chicagotribune--2020-03-19--WSCR-AM to re-air Mark Buehrle’s 2009 White Sox perfecto, 2016 Cubs postseason and select Bears game

WSCR-AM to re-air Mark Buehrle’s 2009 White Sox perfecto, 2016 Cubs postseason and select Bears games

“ The Chicago Cubs win the World Series !
” Hughes said , as if Cubs fans needed to be @ @ @ @ @ come pouring out of the dugout , jumping up and down like a bunch of @ @ @ @ @ have done it !
The longest drought in the history of American sports is over @ @ @ @ @ ”

Remember this?
“The 2-1 to Bartlett: Swing, shot to short, Ramirez has it, throws. Buehrle pitched a perfect game! His second no hitter! He no-hits the Tampa Bay Rays! People going crazy here at U.S. Cellular! He's mobbed by his teammates! A perfecto!”
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White Sox radio announcer Ed Farmer’s call of Mark Buehrle’s 5-0 gem against the Rays from July 23, 2009, will be the first of select baseball and football games WSCR-AM 670 plans to re-air beginning next week.
Also on tap are select Bears radio broadcasts from the past 20 years and all 17 Cubs postseason games from their 2016 march to a World Series title.
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The rebroadcasts are part of the all-sports station’s bid to fill the void of sports canceled because of the coronavirus pandemic.
The Farmer-Darrin Jackson broadcast of Buehrle’s 123-minute entry in the history books, as first heard on the Score, is scheduled for 6 p.m. March 26 on the station, the day the Major League Baseball season originally was scheduled to begin.
The Bears games to be re-aired haven’t been chosen yet, but original WBBM-AM 780 broadcasts are slated to run on WSCR at noon on eight successive Sundays beginning March 29.
Starting on March 29th, we'll be airing some classic Bears games from the last 20 years or so. Leaving out the playoff victories, what pops to mind? My brain always goes to 2001 and those Mike Brown walks-offs against Cleveland and SF...@670TheScore — Mark Grote (@markgrotesports) March 19, 2020
The Cubs’ Marquee Sports Network this week began rerunning national telecasts of 2016 postseason games.
Alas, the Score’s rebroadcasts with Pat Hughes and Ron Coomer won’t begin until April 1, running nightly through Game 7 in Cleveland on April 17, culminating with Hughes punctuating the final out in the bottom of the 10th inning.
“The Chicago Cubs win the World Series!” Hughes said, as if Cubs fans needed to be reminded. “The Cubs come pouring out of the dugout, jumping up and down like a bunch of delirious 10-year-olds. The Cubs have done it! The longest drought in the history of American sports is over and the celebration begins.”
You wanted it. You asked for it. You got it.
The Ocho returns this Sunday 🎉 pic.twitter.com/36ZUZLMxMW — ESPN (@espn) March 19, 2020
‘The Ocho’ returns to ESPN
Elsewhere, as ESPN scours its archives to fill hours of TV, it is bringing back “The Ocho,” its tribute to the oddball sports parody of itself from the 2004 Vince Vaughn-Ben Stiller comedy “Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story” on ESPN2 on Sunday.
Among the competitions ESPN 2 will showcase as “The Ocho” will be cornhole, cherry-pit spitting, sign-spinning, stone-skipping, bratwurst eating, miniature golf, arm-wrestling, ax-throwing, marble races, dodgeball and something called “stupid robot fighting.”
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The main ESPN channel on Sunday, meanwhile, plans a seven-hour marathon of programming revolving around quarterback Tom Brady — like that’s different from most recent days.
ESPN presents a seven-hour @TomBrady marathon highlighting his Championship performances with the @Patriots over the past two decades@NFLFilms' Greatest Games and #SuperBowl Highlights will feature nine seminal games
Sunday | Noon ET | ESPN
More: https://t.co/WY64YI4et6 pic.twitter.com/XN6DJhbcqQ — ESPN PR (@ESPNPR) March 19, 2020
NHL letting streams flow free
Following similar moves by the NFL and NBA, the NHL plans to make full replays of all 2019-20 NHL regular-season games available for free via the scores and schedule pages of NHL.com and the NHL app. Additional details are available via NHL.TV.
The league also is increasing the content available through its web site, app, social media accounts and YouTube channel, giving fans access to classic NHL games and long-form content from the NHL Original Productions library.


chicagotribune--2020-03-19--How to help Chicago independent movie theaters during the coronavirus pandemic

“ As we come to terms with a health crisis that might mean long-term closures for New York City cinemas @ @ @ @ @ , “ we must meet the challenges ahead with mutual aid and solidarity .
These @ @ @ @ @ in the effort to slow the spread of COVID-19 , but many hourly workers will @ @ @ @ @ for the well-being of our city .
”

We can learn from how other people in other places respond in a crisis. In New York right now there’s a GoFundMe campaign aiding the Cinema Worker Solidarity Fund that has already exceeded its initial $62,000 goal.
“As we come to terms with a health crisis that might mean long-term closures for New York City cinemas,” the webpage says, “we must meet the challenges ahead with mutual aid and solidarity. These closures have been necessary steps in the effort to slow the spread of COVID-19, but many hourly workers will be paying an immediate price for the well-being of our city.”
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Chicago’s cinema workers deserve the same.
Meantime, here are some things you can do right now. This is a starter list of how you, the movie lover who remembers going out to the movies, can help Chicago venues in need. You’ll get some fresh streaming options out of it, too.
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We’ll update and expand the list as we go through this separately, together.
Gene Siskel Film Center: Starting Monday, available through the Film Movement Plus and Gene Siskel Film Center websites, moviestayers can stream the Oscar-nominated drama “Corpus Christi," followed by three additional titles in subsequent weeks. Price is $12 per film, with half the ticket revenue going to the exhibitor, i.e., the Siskel Film Center.
The initiative is a collaboration between New York-based distributor and streaming platform Film Movement and the national Art House Convergence, which has a strong Chicago component.
The Film Center lineup: Jan Komasa’s popular festival title“Corpus Christi,” March 23-April 2; Luchino Visconti’s final feature, “L’Innocente," April 3-9; Diao Yinan’s noir-inflected “The Wild Goose Lake,” April 10-16; and the venerable Sonia Braga ’70s art house sensation “Dona Flor and Her Two Husbands,” April 17-23.
“We wanted to start it as soon as possible,” Siskel Film Center programming director Barbara Scharres said Friday. She noted that the April streaming dates for “The Wild Goose Lake” and “Dona Flor” reflect the organization’s original April exhibition calendar. More titles will be added, she said.
The Film Center’s current estimated reopening date, April 10, is unlikely to hold, Scharres said. Meantime: Donate here. Purchase year-long memberships here; $50 for one, $80 for a dual membership.
Facets Cinematheque and Facets Video: Currently closed through April 17. Donate here to the Milos Stehlik Legacy Fund. Facets memberships here; $10/month, $100/year. Facets is offering a free month of access to Facets Kids, featuring an array of international short films designed to counteract a lot of the stuff your kids are probably watching this second.
Chicago Film Society: The intrepid 16- and 35-millimeter emporium, housed primarily by Northeastern Illinois University, is closed until April 30, at least. Meantime, you can donate here.
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Music Box Theatre: Currently closed through April 3. You can support the 1929 landmark and its programming with an annual membership; $50 for one, $80 for a dual membership. Over at the Music Box Films wing of the company, the boutique streaming service Music Box Direct is doing a first-five-weeks-free offer, attached to its standard $4.99/month and $49.99/year sign-up.
The Chicago Latino Film Festival: One of several prominent spring film festivals postponed until later this year, dates to be announced, the CLFF operates under the umbrella of the International Latino Cultural Center of Chicago. You can donate here; memberships begin at $60, and can be purchased here.
Michael Phillips is a Tribune critic.
mjphillips@chicagotribune.com
Twitter @phillipstribune


chicagotribune--2020-03-19--Florida investor, former financial media CEO, takes 7% stake in Tribune Publishing

Slaine has a long history as an executive in financial media and information publishing .
A graduate of Amherst with @ @ @ @ @ was president and CEO of Thomson Financial from 1994 to 1996 , an arm of @ @ @ @ @ merged with Reuters in 2008 and became Thompson Reuters .

