chicagotribune--2020-02-27--His brother stumbled back into Richard’s Bar after being stabbed. He had to decide: ‘Do I hold my br

His brother stumbled back into Richard’s Bar after being stabbed. He had to decide: ‘Do I hold my brother for his last dying breaths … or go find the guy who did this?’

Chicago police officers arrived and detained the man , who they said was 30 years old .
Paterimos was taken @ @ @ @ @ he died .
Doctors counted eight stab and slash wounds : one in the left @ @ @ @ @ back of the head , two in the right arm , one in the left @ @ @ @ @ back collarbone , according to police .
A box cutter was recovered at the scene @ @ @ @ @ .

Santiago Bueno trains at the Sam Colonna boxing gym on West 35th Street in Chicago on Feb. 25, 2020, while thinking of his brother Kenneth Paterimos, who was killed days earlier outside a Chicago bar. (Terrence Antonio James / Chicago Tribune)
Santiago Bueno hurled his fists at a red punching bag. It made it easier to talk about his younger brother, just days after seeing him die.
“That’s the only way it’s going to get anything out,” said Bueno, a trained mixed martial arts teacher.
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In between wide swings and quick jabs, Bueno said the night his brother Kenneth Paterimos was killed began as a celebration.
Bueno had just been offered three jobs, two of them coaching at high schools and another as a trainer at Floyd Mayweather’s upcoming boxing gym. He immediately knew how he wanted to share his good fortune Friday night: with his younger brother. After locating him through Snapchat, he met up with him at Richard’s Bar in West Town.
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Paterimos, 23, first tried to give his brother a shot of liquor. Bueno said he just laughed and swatted the glass out of his hand. On hearing the news about the job offers, Paterimos gave his brother a tight hug and a kiss on the cheek. Then he darted off to dance with a group of women.
Bueno was chatting with their other brother and his girlfriend when a man with a heavy build bumped into him. He said the man, visibly intoxicated, shot him an aggressive look, a “mean mug” face, which he ignored.
[ Police: Man claims self-defense after he yelled gay slur at another man in West Side bar, then stabbed him to death outside ]
Soon afterward, Bueno said, he heard a commotion on the dance floor and looked over to see his little brother pinned under the man who had nudged him earlier. He pulled the man off Paterimos, pushed him against the jukebox and told him to leave, which he did after much resistance, Bueno said.
When the man left, Bueno told employees at Richard’s Bar that the other man had been the aggressor, and the staff said Paterimos could stay. But Paterimos was agitated. “I just need a cigarette,” Bueno recalled his brother saying before walking out.
Bueno said he realized his brother’s attacker had just left through the same exit minutes earlier, so he scrambled to follow him. Before making it to the door, he saw Paterimos stagger into the bar.
His younger brother fell into his arms, bloodied, and Bueno said he sensed that Paterimos was going to die.
“As I’m coming out, he bunches in the door, a bloody mess,” Bueno said. “I held him for as long as a handful of seconds until I had to realize — which I would never wish any human being to feel — do I hold my brother for his last dying breaths on earth or go find the guy who did this to him?”
[ 23-year-old barista killed in stabbing at Richard’s Bar in West Town: ‘He was a great guy. I’m just in shock.' ]
Bueno bolted outside and saw the man walking down the street while holding a knife. He grabbed the man’s collar, hooking his foot behind his heel and yanking him down. The man began to raise his hand with the knife, and Bueno said he bent the man’s arm until he heard it snap. All the while, Bueno was screaming at people who had followed him to call 911.
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Chicago police officers arrived and detained the man, who they said was 30 years old. Paterimos was taken to Stroger Hospital, where he died. Doctors counted eight stab and slash wounds: one in the left ear, three in the back of the head, two in the right arm, one in the left chest and one in the back collarbone, according to police. A box cutter was recovered at the scene, a police source said.
No charges as investigation continues
As Bueno recounted the harrowing details, the cadence of his jabs picked up and beads of sweat rolled down his forehead. Sometimes he paused and focused on pummeling the punching bag. The hits ebbed once he finished reliving the scene, tempering into an even drumbeat as he remembered the man his brother was.
A barista at Step Down Cafe in Pilsen, Paterimos was a peaceful, easygoing person who could be counted on to lift any grim mood with his jokes, Bueno said. His energy seemed to burst from his slight frame.
Paterimos dreamed of one day growing and brewing his own coffee beans. He loved living in Chicago and nursed a special love for the Austin neighborhood, where he had recently moved. “He just wanted to be happy, everything to be positive and just a good time,” said his younger brother, Anthony Paterimos, 21. “In this dark world, my brother was my light.”
Kenneth Paterimos (Photo courtesy of Matthew Meza) (Photo courtesy of Matthew Meza)
Kenneth Paterimos had recently come out as bisexual, and his family wonders if his sexual orientation had something to do with his death. An officer asked the family if he was gay, and said witnesses related that the man had yelled homophobic slurs during the fight inside the bar, Bueno said.
Bueno didn’t hear any slur, but he said his brother does not tolerate such language and would likely have been angry.
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“If he called him a homophobic slur, yeah, you can absolutely look at that as a hate crime,” Bueno said. “It just, it throws me off that things like this are real. … What’s there to really hate unless you’re just extremely rude and you’re resentful of your own life?”
Police have released the 30-year-old without charges, saying they are still investigating the man’s claim of self-defense and are working to corroborate other details of the attack. There is no indication in police records that Paterimos had a weapon. The records also say witnesses reported the slur.
“We are currently in a position where we need to corroborate statements that were given to detectives concerning a potential self-defense claim,” Chicago police spokesman Anthony Guglielmi said in a statement. “As we have said and the state’s attorney confirmed, charges have not been declined in this case and the investigation is continuing.”
[ Police: Man claims self-defense after he yelled gay slur at another man in West Side bar, then stabbed him to death outside ]
When a suspect is taken into police custody, the Cook County state’s attorney’s office has up to 48 hours to file charges in the case before the individual must be let go, except under extraordinary circumstances.
As the investigation continued over the weekend with no charges, Bueno said he felt detectives were treating him as the suspect, questioning him over and over about the injuries the 30-year-old suffered.
“Chicago already has enough murders and homicides that go on with (no consequences),” Bueno said. “This is the situation where we have the guy, and we have the weapon, and we know it was in his hands. I’m telling you this because I caught him.”
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Guglielmi declined to comment further. The state’s attorney’s office declined comment, citing the continuing police investigation.
Skepticism about self-defense
Two witnesses to the bar fight, who requested anonymity due to safety concerns, told the Tribune they believed the 30-year-old was the instigator of the bar fight. They recalled him threatening Paterimos before leaving.
Neither said they heard the initial argument or any homophobic slurs because they were sitting too far away at the bar. But both said that, as the 30-year-old was leaving, he told Paterimos he would rip out his nose ring.
One of the witnesses said he began applying pressure on Paterimos’ wounds while Bueno left to search for the attacker. “I had thought he had died right there in my hands,” the witness said. “I saw him pass out with his eyes open, and he was lifeless at that moment.”
Citing the heavy intoxication of the 30-year-old and the difference between his size and Paterimos’, the two witnesses said they were perplexed at the self-defense claim.
“It says everything about our justice system,” said the witness who had stayed with Paterimos. “The murder weapon was found outside on the floor. Do they check for fingerprints anymore? It doesn’t make sense.”
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Under Illinois law, a person is justified in the use of force if they reasonably believe the action is necessary to defend against “imminent use of unlawful force.” It may only be applied to prevent “imminent death or great bodily harm” or the commission of a forcible felony such as murder, rape, arson or burglary. It is not justified if the person using force provokes the other individual with the intent to use force as an excuse to inflict bodily harm.
As Bueno finally voiced some optimism that he will see his brother’s killer in court, he stopped working the punching bag. In those moments, he said, he can hear his brother comforting him.
“Don’t,” he heard his brother say, encouraging him not to cry. “I’m OK.”
The Tribune’s Katherine Rosenberg-Douglas contributed
ayin@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-02-25--Elmhurst Hospital seeks approval for 525-space parking garage

Dunn asked why extra parking spots are needed .
Officials said the existing lots don ’ t provide enough spaces @ @ @ @ @ situation that happens several times every day .
It ’ s not reasonable , they @ @ @ @ @ patients and other users to search over the 54-acre campus for parking .
A formal @ @ @ @ @ be available for the March 4 meeting with neighbors .

Elmhurst officials, including aldermen on the Development, Planning and Zoning Committee, heard from representatives of Elmhurst Hospital on plans for a new 525-space, five-story parking garage. (Graydon Megan / Pioneer Press)
For patients and visitors who have circled Elmhurst Hospital’s lots looking for a parking spot, relief is, if not in sight, at least in the planning stages in the form of a five-story, 525-stall parking deck on the north side of the hospital’s campus.
Elmhurst aldermen on the city’s Development, Planning and Zoning Committee Monday heard plans from hospital officials calling for the structure to be built parallel to Harvard Street, roughly opposite the southwest corner of Harvard Street and Kendall Avenue.
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Subject to city approval, the proposal moves forward as a planned unit development, which adds extra steps before the plan goes to the city’s Zoning and Planning Commission.
Those extra steps include this week’s discussion, a review by aldermen on the Development Committee and a required meeting with neighbors. That meeting is set for 7 to 9 p.m. March 4 at the hospital.
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Hospital officials said this week they hope to begin construction this May and complete the project by spring of next year.
Ald. Michael Honquest, committee chairman, said the planned unit development process is relatively new for the city, as well as for applicants like the hospital. He and committee members Aldermen Bob Dunn and Mark Mulliner heard details of the plan and asked about various aspects of the project.
Hospital representatives said the structure will be cast in place with the exterior being precast concrete. The exterior materials and design will match the existing hospital building, representatives said. The top parking surface will be about 45 feet high.
Access to the garage will be from Harvard Street as well as from the north end of the campus.
Mulliner asked about plans for managing stormwater on the site. Hospital officials said the new garage will add very little impervious surface to the overall campus. However, stormwater management provisions are already in place for excess capacity to cover the increased impervious surface, they said.
Dunn asked why extra parking spots are needed. Officials said the existing lots don’t provide enough spaces for present traffic, a situation that happens several times every day. It’s not reasonable, they say, for visitors, patients and other users to search over the 54-acre campus for parking. A formal parking study is expected to be available for the March 4 meeting with neighbors.
Hospital officials noted that growing visits to the Center for Health on the east side of the campus for outpatient procedures, rehabilitation and doctor visits have created additional parking demand.
Mayor Steve Morley, who sat in on Monday’s meeting, said he was familiar with the shortage of spaces.
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“I can never find a spot in the parking lot east of the Center (for Health),” Morley said. “I get it, it’s about convenience and safety.”
Plans are in place to ease parking problems during construction, hospital officials said.
Those plans include having staff park in the hospital’s existing Lot 3, at the northwest corner of Harvard and Kirk Avenue. Shuttle service is also being arranged to temporary daytime parking in lots on the Elmhurst Christian Reformed Church, 149 W. Brush Hill Rd., west of the hospital campus.
Mark Hoffman of Edward-Elmhurst Health, said the intent is to minimize traffic through the neighborhood around the hospital.
Following the meeting with neighbors, the proposed project will go to the city’s Zoning and Planning Commission for an April public hearing.
Graydon Megan is a freelance reporter.


