the Aurora Public Library was evident, it’s now,” said Library Board member John Savage.
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slord@tribpub.com


chicagotribune--2020-04-24--Brasserie Jo returns after 10 years as a carryout-only popup serving set dinners

Of all the restaurants I ’ ve seen come and go in my ( mumble mumble ) years on this @ @ @ @ @ among those I miss most .
It opened in September 1995 as an affordable way @ @ @ @ @ ’ s Alsatian cuisine ( apart from his expensive , four-star Everest ) .
Brasserie @ @ @ @ @ the hottest restaurants in town , its popularity validated by a Best New Restaurant award @ @ @ @ @ the following spring .

Of all the restaurants I’ve seen come and go in my (mumble mumble) years on this job, Brasserie Jo is among those I miss most. It opened in September 1995 as an affordable way to experience chef Jean Joho’s Alsatian cuisine (apart from his expensive, four-star Everest). Brasserie Jo quickly became one of the hottest restaurants in town, its popularity validated by a Best New Restaurant award from the James Beard Foundation the following spring.
“Four star food at a one-star price,” I wrote back then. It closed in 2010.
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The Brasserie Jo carryout menu includes coq au vin, green salad, carrots and chocolate mousse. (Allison Gallese)
And now Brasserie Jo is back — sort of. Working out of the Osteria Via Stato space (which is a Lettuce Entertain You restaurant as was Brassierie Jo), Joho is putting together set dinners of Brasserie Jo favorites, portioned for two and priced at an attractive $32.95.
“French food at a reasonable price; that’s what a brasserie is supposed to be,” Joho said. “Dinner for two for $32.95 is very affordable. So many people have asked me ‘when are you opening another brasserie,’ and now I have time, so why not?”
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Chef Jean Joho, shown in his Everest dining room in 2018, says about the Brasserie Jo carryout pop-up, “French food at a reasonable price; that’s what a brasserie is supposed to be.” (Terrence Antonio James / Chicago Tribune)
The opening menu, which will be available for no-contact curbside pickup through May 9, includes carrots a la Jo (think thyme-seasoned carrot crudites) and a demi-baguette, two items that were complimentary openers at Brasserie Jo. There’s also a green salad with chopped egg and light vinaigrette, and coq au vin with knepla (Alsatian dumplings) — another Brasserie Jo mainstay. Dessert is chocolate mousse.
A short selection of wine bottles also is available.
Dinners can be ordered, via Tock, here. Orders must be placed by 1 p.m. the day of pickup (at Osteria Via Stato, 620 N. State St.).
Brasserie Jo, shown in 1995, reigned on Hubbard Street for 15 years, serving steak frites, tarte flambe and other casual French dishes. (Lettuce Entertain You Enterprises)
Joho says more Brasserie Jo faves will appear on subsequent menus. I’m rooting for the tarte flambee (sort of an Alsatian pizza) and steak frites, but Joho told me not to count on it.
“One thing you have to be careful about is what travels,” he said. “I can make steak frites, but french fries never travel very well. Thin pizza doesn’t travel. Which is why I never wanted to do carryout. But we have to do something, and I think people like returning to comfort food.”


chicagotribune--2020-04-24--Cubs Charities donates iPads to keep UIC hospital patients connected to families

Not all patients have their own iPads , he said , and doctors and nurses were sometimes using their own @ @ @ @ @ loved ones .
The hospital also asked for stands for some of the devices because @ @ @ @ @ weak to hold an iPad , and COVID-19 patients are sometimes put on their stomachs @ @ @ @ @ making it difficult to handle any technology .