Bundles of Chicago Tribune Saturday editions are stacked for delivery at the Freedom Center early Saturday, August 20, 2016, in Chicago. (John J. Kim/Chicago Tribune) (John J. Kim / Chicago Tribune)
Mason Slaine, an investor and the former CEO of business information publisher Thomson Financial, has acquired a 7% stake in Tribune Publishing, making him the third-largest shareholder in the company.
With Tribune Publishing’s stock closing at an all-time low of $5.50 per share on Wednesday, Slaine may be in the market to buy more.
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“I like the business,” Slaine, 66, said Wednesday. "I think it’s an opportunity to be an investor at a good price and participate. I’ll probably buy more if the stock stays cheap.”
Slaine spent more than $13.9 million to buy 1.58 million shares of Tribune Publishing stock between Feb. 3 and March 17, according to a Securities and Exchange Commission filing Tuesday. The purchases were made on the open market at an average price of $8.79 per share.
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The Boca Raton, Florida-based investor now owns nearly 2.5 million shares, or 6.9% of Tribune Publishing’s 36.3 million outstanding shares. Slaine has become the company’s third-largest shareholder behind hedge fund Alden Global Capital and Los Angeles Times owner Patrick Soon-Shiong.
Max Reinsdorf, a spokesman for Chicago-based Tribune Publishing, which owns the Chicago Tribune and other major newspapers, declined to comment Thursday.
The stock purchases were made with personal funds based on the belief that Tribune Publishing’s shares represent an “attractive investment opportunity,” Slaine said in the filing.
The Chicago Tribune newsroom at One Prudential Plaza on June 12, 2018. (Brian Cassella / Chicago Tribune)
Slaine also said in the filing he intends to ask the Tribune Publishing board to exercise an option to buy out minority investors in BestReviews and sell the profitable e-commerce website, which he said would generate $200 million to $250 million in cash proceeds.
“What are they doing running an e-commerce company?” Slaine told the Tribune. “They should sell it, whether they decide to pay out a dividend or whatever they do with it.”
Tribune Publishing bought a 60% stake in BestReviews for $66 million in February 2018.
Slaine has a long history as an executive in financial media and information publishing. A graduate of Amherst with a Harvard MBA, Slaine was president and CEO of Thomson Financial from 1994 to 1996, an arm of the Canadian media giant that merged with Reuters in 2008 and became Thompson Reuters.
He founded and led several prominent information services companies including Securities Data Corp. and Information Holdings, both of which were acquired by Thomson.
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Slaine also was an investor and chairman at FT Media Holdings, and is currently an investor and chairman at Cast & Crew, an entertainment industry payroll and accounting firm based in Burbank, California.
About 18 months ago, Slaine said he approached Michael Ferro, then Tribune Publishing’s nonexecutive chairman and largest shareholder, and inquired about buying his hometown newspaper, the South Florida Sun Sentinel.
“He wouldn’t do it,” Slaine said of the inquiry, which was confirmed by a source familiar with the discussion.
Ferro declined to comment.
In August, Slaine said he met with Tribune Publishing’s then-CEO Tim Knight to express interest in buying BestReviews, but “he didn’t even respond.” Slaine remains interested in BestReviews — if Tribune Publishing takes his advice and sells it.
Knight, who stepped down as Tribune Publishing CEO in February, did not respond to a request for comment.
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Tribune Publishing’s stock briefly hit $4.91 per share Thursday morning, the lowest price since it spun off from broadcast parent Tribune Media as a publicly traded newspaper company in August 2014.
Alden, a secretive New York-based hedge fund with a track record of sweeping layoffs at its newspaper properties, took a 32% stake in Tribune Publishing in November, mostly through buying Ferro’s holdings. In total, Alden purchased 11.5 million shares of Tribune Publishing for $145.4 million, or about $12.64 per share.
Soon-Shiong, who built his initial stake in Tribune Publishing at $15 per share in 2016, owns about 8.7 million shares, or 24.2% of the company.
Both Alden and Soon-Shiong are restricted by ownership standstill agreements through June 30.
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In addition to the Tribune and Sun Sentinel, Tribune Publishing owns the Baltimore Sun; Hartford Courant; Orlando Sentinel; New York Daily News; the Capital Gazette in Annapolis, Maryland; The Morning Call in Allentown, Pennsylvania; the Daily Press in Newport News, Virginia; and The Virginian-Pilot in Norfolk, Virginia.
Slaine said he remains a believer in the value of local journalism, and sees an opportunity for the newspaper company to become a “great digital business” over time. He is not, however, interested in becoming the controlling shareholder.
“I’m basically not active anymore, I’m an investor,” Slaine said. “I’m not taking over anything.”
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Earlier this month, Sens. Dick Durbin and Tammy Duckworth, both D-Ill., sent a letter to Alden, expressing concern about the hedge fund’s history of “dismantling local newspapers” and its plans for Tribune Publishing.
Slaine said he intends to protect his growing investment in Tribune Publishing. “If (Alden) did something I thought was detrimental to me, I would resist it,” Slaine said.
rchannick@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-03-19--You’re probably trapped at home and wondering which music streaming service sounds the best. So were

You’re probably trapped at home and wondering which music streaming service sounds the best. So were we.

How we did it : The computer speakers are the UFi UCube ( $ 150 ) , the best-sounding computer @ @ @ @ @ that is , sadly , no longer made .
Headphones used are the Grado RS-1 @ @ @ @ @ cans .
The same track was used on all four services , “ Tinseltown ” @ @ @ @ @ because it ’ s a deep cut by just about the best rapper extant right @ @ @ @ @ .
Rap is also the nation ’ s predominant pop cultural influence .
We also @ @ @ @ @ because audio nerds hear stuff that regular folks don ’ t really care about .
@ @ @ @ @ and regular person , who needed even less time to discern differences .

Maybe your favorite artist hasn’t broken into the mainstream quite yet. Maybe he or she is taking the independent route to have more creative freedom. Either way, if you follow an artist who skips Apple Music or Pandora in favor of sites like Soundcloud, Youtube or Imusify, listening to and sharing his or her music via these platforms gives that musician greater exposure. Your listens and posts also help these artists make a living if they’ve chosen to monetize their tracks. (Dreamstime/TNS/TNS)
The good thing about being trapped at home due to the novel coronavirus is that you can play music while you work. The bad thing is that you can play music while you work. The sound from streaming services just isn’t all that it can be. We listened to the same song on the four main free streaming services through computer speakers and headphones.
How we did it: The computer speakers are the UFi UCube ($150), the best-sounding computer speaker you have ever heard that is, sadly, no longer made. Headphones used are the Grado RS-1 ($695) over-the-ear cans. The same track was used on all four services, “Tinseltown” by Billy Woods, mostly because it’s a deep cut by just about the best rapper extant right now. So go listen. Rap is also the nation’s predominant pop cultural influence. We also listened with a civilian, because audio nerds hear stuff that regular folks don’t really care about. Differences were consistent between nerd and regular person, who needed even less time to discern differences.
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No iTunes? Nope. Or anyone else you have to pay for. Times are hard enough without having to pay for streaming, even though you can, and the algorithm will fling a few pennies the artist’s way for every time you play something. Bancamp is best for that, and if you really like someone on that platform, buy the music if you can. It’s like putting $10 or so right in the pocket of your favorite artist.
Here’s the breakdown, from worst to first.
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YouTube: Tinny, hollow and sucked out, like Bose speakers sound to audiophiles. Woods sounded nasal, the music compressed overall like somebody jammed it all into a smaller space. The world lives on YouTube because it’s easy and universal. We get so used to listening to stuff here that we don’t question it. We should. The only thing good about YT is the ease. Bass? Nah. Midrange? Hardly. Soundstage? Like angels on the head of a pin.
Spotify Web Player: Imagine someone playing the music through one of those horn things, or shouting it at you from between cupped hands. There you go. If you want your web tunes to sound like one of those old transistor radios, this is the place for you.
SoundCloud: Better. If you think of YouTube as a funnel, SoundCloud lets through much more of the music. Woods’ voice has more body, the chime-like intro rings pure and true. Bass also better. Now we’re getting somewhere. As the civilian said, “People get used to hearing music through those bad go-with headphones, so they don’t care.”
Bandcamp: The clear winner in every way. Best tonal balance, and you can just hear more of the music, from the sleigh-bell-like aftereffect of the intro to the producer’s atmospheric undertones. Woods’ voice rings clear and true, and everything isn’t smeared together as it is on the worst of the services. And there is a real soundstage even as this is an artificial construct, especially with rap.
kmwilliams@chicagotribune.com
Twitter @tribunekevin


chicagotribune--2020-03-19--Students and staff at Winnetka school told to self-quarantine after seventh-grader diagnosed with pr

Students and staff at Winnetka school told to self-quarantine after seventh-grader diagnosed with probable case of COVID-19

“ Self-quarantine includes limiting interactions with others as much as possible , such as playdates , sleepovers , socializing , @ @ @ @ @ , adding : “ The family is currently in self-quarantine to avoid spreading the illness @ @ @ @ @ no other siblings in District 36 .
Due to health privacy laws , the District @ @ @ @ @ identity of the student or family .
Please respect the student and their family during @ @ @ @ @ ”

The village of Winnetka declared a state of emergency on March 17, 2020, due to the public health emergency the nation faces, caused by the spread of COVID-19. (Steve Schering / Chicago Tribune / Pioneer Press)
Students and staff at Carleton Washburne School in Winnetka are being urged to self-quarantine for 14 days, after a seventh grade student was diagnosed with a “probable” case of COVID-19 this week.
The Illinois Department of Public Health alerted school officials Tuesday that the student, who was at school through March 11, “has a probable, presumptive case related to the coronavirus disease (COVID-19),” according to a letter to parents from District 36 Superintendent Trisha Kocanda.
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The middle school at 515 Hibbard Road enrolls about 400 students in seventh and eighth grades.
“Students and staff at Carleton Washburne School should self-quarantine for fourteen days from Wednesday, March 11, 2020, the last time the student was at school,” Kocanda said in a statement on the district’s website.
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“Self-quarantine includes limiting interactions with others as much as possible, such as playdates, sleepovers, socializing, etc.,” Kocanda said, adding: “The family is currently in self-quarantine to avoid spreading the illness to others. There are no other siblings in District 36. Due to health privacy laws, the District is unable to release the identity of the student or family. Please respect the student and their family during this incredibly difficult time.”
The last day of classes for District 36 students was March 12, with the district moving to an e-learning program on March 16, which officials said will continue until further notice.
Earlier this week, the village of Winnetka declared a state of emergency, a step which officials said was taken due to the public health emergency the nation faces, caused by the spread of COVID-19, officials said.
The declaration allows the village to conduct emergency purchasing of goods and services necessary for the preparation for, response to, and recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as to “implement emergency staffing protocols and procedures as necessary for the preservation of public health and safety, and for the preservation of the health of village employees.”
In addition, the emergency declaration also enables officials to “cooperate with other government agencies, taking steps to coordinate the village resources and emergency operations with the state of Illinois, Cook County, and other local governments.”
kcullotta@chicagotribune.com
Twitter @kcullotta


chicagotribune--2020-03-19--MLB just canceled 2 international series in April. What does it mean for the Cubs-Cardinals series i

MLB just canceled 2 international series in April. What does it mean for the Cubs-Cardinals series in London in June?