chicagotribune--2020-03-15--Lindsey Lagestee, pharmacist and singer with country band Dixie Crush, dead at 25

“ She had this presence about her that people were able to connect to her in just unbelievable ways without @ @ @ @ @ felt like they knew her , ” said Mike Denning , Dixie Crush ’ s @ @ @ @ @ did a large number of shows where there would be families there , and during @ @ @ @ @ go down in front and kids would just come up to her .
Kids loved @ @ @

A pharmacist by day, Lindsey R. Lagestee was the lead female singer since 2015 for the Chicago-area country band Dixie Crush. (Jeff Berger Photography)
A pharmacist by day, Lindsey R. Lagestee found ways to connect with audiences of all ages as the lead female singer since 2015 for the Chicago-area country band Dixie Crush.
“She had this presence about her that people were able to connect to her in just unbelievable ways without really knowing her. People felt like they knew her,” said Mike Denning, Dixie Crush’s guitarist. “And we did a large number of shows where there would be families there, and during breaks, Lindsey would always go down in front and kids would just come up to her. Kids loved her.”
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Lagestee, 25, died Feb. 17 at Advocate Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn after being struck by a car three days earlier near the Firewater Saloon in the Southwest Side Mount Greenwood neighborhood, said her mother, Linda. Lagestee had lived in South Holland.
Born in Harvey, Lagestee grew up in South Holland and graduated from Illiana Christian High School.
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As a youngster, she tried to assist nurses who cared for her disabled sister, her mother said. As a 15-year-old, she started working in the meat department at Walt’s Food Center in Crete but quickly transitioned to being a pharmacy technician.
Lagestee took piano lessons for 12 years and also was in choir, her mother said.
“Lindsey loved choir. She just loved singing,” Linda Lagestee said.
After high school, Lagestee studied for two years at Lewis University in Romeoville before entering a pharmacy program at Midwestern University in Downers Grove. She graduated with a doctor of pharmacy degree in 2018.
After graduating, Lagestee moved around the area as part of a one-year pharmacist’s residency with Osco Drug. She briefly moved to Bloomington last year for an Osco job before returning to South Holland and making long daily commutes to central Illinois each day, her mother said. Just two weeks before her death, she had started a job at PharmScript in Burr Ridge.
After starting college, Lagestee began recording YouTube videos in which she would sing cover versions of songs by artists like the Wreckers, Taylor Swift and Ed Sheeran. That made her a natural for Dixie Crush, which was formed in 2015 and aimed at performing chart-topping country Top 40 hits in clubs, festivals and for corporate shows.
Lagestee wound up performing hundreds of shows with Dixie Crush.
“I never saw her make a mistake,” Denning said. “And she was so accomplished at such a unique and young age to be a full doctor of pharmacy, achieving things in her professional life as well. I was always so proud of what she was able to do.”
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Denning said that from the stage and everywhere else, Lagestee’s “message to people was kindness and happiness.”
“She used music to communicate her kindness and her faith and her belief in people as good, kind people,” he said. “My true joy was being able to stand next to her on stage for five years.”
Lindsey’s love of performing flowed through to how she sang cover songs, her mother said.
“She wouldn’t just sing a song — she would put on a show,” her mother said. “She acted out every one of her songs. She had a box full of funny hats that she would put on, and she even put on a choir robe. That’s why Dixie Crush was so special — they made the crowd a part of the show.”
Despite Lagestee’s busy schedule, she sought to connect with every attendee seeing her band and every patient at her pharmacy window.
“If anybody needed anything, she was there for them,” her mother said.
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In addition to her mother, Lagestee is survived by her father, Vaughn; three sisters, Samantha Staley, Carrie Byrns and Lauren; her grandparents, Gladys Pratscher, Cherie and Paul Markiewicz and Nancy Lagestee.
Services were held.
Goldsborough is a freelance reporter.


chicagotribune--2020-03-15--Watch live: White House coronavirus task force holds briefing

Vice President Mike Pence and the White House ’ s coronavirus task force are holding their daily briefing to update @ @ @ @ @ Get the latest updates here .

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chicagotribune--2020-03-15--QB Ryan Tannehill agrees to a 4-year, $118 million extension with the Titans

Tannehill threw for 2,742 yards with 22 touchdowns and six interceptions during the regular season .
His 9.6 yards per @ @ @ @ @ as another team record .
He also set a team mark for completion percentage , @ @ @ @ @ passes for third overall in the NFL .
He also ran for 185 yards with @ @ @ @ @ .

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — The Tennessee Titans are keeping the quarterback that led them within a victory of the Super Bowl, agreeing to a four-year, $118 million extension with Ryan Tannehill.
The Titans announced the deal Sunday, hours after the NFL Players Association approved a new collective bargaining agreement.
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After being traded by Miami to Tennessee last March, Tannehill went 9-4 overall as a starter, 7-3 over the final 10 games of the regular season. He led the NFL with a career-best 117.5 passer rating, the fourth highest in NFL history and a franchise best.
Tannehill threw for 2,742 yards with 22 touchdowns and six interceptions during the regular season. His 9.6 yards per attempt also led the league as another team record. He also set a team mark for completion percentage, completing 70.3% of his passes for third overall in the NFL. He also ran for 185 yards with four TDs on 43 carries.
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He helped lead the Titans to their first AFC championship appearance in 17 years after road wins at New England and Baltimore. They lost at Kansas City one win short of the Super Bowl.
Tannehill earned his first Pro Bowl nod and was The Associated Press NFL Comeback Player of the Year.
This extension now allows the Titans to either franchise tag NFL rushing leader Derrick Henry or sign him to an extension.


chicagotribune--2020-03-15--Indiana reports 4 new virus cases, bringing total to 19

For most people , the new coronavirus causes only mild or moderate symptoms , such as fever and cough .
@ @ @ @ @ adults and people with existing health problems , it can cause more severe illness , @ @ @ @ @ mild illness recover in about two weeks .

INDIANAPOLIS — State officials on Sunday announced four new coronavirus cases, bringing the total number statewide to 19.
The new COVID-19 cases involved residents of Hamilton and Marion counties, according to the Indiana State Department of Health. State officials said 11 Indiana counties now have cases.
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For most people, the new coronavirus causes only mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia. People with mild illness recover in about two weeks.
Widespread closures are continuing in an effort to slow the spread. Officials in Delaware County announced Sunday that the prosecutor's office will be closed to the public starting Monday.
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Gov. Eric Holcomb has declined to order all schools to close to reduce spread of the virus, unlike governors in other states. He said it should be a local decision.
Indiana schools can close for up to 20 days without having to make up the lost classroom time.
Casinos and racetracks will be closed for at least two weeks, starting Monday, state regulators said.
___
The Associated Press receives support for health and science coverage from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Department of Science Education. The AP is solely responsible for all content.


chicagotribune--2020-03-15--NFL players vote to pass the new CBA by a margin of 1,019 to 959 — and that means a 17-game season.

NFL players vote to pass the new CBA by a margin of 1,019 to 959 — and that means a 17-game season. Here’s what else to expect with the new deal.