As hospital patients battle illness alone — a consequence of visitor restrictions during the coronavirus pandemic — staff members are figuring out how to use technology to connect them to loved ones.
At the University of Illinois Hospital in Chicago, more iPads were needed to do so. Cubs Charities answered the call.
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The charity arm of the Chicago Cubs has been delivering meals to front-line health care workers in recent weeks, specifically focusing on hospitals and clinics that are more in need on the South and West sides, including UIC. Dr. Terry Vanden Hoek, chief medical officer, said the charity asked him after a meal delivery if the hospital needed anything else.
“That’s always a nice sentence to hear,” he said.
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A member of his staff had just told him of a friend who lost her husband to COVID-19, and noted that the man died alone, unable to be with his wife, even over FaceTime. The staff member asked Vanden Hoek, “What are we doing at UI Health to prevent this from happening?'”
“It’s a good question,” he said.
After consulting with IT staff, Vanden Hoek said he let Cubs Charities know the hospital needed iPads for the patients to communicate with their families.
Not all patients have their own iPads, he said, and doctors and nurses were sometimes using their own phones so patients could call loved ones. The hospital also asked for stands for some of the devices because critical patients often are too weak to hold an iPad, and COVID-19 patients are sometimes put on their stomachs for a respiratory treatment, making it difficult to handle any technology.
Cubs Charities funded the purchase of 75 iPads, 75 cases and 25 stands, recently delivered to the hospital. Some are already in use, throughout the hospital, not just in COVID-19 units, Vanden Hoek said.
The charity wants to promote a sense of community and this seemed like the perfect fit, especially as it looks to help those in the city in the greatest need, said Executive Director Alicia Gonzalez.
“While we know this is a disease that isolates folks, it’s even more so for vulnerable populations,” she said. “There’s a digital divide with our vulnerable populations. A lot of them don’t have iPads; they don’t have the access to connect with their families.”
“It’s a really important connection to make,” Vanden Hoek added, and not just for critical patients during the final hours of life. “Being in a hospital is a stressful enough thing, and you’re fighting illness — you want to get well.”
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Besides support, making a connection can also help “orient” someone during a hospital stay, he said.
“We know having visits from people you recognize, seeing familiar faces, can get you back to some level of orientation,” he said. “Your wife calls every morning, or your son calls every evening.”
One patient just used an iPad to help celebrate a grandchild’s birthday, Vanden Hoek said. Families with babies in the neonatal intensive care unit are using them. And another patient used one to communicate with his mother, who was also in the hospital, both sick with COVID-19.
“We’ve had many, many big wins here already in figuring out how to deal with COVID, but this is one of the bigger wins I’ve seen,” he said.
kthayer@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-04-24--Amid COVID-19 pandemic, federal judge allows Green and Libertarian Party presidential and U.S. Senat

Amid COVID-19 pandemic, federal judge allows Green and Libertarian Party presidential and U.S. Senate candidates on November ballot without having  to gather signatures

“ Voters are supposed to have the final say on who governs them , but they do n't if their @ @ @ @ @ two major parties , and in many races in Illinois there is only one candidate @ @ @ @ @ choice at all.
, ” he said .
“ Judge Pallmeyer did an excellent job @ @ @ @ @ providing independent and third party candidates a doable way to get on the ballot in @ @ @ @ @ .
”