The two cancellations stem from the delay of the 2020 regular season , which may not start now until late @ @ @ @ @ pandemic .
As of now , the Cubs are scheduled to meet the Cardinals in @ @ @ @ @

Will the Cubs’ historical visit to London in June be postponed?
That possibility lurks in the wake of Major League Baseball’s decision Thursday to cancel the Mexico series between the Padres and Diamondbacks in Mexico City on April 18-19 and the Puerto Rico Series between the Mets and Marlins on April 28-30 in San Juan.
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The two cancellations stem from the delay of the 2020 regular season, which may not start now until late May due to the coronavirus pandemic. As of now, the Cubs are scheduled to meet the Cardinals in London on June 13-14.
The famed Wimbledon tennis museum has been closed, and tours were cancelled because of the coronavirus pandemic. The London Marathon, scheduled for April 26, was postponed.
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Wimbledon organizers are still preparing for The Championships, which start June 29 and run through July 12. The British Open, scheduled for July 16-19 at Kent, England, remains on schedule.
The Cardinals are listed as the home team for the London Series, so those games would be played at Busch Stadium if the series was rescheduled.
Prior to the coronavirus outbreak, manager David Ross and several players were looking forward to visiting London, and reporters from England made two visits to Cubs spring training.
The Yankees and Red Sox played in the first London Series last summer.


chicagotribune--2020-03-19--At least 6 break into three different stores, take ATMs, cigarettes and liquor with same white SUV a

At least 6 break into three different stores, take ATMs, cigarettes and liquor with same white SUV and black sedan in Lakeview neighborhood

Chicago police said at least six people in different vehicles broke into three different stores within minutes of each other @ @ @ @ @ and made off with three ATM machines , cigarettes and liquor early Thursday morning .

Chicago police said at least six people in different vehicles broke into three different stores within minutes of each other in the Lakeview neighborhood, and made off with three ATM machines, cigarettes and liquor early Thursday morning.
Shortly after 2 a.m., about five to six males broke a glass door of a tobacco store in the 1000 block of West Belmont Avenue and stole an ATM machine which was placed in the backseat of a white SUV, police said.
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It appears they struck again about 20 minutes later in the 3400 block of North Sheffield Avenue at a liquor store, taking a second ATM with cigarettes and several liquor bottles, police said.
The last burglary happened about 2:25 a.m. in the 3700 block of North Halsted Street. The third time, an ATM machine was put in the back seat of a black sedan, police said.
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The burglars fled the scene.
No one was in custody for the early morning heists, and Area North detectives were investigating.


chicagotribune--2020-03-19--York High School senior focuses on helping others during coronavirus outbreak

“ I have not had a lot of people reach out and tell me they need help .
It ’ @ @ @ @ @ thanking me for doing this , ” she said .
“ I appreciate those comments @ @ @ @ @ about me looking for compliments . ''

Kathryn Graham has always been proud of her daughter, but never more so than now when the York High School senior has taken it upon herself to help others while many need assistance because of the coronavirus.
Julia DeMotte (Julia DeMotte)
Graham’s daughter, Julia DeMotte, 18, posted Friday on an Elmhurst community Facebook page that she was volunteering to run errands, pick up groceries, walk dogs, or anything else needed by those not leaving their homes.
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“I’m incredibly proud of her,” Graham said Wednesday. “She’s part of a group of kids born right after 9/11. Now, it’s their senior year, and all the exciting things they should be doing right now, they are facing it all being canceled.
“The thing is that I have never heard her complain. It would be understandable if there was a little self-pity because she’s missing part of her senior year, but all she wants to do is help others.”
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Julia, named for a song of that title by The Beatles because her parents are big fans of the group, decided she wanted to do something to help others affected by the coronavirus while attending school Friday.
“School was basically completely empty, people were definitely in a period of panic, so I asked myself what I could do to help ease the stress,” Julia said. “I’m healthy and have access to a car, and I realized not everyone is as fortunate.”
Julia wasn’t surprised her Facebook post prompted a lot of comments, but the content of nearly all of the comments did catch her off guard.
“I have not had a lot of people reach out and tell me they need help. It’s much more been people thanking me for doing this,” she said. “I appreciate those comments, but this never was about me looking for compliments."
Julia has run a few errands for housebound people, including a run Wednesday to pick up prescription medication for the son of someone not able to go out. She also has expanded her offerings of services to help others.
“I found out there are a lot of doctors who are really slammed because of this virus, who are working extra hours, so I have offered to babysit for them,” Julia said. “It’s harder to get childcare with all of the schools closed.”
Julia said she has five friends who also have offered to help with babysitting.
“I’m more than glad to help people by babysitting,” she said. “I love kids, and I just want to help as much as I can.”


chicagotribune--2020-03-19--North Shore communities confirm first COVID-19 cases

“ This is a clear signal that the time is now to follow the guidance of health care professionals , @ @ @ @ @ President Kathleen O ’ Hara .
“ We know that there are at least 22 @ @ @ @ @ that this virus is actively spreading in our community .
We ask all of our @ @ @ @ @ and keep their distance from others .
”

Numerous communities along the North Shore have announced some of their first confirmed cases of COVID-19.
Highland Park officials announced late Wednesday evening that the patient who was treated by three paramedics at a home in the city since has tested positive for the new coronavirus. The patient had been suspected of being exposed to the virus after recently traveling internationally.
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The three paramedics with the Highland Park Fire Department came into contact with the person while responding to an emergency call Monday. All three of them immediately were placed under a self-quarantine, but they haven’t showed any symptoms, City Manager Ghida Neukirch said Thursday.
It is unclear if the patient is a Highland Park resident. In response to the potential exposure, the ambulance the paramedics used during the call also immediately was disinfected and cleaned.
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North of the city, officials in Lake Forest and Lake Bluff reported Thursday their first confirmed cases of COVID-19. A resident in Lake Forest and a resident in Lake Bluff each tested positive for the virus, officials in both towns said in a joint statement.
As of Wednesday afternoon, the Lake County Health Department has confirmed 22 total cases of COVID-19 in the county since the first Lake County resident tested positive for the virus on March 11. No fatalities related to COVID-19 have been reported in the county.
“This is a clear signal that the time is now to follow the guidance of health care professionals,” stated Lake Bluff Village President Kathleen O’Hara. “We know that there are at least 22 cases in Lake County and that this virus is actively spreading in our community. We ask all of our residents to please stay home and keep their distance from others.”
jnorman@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-03-19--‘The Masked Singer’ reveals the identity of the Swan: Here’s the star under the mask

`` And so I got super lucky , '' she said .
`` I did n't have huge wings , @ @ @ @ @ My head was really big and the hardest part was talking out of my neck @ @ @ @ @ weird .
I could n't stand up anywhere except for on the stage because I @ @ @ @ @ be squatting anytime I had my mask on , which was so funny looking , @ @ @ @ @ the ceiling .
But I could only talk out of my neck and my eye @ @ @ @ @ than my mouth holes , so I actually put the mic to my eyeholes .
@ @ @ @ @ eyeballs , which was very interesting .
Sometimes i could n't see because i had @ @ @ @ @ my eye . ''

SPOILER ALERT: Do not read ahead if you have not watched Season 3, episode 8 of “The Masked Singer,” which aired March 18 on Fox.
Bella Thorne is the latest celebrity to be revealed on “The Masked Singer,” and to do so without any of the show’s panelists figuring out her identity.
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Thorne, who was costumed as the Swan, performed "I Hate Myself for Loving You" by Joan Jett and the Blackhearts, a song she jokingly dedicated to "Masked Singer" panelist Ken Jeong. In an interview with Variety, Thorne revealed that she was sick while shooting that performance -- which perhaps played a role in her exit.
"I got really, really sick right before I was singing and I basically didn't have a voice," she said. "I was like, guys, what happens if I literally lose my voice tomorrow completely and I can't talk? They were like, 'well, you'll still have to sing like that.' And I was like, 'what? You don't have any backup plans? I can't pre-record or something?'
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"But I made it out," she said. "I did lots of warm tea and honey and whatnot and I really tried to have a voice."
Thorne said she was filming a project in Puerto Rico at the same time she shot "The Masked Singer," which added to the hectic experience. "I was doing a lot of fight training, so it was singing and fight training. Singing and fight training," she said. "It was really a tiring schedule."
At the same time, Thorne said she was prepared for "The Masked Singer" to be more challenging than it was.
"And then I got there and I realized that I could do this," she said. Thorne chose the Swan costume because she liked the look, but also because it appeared to be the easiest to navigate.
"And so I got super lucky," she said. "I didn't have huge wings, wings are really hard. My head was really big and the hardest part was talking out of my neck. That was a little weird. I couldn't stand up anywhere except for on the stage because I was so tall. To be squatting anytime I had my mask on, which was so funny looking, my crown would break touching the ceiling. But I could only talk out of my neck and my eye holes had the better sound than my mouth holes, so I actually put the mic to my eyeholes. So singing out of my eyeballs, which was very interesting. Sometimes i couldn't see because i had a mic in front of my eye."
Thorne said she was also surprised that no one figured her identity out. Robin Thicke guessed Nina Dobrev, Ken Jeong guessed Olivia Munn, while Jenny McCarthy Wahlberg thought it was Kristen Stewart, Nicole Scherzinger named Megan Fox and guest panelist Joel McHale chose Mila Kunis.
"When you get on set they take everything so beyond to a serious point," Thorne said. "No names, no face, no inch of skin, no fingernail, nada, nothing. This is way more serious than what I thought. The swan really became my persona because it's all people could reference me as. People were telling me swan facts all the time. So I also learned a lot about swans, which was pretty cool."
Thorne may not be continuing on as the Swan on “The Masked Singer,” but she got a pretty great consolation prize: “The Duff” star has sealed a new deal with Fox to develop scripted and unscripted fare.
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Thorne is the second star to be kicked off in Group C, the final of three groups of six celebrities (making 18 total) competing in this year's competition. Describing this collection of six celebrities, Cannon revealed that "between them they have one Guinness World Record, three 'New York Times' bestsellers and 36 gold records."
Thorne's exit this season follows Lil Wayne, Drew Carey, Chaka Khan, Tony Hawk, Dionne Warwick, Tom Bergeron and Sarah Palin.
Here's a recap of the other contestants and their performances on Wednesday:
Astronaut
Song: “Signed, Sealed, Delivered” by Stevie Wonder.
Voice-over: “I have a whole new mission now that I’m connecting with the audience on stage. I am loving this fresh start as the circle of life keeps spinning. It feels like I’m getting a foothold in this new world. When I was young I was a bright star, but then I overreached and got burned. I found myself isolated and so very lonely. But in the wild I kept wandering for what felt like 500 days, using sign language until I found my own voice. Now here I am on an unexpected journey. I’m going to share my story, sing a song from a dear friend and prove I do belong.”
Yearbook quote: “We can all reach the stars. Sometimes it just takes a little help from someone in an organized crime family.”
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Panel guesses: Donald Glover, Corey Feldman, Joseph Gordon-Leavitt
Previous song: “You Say” by Lauren Daigle
Previous panel guesses: Adam Devine, Josh Hutcherson, Lance Bass, Zac Efron
Night Angel
Song: "Million Reasons," by Lady Gaga
Voice-over: “Being on that stage revitalizes my confidence and reminds me of the joy I have for music. Years ago, I was sitting up in my room surrounded by other angels but lost in the crowd. I had a thirst for more. So bang bang, I left my safe place and chose to fall down to earth. Real talk, being on my own was scary, because I felt rejection for the first time. But I taught myself how to survive. I hustled and with hard work and commitment, built an empire. Destiny le me back to the stage and hopefully I can give you a million reasons why I belong here.”
Yearbook quote: “If you’re willing to lend a helping wing, then you too can break barriers.”
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Panel guesses: Regina King, Jessica Simpson, Taraji P. Henson
Previous song: “You Give Love a Bad Name,” by Bon Jovi
Previous panel guesses: Taylor Dayne, Monica, Lil Kim
T-Rex
Song: "Push It" by Salt-N-Pepa
Voice-over: “OMG, being the T-Rex is dino-mite. Picking up where I left off, I was hanging with my friends on T-Rex island when out of nowhere, boom rang the island. After the impact I looked around and was devastated to see only singles and doubles of us left. I didn’t want my career to go downhill fast. My heart was beating like a bumblebee. To survive, I had to dive or survive. No one wants to be a one-hit wonder. Now my dreams of being a superstar as Rex are finally within my little arms’ reach. This is my one shot, and I double dare you to stop me.”
Yearbook quote: “If you dream big, your face can be everywhere. And you’ll never go extinct. Unless a meteor hits.”
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Panel guesses: Lily Singh, Liza Koshy, Mikaela Shiffrin
Previous song: “So What,” by Pink
Previous panel guesses: Kourtney Kardashian, Maddie Ziegler, Rebecca Black
Rhino
Song: “Nice to Meet Ya,” by Niall Horan
Voice-over: “After last week’s performance, I am flying high. Just like on stage, standing on these wings is wild and nerve-wracking. But I’ve always been a risk taker. Which has led to many ups and downs. For so long it felt like was free falling through life. And just when it felt like I might hit the bottom, I met my wife, my guardian angel. She taught me balance and gave me stability so I could defy gravity. She saved my life. And inspired me to pursue other passions and take on new risks. Which has led me to this stage tonight. How can you not be romantic about something like that.”
Yearbook quote: “Family is very important for success, especially when performing for a king is in your blood.”
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Panel guesses: Tim Tebow, Chris Pratt, Ryan Lochte
Previous song: “Have a Little Faith in Me,” by John Hiatt
Previous panel guesses: Jason Aldean, Tim Tebow, Tim McGraw