“ We are pleased that the players have voted to ratify the proposed new CBA , which will provide substantial @ @ @ @ @ retired players , increase jobs , ensure continued progress on player safety , and give @ @ @ @ @ football , ” NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said in a statement .
“ We appreciate @ @ @ @ @ members of the Management Council Executive Committee and the NFLPA leadership , both of whom @ @ @ @ @ detailed , good faith negotiations to reach this comprehensive , transformative agreement .
”

A 17-game season is coming to the NFL after players voted to pass the league’s new collective bargaining agreement after months of negotiations between owners and the players association, the NFLPA announced Sunday morning.
The new agreement, which will run through the 2030 season, also ensures playoff expansion to 14 teams will happen in 2020. It increases players’ revenue share to at least 48%. And it improves working conditions for players by increasing roster sizes, reducing padded training camp practices and putting new caps on practice times.
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The owners don’t have the option to expand the season to 17 games until at least 2021.
The more immediate change for fans will be playoff expansion this season. Seven teams from each conference will qualify, but only the top seed from each will receive a first-round bye, according to ESPN. That means there will be six games on the first weekend of the playoffs.
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The 2,000-some NFL players who received the ballot had from March 5-14 to decide which way to vote. The NFLPA said the vote passed by a total of 1,019 to 959.
Our statement on the CBA vote: pic.twitter.com/3pXydLLQ9c — NFLPA (@NFLPA) March 15, 2020
“We are pleased that the players have voted to ratify the proposed new CBA, which will provide substantial benefits to all current and retired players, increase jobs, ensure continued progress on player safety, and give our fans more and better football,” NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said in a statement. “We appreciate the tireless efforts of the members of the Management Council Executive Committee and the NFLPA leadership, both of whom devoted nearly a year to detailed, good faith negotiations to reach this comprehensive, transformative agreement.”
Players publicly backed both sides.
Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers and Bears wide receiver Allen Robinson both said they voted no. Robinson said Friday that he believed a 50-50 revenue share should have been nonnegotiable on the players side if they were agreeing to a 17th game.
Robinson tweeted his displeasure with the news.
Trash, freaking trash — Allen Robinson II (@AllenRobinson) March 15, 2020
Dolphins quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick laid out why he voted yes in a Twitter video, citing increased revenue share and minimum salaries, an adjusted drug-testing policy and improved working conditions.
Minimum salaries for players with less than one year of experience jump about 20% to $610,000 this year and would top $1 million by 2030, ESPN reported. Other minimum salaries see similar increases.
The new CBA increases game-day active rosters by two players to 48 and practice squads from 10 to 12 initially and 14 by 2022. It reduces preseason games from four to three once the 17-game season starts, reduces padded training-camp practices from 28 to 16 and caps training camp practices at 2½ hours.
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[ Bears in free agency: A position-by-position look at the team’s biggest needs — and who is available ]
The league’s drug policy also significantly relaxes under the new deal. It eliminates suspensions for positive marijuana tests, reduces testing to the first two weeks of training camp and increases the threshold for a positive test.
Patriots quarterback Tom Brady is among those apparently pleased with the result. He tweeted “Well done De” to NFLPA executive director DeMaurice Smith following the announcement.
Well done De — Tom Brady (@TomBrady) March 15, 2020
Newly elected NFLPA president J.C. Tretter acknowledged the mixed feelings of players with a statement on Twitter from the players’ executive committee.
“We understand and know that players have been split on the deal, including members of our EC,” it said. “Going forward, it is our duty to lead, however we may feel as individuals, to bring our men together and to continue to represent the interests of our entire membership.”
In an open letter posted to Twitter early Sunday, Smith said the organization had fulfilled its mission to “increase the democratic involvement of our members.” And he tried to explain the process by which the agreement was made.
“The current proposal contains increases across almost every category of wages, hours, working conditions and benefits for current and former players,” Smith wrote. “Like any contested negotiation, such as a player contract, or even legislation, the proposal also reflects trades with the counterparty which have to be carefully weighed and assessed across the entirety of the deal. Please be confident that I hear — loudly and clearly — those of you who have passionately expressed their perspective that these gains are not enough when weighed against, for example, adding another game.”


chicagotribune--2020-03-15--Advocate Lutheran General Hospital in Park Ridge sees first coronavirus case

The email , sent by Terika Richardson , president of Advocate Lutheran General Hospital and Mike Farrell , president of @ @ @ @ @ , says “ The CDC anticipates that the U.S. will experience more COVID-19 cases in @ @ @ @ @ therefore it ’ s likely we will test more patients presenting symptoms .
We are @ @ @ @ @ supplies and protocols to handle any increase in patient volume .
”

Advocate Lutheran General Hospital in Park Ridge sent an email to employees Saturday night telling them a patient admitted to the hospital has tested positive for coronavirus.
Based on the patient’s condition, the email said, hospital officials determined that treatment in the hospital was the best course of action.
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The email, sent by Terika Richardson, president of Advocate Lutheran General Hospital and Mike Farrell, president of Advocate Children’s Hospital, says “The CDC anticipates that the U.S. will experience more COVID-19 cases in the coming weeks, and therefore it’s likely we will test more patients presenting symptoms. We are well prepared with the necessary supplies and protocols to handle any increase in patient volume.”
Calls to Advocate Lutheran General were not immediately returned.


chicagotribune--2020-03-15--Oak Park, River Forest coronavirus response: park districts, public libraries closed, parking restri

Oak Park, River Forest coronavirus response: park districts, public libraries closed, parking restrictions eased

Customer service staff will be available at 708-725-2000 during regular service hours from 8:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through @ @ @ @ @ 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday .
You can also email info @ pdop.org .

In response to the spread of the coronavirus, the Oak Park Public Library has closed all three of its buildings until further notice. (Steve Schering / Pioneer Press)
In response to the spread of the coronavirus, local park districts, libraries and other entities in Oak Park and River Forest have shut down or severely curtailed operations. .
Coronavirus, also known as COVID-19, has caused Gov. J.B. Pritzker to cancel classes at all public and private schools throughout Illinois until March 30.
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Prior to the governor’s order, Oak Park and River Forest High School, Oak Park District 97 and River Forest District 90 canceled classes. They will instead engage in e-learning activities.
The spread of the virus has also affected several other operations throughout both villages:
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Park District of Oak Park
The Park District of Oak Park cancelled all recreation programs and closed all of its facilities at 5 p.m. March 13. Public parks and dog parks, however, will remain open.
The decision is in alignment with actions being taken by Oak Park and River Forest High School, Oak Park District 97 and River Forest District 90, officials said.
Park District officials said program cancellations and facility closures are expected to remain in effect through March 30, however, staff will re-evaluate that decision on March 26 to determine the state of the virus.
Anyone who has registered for a program will be contacted by a program supervisor in the near future regarding program make-ups or refunds.
Customer service staff will be available at 708-725-2000 during regular service hours from 8:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday and 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. You can also email info@pdop.org.
River Forest Park District
After consideration of information from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention regarding social distancing, the River Forest Park District has postponed all of its programs and closed its indoor facilities through March 29.
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All parks and open spaces will continue to be open, however, and users are encouraged to observe social distancing and preventative measure practices.
The park district offices will continue to be open from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday, however, the registration counter will be closed.
Participants wishing to register for a program can use the park district website at www.rfparks.com, or by calling 708-366-6660.
Oak Park Village Hall
As calls for social distancing continue to grow, residents are asked to consider seeking municipal services online, which may eliminate the need to visit Village Hall, 123 Madison St.
Village hall was closed March 17 and 18 to undergo additional cleaning and sanitation. According to staff, about 2,500 people visited the building within a 72-hour period to cast early ballots in the primary election.
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Links to various village services are available at www.oak-park.us/onlineservices. Online options include parking permits and licenses, water bill payments and pet license renewals.
The latest updates on COVID-19 in the community will be posted online at www.oak-park.us/covid19.
Oak Park parking
In response to the spread of the coronavirus, the village of Oak Park is temporarily easing its parking restrictions.
According to village officials, on-street, overnight and daytime parking restrictions, except for weekly street cleaning, will not be enforced on most residential streets from 2:30 a.m. March 14 through March 31.
Restrictions are currently set to resume at 2:30 a.m. April 1.
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Officials note restrictions are not lifted in metered or pay station spaces, or paid overnight permit areas.
All other parking regulations related to traffic and public safety remain in effect.
River Forest Village Hall
Out of an abundance of caution, River Forest officials have canceled all non-critical meetings and events through March 30. This includes local boards and commissions. Officials say that date could be extended based on future information.
Beginning March 18, the village of River Forest will conduct village hall operations only online or over the phone, officials announced. Although there have been no suspected or confirmed COVID-19 cases among staff, the decision was made with safety in mind and to prevent the spread of the virus, officials said.
Essential operations and services offered through the police, fire and public works will continue.
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To speak with staff, residents are asked to call 708-366-8500.
Oak Park Public Library
The Oak Park Public Library has closed all three of its buildings until further notice, and will post updates at www.oppl.org/covid19.
The closures affect the main branch, 834 Lake St., the Dole branch, 255 Augusta St., and the Maze branch, 845 Gunderson Ave.
All three buildings, however, were prepared to serve as polling places during the March 17 primary election, even while the library is closed for regular services.
River Forest Public Library
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The River Forest Public Library announced its building and exterior book drop returns will remain closed through at least March 29.
Patrons are asked to keep their library materials at home until the library reopens. There will be no fines assessed and patrons will not be receiving overdue notices as all due dates will be extended until May 1.
sschering@pioneerlocal.com
Twitter: @steveschering


chicagotribune--2020-03-15--At Chicago’s jazz clubs this weekend, the music kept swinging amid a pandemic

“ We hope to see you on the flip side and hope it won ’ t be too long .
@ @ @ @ @ mean for all of us ?
The people in hospitality and the hourly workers are @ @ @ @ @ .
So if you have the means and are so inclined tonight , I hope @ @ @ @ @ to our staff , not only with a round of applause but when it comes @ @ @ @ @