A federal judge on Thursday issued an order that allows presidential, vice presidential and U.S. Senate candidates for the Green and Libertarian parties on Illinois’ Nov. 3 general election ballot without the normal petition-gathering process, which the judge called a “nearly insurmountable hurdle” amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
U.S. District Judge Rebecca Pallmeyer also ruled that most other independent and third-party candidates for lower offices can collect signatures electronically and will need to get only 10% of the previously required signatures to get on the ballot. The deadline for getting the signatures, which will not have to be notarized, was extended from June 22 to Aug. 7 under Pallmeyer’s order.
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“The combined effect of the restrictions on public gatherings imposed by Illinois’ stay-at-home order and the usual in-person signature requirements in the Illinois Election Code is a nearly insurmountable hurdle for new party and independent candidates attempting to have their names placed on the general election ballot,” Pallmeyer wrote.
Pallmeyer’s order was agreed upon by third-party and independent candidate representatives and the state.
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She said it “balances the state’s legitimate interests in ‘preventing voter confusion, blocking frivolous candidates from the ballot, and otherwise protecting the integrity of’ the upcoming election … while also accommodating the significant restrictions on new party and independent candidates’ ability to collect signatures in light of the unprecedented limitations on public gatherings required to reduce the spread of COVID-19.”
The court order said third parties that appeared on the 2016 and 2018 ballot for specific offices would have automatic access to the Nov. 3 ballot without needing signature petitions.
Normally, Green and Libertarian Party candidates for president and U.S. Senate would need a minimum of 25,000 signatures to get on the ballot, and routinely would gather double to ensure their petitions withstood a challenge.
The Green Party in Illinois had been planning to circulate petitions for Howie Hawkins for president, Diane Moxley for vice president and David Black of Rockford for the U.S. Senate. The state Libertarians had sought petition signatures for Bennett Morris for president, Robert Johnson for vice president and Danny Malouf of Woodstock for U.S. Senate.
Pallmeyer’s ruling gives the Green and Libertarian parties until Aug. 7 to submit their candidates for those three offices on the ballot without the need to collect signatures.
The judge’s ruling also means that the Green or Libertarian Party can get a candidate on the ballot automatically if the parties fielded candidates for specific congressional offices in 2016 or 2018.
Sam Cahnman, a Springfield attorney representing independent presidential candidate Kyle Kopitke, who will now be able to qualify for the Illinois ballot, said the judge’s order was a “victory” for democracy.
“Voters are supposed to have the final say on who governs them, but they don't if their choices are restricted to the two major parties, and in many races in Illinois there is only one candidate, so voters have no choice at all.,” he said. “Judge Pallmeyer did an excellent job of balancing the interests, providing independent and third party candidates a doable way to get on the ballot in light of the COVID-19 restrictions.”
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Another legal effort, involving former Gov. Pat Quinn and aimed at challenging laws regarding signatures to place referendum issues on the ballot because of the virus, is still being considered by Pallmeyer with a ruling expected late next month.
rap30@aol.com


chicagotribune--2020-04-24--Illinois wants all shoppers to wear masks at the grocery store. Enforcing that rule is trickier.

Turning shoppers away doesn ’ t necessarily mean turning down a sale , since customers can call in a curbside @ @ @ @ @ while they wait .
Liberman said he ’ s also had to turn away deliveries @ @ @ @ @ dropoff wasn ’ t aware of local rules .
Employees at all four stores were @ @ @ @ @ the local orders went into effect .

Air travelers with and without face masks use a moving walkway toward their gates at Midway International Airport in Chicago on April 19, 2022. (Antonio Perez / Chicago Tribune)
Customers and employees will have to start wearing masks in Illinois stores starting May 1 under the modified stay-at-home order Gov. J.B. Pritzker announced Thursday.
Major chains like Walmart, Target, Whole Foods, CVS and Walgreens say they have already mandated all store employees wear masks or facial coverings. Enforcing the same rule for customers can be more challenging.
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Approaches have varied in suburbs that have already adopted similar rules. Some grocery stores in suburbs that require masks be worn in public say they are turning away shoppers who arrive bare-faced. Others say confronting customers could put employees’ safety at risk.
The Fresh Market, which has 159 stores, including four in Illinois, strongly encourages customers to cover their faces while shopping but doesn’t turn unmasked shoppers away, even where local rules mandate masks.
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[ Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s stay-at-home order will remain in place through May 30. But changes are coming. Here’s what you need to know. ]
“We are asking guests to support this policy for the benefit of our team members, other guests and the community — strict enforcement of this policy could result in unintended consequences and confrontations during an already trying time for many,” spokeswoman Meghan Flynn said in an email.
Walgreens also encourages customers to wear face coverings but, out of concern for employees’ safety, advises against confronting shoppers about the policy or trying to keep them from entering stores, spokeswoman Molly Sheehan said in an email.
Employees do stop maskless shoppers at Foodstuffs grocery stores, and customers have generally been understanding, said President and CEO Jay Liberman. Three of the company’s four north suburban grocery stores are in towns that already require people to cover their faces in public places like stores.
“We’ve had a couple issues with people getting upset, but our customers and the community are more important than one person who might not come back again,” he said.
Turning shoppers away doesn’t necessarily mean turning down a sale, since customers can call in a curbside order and have it filled while they wait. Liberman said he’s also had to turn away deliveries when the worker making the dropoff wasn’t aware of local rules. Employees at all four stores were required to wear masks before the local orders went into effect.
Pritzker said Thursday businesses should enforce the new statewide regulations and keep people from entering without masks, but also said the state isn’t encouraging police to fine or arrest people not wearing masks.
Approaches have varied in suburbs where similar rules are already in place. People violating Evanston’s mask requirement can face fines, though the city is currently focusing on educating consumers about the policy, which went into effect Thursday morning, said communications manager Patrick Deignan.
Niles, on the other hand, said stores can refuse to admit shoppers who aren’t covering their faces and call police if a customer won’t comply. But police aren’t actively enforcing the order, which did not establish a fine.
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Local officials have gotten calls from residents who reported seeing shoppers flouting the rules and the village has provided stores with signs encouraging people to comply, but “we didn’t want to be punitive about it,” said Assistant Village Manager Nick Wyatt.
Several major chains said they encourage shoppers to wear masks in areas where local rules require it. Jewel-Osco and Target said they have employees stationed at the doors to remind shoppers of local ordinances requiring masks.
Jewel-Osco said it works with local law enforcement to ensure shoppers follow local laws but did not comment further on enforcement. Stores including Walmart, Target, Whole Foods and CVS didn’t address questions on to what extent they enforce compliance.
lzumbach@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-04-24--‘I will shoot you!’ carjacker yells.  ‘Are you serious?’ replies off-duty Chicago cop, who then wres