chicagotribune--2020-03-19--Oak Park issues shelter-in-place order to slow COVID-19 spread as River Forest, Forest Park leaders

Oak Park issues shelter-in-place order to slow COVID-19 spread as River Forest, Forest Park leaders urge residents to comply as well

“ We are urging people to stay home and stay out of reach of other people , ” Abu-Taleb said @ @ @ @ @ prepared to order people to shelter in place , if necessary .
We may have @ @ @ @ @ to make that more formal in the near future , but right now , we @ @ @ @ @ desire to urge our communities to practice social distancing , even from your own loved @ @ @

To slow the spread of the COVID-19 virus, the village of Oak Park has issued a shelter in place order effective March 20 through April 3. River Forest and Forest Park officials are asking residents to voluntarily shelter in place and practice social distancing. (Steve Schering / Pioneer Press)
With Oak Park announcing its first confirmed case of COVID-19, the village has issued a shelter-in-place order for its residents, which will last from March 20 through at least April 3.
On Wednesday afternoon, the village announced one of its residents, a man in his 30s, tested positive for the coronavirus. The man was screened and tested at Rush Oak Park Hospital, but is at home recovering in isolation, officials said.
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By Wednesday evening, Oak Park Mayor Anan Abu-Taleb declared a local state of emergency due to the spread of COVID-19.
The move included an order by village public health director Mike Charley that requires residents to shelter in place for at least two weeks. It goes into effect at 12:01 a.m. Friday. The intent of the order is to “ensure that the maximum number of people self-isolate” in their places of residence, according to the document.
The order allows “essential services” to continue, such as health care operations, grocery stores, food banks, convenience stores and other establishments engaged in the retail sale of canned food, dry goods, fresh fruits and vegetables, pet supply, fresh meats, fish and poultry, and any other household consumer products. Others allowed to operate include gas stations, auto supply and auto repair businesses, banks, financial institutions, hardware stores, restaurants that serve food only for delivery and carry-out, home-based care for seniors, adults and children, laundromats, dry cleaners, businesses providing mailing and shipping services, and more.
Earlier Wednesday, Abu-Taleb had joined River Forest Village President Cathy Adduci and Forest Park Mayor Rory E. Hoskins in asking residents to voluntarily shelter in place as much as possible and engage in preventative measures against COVID-19. By evening, however, Oak Park issued the order to shelter in place. The other two villages did not escalate their voluntary request to an order.
School districts affected
The shelter-in-place order has also affected schools in the village. Oak Park and River Forest High School announced its school building will be closed through April 3, and students will continue to engage in e-learning days. Students who receive free or reduced lunch will be able to pick up meals from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. March 20 at the concession trailer by the football stadium.
Oak Park Elementary School District 97 announced its school buildings will also be closed through April 3, with its students also continuing e-learning courses.
Meals for District 97 students receiving free and reduced lunch can be picked up from 10:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. March 20 at Longfellow Elementary School, 715 S. Highland Ave., for students attending Julian Middle School and its feeder schools. Students attending Brooks Middle School and its feeder schools can pick up their meals at the same time at Brooks Middle School, 325 S. Kenilworth Ave.
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While River Forest is not under an official shelter-in-place order, River Forest District 90 Superintendent Ed Condon said his district’s schools will also remain closed through April 3. District 90 students are also currently engaged in e-learning courses.
While at home, officials are urging people to practice social distancing by staying away from gatherings of more than 10 people and to stay at least 6 feet away from each other.
Officials also urge residents to wash hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, or use an alcohol-based sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol, cover coughs and sneezes with a tissue and throw the tissue away, avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth, and clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces.
‘Tip of the iceberg’
While there is only one positive COVID-19 case as of March 18 in the three communities, Adduci said that may just be “the tip of the iceberg.”
To slow the spread of the COVID-19 virus, village leaders in Oak Park, River Forest and Forest Park are asking residents to voluntarily shelter in place and practice social distancing. (Steve Schering / Pioneer Press)
“We don’t need to panic, but be cognizant that it’s here,” Adduci said. “We urge residents to stay home and to not do any non-essential travel and non-essential work should be postponed or rescheduled to a later date. We are urging you to stay home, stay out of reach of other people and keep yourself safe and healthy.”
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In an interview Wednesday morning, Abu-Taleb told Pioneer Press he was encouraging residents to obey the shelter-in-place plan, however, the official order was released several hours later.
“We are urging people to stay home and stay out of reach of other people,” Abu-Taleb said. “I’m prepared to order people to shelter in place, if necessary. We may have to take more serious measures to make that more formal in the near future, but right now, we’re amping up our desire to urge our communities to practice social distancing, even from your own loved ones.”
Should the need arise, Hoskins said he is prepared to offer space at the Forest Park Plaza mall to authorities and agencies that may need it.
“I absolutely agree we have to make our citizens realize this is a very difficult situation we’re dealing with,” Hoskins said. “We have a lot of space and we’ll be reaching out to state and federal authorities in the event they need a place to stage. We’d make that space available if the need arises.”
In River Forest, Adduci said the village is working on a COVID-19 senior response program, which will be used to assist seniors with daily errands to limit their exposure to the general public.
“We believe we need to help out those seniors who are the most vulnerable, but need services,” Adduci said. “We’re rallying behind that to create a volunteer organization to help everyone out.”
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According to Abu-Taleb, the virus could claim the lives of as many as 2 to 3 million people.
“We are fighting a war,” Abu-Taleb said. “What’s different about this war is we don’t see the enemy. I would rather overreact than to allow things to happen by chance. This requires each member of our communities to follow the guidelines and have one goal, which is to stop the spread of the virus.”
Each village has a designated website with information about COVID-19 and preventative measures at www.oak-park.us/covid19, www.vrf.us/covid19 and www.forestpark.net.
sschering@pioneerlocal.com
Twitter: @steveschering


chicagotribune--2020-03-19--Chicago Public Libraries closing 61 locations as ‘fearful’ city workers union blasts decision to kee

Chicago Public Libraries closing 61 locations as ‘fearful’ city workers union blasts decision to keep 20 open

“ Keeping a limited number of libraries open during limited hours will ensure that we provide for those who have @ @ @ @ @ for basic access to the internet or other resources , ” said Department of Public @ @ @ @ @ “ We are confident that CPL can provide these services in a way that is @ @ @ @ @ employees and patrons alike .
Still , we continue to urge Chicagoans to stay home @ @ @ @ @ out so that we can continue to work to limit the spread of COVID-19 .
@

