chicagotribune--2020-09-21--Chicago aldermen create City Council subcommittee on reparations

Coleman said she ’ s looking forward to working on the topic “ so that generations to come will know @ @ @ @ @ the significance of Juneteenth and the other independence days and the days that we recognize @ @ @ @ @ means to people of color , especially Black people , what it means of the @ @ @ @ @ , that our children have not been exposed to , ” Coleman said .

Ald. Stephanie Coleman, 16th, adjusts her mask before speaking at a news conference in Englewood on May 4, 2020. Coleman will chair a new City Council subcommittee to study ways to provide reparations for descendants of slaves. (José M. Osorio/Chicago Tribune)
Chicago aldermen on Monday created a new City Council subcommittee to study ways to provide reparations for descendants of slaves.
The subcommittee within the council’s Health Committee will be charged with “examining the state of equity in the City of Chicago,” according to a resolution that passed the full council in June.
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“In their examination of equity, the designated individuals may be tasked with analyzing the historical harms of slavery and segregation, as well as the ongoing harms of institutional discrimination and mass incarceration," the resolution reads in part. “The designated individuals may further be tasked with assessing the implementation of reparations measures consistent with international norms, standards, and laws for reparations as developed by the United Nations Human Rights Commission.”
Health Committee chairman Ald. Roderick Sawyer, 6th, initially had called for creating a separate commission to study reparations. But the council instead adopted the subcommittee plan. The body won’t have much power to enact reparation plans, but aldermen who support the idea nonetheless view its creation as a big step after decades in which the prospect of reparations gained very little traction in the council.
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South Side Ald. Stephanie Coleman, 16th, will chair the subcommittee, and North Side Ald. Andre Vasquez, 40th, will be vice chair.
Coleman said she’s looking forward to working on the topic “so that generations to come will know what reparations mean, what the significance of Juneteenth and the other independence days and the days that we recognize, and really what that means to people of color, especially Black people, what it means of the history that has been lost, that our children have not been exposed to,” Coleman said.
jebyrne@chicagotribune.com
Twitter @_johnbyrne


chicagotribune--2020-09-21--Campaign trail tracker: Where Trump, Biden and their running mates have traveled in presidential rac

Campaign trail tracker: Where Trump, Biden and their running mates have traveled in presidential race’s final weeks

In the final sprint ahead of the Nov. 3 election , both President Donald Trump and Democratic nominee Joe Biden @ @ @ @ @ travel despite the ongoing coronavirus pandemic .
Starting in September , Biden abandoned his monthslong @ @ @ @ @ in Delaware while Trump has accelerated his travel and is once again welcoming crowds at @ @ @

In the final sprint ahead of the Nov. 3 election, both President Donald Trump and Democratic nominee Joe Biden have ramped up their campaign travel despite the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. Starting in September, Biden abandoned his monthslong virtual campaign from his basement in Delaware while Trump has accelerated his travel and is once again welcoming crowds at some events.
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Here’s a look at the campaign trail stops made by Trump, Biden and running mates since Sept. 1.
Campaign trail tracker
Tap or click on a dot to see details of the stop.
Don’t see the map? Some mobile browsers disable it. Try this link.


chicagotribune--2020-09-21--Cook County Board to vote on giving top watchdog two more years before appointing replacement

As Patrick Blanchard ’ s current six-year term winds down in October , the Board of Commissioners on Thursday is @ @ @ @ @ 2022 in order to make time for a lengthy search for the county ’ s @ @ @ @ @ to Blanchard and the board ’ s agenda .
Blanchard , whose exit was first @ @ @ @ @ Chicago Business , began his role in 2008 as the first in the county to @ @ @ @ @

Cook County’s independent inspector general likely will step down from his role in two years, setting off a search to replace the pioneering watchdog tasked with reining in government corruption and waste.
As Patrick Blanchard’s current six-year term winds down in October, the Board of Commissioners on Thursday is expected to reappoint him until 2022 in order to make time for a lengthy search for the county’s next top watchdog, according to Blanchard and the board’s agenda. Blanchard, whose exit was first reported by Crain’s Chicago Business, began his role in 2008 as the first in the county to assume such a position.
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In an email to the Tribune, Blanchard hinted the nature of his planned exit was amicable.
“I am set to wind down my 30-year term of service with the County and we believed that this 2-year term could be used as a good transition period to ensure continuity and allow the comprehensive selection process to proceed,” Blanchard wrote.
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The search for his replacement could take between eight months to a year, he said. And though “Cook County government has come a very long way” since he began his current role, Blanchard said his successor will surely be busy safeguarding those gains and rooting out wrongdoing.
“I hope the next IG holds a firm commitment to the principles and mission of the OIIG (Office of the Independent Inspector General),” Blanchard wrote. “The person should be dedicated and possess a true sense of integrity and respect for the people we serve.”
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In his 12 years as inspector general, Blanchard has investigated allegations of: a Cook County commissioner pushing cops to scrap a friend’s parking ticket; Gov. J.B. Pritzker receiving hefty property tax breaks after a “scheme” to remove toilets from a Gold Coast mansion; an SUV driven by Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle’s security chief being used to improperly deliver political materials; robust pay raises for the top brass of the Cook County Health system; and a hiring system teeming with patronage practices at the Cook County Board of Review.
Also expected in the future is his upcoming report on the circumstances surrounding State’s Attorney Kim Foxx’s office dropping criminal charges against former “Empire” actor Jussie Smollett.
Before being confirmed inspector general, Blanchard was an assistant state’s attorney since 1993. He received his law degree from John Marshall Law School and attended Loyola University for undergrad.
The search for Blanchard’s successor is slated to begin eight to 10 months before his term expires in October 2022, according to the board agenda.
ayin@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-09-21--What to know in the final weeks of the 2020 census