‘I will shoot you!’ carjacker yells.  ‘Are you serious?’ replies off-duty Chicago cop, who then wrestles him into custody in South Loop garage

So the officer did as he was asked , tossing the keys to the man .
“ While the offender @ @ @ @ @ off-duty police officer performed an emergency takedown , '' the report states .
He held @ @ @ @ @ as Isaias Saucedo-Ugalde , 21 , until officers arrived .

The off-duty Chicago police officer was walking to his car in a South Loop parking garage Thursday evening when a man followed him into the elevator, tucked his hand into his sweatshirt and demanded his keys.
“I have a gun and I will shoot you," the man yelled as the elevator headed to the third level of the garage in the 700 block of South Wabash Avenue, according to a police report.
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Isaias Saucedo-Ugalde is charged with attempted robbery after trying to carjack an off-duty Chicago police officer on Thursday, April 23, 2020. (Chicago Police Department)
“Are you serious?" the officer asked.
“I will shoot you," the man threatened again.
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So the officer did as he was asked, tossing the keys to the man. “While the offender was temporarily distracted, the off-duty police officer performed an emergency takedown," the report states. He held the man, later identified as Isaias Saucedo-Ugalde, 21, until officers arrived.
The garage is near the Hotel Essex, where the officer and other first responders have been staying after their shifts during the coronavirus outbreak.
Saucedo-Ugalde, of the 4400 block of South Fairfield Avenue, was charged with attempted robbery. He was scheduled to appear at a bond hearing Friday afternoon at the Leighton Criminal Court Building.
rsobol@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-04-24--Daywatch: Pritzker extends ‘modified’ shutdown, the difficulty of enforcing masks and a chef’s pande

Daywatch: Pritzker extends ‘modified’ shutdown, the difficulty of enforcing masks and a chef’s pandemic pivot to tamale pickup

Gov .
J.B. Pritzker announced Thursday he will extend a statewide stay-at-home order through May 30 , with modifications beginning @ @ @ @ @ people to wear a mask or face covering in most public settings , allow certain @ @ @ @ @ precautions and start a phased-reopening of outdoor recreation including state parks .