Chicago Public Library will close most but not all of its locations, drawing the ire of the union representing municipal employees who demanded all libraries be closed.
CPL made the announcement Wednesday night, saying they were making the reductions in 61 locations to ensure the health and safety of residents. Twenty libraries, including Harold Washington Library, will remain open. The closures will begin at the end of Saturday, March 21.
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“Chicago libraries serve as social safety nets for our communities – where our young people become lifelong learners and technology centers connect our residents to the world,” Mayor Lori E. Lightfoot said in the statement. “Although some libraries will close to mitigate the spread of COVID-19, we know residents and neighborhoods will continue to need access to the resources they provide.”
The American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, representing 900 CPL employees, blasted the decision and said it did not go far enough to protect the health of its staff and the city’s residents.
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The benefits libraries provide to the city do not outweigh the risks to public health, AFSCME Council 31 Executive Director Roberta Lynch said in a statement, citing Lightfoot and Governor J.B. Pritzker’s previous messages urging caution in preventing transmission of the novel virus.
“The heart and soul of our libraries are the staff who welcome, assist and uplift patrons of every age and background every day,” Lynch said. “CPL will not be able to fulfill its mission if those employees are fearful and feeling abandoned by those who should be concerned with their well-being.”
CPL’s announcement cited libraries’ roles as “safe, welcoming spaces” for Chicagoans, and stated that libraries will not circulate materials starting next week. Patrons will be able to use public computers, which will be sanitized and moved farther apart, as well as access book drops.
“Keeping a limited number of libraries open during limited hours will ensure that we provide for those who have no other place to go for basic access to the internet or other resources,” said Department of Public Health Commissioner Alison Arwady. “We are confident that CPL can provide these services in a way that is safe and sanitary for library employees and patrons alike. Still, we continue to urge Chicagoans to stay home unless they absolutely must go out so that we can continue to work to limit the spread of COVID-19.”
Starting March 23, 20 remaining branches will be open Monday through Thursdays from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and on Fridays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Besides the Harold Washington branch in the Loop, those which remain open are: Sulzer Regional, Woodson Regional, Edgewater, Lincoln Belmont, Albany Park, Roden, West Belmont, Humboldt Park, Austin, Douglass, Lozano, King, Brighton Park, West Lawn, Thurgood Marshall, Whitney Young, South Chicago, West Pullman and Vodak-East Side, the CPL statement said.
rsobol@chicagotribune.com
ayin@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-03-19--Glencoe-raised author has written a true account of murder among the super-rich in Connecticut: ‘Mur

Glencoe-raised author has written a true account of murder among the super-rich in Connecticut: ‘Murder in Fairfield County’

In our short attention-span journalism era , finding a home for long stories is no easy task .
But Cohen @ @ @ @ @ new publication called Air Mail that allowed for , was even eager for , what @ @ @ @ @ series .
Self-described as a “ mobile-first digital weekly that unfolds like the better weekend @ @ @ @ @ , ” it is the creation of Graydon Carter , who was once and for @ @ @ @ @ Vanity Fair magazine .
Formally launched in July , it is staffed by many of @ @ @ @ @ , editors and writers .
One of them is Cohen , with the title of @ @ @ @

Portrait of Rich Cohen (cq), author of Monsters: The 1985 Chicago Bears and the Wild Heart of Football seen here near the Old Watertower (at Michigan & Chicago Avenues) in Chicago on Thursday, Oct. 24, 2013. For Borelli story. (Jose M. Osorio/ Chicago Tribune) B583282908Z.1 ....OUTSIDE TRIBUNE CO.- NO MAGS, NO SALES, NO INTERNET, NO TV, NEW YORK TIMES OUT, CHICAGO OUT, NO DIGITAL MANIPULATION... (Jose M. Osorio / Chicago Tribune)
As befits our current cooped-up conditions, more people than ever seem to be going on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter to express themselves. Much drivel, of course, but often some fun, good music, pleasant distractions, some news and substance. Rich Cohen is on Facebook. He hadn’t posted in a while but recently has offered a photo of himself playing the guitar, giving his teenage son a driving lesson on deserted suburban streets, and recalling his dad: “My father used to say this thing that now makes more sense to me: We’re all in this together by ourselves.”
The reason for his Facebook exercising is that he feels a sense of relief, for he is coming off an arduous writing project, a multi-part series, “Murder in Fairfield County.”
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He has been at it since January and it is a captivating, deeply researched tale of big money, betrayal, violence, adultery and death. It tells of Jennifer Farber, once an aspiring writer, and her husband Fotis Dulos, a builder and developer. From outward appearances and early on in their marriage, they seemed like a golden couple. They would parent five children and live in the New Canaan, a town on Connecticut’s Gold Coast and one of the wealthiest towns in America.
Cohen writes: “When you leave New York City for Fairfield County … you enter America as you imagine it used to be, a Martha Stewart land of rolling hills, green valleys, and blue forests.” It is peppered with towns that “stand for a certain American social context — old money, horses, and blueblood snobbery. “
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Even amid such rarefied surroundings, the Farber-Fotis marriage began to shatter. It would end on May 24, 2019, with the disappearance of Jennifer and, not quite soon enough for many, the Jan. 7, 2020, arrest of Fotis, charged with her murder, even though there was no body.
“Naturally this story got a lot of attention here, in the local papers and television and the internet,” Cohen says. He gives tremendous credit to local newspapers for helping him form the foundation of his research. But it was when he was able to get access to the lengthy and detailed arrest warrant issued for Fotis that he realized he had the stuff of a larger story.
“There was so much in there that had not been reported, so many details,” he says. “Still, this was probably the hardest writing I’ve ever had to do. As I was deep into the writing of one piece, I was finishing the previous one, trying to determine how to get readers to come back to the story. I often had the feeling that I was writing on a stage because the feedback from readers was so immediate.”
In our short attention-span journalism era, finding a home for long stories is no easy task. But Cohen had a relationship with a new publication called Air Mail that allowed for, was even eager for, what would eventually be his 22,000-word series. Self-described as a “mobile-first digital weekly that unfolds like the better weekend editions of your favorite newspapers,” it is the creation of Graydon Carter, who was once and for many years the editor-in-chief of Vanity Fair magazine. Formally launched in July, it is staffed by many of Carter’s former colleagues, editors and writers. One of them is Cohen, with the title of Editor at Large.
“When he was starting the magazine, Graydon and I talked about my writing for it,” says Cohen, who was born and raised in Glencoe and now lives in Connecticut. There are dozens of fine stories on the site but for the last six weeks the highlight, sordid and chilling as it is, has been Cohen’s series.
He is a pro, having written for magazines for decades, most recently writing a monthly column on conspiracies for the Paris Review. Cohen is the wildly prolific author of many books, including "Tough Jews: Fathers, Sons, and Gangster Dreams,” and “The Avengers: A Jewish War Story”; "Sweet and Low: A Family Story,” about the development of the popular sweetener by his maternal grandfather; coauthor of producer and deal-maker Jerry Weintraub’s autobiography “When I Stop Talking, You’ll Know I’m Dead”; “Monsters: The 1985 Chicago Bears and the Wild Heart of Football” and “The Chicago Cubs: Story of a Curse”; “The Sun & the Moon & the Rolling Stones” and "The Record Men: The Chess Brothers and the Birth of Rock & Roll.” His latest book, “The Last Pirate of New York: A Ghost Shop, a Killer and the Birth of a Gangster Nation” was published in 2019 and soon to be released in paperback.
He knows a good story when he sees one and this one was right in his own backyard.
He is correct when he writes, “There’s something mesmerizing about rich and super-rich people who go off the rails, with Fotis Dulos being a prime example. They fascinate because they make you realize that no amount of money or square footage can fix what’s wrong with some people.”
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There was something else, something more personal that drew him to this story. “My family and I live near where this took place,” he says. “And Jennifer and I were roughly the same age, ran sort of in the same literary circles for a bit, surely knew some of the same people. Did I meet her? I don’t remember. But I must have.”
It would be unfair of me to give away too many details, thus spoiling Cohen’s forceful narrative and incisive social observations. But there are surprises aplenty, as this in the final chapter of the series, when Cohen writes, “If Jennifer had a weakness it was her taste in men. In her mid-20s, according to several friends, she had flings with future #MeToo ne’er-do-wells Charlie Rose and Matt Lauer.”
“As the series began to be published, I started to hear from people who had known Jennifer and wanted to share information, in part to see that she was treated justly,” Cohen says. “They were all so helpful.”
Cohen and his wife Jessica, an attorney, are busy with the demands of with four boys, ages 16, 14, 12 and 4. “I will try to get some work done in the mornings and then it’s all about the kids. We do school work and maybe go outside and take hikes.”
In the morning his phone has been ringing with calls from publishers interested in having him expand the Air Mail series into a book. In the evenings, he and his eldest son are reading together the Truman Capote true-crime masterpiece “In Cold Blood.”
“In a sense I continue to grapple with the mystery to evil, “ he says.
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rkogan@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-03-19--After more than a year of allegations and investigations, settlement reached in Puerto Rican Parade

After more than a year of allegations and investigations, settlement reached in Puerto Rican Parade Committee case

The committee was also under investigation by police for allegations of theft and deceptive practices .
It was unclear how @ @ @ @ @ for the festival , a portion of which was supposed to go to Hurricane Maria @ @ @ @ @ according to committee board members at the time .
And some people were allegedly not @ @ @ @ @ the Tribune his company had a $ 19,000 contract and months later still had not @ @ @