People applaud for pianist Orrin Evans, bassist Luques Curtis, and drummer Gene Jackson during a performance at Green Mill in Chicago's Uptown neighborhood on March 14, 2020. (Chris Sweda/Chicago Tribune)
Symphony Center has gone silent.
Chicago’s major theaters have gone dark.
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And until Gov. Pritzker on Sunday ordered all bars and restaurants in the state to shut down at close of business on Monday night through March 30, the jazz clubs kept on swinging -- albeit with smaller audiences and less energy than just a week ago.
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Because all the top jazz rooms have a seating capacity of less than 200, they were unaffected by mandates banning gatherings of more than 1,000 and official requests to limit them to under 250 (due to coronavirus). And though several under-1,000 arts venues have been turning out the lights voluntarily, most of the city’s jazz club owners said they’re determined to stay open.
Thus several dozen customers listened intently to the Orrin Evans Trio on Saturday night at the Green Mill Jazz Club, 4802 N. Broadway. That’s significantly less than usual at a club that’s typically packed seven nights a week, but enough to generate the singular excitement that occurs when great jazz musicians improvise freely before an intensely engaged audience.
“This music is and always has been a social music,” said pianist Evans before his first set began.
“So when you create something called ‘social distancing,’ if you’re doing a concert on the Internet and no one’s there to see it, it’s not social.
Pianist Orrin Evans, bassist Luques Curtis, and drummer Gene Jackson perform at Green Mill in Chicago's Uptown neighborhood Saturday night. (Chris Sweda / Chicago Tribune)
“I understand it’s social media. But we (musicians) feed off the social aspect of the music.”
Jazz musicians indeed draw oxygen from audience response, which often inspires dramatic solos and high-wire risk-taking. Some of that occurred during Evans’ first set, his characteristically hard-hitting, deep-into-the-keys pianism generating louder applause than one might think a crowd this size could produce.
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Why did Chicagoans and tourists show up during a pandemic?
“People need food to survive – I need music to survive,” said Umi Ogimi, a junior at North Central College in Naperville.
“I can’t let this stop me from coming out,” said Winston Davis, a longtime Chicago jazz clubgoer.
Mark Rude and Patricia Figueredo had driven into the city from Wisconsin for a couple nights on the town.
“I choose not to live with fear,” said Rude.
[ Our full coronavirus and entertainment coverage ]
“It’s my first time at the Green Mill,” added Figueredo. “This is real stuff.”
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As far as Green Mill owner Dave Jemilo is concerned, the music will continue so long as the law allows.
“I’m not canceling,” said Jemilo. “There’s no hockey, there’s no basketball, there’s no major concerts. Think of all the people with tickets in their hands, and all the things they want to do.
“They want to be out. They want to be social. They want to see something and not be ripped off. I’m hoping if we’re one of the only games in town – let’s go!”
To date, said Jemilo, just two of his standing attractions have taken a leave of absence: singer-pianist Patricia Barber, whose Monday-night sessions will be replaced by an ever-changing roster of musicians; and Saturday afternoon’s “The Paper Machete” “live magazine” show, which is canceled until further notice.
“If they don’t want to work, I support them, whatever they decide,” said Jemilo. “I could end up being the bartender here if no one else is working and make it a dive bar in Uptown.”
That would be a colossal loss to the city’s renowned jazz scene, even if temporary.
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A person enters the Green Mill jazz club in Chicago's Uptown neighborhood Saturday night. (Chris Sweda/Chicago Tribune)
The mood was decidedly bittersweet on Friday night at Winter’s Jazz Club, 465 N. McClurg Court, for owner Scott Stegman had decided to cancel the rest of the month’s shows and doesn’t yet know if he’ll reopen in April.
“We’re a destination club – we don’t get much walk-by traffic,” said Stegman of a room that’s tucked away on a promenade facing the Ogden Slip.
“If we don’t sell tickets in advance, that’s it,” added Stegman, who said ticket sales had dried up in recent days. “It’s simple math. If I can’t afford to pay the band or the staff, we’re losing money.”
Yet like all club owners, he still has to pay rent, utilities, insurance and other expenses.
So Stegman was stoic when he introduced the last band that would play this stage for a while, or perhaps forever.
“Hello everybody, and welcome to Winter’s Jazz Club,” he told about three dozen listeners.
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“We thank you for being with us under such unusual circumstances. As probably most of you know, tonight is the last night we’ll be open until further notice because of the situation around the world.
“We hope to see you on the flip side and hope it won’t be too long. Who knows what this will mean for all of us? The people in hospitality and the hourly workers are going to be affected immediately. So if you have the means and are so inclined tonight, I hope you would show some appreciation to our staff, not only with a round of applause but when it comes time to tip.”
With that, Stegman introduced the evening’s aptly named band: Petra’s Recession Seven. Fronted by Chicago singer Petra van Nuis, the ensemble launched into upbeat, high-spirited music, as if in defiance of our perilous times.
At the Jazz Showcase, 806 S. Plymouth Court, Cuban pianist Omar Sosa led a trio in his signature incantatory fashion, chanting vocal lines while accompanying himself on piano and electronic keyboard before a few dozen listeners Friday night.
“We’re going to keep going until the authorities tell us that we need to shut down, if things seem to get worse,” said Jazz Showcase owner Wayne Segal.
“But the music certainly takes some of the worry off the brain.”
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Andy’s Jazz Club, 11 E. Hubbard St., was about half full on Friday night, where BMR4 was laying down gritty, soulful sounds as listeners drank and dined.
“We have no intention of closing – we’re going to stay open through this whole thing,” said manager Brandon Chisholm, son of owner Scott Chisholm.
Still, the Chisholms had spent the past few days calling musicians to tell them the club was reverting to narrower winter hours, meaning one band a night instead of two.
“We’re feeling the hammer blow of the last couple weeks,” said Chisholm.
Yet the club looked better than ever, having recently been spruced up with black leather banquettes and gleaming bar accouterments.
The music of BMR4 filled every corner of the room, reminding everyone lucky enough to be here that in Chicago, jazz rarely stops.
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Until now.
Howard Reich is a Tribune critic.
hreich@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-03-15--Column: Sports will be very different when play resumes after the coronavirus break. Here’s how to s

Column: Sports will be very different when play resumes after the coronavirus break. Here’s how to salvage the MLB, NBA and NHL seasons.

Assuming starters would need at least three starts to be able to go four to five innings once the season @ @ @ @ @ 20-day spring training period would suffice , with teams playing simulated or intrasquad games .
@ @ @ @ @ close with a month of spring training under their belts .
Rosters would be expanded @ @ @ @ @ of more relievers because most starters would be behind .

In this new sports-free stretch we’re adjusting to, it’s important to start with the following caveat:
None of this really matters.
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The health and safety of everyone trumps whatever inconvenience is caused by the temporary absence of sports in our lives from the coronavirus outbreak.
That goes without saying.
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As the United Airlines pilot on my flight home from Phoenix told the passengers, and as Cubs President Theo Epstein reiterated to reporters in a conference call Friday night: “We’re all in this together.”
Sports no longer is important in the big picture, but because you’ve spent your life following the world of sports, we’re going to stick with the program.
It’s impossible to know when or if things will return to normal in our world, but we would like to believe eventually we’ll be back watching our favorite teams and players doing what they’re paid to do — provide entertainment for the masses.
[ How Chicago’s sports teams have been affected by the coronavirus ]
Because we don’t when that will be, we only can speculate. Which is where we, the lowly sportswriters of the world, come in.
My biggest concerns, relatively speaking, are the potential eliminations of the NBA and NHL playoffs, and, of course, the disruption of the baseball season.
So apologies to the Chicago Fire, NASCAR, the Kentucky Derby and any golf tournament in which Tiger Woods is participating. I’ll miss you all, but not watching you in 2020 won’t cause me too much anguish.
I wish there were a way to salvage March Madness, both on the college and Illinois high school levels, but because most student-athletes’ years end in May in college and in June in high school, there’s no way to move them back while schools are still in session. It’s a sad ending for all the teams with high hopes, but there’s not much that can be done.
As for baseball, the 2020 season easily can go forward with a shortened schedule and some creative thinking, and I’d like to think the same can be said for the NBA and NHL playoffs.
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If the suspensions of their seasons can be lifted safely sometime by mid-May or early June, here are my proposals for the three majors sports leagues affected by the outbreak:
NBA
It likely is too late to salvage the regular season, which was almost over anyway. But there’s no reason the playoffs can’t be salvaged, even if they run well into the summer. Perhaps eliminating the Summer League, which runs from July 5-15, and replacing it with the NBA Finals is a goal worth shooting for.
I would propose a new playoff format in which conference affiliations are deemed irrelevant and only 14 teams qualify. The top six teams would go straight to the quarterfinals, seeded by records, and a separate eight-team play-in bracket would determine the other two quarterfinalists with win-or-go-home games, March Madness-style.
Some teams, including a few currently holding playoff spots, will complain about being left out, but difficult decisions will have to be made.
The top six seeds would be the Bucks, Lakers, Raptors, Clippers, Celtics and Nuggets, seeded in that order. The eight teams playing for the final two spots — Nos. 7 and 8 — would be the Jazz, Heat, Thunder, Rockets, Pacers, 76ers, Mavericks and Grizzlies.
The only team under .500 in the revised playoff format would be the Grizzlies. The Nets and Magic, currently the Nos. 7 and 8 seeds in the Eastern Conference, are both well under .500 and would go home like the rest of the sub-.500 teams.
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Sorry, Nets and Magic fans, but your teams don’t deserve it.
The matchups for the first four do-or-die games would be Jazz-Grizzlies, Heat-Mavs, Thunder-Sixers and Rockets-Pacers. Those four games would take place on the same day, and after an off day the semifinalists would play to determine the final two playoff qualifiers.
Those two surviving teams, let’s say the Heat and Rockets, would move on, giving us a potential quarterfinal round pitting Bucks-Rockets, Lakers-Heat, Raptors-Nuggets and Clippers-Celtics.
All the playoffs series starting with the quarterfinals would be best-of-seven, as usual, and would include several intriguing first-round matchups that TNT and ESPN would be fighting over.
NHL
A new Stanley Cup playoff format is necessary in order to get the postseason done before the end of summer. This proposal is similar to the NBA plan, with conference affiliations deemed irrelevant and the lesser teams playing win-or-go-home games to earn a quarterfinal spot.
First, the regular season would be declared over, and the top six teams would be seeded by point totals into quarterfinal slots: the Bruins, Blues, Lightning, Avalanche, Capitals and Flyers.
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The next eight teams in the overall standings would be seeded in a separate bracket for one-game playoffs. Unfortunately, the Islanders and Jets are tied for the eighth spot at 80 points. The Islanders would get the nod based on their 2-0 record in their season series.
Again, life is not always fair, and not everyone will be happy.
In this bracket of one-game matchups, we’d have Penguin-Islanders, Golden Knights-Blue Jackets, Oilers-Maple Leafs and Stars-Hurricanes. After a day off, we’d play the semifinals and have the two winners advancing as the Nos. 7 and 8 seeds.
If the two surviving teams are, say, the Penguins and Stars, a best-of-seven quarterfinals would pit Bruins-Stars, Blues-Penguins, Lightning-Flyers and Avalanche-Capitals.
Hockey is a winter sport, but this would not be a bad way to spend your summer.
MLB
Baseball has had shortened seasons because of strikes and the 9/11 attacks, so this is nothing new, assuming it does return.
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As recently as 1995, MLB played a 144-game schedule after the players returned from the strike and spring training lockout. No one lost sleep over the 18 games that were lost from the schedule.
As it stands, MLB has suspended the season through the first two weeks, but realistically it will take longer to get back because players likely will have to go through an abbreviated spring training. In the first month of play after the 1990 lockout, 68 players went on the disabled list, including 39 pitchers.
Assuming starters would need at least three starts to be able to go four to five innings once the season begins, a 15- to 20-day spring training period would suffice, with teams playing simulated or intrasquad games. The hitters already should be close with a month of spring training under their belts. Rosters would be expanded to allow for a couple of more relievers because most starters would be behind.
Even if spring training 2.0 started in late April and games resumed by mid-May, losing 36 games, a 126-game schedule should be enough to determine the best teams.
Last year most teams played their 126th game by the third week of August. Of the 10 teams on Aug. 21, 2019, that would’ve made the postseason, the only ones who didn’t eventually make it were the Indians and Cubs. The playoffs would begin on schedule and use the same format.
Do you pick up the schedule on the new starting date, even if some teams would have more difficult schedules than others, or come up with a new plan?
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There are many factors to consider, including the fact teams have booked hotels well in advance of the season. But if those accommodations could be altered, I’d junk interleague play and the All-Star Game and try to come up with a balanced schedule in which each team plays the other 14 teams in its league nine times apiece.
There are no easy solutions to the problems facing the sports world. Perhaps you have a better idea.
We’ll have at least few weeks to come up with some new ideas. And hopefully we’ll be back to watching our favorite teams and players this summer, in whatever format is doable.