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Good morning, Chicago. Here’s the coronavirus news and other top stories you need to know to start your day.
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Illinois officials reported 1,826 new known cases and 123 fatalities on Thursday, bringing state totals to 36,934 known cases and 1,688 deaths
In the U.S., there have been more than 867,000 confirmed cases and nearly 50,000 deaths, according to Johns Hopkins University on Thursday
Around the world, more than 2.7 million have been infected and over 190,000 have died according to Johns Hopkins University on Thursday
Breaking coronavirus news Stay up to date with the latest information on coronavirus with our breaking news alerts.
After finishing their schoolwork, 7-year-old Leo Zimmerman and his 8-year-old sister, Ada, wave to passersby from inside their home as their dog, Vince, watches on April 21, 2020, in Chicago. (John J. Kim/Chicago Tribune)
Gov. J.B. Pritzker announced Thursday he will extend a statewide stay-at-home order through May 30, with modifications beginning May 1 that will require people to wear a mask or face covering in most public settings, allow certain businesses to reopen with distancing precautions and start a phased-reopening of outdoor recreation including state parks.
Pritzker, flanked by experts at his daily briefing on Thursday, pointed to models that show if the order was lifted, it would result in a “second wave” of COVID-19 infections, hospitalizations and deaths.
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Here are the changes to Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s stay-at-home order that you need to know about
Mayor Lori Lightfoot prepares to talk about the coronavirus economic recovery plan at the Water Tower on April 23, 2020. (Brian Cassella / Chicago Tribune)
Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot has enlisted the help of former President George H.W. Bush’s chief of staff in launching an economic recovery task force to help guide the city’s response to the coronavirus pandemic.
Lightfoot announced the COVID-19 Recovery Taskforce outside the Water Tower downtown as a nod to the city’s resilience and recovery from the Great Chicago Fire.
A pedestrian wears a protective face mask while walking past tulips on North Michigan Avenue, April 23, 2020. Gov. J.B. Pritzker extend a statewide stay-at-home order through May 30, with modifications. (Armando L. Sanchez / Chicago Tribune)
Most people 2 or older will be required to wear a face covering in public anytime they can’t maintain 6 feet of distance from others, including at indoor places such as stores.
Businesses will have to require that all employees and customers wear face coverings, and “essential” businesses must provide them to all employees who can’t maintain proper social distance.
Illinois wants all shoppers to wear masks at the grocery store. Enforcing that rule is trickier.
Andrew Wojda, substance use advocate with the Night Ministry, delivers sandwiches and counts homeless people on CTA Blue Line trains early April 22, 2020. Social service agencies have reported an uptick in the number of homeless people sheltering on CTA trains during the pandemic. (E. Jason Wambsgans/Chicago Tribune)
When Melody Shipman and her boyfriend were evicted last month and couldn’t find space in a homeless shelter, they started sleeping on the “L.”
“It’s cold, and because of COVID, everything’s closed,” said Shipman, 28, who rode CTA trains for about a month before finding a spot in a shelter last week. “You can’t hang out in the laundromats.”
Chicken tamales from Santa Masa Tamaleria. Daniel Espinoza started making the tamales from his home but soon realized he needed more space, and transferred operations to the kitchen of his yet-to-open Mexican seafood restaurant. (Nick Kindelsperger / Chicago Tribune)
Like a lot of restaurateurs, Daniel Espinoza had big plans for 2020. While planning to remain as executive chef at Cantina Laredo in River North, he was also getting ready to open a neighborhood restaurant in Avondale.
“We know what happened,” says Espinoza, referring to the coronavirus pandemic and the closing of all Illinois restaurant dining rooms. With those plans on hold, he had to dream up something else fast. “That’s when the idea for Santa Masa Tamaleria came about.”


chicagotribune--2020-04-24--An unexpected ripple effect of COVID-19: Important work to restore parts of Cook County forest prese

An unexpected ripple effect of COVID-19: Important work to restore parts of Cook County forest preserves is put on hold

Ross ’ volunteers are considering going out to the prairie individually to remove weeds .
Though they usually do the @ @ @ @ @ solo excursions to the area would allow them to mitigate some of the spread but @ @ @ @ @ being in contact with other volunteers .