A paradegoer waves to marchers during the 41st annual Puerto Rican People's Day Parade on West Division Street in the Humboldt Park neighborhood on June 15, 2019, in Chicago. (John J. Kim / Chicago Tribune)
After more than a year of investigations, court proceedings and swirling allegations surrounding the Puerto Rican Parade Committee, the Illinois attorney general’s office earlier this month announced a settlement in the bankruptcy case.
As part of the settlement, the remaining assets of the parade committee will be distributed to the Daniel Ramos Puerto Rican Festival Committee, according to a news release from the attorney general’s office. The Daniel Ramos committee is now organizing the beloved summer festival in Humboldt Park, which the funds will support.
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“The Puerto Rican Day Parade and festival is an important celebration that brings together Chicago’s Puerto Rican community to showcase their rich culture, and the misuse of the Puerto Rican Parade Committee’s funds jeopardized this important Chicago tradition,” Attorney General Kwame Raoul said in the news release. “Today’s settlement ensures that those who misused funds are held accountable for improper spending that took advantage of donors and the Chicagoans who anticipate these festivities each year.”
Carmen Martinez, the partner of the Puerto Rican Parade Committee’s former president Angel Medina, is now banned from acting as a charitable fiduciary in the state and from serving as a trustee or board member for another nonprofit organization, according to the release.
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When reached by phone, Martinez said she preferred not to talk in length about the case.
“I’ve suffered so much because of this,” she said.
Martinez said she is still proud to be Puerto Rican and everything she did for the organization “was with a good intention.”
“But only God knows what happened. And everything I did, I did with a good heart,” Martinez added.
In July 2018, the attorney general’s office opened an investigation into the nonprofit committee “after receiving complaints about alleged financial misconduct, including hundreds of thousands of dollars in questionable spending,” according to the release.
The committee was also under investigation by police for allegations of theft and deceptive practices. It was unclear how much money from entrance fees for the festival, a portion of which was supposed to go to Hurricane Maria relief, was collected, according to committee board members at the time. And some people were allegedly not paid — one vendor told the Tribune his company had a $19,000 contract and months later still had not been paid.
Past festivals have brought in more than $100,000, according to tax filings.
Meanwhile, Casa Puertorriquena, the committee’s home building and community hub, was at risk of being sold because the committee filed for bankruptcy in 2017, claiming it was more than $900,000 in debt. The building was eventually sold.
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Martinez claimed more than $500,000 in mortgages on the property. The committee filed an adversary complaint claiming it owed Martinez nothing. Meanwhile, the attorney general’s office got involved and alleged Martinez violated the state’s charitable trust laws — claiming Martinez and Medina “engaged in multiple questionable transactions” related to the committee’s assets and Martinez’s mortgages.
As part of the settlement, Martinez agreed to withdraw portions of her claim and cap her recovery, according to the attorney general’s office. She also agreed to cooperate by providing information about the committee.
The remainder of about $30,000 from the sale of Casa Puertorriquena will be paid to the attorney general’s office as part of the settlement, and will be distributed to the Puerto Rican Cultural Center and used by the Daniel Ramos committee to continue the annual celebration.
Casa Puertorriquena was expected to be demolished and replaced with affordable housing with a space for the new committee.
But now an organization specifically committed to the community center has identified a new building in Humboldt Park that could serve as a neighborhood hub, said Charles Serrano, a leader in the effort.
“I think the bankruptcy coming to a closure allows for new beginnings,” Serrano said.
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The festival will continue on, along with additional year-round events for the entire community, Serrano said.
Carlos Jimenez Flores, executive director of the Daniel Ramos committee, said this year’s festival will be “bigger and better.”
Flores said he’d like to see a blood drive as part of the festival, in addition to features such as film screenings and voter registration from last year’s fest. The festival will also feature more women performers than in previous years, Flores said, including one night of all female acts.
“We just have to do our little bit to show future generations that, hey, we’ve turned the page,” Flores said.
mgreene@chicagotribune.com
larodriguez@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-03-18--Boy, 17, found dead with gunshot wound in Austin alleyway: police

About 11:50 p.m. , officers responded to a gunfire alert from ShotSpotter technology and found the boy in the gangway @ @ @ @ @ 4900 block of West Cortez Street , according to Chicago police .

Chicago police investigate a fatal shooting Wednesday, March 19, 2020, in the 4900 block of West Cortez Street. (Alice Yin/Chicago Tribune)
A 17-year-old boy was killed in a shooting late Wednesday in the Austin neighborhood on the West Side.
About 11:50 p.m., officers responded to a gunfire alert from ShotSpotter technology and found the boy in the gangway of a house in the 4900 block of West Cortez Street, according to Chicago police.
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The 17-year-old was taken to West Suburban Hospital with a gunshot wound in his head, police said. He was pronounced dead.
No one is in custody.


chicagotribune--2020-03-18--What does Nick Foles’ arrival mean for Mitch Trubisky? We await word from Bears GM Ryan Pace.

That ’ s when we ’ ll see how the Bears frame taking on a new quarterback for $ 20.125 @ @ @ @ @ what it means for former No .
2 pick Mitch Trubisky .
Will they still @ @ @ @ @ Trubisky is the starter — until he ’ s not ?
Will they declare it @ @ @ @ @ will they hand the reins to Foles , a ninth-year NFL veteran now on his @ @ @

Bears quarterback Mitch Trubisky heads to the locker room after a 21-9 loss to the Saints in a playoff game Jan. 10, 2021, in New Orleans. (John J. Kim / Chicago Tribune)
The Bears welcomed quarterback Nick Foles on Wednesday afternoon with an appropriately bizarre message, given the circumstances.
The NFL decided this week to proceed with free agency amid the coronavirus crisis, but it added restrictions. One was that teams may not bring players to their facilities for physicals and may not announce any moves until physicals have been completed. Third-party physicals, however, can be arranged in players’ home cities.
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That meant that when the new league year opened at 3 p.m. Wednesday, most teams couldn’t officially announce their big deals.
So instead, the Bears posted Foles’ photo over an orange background on their Twitter account with this message: “Per @NFLNetwork reports, we have traded for QB @NickFoles. (NFL policy currently prohibits teams from making any official announcements.)”
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Per @NFLNetwork reports, we have traded for QB @NickFoles.
(NFL policy currently prohibits teams from making any official announcements.)@SNICKERS | #DaBears — Chicago Bears (@ChicagoBears) March 18, 2020
They also tagged Snickers, apparently a marketing partner for their announcements this year. They did the same shtick for the signings of edge rusher Robert Quinn and tight end Jimmy Graham.
The messages were a cheeky way to get around the NFL restrictions, but with the Foles non-announcement comes a major question. If the Bears have to put off announcing the trade, when will the media get to speak to general manager Ryan Pace about it?
That’s when we’ll see how the Bears frame taking on a new quarterback for $20.125 million in guaranteed money and what it means for former No. 2 pick Mitch Trubisky. Will they still stick to their refrain that Trubisky is the starter — until he’s not? Will they declare it an open competition? Or will they hand the reins to Foles, a ninth-year NFL veteran now on his fifth team?
Foles, despite being something of a postseason legend for his unlikely run to become Super Bowl LII MVP, was one of the quarterbacks on the market this week whose acquisition could be open to interpretation.
There was much debate about potentially benching Trubisky last season as he quarterbacked one of the worst offenses in the NFL, but it never really happened, unless you count his mysterious hip pointer against the Rams.
[ 5 things to know about new Bears quarterback Nick Foles, including his Super Bowl MVP season and his Drew Brees connection ]
Foles actually was benched. After he returned from a broken collarbone in the opener that kept him out of the next eight games, he played only 2½ more games before the Jaguars went back to rookie Gardner Minshew because of Foles’ poor play. He hasn’t started more than five games in a regular season since 2015.
So now the Bears have two quarterbacks coming off rocky seasons, continued uncertainty about how this offseason will play out at the position and a new dynamic to navigate.
“The biggest thing is creating competition,” Bears coach Matt Nagy said on the Tribune’s Bear Download podcast last month about bringing in another quarterback. “It’s being able to be somebody that can come in and just immerse themselves in this offense, understanding that and doing everything possible to always be the No. 1 quarterback.”
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If Pace is determined to give his draft pick another chance at turning into the player he envisioned in 2017, there won’t be much slack. Trubisky has had three seasons, two in Nagy’s offense, to prove himself and has done it only in occasional spurts.
Even as badly as Pace might want Trubisky to succeed, he must know the time for patience has passed. And the fact Foles has experience with Nagy, offensive coordinator Bill Lazor and quarterbacks coach John DeFilippo from previous stops makes it even easier to see him sliding in to take the job from Trubisky.
Even before the trade, Nagy acknowledged the urgency for Trubisky is “highly elevated.”
[ Column: Nick Foles has a proven track record of being a calm and steady rescue artist. And isn’t that exactly what the Bears need? ]
“That’s what’s important is knowing this is where we’re at right now,” Nagy said. “Two years ago, coming in, brand-new offense, (he) knows nothing. … Now you’re getting into your third year. It’s time.
“But he knows and understands the sense of urgency we have, so I expect him to take it head on.”
That is, unless Foles takes that chance from him.


chicagotribune--2020-03-18--Column: Nick Foles has a proven track record of being a calm and steady rescue artist. And isn’t tha

Column: Nick Foles has a proven track record of being a calm and steady rescue artist. And isn’t that exactly what the Bears need?

“ Nick is as good of a human being as you will find , ” Nagy said .
“ You @ @ @ @ @ who do things the right way .
He ’ s somebody who cares about others @ @ @ @ @ to play for the love of the game .
… He ’ s a very @ @ @ @ @ .
He knows where he ’ s going with the football .
And he ’ @ @ @ @ @