chicagotribune--2020-03-12--Sister Sheila Lyne, former CEO of Mercy Hospital and Chicago health commissioner, dies

Sister June Anselme said she and Lyne and others worked together in the early 1970s on community outreach , which @ @ @ @ @ ground game .
“ We knocked on doors — we knocked on some 1,900 doors @ @ @ @ @ medical needs were in the community .
”

Sister Sheila Lyne, president of Mercy Hospital and a Chicago Board of Health appointee, at a mayoral news conference on March 15, 1977, at City Hall in Chicago. (George Quinn / Chicago Tribune)
Sister Sheila Lyne, a member of the Religious Sisters of Mercy for 67 years, led Chicago’s Mercy Hospital as president and CEO for decades and also served as commissioner of Public Health for Chicago from 1991 to 2000.
Trained as a nurse, she joined what is now Mercy Hospital & Medical Center on the city’s Near South Side in 1970. In her early years there, she was director of the hospital’s diagnostic and treatment center — its clinic — where she began outreach programs to the community.
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“She was someone who wanted to be in service,” said Mary Ellen Caron, a friend for 40 years and now CEO of After School Matters, the organization founded by the late Maggie Daley. “Particularly to the poor and to those who didn’t have access to health care.”
Lyne, 83, who had dementia, died of natural causes March 10 in Mercy Circle in Chicago, according to Caron.
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Lyne was born on Chicago’s South Side. She got a bachelor’s degree in nursing in 1960 and a master’s degree in psychiatric nursing in 1965 from St. Xavier University in Chicago. She taught psychiatric nursing at the University of Iowa before joining Mercy in 1970, according to Caron.
She got an MBA from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business in 1980.
Sister June Anselme said she and Lyne and others worked together in the early 1970s on community outreach, which in those days was a ground game. “We knocked on doors — we knocked on some 1,900 doors — to find out what medical needs were in the community.”
“She made visits and started to form groups in senior (Chicago Housing Authority) buildings,” Anselme said. “Sheila was always interested in those without medical care — the underserved, the poor.”
Sister Patricia Murphy worked with Lyne on community outreach projects and said Lyne was a compassionate listener.
“So many things you’d find out when you’d sit around that kitchen table talking to people,” Murphy said.
“We followed patients after they left the hospital,” Murphy said. “We went into a number of senior buildings, kind of a hospital without walls."
Lyne’s efforts to remove impediments to care might include arranging a ride to the hospital or a doctor’s office, or sitting with a client in a public aid office to get a Medicaid card, Murphy said.
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Lyne became CEO of Mercy Hospital in 1976 and continued in that position until Mayor Richard M. Daley appointed her health commissioner in 1991. Her appointment initially drew criticism, with some saying the post should be held by a doctor, while others questioned her religious affiliation.
Not long after her appointment, Lyne met with representatives from Chicago Catholic Women, Catholic Advocates for Lesbian and Gay Rights, Planned Parenthood, the National Organization for Women and the Howard Brown Memorial Clinic, which serves gay men, lesbians and people with AIDS, and told them she would do whatever worked from a public health standpoint.
“The way she put it, whatever was available to those with insurance, her job was to make sure the uninsured and the underinsured got the same services,” Caron said.
Programs on her watch included the Office of Violence Prevention, which set up a Violence Prevention Strategic Plan; the Office of Lesbian and Gay Health, then one of only two in the nation; a citywide asthma prevalence survey; and the Robert Taylor Initiative, a project serving the health needs of low-income people in a single location.
Lyne returned to Mercy as president and CEO in October 2000, after the hospital reportedly lost $40 million in the fiscal year ending June 30, 2000. The hospital had already hired a consultant and begun a restructuring plan, but Lyne and board members agreed she could help implement the plan.
“Sheila was a strong leader,” said Anselme. “People respected her and they trusted her.”
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Lyne’s retirement from the hospital was announced in late 2012, following a reported deal she made for Mercy to become part of Michigan-based Trinity Health, one of the largest Catholic hospital networks in the nation.
“She was Mercy,” said Anselme. “She loved the hospital. She made a difference.”
Lyne leaves no direct survivors.
Visitation will be Friday, from noon until the time of a Mass at 4 p.m. in Mercy Hall, 10044 S. Central Park Ave., Chicago.
Graydon Megan is a freelance reporter.


chicagotribune--2020-03-15--Ask Amy: A boy and his bears belong together

Dear Amy : I have a friend who is the father of a 12-year-old son .
My friend 's son @ @ @ @ @ stuffed animals .
These are not `` guy '' toys , but pink , yellow @ @ @ @ @ stuffed animals .
We have tried to tell the dad that this is not appropriate @ @ @ @ @ but he just scoffs at us .
There are hundreds of these stuffed animals in @ @ @ @ @

Dear Readers: Every year, I step away from the Ask Amy column for two weeks in order to work on other writing projects.
My two memoirs, "The Mighty Queens of Freeville: A Story of Surprising Second Chances,"(2010, Hachette) and "Strangers Tend to Tell Me Things: A Memoir of Love, Loss, and Coming Home" (2018, Hachette) are available from your favorite bookseller or library.
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Today's (2010) "Best Of" column contains one of my most memorable questions. I'm running the original question and answer, as well as a sample of the lovely and supportive responses I received from readers who were touched by the story of a child's connection to his stuffed animals.
I'll be back with fresh Ask Amy columns next week.
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Dear Amy: I have a friend who is the father of a 12-year-old son. My friend's son's bedroom is filled with stuffed animals. These are not "guy" toys, but pink, yellow, orange, etc., stuffed animals. We have tried to tell the dad that this is not appropriate for a young man, but he just scoffs at us. There are hundreds of these stuffed animals in this child's room.
What are your thoughts?
— Wondering Friend
Dear Wondering: My thoughts are that hundreds of any toy is too much for a child to possess, but it's not for you to judge the type of toys this child collects. It's also not for you to judge whether stuffed animals are sufficiently masculine for someone else's child to play with.
If this dad seeks out your counsel on the quantity and quality of his son's toys, then go for it. Otherwise, you should keep your views to yourself.
July 2010
Dear Amy: We have a grandson who, when he was 12, not only had lots of stuffed animals but also carried one around with him everywhere. This drove my husband crazy.
I taught elementary school students for 42 years. I told him to leave the boy alone.
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The grandson is now a music teacher and a fine young man.
— Barbara
Dear Barbara: "Leave the boy alone" is sage advice for many parents and grandparents -- in many different contexts. You are a wise woman. Thank you.
July 2010
Dear Amy: When I was in high school, the boy I had begun dating handed me a closed paper lunch bag. Shyly, he said he knew I could sew and wondered if I could fix what was in the bag. It was a stuffed panda bear, badly worn.
I was touched by his sentimental attachment to the bear and thought, "This guy will make a great daddy someday."
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Recently we celebrated our 29th wedding anniversary. He's been a kind, loving and gentle husband and father to our two daughters, who are now grown and married.
And the stuffed panda bear? We still have it.
— Shirley
Dear Shirley: This is lovely. Thank you.
August 2010
Dear Amy: I had to hop on the bandwagon and respond to the letter about the 12-year-old boy who had lots of stuffed animals.
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I am a 24-year-old woman, and I've had a big teddy bear since I was an infant. I had a somewhat rough childhood, and the only constant friend was my bear.
I semi-jokingly tell people that, "he has the smell of my life on him."
A few years ago, I was on a second or third date with a man and somehow this topic came up. I told him about my bear, and I thought his eyes were going to pop out of his head!
He then explained that he has had a bear since he was an infant as well and he kept it in the trunk of his car the whole time he was in college so people wouldn't make fun of him.
He is now my fiancée, and our bears don't have to be hidden.
It warms my heart to hear from other people who kept something that others might think is silly close to them through the years.
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— Teddy-Hugger
Dear Hugger: I love thee testimonials to the stuffed friends who hold the "smell" of our lives. A bear can be a child's most intimate friend.
August 2010
Ask Amy Daily No-nonsense advice for better living delivered to your inbox every morning. By submitting your email to receive this newsletter, you agree to our Subscriber Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy >
Dear Amy: Your discussion about a boy who had a collection of stuffed animals made me smile. Mine was named Muffin. He was a duck that helped me get through law school.
— Greg
Dear Greg: Here's to Muffin, and all the other stuffed or inanimate friends who help their keepers to cope with life's challenges.
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August 2010
Get the latest no-nonsense advice for better living delivered to your inbox every morning with our Ask Amy newsletter. Sign up here.
(You can email Amy Dickinson at askamy@amydickinson.com or send a letter to Ask Amy, P.O. Box 194, Freeville, NY 13068. You can also follow her on Twitter @askingamy or Facebook.)
Copyright 2019 by Amy Dickinson
Distributed by Tribune Content Agency


chicagotribune--2020-03-09--Analysis: The ‘American Dirt’ apology tour goes streaming with emotional Oprah special