In the fall, crews started work on a $2.5 million project to restore woodlands in a more than 500-acre Forest Preserves site near Orland Park.
They removed non-native trees and brush throughout the winter to preserve resources for the natural trees and bring sunlight to the forest floor at the ecologically valuable land at Tinley Creek Ravines.
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Now, the restoration work in Orland Park and elsewhere across Cook County is halted due to the COVID-19 pandemic. An unexpected ripple effect of the pandemic, weeds will creep unabated across land maintained by the Cook County Forest Preserve District, meaning the county may need to expend more funds and manpower to get rid of the extra weed growth when life returns to normal.
As a result, some land projects will lose ground as the state’s stay-at-home order that began in March will be extended to the end of May.
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“The longer you let them go, the worse the problem gets, kind of like coronavirus itself," said John McCabe, director of the Department of Resource Management for the Cook County Forest Preserve District.
Plant life grows in the Tinley Park Ravines Cook County Forest Preserve on April 18, 2020. (Erin Hooley / Chicago Tribune)
But the health of work crews, staff members and the general public is much more important than continuing with the land projects, McCabe said. And officials believe they will be able to get back on track later without too much hassle.
Still, much is unknown about how long the state will remain shuttered, and the invasive plants will be more difficult to remove the longer they are allowed to spread.
“It’s like you’re wasting work, in a way,” McCabe said of their weed removal efforts this winter.
The Cook County Forest Preserve District manages 69,000 acres, some of it outfitted with picnic areas, and walking and biking trails for recreation. Other areas are preserved for their ecological value. Crews with the Forest Preserves are restoring acres across Cook County to their original habitat in order to allow native plants and animals to flourish.
Among those are the Tinley Creek Ravines and the Somme Prairie Nature Preserve in Northbrook, where work crews and volunteers are turning the land back to its original prairie.
In both areas, workers would normally be removing weeds and other invasive growth throughout the spring and summer as they work to restore the land.
At Somme Prairie, volunteers finished planting prairie seeds over the winter, and would normally be turning to the next phase of the project, said Laurel Ross, a volunteer steward who works in the area.
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“Spring and summer, these are the seasons we need to tackle some of our worst weeds,” Ross said. “We’ll lose ground if we skip a season.”
Ross’ volunteers are considering going out to the prairie individually to remove weeds. Though they usually do the work in a group, solo excursions to the area would allow them to mitigate some of the spread but not have to worry about being in contact with other volunteers.
In the spring, along with weed removal, the volunteers also place cages over some endangered plants so they aren’t eaten by deer. As Ross notes, “deer are not prevented from going out in groups," so they hope they can continue some of that work, one by one.
At the Tinley Creek Ravines, McCabe said there are contingency dollars built into the project that will allow them “wiggle room” to get back on track when the state reopens.
The area’s network of ravines has patches of woodlands that appear to have been untouched by plowing or logging.
“It’s a really unique habitat,” he said.
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Charles O’Leary, deputy director for resource management at the Forest Preserves, said officials plan to monitor the situation to make sure they’re not “losing too much ground.”
Many weeds don’t sprout in earnest until later in the spring or until the summer, he said, so there’s still some time before invasive growths become rampant. And conservation work in natural areas is always a work in progress, he said.
“The interesting thing is, managing a natural area is never done,” he said.
For Ross, she is finding solace in the Forest Preserves during this time of crisis, but as the volunteers look for ways to keep an eye on the ecological health of the land, she asks county residents to be careful with the land as well.
“I have also seen some really inappropriate behavior in some Forest Preserves recently,” she said, citing people bringing dogs without a leash, and going off the trails and trampling wildflowers. "The Forest Preserves are a definite treasure. They’re a place for us to interact with nature in a way that really feeds our soul.
“But please be respectful.”
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mabuckley@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-04-24--The latest from editorial cartoonist Scott Stantis

While it ’ s tempting to order takeout or whip up a quick dinner using canned goods , the fresh @ @ @ @ @ to close in on their use-by date .
If you want to avoid your chicken @ @ @ @ @ wilting , the Food and Drug Administration provides a refrigerator and freezer storage chart so @ @ @ @ @ each food in your home is good for .

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