If you have the stomach for it, Chicago, it takes only 10 minutes. Cue up the late stages of the NFC wild-card-round game at Soldier Field on Jan. 6, 2019. Bears ahead 15-10, less than 5 minutes remaining.
An energized crowd and an eager city are feeling the buzz of what could be the Bears’ first playoff win since January 2011.
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What an exhilarating season 2018 had been. And now, on this winter evening, with this long-awaited return to postseason football, imaginations are quickly shifting into fast-forward.
Still, as the Eagles take possession at their 40-yard line against a defense that led the NFL in takeaways and the NFC in sacks, the belief in the visitors’ huddle is swelling.
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The quarterback in command, Nick Foles, has earned that trust — and a nickname in Philadelphia, with associated hashtag, that can’t be printed in a family publication such as this — by proving himself as a reliable rescue expert time and again.
Now here he is in another pressure-packed moment with a new and urgent call to action. Over the next 3 minutes, 52 seconds, in a series of 12 plays, Foles operates with the equanimity of a surgeon. One thing at a time. Laser focus. All distractions blocked out.
The drive starts with a 15-yard completion to Alshon Jeffery, a play-action dart over the middle squeezed between a trio of Bears defenders. It ends with a 2-yard touchdown pass to Golden Tate, as precise as it is decisive.
Foles throws nine passes in all, completing six. That final one to Tate — on fourth-and-goal from the 2 as the clock ticks under a minute to play — is a winning throw made with winning vision before the snap.
The Eagles surge ahead 16-15.
You can cut the video there and save yourself further anguish from the sound of leather hitting metal twice. But you should notice Foles’ contagious calm, his steady hand, his trust in his teammates and himself.
No wonder the folks at Halas Hall were willing to make their bold dice roll Wednesday, trading a fourth-round pick to the Jaguars to bring Foles to Lake Forest.
The Bears need a rescue artist. They no longer can operate with unwavering belief that Mitch Trubisky’s developmental breakthrough is around the corner. They need options. Competition. A possible replacement.
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Trubisky is the incumbent starter, nudged into this offseason with votes of confidence from general manager Ryan Pace but also demands from coach Matt Nagy that he become “a master at understanding coverages.” His grip on the starting role is far from firm, and his coach’s patience is running thin.
Now Foles’ arrival changes the dynamic.
Foles has proved himself to be both a trusty backup and, in some very important moments, a clutch starter. He has earned respect across the league for his steadiness.
Six days before that playoff game 14 months ago, Nagy expressed his admiration for Foles.
“Nick is as good of a human being as you will find,” Nagy said. “You want to talk about people who do things the right way. He’s somebody who cares about others, somebody who just wants to play for the love of the game. … He’s a very confident kid in the huddle. He knows where he’s going with the football. And he’s a playmaker.”
That following Sunday, as the Eagles left Soldier Field, packing Chicago’s ripped-out heart into their equipment crates, the endorsements continued.
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“We’ve got a quarterback who just wants to live in the now,” Tate said.
Added tight end Zach Ertz: “He never tries to do too much. He tries to stay within himself on every play. The moment is never too big for him, and he just emanates that calm and positive attitude.”
As the Bears considered a multitude of candidates to bring into their quarterbacks room, a list that also included Andy Dalton and Teddy Bridgewater, Nagy had more than that playoff loss to reflect on. He spent time with Foles in 2012 with the Eagles and four seasons later with the Chiefs.
New Bears offensive coordinator Bill Lazor was Foles’ quarterbacks coach with the Eagles in 2013, the year Foles took over for an injured Michael Vick in October and threw 27 touchdown passes with only two interceptions.
New Bears quarterbacks coach John DeFilippo was in that same role overseeing Foles with the Eagles in 2016 and 2017, then was his offensive coordinator last year in Jacksonville.
That 2017 season, of course, was the fairy tale, the year Foles saved the Eagles’ season. After franchise quarterback Carson Wentz went down with a season-ending ACL tear in December, Foles jumped in and stayed steady. Then he carried the Eagles through the playoffs, one big victory at a time.
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If those work-from-home coronavirus edicts afford you more than the aforementioned 10 minutes of leisure time, take Super Bowl LII for a spin. That night in Minneapolis, Foles went 28-for-43 for 373 yards and three touchdowns. He added a 1-yard touchdown catch on “Philly Special” in a 41-33 win over the Patriots.
He toppled Tom Brady and Bill Belichick, collected a Super Bowl MVP trophy and became a legend.
Ten months later, after another Wentz injury, he carried the Eagles from below .500 in mid-December to 9-7 and a wild-card berth. Then he persevered through an otherwise bumpy day at Soldier Field with a game-winning drive.
For whatever it’s worth, Foles’ four playoff victories as a starter are more than the collective total of the last 29 Bears starting quarterbacks.
There are no promises the trade for Foles will prove successful. The Jaguars were eager to deal the 31-year-old quarterback barely a year after guaranteeing him $50 million in a four-year contract in free agency.
A broken collarbone in the season opener followed by three ho-hum starts late in the season convinced the Jaguars to go in a new direction with Gardner Minshew. Foles also had uneven starting stints with the Eagles in 2014 and the Rams in 2015, so turbulent, in fact, that he found himself seriously considering retirement.
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Skeptics aren’t wrong to wonder whether Foles is capable of being a long-term starter or whether he is better suited for a supporting role.
It’s possible Foles could become the next quarterback sucked into the black hole of futility in Chicago. He seems destined to get an opportunity to play at some point — perhaps as soon as Week 1. And even in an offense he knows well, working with a coaching staff he has great comfort and chemistry with, he might be incapable of elevating the Bears’ bottom-tier offense to a championship level.
But beggars can’t be choosers either. And the Bears absolutely needed to do something to shake up their quarterbacks room and truly press Trubisky. On Wednesday, they finally took the big swing to do so.


chicagotribune--2020-03-18--Column: Bears’ trade for Nick Foles is an admission they whiffed on drafting Mitch Trubisky, no matt

Column: Bears’ trade for Nick Foles is an admission they whiffed on drafting Mitch Trubisky, no matter who is the starter when work resumes

No matter how Nagy winds up structuring things when teams can return to work , the addition of Foles is @ @ @ @ @ in drafting Trubisky with the No .
2 pick three years ago .
They ’ @ @ @ @ @ ever since , and now it looks like the construction of what the Bears believe @ @ @ @ @ continue around a different quarterback .
It ’ s hard to imagine they gave up @ @ @ @ @ more money at the position thinking of Foles as only a life raft if things @ @ @ @ @ for Trubisky .

The Bears didn’t get the first pick of quarterbacks this offseason, but in trading for Nick Foles, they did get the player their coaches have the most experience with. And with uncertainty about offseason programs and when — or if — training camps will open, that’s a plus.
That Foles is a proven postseason performer, helping guide the Eagles to the Super Bowl LII championship after the 2017 season, is another bonus for Bears general manager Ryan Pace and coach Matt Nagy, who were seeking — at the minimum — competition for starter Mitch Trubisky.
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The Bears acquired Foles, 31, from the Jaguars on Wednesday in exchange for their fourth-round compensatory draft pick, No. 140 overall. The Jaguars gave up on Foles a year after signing him to a four-year, $88 million contract, the league’s largest free-agent deal in 2019. He pocketed $30 million from the Jaguars and made only four starts, all losses, making it one of the worst contracts in recent years. The Bears assume only $20.125 million in guarantees, so the Jaguars’ major mistake becomes Pace’s high-priced one-year trial.
No matter how Nagy winds up structuring things when teams can return to work, the addition of Foles is an admission the Bears missed in drafting Trubisky with the No. 2 pick three years ago. They’ve been building around him ever since, and now it looks like the construction of what the Bears believe is a win-now roster may continue around a different quarterback. It’s hard to imagine they gave up a mid-round pick and threw more money at the position thinking of Foles as only a life raft if things don’t turn around for Trubisky.
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Because NFL rules during the coronavirus pandemic prohibit players from entering team facilities until at least March 31, team doctors cannot perform physicals, so the Bears can’t officially announce the trade. Foles played for Nagy in Philadelphia and Kansas City and also has experience with Bears offensive coordinator Bill Lazor and quarterbacks coach John DeFilippo, all of which should help in the event the NFL schedule is significantly altered by the world health emergency.
Per @NFLNetwork reports, we have traded for QB @NickFoles.
(NFL policy currently prohibits teams from making any official announcements.)@SNICKERS | #DaBears — Chicago Bears (@ChicagoBears) March 18, 2020
Swapping Foles for the compensatory pick means the Bears spent a total of five draft picks — a first-rounder, two thirds and two fourths — to acquire Trubisky and Foles, including the 2017 draft-day deal with the 49ers.
Regardless of how you feel about Foles, failing to take action this offseason would have been a greater mistake. The Bears never will solve their quarterback problem unless they keep swinging at it, and the delay in swinging has troubled the organization in the last decade. They hung on to Jay Cutler too long. They’ve failed to take enough shots on quarterbacks in the draft.
The Bears likely could have pulled Andy Dalton out of Cincinnati for the same draft pick, maybe less compensation. He had success with Lazor before. The Panthers made Cam Newton available, but his right shoulder has to be as much of a question as the foot injury that knocked him out last season.
A lot of quarterbacks were available entering this week, but none appeared to be the perfect fit for the Bears. That’s what happens when you’re fresh off missing on one with the second pick. In that case, why not pick the one you are most familiar with?
It’s at least worth wondering, though, why Pace had to pay a fourth-round pick. Were the Jaguars going to keep Foles if the offer was lower? It’s difficult to imagine the Bears were bidding against anyone else by midday, when the Patriots were the only team without a clear plan for a 2020 starting quarterback. The Colts might have had Foles as a backup plan, but that was before reaching an agreement with Philip Rivers on Tuesday.
In other words, were the Bears bidding against themselves? It would be one thing to give up the fourth-rounder if the Jaguars took on part of the money owed to Foles this season, but they didn’t. ESPN reported the Bears were able to rework Foles’ contract shortly after finalizing the trade. That’s helpful for salary-cap purposes, but it doesn’t change the $20.125 million in guaranteed money.
Things unraveled quickly for Foles in Jacksonville last season. He broke his left collarbone in the opener, and when he returned to the lineup in Week 10, he lasted only 2½ games before he was benched in favor of rookie Gardner Minshew, a sixth-round pick from Washington State. The Bears will be Foles’ fifth team.
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Foles worked with Nagy in Philadelphia as a rookie in 2012 and again in Kansas City in 2016. DeFilippo was the Jaguars offensive coordinator last season and the Eagles quarterbacks coach when Foles had his magical 2017 postseason run. Lazor was the Eagles quarterbacks coach in 2013, when Foles was named to the Pro Bowl after throwing 27 touchdown passes and only two interceptions in Chip Kelly’s offense. So the Bears coaches are very well-versed in what he does well.
Whether Foles can emerge as a long-term solution or proves to be a bridge to the Bears’ next effort to draft a quarterback remains to be seen. He has only 13 starts over the last four regular seasons and was viewed primarily as a top-tier No. 2 around the league until experiencing enough postseason success to prompt the Jaguars to tab him as the replacement for Blake Bortles last March.
Foles’ postseason success wasn’t limited to replacing Carson Wentz late in the 2017 season and helping the Eagles reach the Super Bowl, in which he earned MVP honors after completing 28 of 43 passes for 373 yards and three touchdowns in an upset of the Patriots.
He was starting in place of Wentz again when the Eagles came to Soldier Field for a wild-card-round game against the Bears after the 2018 season. Foles’ 2-yard pass to Golden Tate on fourth-and-goal proved to be the difference in the Eagles’ 16-15 victory after Cody Parkey missed a 43-yard field goal with 5 seconds left. That’s the last start Foles won.
Foles is 4-2 in the postseason in his career, so maybe the Bears just have to get there for him to show the way. They’re hoping a retooled front seven with the addition of outside linebacker Robert Quinn will amp up the defense. The Bears couldn’t run the ball with any consistency last season and lacked explosive plays. A new offensive staff and new quarterback could combine to provide hope for Pace, who has gone the veteran route with free-agent contracts with Quinn, tight end Jimmy Graham and linebacker Danny Trevathan.
Eventually, the Bears will get around to making Foles’ arrival official, and then we’ll hear what they have to say about their plan. It ought to be to replace Trubisky.


chicagotribune--2020-03-19--Woman rescues 6-month-old daughter from SUV as gunman attempts to carjack her in River North, police

Woman rescues 6-month-old daughter from SUV as gunman attempts to carjack her in River North, police say

He yanked her property from her and ran toward her SUV parked on the street .
Her 6-month-old daughter was @ @ @ @ @ said .