In Oprah Winfrey 's new streaming special on the controversial novel `` American Dirt , '' its author Jeanine Cummins sits calm and humble , taking every direct-hit question from Winfrey with visible discomfort but an air of composure that almost never breaks .
Three Latina co-panelists join her — Esther Cepeda , Reyna Grande and Julissa Arce — and the author breathes deep , seemingly measuring each word as she weathers the face-to-face criticism for her story about a middle-class bookseller in Mexico escaping with her son to the U.S. border .
The book shot to the top of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ what some termed stereotypical depictions of Mexico or for cultural appropriation , because Cummins is white .
In a black jacket and hoop earrings , the dark-haired Cummins is apologetic throughout the episode , which began streaming Friday on Apple TV+ .
`` It feels painful to have my integrity questioned , it feels a little bit like grief , '' she says .
`` It pains me to be in the middle of it . ''
`` I hope we can have a conversation about migrantes , '' she says , switching @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
`` And I still think we can . ''
And for the next hour or so Winfrey , the panel and audience members hash it all out : Cummins ' identity as partly Puerto Rican ; her authorial intentions ; Winfrey 's role in the books industry ; and , albeit briefly , the plight of migrantes themselves .
( Winfrey addressed migrant stories and child separation in Part 2 of the special . )
In an interview on Friday , Arce , author of `` Someone Like Me '' and `` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' said that she was mostly satisfied with the experience of being on the show .
She said it was neither positive nor negative , but `` necessary . ''
As she says in the taping , Arce wished LA writer Myriam Gurba were onstage with her , as Gurba was the catalyst who raised early warning signs about `` American Dirt . ''
Gurba has since co-founded a group in the aftermath of the controversy , # DignidadLiteraria , with fellow writers Roberto Lovato and David Bowles .
Winfrey and the panelists @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the program , rendering their absence more notable .
`` There 's a lot of talk about how orchestrated the conversation was , and to be honest , we orchestrated it , '' Arce said .
`` We talked about it , we made notes .
Reyna and I talked about what we wanted to say .
We prepared to be there . ''
Gurba , reached in San Antonio while attending the AWP literary conference , confirmed that she was not invited to the panel .
Representatives for the production did not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of their way to produce the show around us , '' Gurba says .
From the start of the `` American Dirt '' controversy , its vocal critics have argued that the novel is yet another moment in a history of white authors capitalizing on the trauma and tragedy of nonwhite peoples , such as immigrants from Central America who are trying to cross Mexico .
A secondary , equally sticky issue is the question of who gets to tell whose story .
`` I definitely worried about this moment , about being @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , '' Cummins says on the show , but also says , paradoxically , `` It has been a surprise from beginning to end . ''
The author also allows herself some flashes of gratification .
At one point , Cummins goes for a chuckle and says that , nope , she would not have returned the reported seven-figure advance at auction for the novel .
Her first three books were published `` modestly , '' she says , so despite the backlash , she suggests she should be welcome to enjoy the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fiction writer 's ultimate dream — `` thanks to Macmillan '' — a million dollars or more for a single title , with a movie deal attached .
After all , she 'd been a struggling writer at some point too .
She notes that she now donates to the organizations she visited in the course of her research for the novel .
In her to-camera introduction , Winfrey lets everyone know what is at stake : her undisputed perch as the publishing industry 's ultimate `` king- and queen-maker , '' as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a quarter-century promoting titles through her Oprah 's Book Club .
`` Writers have been my rock stars , I 've always been in awe of an author 's ability to create different worlds with words , '' Winfrey says , adding that those authors ' calls to rescind her selection of `` American Dirt '' made her `` pause '' and think seriously about the criticism .
Although the media mogul displays her usual mastery of television hosting , with her open-armed and fair approach , she is also directly taken to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of ignoring Latino voices .
As the panelists point out in the show , Winfrey has rarely invited brown authors to her stage to enjoy the bounties bestowed by her book club .
They counted only four in 24 years , Cummins included .
One author who had been overlooked was Grande herself , an immigrant from the city of Iguala , Mexico , who won an American Book Award in 2007 for her debut novel `` Across a Hundred Mountains , '' based on her personal experience crossing the border .
Grande @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stage , but for clearly different reasons than Cummins .
`` I felt hurt , and I felt undervalued , '' Grande says to Cummins .
`` Because the publishing industry does not have the same attitude with our immigrant stories as they did with your story .
When we approach a publisher with our stories , we are told that our stories do n't matter , that our stories do n't sell well .
And they make us feel ashamed about our immigrant experiences . ''
If `` American Dirt '' becomes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ year , it is likely that the # DignidadLiteraria network will also take a firmer hold in the conversations it has sparked .
The issue of under-representation within commercial publishing is being taken directly to Macmillan , with more scheduled meetings over concrete actions the publishing house has promised to take in addressing its lack of Latino voices , said Lovato , one of the # DignidadLiteraria co-founders .
In the show , however , Winfrey sidesteps a question from Cepeda on whether she would engage directly with the founders of the group @ @ @ @ @ @ @ my engagement is going to be , '' she responds .
`` What I can say is that I 'm going to do better in terms of my own selection . ''
Asked about why the group co-founders were n't invited onto the show , a spokesperson for the Book Club said they had `` no further comment at this time . ''

In Oprah Winfrey's new streaming special on the controversial novel "American Dirt," its author Jeanine Cummins sits calm and humble, taking every direct-hit question from Winfrey with visible discomfort but an air of composure that almost never breaks.
Three Latina co-panelists join her — Esther Cepeda, Reyna Grande and Julissa Arce — and the author breathes deep, seemingly measuring each word as she weathers the face-to-face criticism for her story about a middle-class bookseller in Mexico escaping with her son to the U.S. border. The book shot to the top of bestseller lists but faced intense backlash over what some termed stereotypical depictions of Mexico or for cultural appropriation, because Cummins is white.
In a black jacket and hoop earrings, the dark-haired Cummins is apologetic throughout the episode, which began streaming Friday on Apple TV+. "It feels painful to have my integrity questioned, it feels a little bit like grief," she says. "It pains me to be in the middle of it."
"I hope we can have a conversation about migrantes," she says, switching to accented Spanish for a single word. "And I still think we can."
And for the next hour or so Winfrey, the panel and audience members hash it all out: Cummins' identity as partly Puerto Rican; her authorial intentions; Winfrey's role in the books industry; and, albeit briefly, the plight of migrantes themselves. (Winfrey addressed migrant stories and child separation in Part 2 of the special.)
In an interview on Friday, Arce, author of "Someone Like Me" and "My (Underground) American Dream," said that she was mostly satisfied with the experience of being on the show. She said it was neither positive nor negative, but "necessary."
As she says in the taping, Arce wished LA writer Myriam Gurba were onstage with her, as Gurba was the catalyst who raised early warning signs about "American Dirt." Gurba has since co-founded a group in the aftermath of the controversy, #DignidadLiteraria, with fellow writers Roberto Lovato and David Bowles.
Winfrey and the panelists make frequent mention of the trio in the program, rendering their absence more notable.
"There's a lot of talk about how orchestrated the conversation was, and to be honest, we orchestrated it," Arce said. "We talked about it, we made notes. Reyna and I talked about what we wanted to say. We prepared to be there."
Gurba, reached in San Antonio while attending the AWP literary conference, confirmed that she was not invited to the panel. Representatives for the production did not disclose why.
"They went out of their way to produce the show around us," Gurba says.
A Sticky Affair
From the start of the "American Dirt" controversy, its vocal critics have argued that the novel is yet another moment in a history of white authors capitalizing on the trauma and tragedy of nonwhite peoples, such as immigrants from Central America who are trying to cross Mexico.
A secondary, equally sticky issue is the question of who gets to tell whose story.
"I definitely worried about this moment, about being called to account for writing this book," Cummins says on the show, but also says, paradoxically, "It has been a surprise from beginning to end."
The author also allows herself some flashes of gratification. At one point, Cummins goes for a chuckle and says that, nope, she would not have returned the reported seven-figure advance at auction for the novel.
Her first three books were published "modestly," she says, so despite the backlash, she suggests she should be welcome to enjoy the spoils that come with achieving the modern fiction writer's ultimate dream — "thanks to Macmillan" — a million dollars or more for a single title, with a movie deal attached. After all, she'd been a struggling writer at some point too. She notes that she now donates to the organizations she visited in the course of her research for the novel.
Photo By Karen Ballard/ Oprah Winfrey, right, hosts a taping of Oprah's Book Club with Jeanine Cummins, author of "American Dirt," second right, and panelists, from left, Esther J. Cepeda, Julissa Arce and Reyna Grande in Tuscon, Ariz. Feb. 13, 2020. The two-part interview will begin streaming on Apple TV Plus at midnight ET on Friday, March 6. Oprah Winfrey, right, hosts a taping of Oprah's Book Club with Jeanine Cummins, author of "American Dirt," second right, and panelists, from left, Esther J. Cepeda, Julissa Arce and Reyna Grande in Tuscon, Ariz. Feb. 13, 2020. The two-part interview will begin streaming on Apple TV Plus at midnight ET on Friday, March 6. (Photo By Karen Ballard/)
Oprah faces scrutiny as well.
In her to-camera introduction, Winfrey lets everyone know what is at stake: her undisputed perch as the publishing industry's ultimate "king- and queen-maker," as Cepeda says in the show, over a quarter-century promoting titles through her Oprah's Book Club.
"Writers have been my rock stars, I've always been in awe of an author's ability to create different worlds with words," Winfrey says, adding that those authors' calls to rescind her selection of "American Dirt" made her "pause" and think seriously about the criticism.
Although the media mogul displays her usual mastery of television hosting, with her open-armed and fair approach, she is also directly taken to task and listens to those accusing her of ignoring Latino voices. As the panelists point out in the show, Winfrey has rarely invited brown authors to her stage to enjoy the bounties bestowed by her book club.
They counted only four in 24 years, Cummins included.
One author who had been overlooked was Grande herself, an immigrant from the city of Iguala, Mexico, who won an American Book Award in 2007 for her debut novel "Across a Hundred Mountains," based on her personal experience crossing the border. Grande, too, seems uncomfortable on the stage, but for clearly different reasons than Cummins.
"I felt hurt, and I felt undervalued," Grande says to Cummins. "Because the publishing industry does not have the same attitude with our immigrant stories as they did with your story. When we approach a publisher with our stories, we are told that our stories don't matter, that our stories don't sell well. And they make us feel ashamed about our immigrant experiences."
If "American Dirt" becomes one of the biggest sellers of the year, it is likely that the #DignidadLiteraria network will also take a firmer hold in the conversations it has sparked.
The issue of under-representation within commercial publishing is being taken directly to Macmillan, with more scheduled meetings over concrete actions the publishing house has promised to take in addressing its lack of Latino voices, said Lovato, one of the #DignidadLiteraria co-founders.
In the show, however, Winfrey sidesteps a question from Cepeda on whether she would engage directly with the founders of the group. "I can't say what my engagement is going to be," she responds. "What I can say is that I'm going to do better in terms of my own selection." Asked about why the group co-founders weren't invited onto the show, a spokesperson for the Book Club said they had "no further comment at this time."


chicagotribune--2020-03-04--Eaglets have 2 daddies — and a mom. Near Fulton, a rare bald eagle throuple, or three-way couple, ha

Eaglets have 2 daddies — and a mom. Near Fulton, a rare bald eagle throuple, or three-way couple, have come together to mate and parent.

While male eagles typically share egg-warming duties , jumping in when the females need to hunt and eat , Hope @ @ @ @ @ I , couldn ’ t bring himself to incubate the eggs for more than a @ @ @ @ @ males work hard to feed their ravenous offspring , Valor I provided only for himself @ @ @ @ @ ’ s eaglets would survive in 2012 , and the next year , Hope showed @ @ @ @ @ , the steady and hard-working Valor II .

Bald eagles Valor II, from left, Valor I and Starr, photographed in February 2020, share a nest near Fulton, Illinois, and are incubating their eggs together. (Stewards of the Upper Mississippi River Refuge)
In the leafy backwaters of the Mississippi River, a bald eagle named Hope was losing patience with her handsome young mate.
While male eagles typically share egg-warming duties, jumping in when the females need to hunt and eat, Hope’s mate, Valor I, couldn’t bring himself to incubate the eggs for more than a few minutes. While other males work hard to feed their ravenous offspring, Valor I provided only for himself. Neither of the pair’s eaglets would survive in 2012, and the next year, Hope showed up with a new mate, the steady and hard-working Valor II.
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But a funny thing happened on the way to the eagle equivalent of divorce: Valor I stayed in the vicinity of the nest near Fulton, Illinois, and Hope and Valor II allowed him to do so. Within a few years, cameras had caught the eagle trio in a rare three-way committed relationship — the avian equivalent of a trendy human throuple, or three-person couple.
And when Hope, who mated with both males, disappeared in 2017, the two Valors continued to cooperate, successfully raising two eaglets on their own and accepting a new adult female, Starr, into their family.
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The eagles’ saga has attracted 1.4 million YouTube views from 89 countries, including Venezuela, Nigeria and Kuwait.
“It’s definitely our own little soap opera,” said Pam Steinhaus, visitor services manager at the Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife and Fish Refuge.
It’s unclear how many eagle throuples there are, because documenting mating and family life is difficult. The Valor trio live 80 feet above ground in a towering silver maple; a former U.S. Army Ranger climbed the tree to install cameras, Steinhaus said. Other documented trios include a case in Alaska in the 1970s and one in California in 1992, but it’s unclear if those trios simply involved a third helper bird contributing child care or were actual mating relationships.
The Illinois trio’s nest near Lock and Dam 13 can be seen from Lock Road, about 3 miles north of Fulton and 140 miles west of Chicago.
Valor II successfully raised two eaglets with Hope in 2013, with Valor 1 hanging around but apparently uninvolved in mating or child care, Steinhaus said.
In 2014, three adult eagles were spotted, but it was unclear how they were interacting. In 2015, the three adult eagles successfully raised three offspring, but it wasn’t until 2016 that all three eagles were seen nest-building and sharing in parenting duties.
And then, in March 2017, with two eaglets hatched, disaster struck. A rival pair of eagles, perhaps in search of a nest of their own, attacked the trio’s nest repeatedly. Hope fought bravely but disappeared after a long night battle. Her body was never found, Steinhaus said.
With Hope gone, her two mates stepped up, successfully raising two eaglets despite repeated attacks by the rival eagles.
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“We call that the father-of-the-year award,” Steinhaus said. “Through that whole time, they had daily attacks — all the way through April, and even into May. They were constantly on guard.”
And then came the cliffhanger: With the eaglets out of the nest, would the Valors separate? Would they allow a new female to join them? Would a female want to join this unconventional family?
By September 2017, eagle-watchers had their answer: A young female named Starr joined the nest, bonding with both males.
The Valors were likely loyal to the nest, not each other, Steinhaus said, but they continue to work well together. Starr has been seen mating with both males.
The trio appears to be tending two eggs this year, incubating them in a three-way rotation. The males have helped build the already massive nest to its current dimensions of about 8 feet wide by 10 feet deep, and if all goes well, the eaglets should start hatching in mid-March.
nschoenberg@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-02-25--Popular ‘Marvel: Universe of Super Heroes’ exhibition coming to Museum of Science and Industry this

Popular ‘Marvel: Universe of Super Heroes’ exhibition coming to Museum of Science and Industry this fall

The South Side science temple will present “ Marvel : Universe of Super Heroes , ” a comprehensive look at @ @ @ @ @ universe , beginning Oct. 8 .
The exhibit has been popular in previous stops , @ @ @ @ @ “ iconic costumes , props and original art ” and is offering early information and @ @ @ @ @ this weekend ’ s Chicago Comics and Entertainment Expo ( C2E2 ) .

Spider-Man dangles in a view from a previous stop of the 'Marvel: Universe of Super Heroes' exhibition. (Museum of Science and Industry / HANDOUT)
Spider-Man, Black Panther, Hulk, Captain America and the gang are coming to the Museum of Science and Industry this fall.
The South Side science temple will present “Marvel: Universe of Super Heroes,” a comprehensive look at the Marvel Comics and movies universe, beginning Oct. 8. The exhibit has been popular in previous stops, and the Chicago museum promises “iconic costumes, props and original art” and is offering early information and presale tickets to attendees at this weekend’s Chicago Comics and Entertainment Expo (C2E2).
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In a foreword to the exhibition’s official book, Stan Lee, the late Marvel overlord, promised “guaranteed fun” for “dyed-in-the-wool Marvelites” and even “folks who wouldn’t know Iron Man from a steam iron." Elsewhere the curators, all scholars of comics, tell of striving to honor the characters’ comic-book origins.
The Thing takes a load off in the 'Marvel: Universe of Super Heroes' exhibition. (Museum of Science and Industry / HANDOUT)
Reviewing the show at its April, 2018 debut in Seattle, the online journal Ars Technica said it offers “two things at the same time: a shameless advertisement for Marvel Studios’ film and TV output; and a must-see dive into some of the rarest, decades-old Marvel material imaginable.”
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The 300-artifact exhibition, developed by Marvel Entertainment, Seattle’s Museum of Popular Culture and SC Exhibitions , a German firm, has since been mounted at Philadelphia’s Franklin Institute and in an Edmonton science museum. It opens in late March at the Henry Ford Museum in Dearborn, Mich.
The exhibition drew 375,000 visitors in just over 10 months in Seattle and 300,000 in five months in Philadelphia, according to its organizers.
At the February 28-March 1 C2E2, attendees can visit the museum’s booth to learn more about the show and buy advance tickets.
A view of the 'Marvel: Universe of Super Heroes' exhibition at its debut stop in Seattle. (Museum of Science and Industry / HANDOUT)
sajohnson@chicagotribune.com
Twitter @StevenKJohnson


chicagotribune--2020-03-16--Park Ridge restaurants, businesses, residents respond to coronavirus pandemic

“ People are talking about buying gift cards , ordering out and trying to patronize businesses as much as they @ @ @ @ @ , ” he said .
“ It ’ s something I would encourage .
Our @ @ @ @ @ of Park Ridge .
We ’ ve seen such a resurgence in the last few @ @ @ @ @ the community will support those restaurants so they can make it through , just like @ @ @ @ @ ”