A woman pulled her 6-month-old daughter out of an SUV that a gunman tried to carjack Thursday afternoon in the River North neighborhood.
About 2:30 p.m., the 22-year-old woman was in the 800 block of North State Street when a male pointed a gun at her and demanded her belongings, according to Chicago police.
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He yanked her property from her and ran toward her SUV parked on the street. Her 6-month-old daughter was in the backseat, police said.
As the male got inside the SUV, the 22-year-old opened the rear door and scooped up her daughter, police said.
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A 60-year-old man witnessing the carjacking tried to walk over and intervene, but the gunman also pointed his firearm at him, police said.
The gunman then left the SUV, which still had the 22-year-old’s items inside, and fled westbound on West Chestnut Street in a dark sedan, police said.
No one was injured, and Area Central detectives were investigating the attempted carjacking.
ayin@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-03-19--Ask Amy: Reconnection with woman will disrupt family

Your motives might not be completely clear to you -- or your motive might be mixed -- but you should @ @ @ @ @ that he has changed , that you have changed , and that , if he @ @ @ @ @ committed relationship , he might see this contact as an unwelcome intrusion .

Dear Readers: Every year I step away from my column for two weeks 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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Enjoy today's "Best Of" column from 2010.
I'll be back with fresh Q and A next week.
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Dear Amy: Recently, I "virtually" reconnected with a woman I knew more than 25 years ago.
A few months ago, I was in her hometown and she came to my hotel. We had a few drinks and spent the night together. Recently, I was at a convention she also attended, and we spent the week together. We virtually skipped the convention and just enjoyed each other's company.
More recently, I was back in her town and we spent another few days together.
We talk about everything, share everything, and have started talking about a new life together. This would entail us both leaving our spouses.
We talk every day, and know the pain this may cause, but we truly are in love and want to be with each other.
We both have high school-age children.
Do I just tell my wife I am leaving her? Should I wait for a job in the new city first?
I am conflicted about the how/when/where.
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— No Tiger
Dear Tiger: I've managed to stay sentimental enough about marriage that I would urge you to try to stay with -- rather than flee from -- your family.
All I can say is that there is no easy way to dump your family, certainly if in the course of leaving them you intend to also leave town.
When faced with such a monumental life choice, it is helpful to sit down with a counselor to discuss your intentions. Try this first.
January 2010
Dear Amy: A long time ago, I broke off my engagement, and shortly afterward married another man. We were married for more than 30 years when he died of cancer.
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Do you feel it would be inappropriate for me to try to contact my former fiance after 40 years? After I broke our engagement, we had no further contact.
I am curious as to where life has taken him. I would like to drop him a note and offer to meet him for coffee and conversation to catch up.
What is your opinion?
— Curious
Dear Curious: My opinion is that you are lonely for companionship and so you want to test the waters by returning to a familiar "lost love."
This is a completely understandable impulse. I've had it myself, which is why after my long-ago divorce I dated everyone I ever knew in college.
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Your motives might not be completely clear to you -- or your motive might be mixed -- but you should be prepared for the fact that he has changed, that you have changed, and that, if he is married or in a committed relationship, he might see this contact as an unwelcome intrusion.
You should familiarize yourself with Facebook. Post an online profile, and then use it to get in touch with all sorts of people. The way all of our personal webs intersect, I bet it wouldn't be two weeks before he was aware of how to contact you.
February 2010
Dear Amy: I've had a friend from work for 25 years. We solved problems together, griped about conditions, lunched and played tennis. We retired and have remained friends, albeit with less get-together time.
Well, suddenly my friend says he has to meet with a "group" every morning, including weekends. He is mysterious about the "group," saying that he is not permitted to talk about what they do.
Though I know his wife, I feel I can't ask her about this because I'm embarrassed.
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Now I am not "permitted" to talk with him during the day. No more lunches. I should let it go, but I feel as if a friendship that I valued is devalued. Do you have any idea what sort of group could have such requirements as abandoning longtime friends?
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 >
— Puzzled Pal
Dear Puzzled: Your friend might be attending AA meetings, religious meetings, getting dialysis treatments or playing poker. He also might want to exit the friendship, but not know how to tell you.
If you are truly worried about him, yes -- you could reach out to his wife with an expression of concern.
March 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.)
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Copyright 2019 by Amy Dickinson
Distributed by Tribune Content Agency


chicagotribune--2020-03-19--‘Very Cavallari’ finale recap: There was no drama with the Uncommon James store opening in Chicago,

‘Very Cavallari’ finale recap: There was no drama with the Uncommon James store opening in Chicago, so they made some up

“ I want this to do well so badly .
This is essentially my hometown , ” said Cavallari , @ @ @ @ @ childhood in suburban Barrington and married Cutler in 2013 .
“ I know a lot @ @ @ @ @ to not have a successful store here would just be a massive embarrassment , and @ @ @ @ @ like a failure.
” Nevermind that Cavallari once told a magazine reporter that “ Chicago @ @ @ @ @ .
”

Kristin Cavallari visits "Extra" at the Levi's Store Times Square on April 15, 2019 in New York City. (Dia Dipasupil/Getty)
If former Bears quarterback Jay Cutler doesn’t end up being a broadcaster, maybe he can get more acting work.
Thursday’s Season 3 finale of “Very Cavallari” began with Cutler and his wife, jewelry designer Kristin Cavallari, discussing Cavallari opening an Uncommon James store in the West Loop.
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“Can you believe that Chicago is so soon? I’m starting to get kind of nervous,” Cavallari said.
“About it being done?” Cutler asked.
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“Well, it’s a lot of emotions. Like, I’m anxious to see the actual store. I’m nervous because if people don’t show up, it’s because I suck,” Cavallari said.
The discussion unfolded in the couple’s suburban Nashville kitchen, which featured a page-a-day calendar that noted the date as being Jan. 22, 2020. Cavallari’s store opened Oct. 26, 2019, at 849 W. Randolph St. This is just another example of fakery on “Very Cavallari.”
Cameras followed Cavallari as she and her publicist, Jack Ketsoyan, left the Hoxton hotel in the West Loop for a friends-and-family celebration at her store before doors opened to the public.
“I want this to do well so badly. This is essentially my hometown,” said Cavallari, who spent part of her childhood in suburban Barrington and married Cutler in 2013. “I know a lot of people here, and to not have a successful store here would just be a massive embarrassment, and I would kind of feel like a failure.” Nevermind that Cavallari once told a magazine reporter that “Chicago’s just not home.”
Cutler’s former Bears teammates Kyle Long and Zach Miller were at the party, and Cutler showed them the $68 “sleek and modern” gunmetal bracelet he designed that comes with a bottle opener.
There was a very long line to get into the store when it finally opened to the public. One group said they arrived at 1 a.m., while one man said he got to the store at 4 a.m., so his sister could get in line.
As of press time, the E! network has not announced if there will be a fourth season of “Very Cavallari,” though Cavallari hinted on Thursday’s finale that she is eyeing opening a store in Dallas.
As for the Chicago store, it is closed indefinitely amid the worldwide coronavirus outbreak. Cavallari, meanwhile, is on spring break. She posted a picture of herself Tuesday in a bathing suit on an empty beach with the caption: “Social distancing.”
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tswartz@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-03-19--The Bears kicked off free agency by acquiring QB Nick Foles. What does that mean for Mitch Trubisky

The Bears kicked off free agency by acquiring QB Nick Foles. What does that mean for Mitch Trubisky and the offense? The Bear Download podcast breaks it down.

Dan Wiederer and Brad Biggs are working from home — and socially distancing — as the NFL goes ahead with @ @ @ @ @ outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic .
The guys discuss the Bears ’ biggest move — @ @ @ @ @ and what that means for Mitch Trubisky and the offense .
They break down GM @ @ @ @ @ moves , including Leonard Floyd ’ s departure and Robert Quinn ’ s signing , @ @ @ @ @ Graham and where else the Bears need to improve .
Finally , they crown the @ @ @ @ @ signing of a certain free-agent QB .

Welcome to the Bear Download podcast, a weekly Chicago Bears podcast.
Listen below or subscribe and listen on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher or Google Play.
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Dan Wiederer and Brad Biggs are working from home — and socially distancing — as the NFL goes ahead with free agency despite the further outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic. The guys discuss the Bears’ biggest move — acquiring quarterback Nick Foles — and what that means for Mitch Trubisky and the offense. They break down GM Ryan Pace’s other moves, including Leonard Floyd’s departure and Robert Quinn’s signing, a surprise move for Jimmy Graham and where else the Bears need to improve. Finally, they crown the Buccaneers for pulling off the signing of a certain free-agent QB.