Park Ridge parent and teacher John Hammond helps his children check out books on Friday, March 13 ahead of the Park Ridge Public Library's two-week closure amid coronavirus concerns. (Jennifer Johnson / Pioneer Press)
The statewide closure of restaurants and bars amid the coronavirus pandemic couldn’t have come at a worse time for one Park Ridge establishment.
“St. Patrick’s Day is our biggest celebration of the year,” said Declan Stapleton, owner of the Harp and Fiddle, an Irish pub in Uptown. “It’s unfortunate. We had a lot of live bands and Irish dancers scheduled, so it’s unfortunate that it’s not going to happen. But due to the circumstances, we understand it.”
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Stapleton and other local restaurant owners were transitioning this week to strictly delivery and carry-out in response to Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s order that all restaurants and bars be closed to dine-in customers in an effort to slow the spread of coronavirus and encourage social distancing.
If eliminating the coronavirus threat quickly means closing the Harp and Fiddle for dining and postponing St. Patrick’s Day, Stapleton says it’s OK with him.
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“We’ll miss the celebration, but we’ll probably do a do-over and move St. Patrick’s Day from March to May,” he said.
Ryan Tracy, who owns Beer on the Wall and Off the Wall Cafe in Park Ridge, said the packaged liquor retail component of Beer on the Wall would not be impacted under the governor’s order, but on Monday he was removing all seating areas from the shop and cafe.
Customers will be able to order online by going to the business’ website or Facebook page and then pick up their orders curbside at a delivery window during certain hours, Tracy said. Delivery will also be available, he said.
Nearby Pennyville Station and the Harp and Fiddle are also operating as delivery and carry-out only, with curbside pick up, both businesses said.
Stapleton said the Harp and Fiddle will have an emphasis on family-style meals and daily specials. Customers can order online or by phone and simply swing by to pick up their order — without even exiting their cars, if they choose.
It’s a way to keep his employees working and a way to continue serving the community, Stapleton said.
“We’re getting a lot of emails, texts and social media messages (of support),” he said. “People are calling saying ‘we want to support you.’”
For the salon community, which is a large one in Park Ridge, many stylists, like Linda Russo, were continuing to see clients. Russo said every surface in her salon suite is being sanitized.
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“Being a small business, we really do need people to come in as long as they are healthy,” she said. “We do need to have the community pull together and hopefully this will go away soon and everything will bounce back fairly quickly.”
Park Ridge Mayor Marty Maloney said he has seen members of the community trying to support their local businesses during this challenging time.
“People are talking about buying gift cards, ordering out and trying to patronize businesses as much as they can in a safe manner,” he said. “It’s something I would encourage. Our restaurant community is the backbone of Park Ridge. We’ve seen such a resurgence in the last few years and I have faith the community will support those restaurants so they can make it through, just like the rest of us.”
Members of the community have shown signs of coming together to help other residents — while also maintaining the recommended social distancing.
Maloney said conversations between himself, Park Ridge-Niles School District 64 Board President Rick Biagi and local church pastors Matt Hoffman and Kevin Smallacombe led to the creation of the Park Ridge Care Team.
While not an official initiative of city government, assistance from the team is available to any Park Ridge resident. Anyone who needs groceries or medicine but cannot or does not want to venture out due to concerns about the coronavirus can call 847-461-9573 and leave a message explaining their needs.
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“We are creating a roster of volunteers who are willing to help,” Maloney explained. “The plans will be, when someone calls in for help, someone will connect that person who needs help with someone from the database of folks who want to help.”
Volunteers can also call the hotline to sign up to volunteer.
Anyone with an emergency situation should continue to use 911, Maloney said.
As the Park Ridge Public Library announced its impending two-week closure on Friday, patrons flocked to the library to stock up on materials, whether they were DVD movies or novels.
Library Executive Director Heidi Smith said approximately 900 people came into the library between 2 and 5 p.m. that day, for a total visitor count of 1,450 for the day. Normally, the library has between 900 and 1,100 visitors on a Friday, she said.
Many parents brought their children along to the library after school to pick up books as schools had just announced closures that day as well.
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“At first I was annoyed, but now I’ve come to accept it,” Gena Romagnoli, a mother of three, said of the closures. “I think the more we can contain it now, it will hopefully be short-lived rather than drawn out.”
“It’s sort of uncharted territory for sure,” said parent and Lincoln Middle School teacher John Hammond, who was helping his children check out bags of books at the self check-out station in the children’s department. “I think it’s good to be proactive and hopefully this will help flatten the curve so we can handle this big situation. I don’t think it’s easy for anyone to close things, but I think it’s the right decision.”
Resident Val Derer, who had a high stack of DVDs to check out, said he felt the closures were “overkill,” and decided to stock up on materials.
“Might as well be prepared for two weeks,” he said.
Geri Huffman, a dental hygienist who was also grabbing a few books before the library closed, advised that people “be wise and take the normal precautions” during the pandemic.
“We’re talking about kind of going back to basics,” she added. “Talk with each other, maybe play some board games and card games and take it one day at a time.”
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jjohnson@chicagotribune.com
Twitter: @Jen_Tribune


chicagotribune--2020-03-16--Suburban senior facilities roll out restrictions to try and protect one of the most vulnerable group

Suburban senior facilities roll out restrictions to try and protect one of the most vulnerable groups from COVID-19

The Regent Center in Mundelein was the last of those centers to close , having been open as late as @ @ @ @ @ time , an official stated they were planning to remain open until further developments .
@ @ @ @ @ , when the center announced it will be closed at least until March 30 .

In response to the coronavirus pandemic, suburban senior living facilities and centers are changing protocol and, in some cases, closing their facilities to try and limit the reach of a virus that poses higher risks to the elderly.
Senior centers ran by the villages of Libertyville, Mundelein and Vernon Hills, as well as Highland Park and Lake Forest, all closed and suspended programming last week until further notice amid the rapidly spreading COVID-19.
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The Regent Center in Mundelein was the last of those centers to close, having been open as late as March 13. At the time, an official stated they were planning to remain open until further developments. But that changed by Monday, when the center announced it will be closed at least until March 30.
The centers serve as activity facilities that seniors typically are free to visit throughout the day. But long-term living facilities have been faced with the challenge of protecting one of the most vulnerable group of citizens from a new virus that public health officials still are trying to fully understand and contain.
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Green Oaks Senior Living in Libertyville has taken action to limit visitors to only the person they are visiting while cutting visitation in other areas completely.
Brookdale in Vernon Hills is limiting visitors, as well. Health screenings for residents, meanwhile, are becoming coming practice at different facilities throughout Lake County.
Victory Centre in Vernon Hills has cut out visitation all together for at least the next 30 days, according to a release on their website. Spring Meadows in Libertyville announced the same restrictions, allowing only official and emergency personnel into the facilities.
Other preventative measures being taken include enhanced sanitizing practices, limiting outings of the seniors and in-apartment dining to prevent any large gatherings of seniors.
These measures, as stated by each senior living facility, falls under the recommendation of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the World Health Organization. Each group has stated seniors are among one of the most vulnerable groups when it comes to the new coronavirus.
Statistics, provided by the CDC, show seniors are twice as likely to have serious complications if they contract the illness.
Public health officials state this often is because of other underlying illnesses, such as lung or heart disease, as well as diabetes that compromise individuals. It should also be noted seniors pose a larger risk to acquire any type of illness, according to the CDC.
When announcing the closing of the Highland Park Senior Center, City Manager Ghida Neukirch reiterated many of those points.
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“This is a difficult decision for the city, but one made in the best interest of public health, as data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention indicate that seniors are at greatest risk for developing severe symptoms and serious complications due to COVID-19,” Neukirch stated.
The CDC recommends older adults stock up on supplies, avoid crowds and cruise travel and, above all else, stay home to limit the chance and risk of exposure.
jnorman@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-03-16--Five motorists charged with DUIs: Barrington police

Tara L. Dixon , 52 , of the 300 block of Sharon Drive , was charged March 8 with driving @ @ @ @ @ to yield to an emergency vehicle and improper stopping at Main Street and Route 14 @ @ @ @ @ appear in court March 25 .

The following items were taken from Barrington and South Barrington police department reports and releases. An arrest does not constitute a finding of guilt.
BARRINGTON
DUI
Criselda G. De Leon, 43, of the 1400 block of Remington Lane, Round Lake, was charged March 1 for driving under the influence with a blood alcohol concentration over .08 and improper parking at Coolidge Avenue and Hough Street. De Leon is scheduled to appear in court March 25.
Antonio Chairez, 46, of the block of 400 Onyx Court, Schaumburg, was charged March 3 with possession of a controlled substance, driving under the influence and improper lane usage at Route 14 and Taylor Road.
Edward Campos, 27, of the 2300 block of Cannon Drive, Mount Prospect, was charged March 5 with driving under the influence in the 100 block of West Lincoln Avenue. Campos is scheduled to appear in court April 21.
Vineet Ahuja, 42, of the 900 block of Holly Circle, Lake Zurich, was charged March 6 with driving under the influence with a blood alcohol concentration over .08 and speeding at Route 59 and Roslyn Road. Ahuja is scheduled to appear in court April 21.
Tara L. Dixon, 52, of the 300 block of Sharon Drive, was charged March 8 with driving under the influence, failure to yield to an emergency vehicle and improper stopping at Main Street and Route 14. Dixon is scheduled to appear in court March 25.
Fraud
Fraud in the 700 block of Prairie Avenue was reported March 2.
Criminal damage
Criminal damage to property in the 100 block of Barrington Commons Court was reported March 4.
Threat
A threat in the 600 block of West Main Street was reported March 4.
Burglary
A burglary in the 100 block of Kings Row was reported March 6.
Phone harassment
A phone harassment in the 700 block of Division Street was reported March 6.
SOUTH BARRINGTON
Warrant service
Esther Corredor, 74, of the 2000 block of Plantation Drive, Carpentersville, was charged March 9 with warrant service at Route 59 and West Higgins Road in Kane County. Corredor is scheduled to appear in court April 3.
Speeding
Jose M. Ortiz, 55, of the 100 block of River Road, Algonquin, was charged March 11 with speeding more than 26 mph over the limit at Route 59 and Penny Road. Ortiz is scheduled to appear in court April 13.
Driver’s license
Rosana Mercado, 21, of the 1000 block of Delta Drive, Elgin, was charged March 12 with having no valid driver’s license at Route 59 and Arboretum Boulevard. Mercado is scheduled to appear in court April 20.
kedquist@chicagotribune.com
Twitter: @kaitlinedquist