Officials have warned about an undercount in the Chicago region , particularly in communities of color .
Census tracts with @ @ @ @ @ rates in Chicago include Back of the Yards , West Englewood , Little Village and @ @ @ @ @ that are already struggling with lack of resources and stand to lose the most from @ @ @ @

Elizabeth Navarrete, right, gives a response to census worker Lu Babatu on Sept. 11, 2020, at a 2020 census community giveaway day hosted by Metropolitan Family Services on Chicago's Northwest Side. (Chris Sweda / Chicago Tribune)
As the United States nears the end of its 2020 census count, the response rate in Illinois has just surpassed 2010 levels, while Chicago’s rate continues to lag behind, hovering around 60%.
Responses are particularly low on the South and West sides, with some areas reporting rates just above 30% as officials warn that an undercount in these neighborhoods will only exacerbate existing inequities.
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Here is what to know about the final weeks of the 2020 census:
When’s the last day I can fill out a census form?
The 2020 census count was set to end Sept. 30 but last week, a federal judge in California ruled the Census Bureau must extend the deadline to Oct. 31. The decision came after a coalition of civic organizations and local governments filed a lawsuit against the agency.
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The Trump administration filed a notice Friday that it would appeal the court order, creating uncertainty about the end date.
While the case moves through the courts, the bureau is prohibited from winding down operations. However, a number of Chicago census workers have reported their hours had been cut in half after Labor Day, with some receiving no work at all.
Residents are still encouraged to fill out their census forms as soon as possible.
Where can I fill out the census?
The 2020 census can be completed online or over the phone in English at 844-330-2020 and in Spanish at 844-468-2020. Households can also complete the form by mail by returning questionnaires.
Ellisa Johnson, deputy regional director for the Census Bureau in Chicago, said households should still have enough time to respond by mail if they prefer, but questionnaires must be postmarked by the Sept. 30 deadline and arrive by Oct. 7.
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What questions are asked on the census form?
The 2020 census includes fewer than a dozen basic demographic questions about the household and its residents. The form asks the name, sex, age and race of every person in the house.
If there is more than one person living in a home, the bureau also asks for a description of the resident’s relationship — there are options for roommates, same-sex partners or siblings.
Two people walk past an advertisement on a truck promoting the 2020 census Sept. 16, 2020, in the 3000 block of West 26th Street in the Little Village neighborhood. (John J. Kim / Chicago Tribune)
Does the 2020 census include a question about citizenship?
No, the 2020 census does not include questions about immigration or citizenship status.
The U.S. Department of Commerce sought to include the controversial question, but the U.S. Supreme Court blocked the effort.
Still, advocacy organizations in the area have noticed many immigrant communities remain fearful of the census, and they continue to urge all households to complete the form, regardless of citizenship status.
Will my answers be confidential?
The Census Bureau is bound by federal law to keep all personal information collected confidential. Personal information “is never published,” according to the bureau’s website, and “cannot be used against respondents by any government agency or court.”
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Census data is only to be used for statistical purposes.
Are census workers still visiting homes?
Yes, census workers are still visiting homes. Census workers should be visiting the homes of those who have yet to respond, and if no one answers, they will leave a postcard reminding residents to complete the census, according to Johnson.
What happens after the deadline?
After the counting deadline, census officials begin to analyze the data. Johnson said some households may be recontacted as officials work to verify information and correct any errors.
If a household does not fill out the census on its own, Johnson said the bureau has “a number of undisclosed operations and ways that continue to collect the data.”
Census officials have until Dec. 31 to review the data and hand it over to the president.
What is at stake for Illinois?
Census data determines the number of seats each state has in the U.S. House of Representatives and dictates how the government will distribute hundreds of billions of dollars in federal aid for the next decade.
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Experts predict Illinois is at risk of losing one or two House seats because of population loss alone.
Officials have warned about an undercount in the Chicago region, particularly in communities of color. Census tracts with some of the lowest response rates in Chicago include Back of the Yards, West Englewood, Little Village and North Lawndale, all neighborhoods that are already struggling with lack of resources and stand to lose the most from an inaccurate count.


chicagotribune--2020-09-21--Less than a quarter of CPS students recommended for summer school completed it

“ While the district hoped that more eligible students would participate in voluntary virtual summer learning to mitigate learning loss @ @ @ @ @ challenges related to the ongoing pandemic likely exacerbated existing barriers to participation , ” Gherardi @ @ @ @ @ district continues through the new school year , we are encouraged by a significant increase @ @ @ @ @ , and robust outreach and academic supports for our most vulnerable learners will continue to @ @ @ @ @

Just 24% of eligible Chicago Public Schools students completed virtual summer school this year, according to data released by CPS.
While the summer programs were all voluntary and this year were held remotely because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the district “highly recommended” participation for eligible students.
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A total of 58,694 students were eligible for nine summer programs, including remediation such as credit recovery and programs for students with special education plans and English-learning students. Overall, 14,218 students completed a program. Many other students enrolled but didn’t finish.
Less than a quarter of students recommended to participate ended up completing the district’s two biggest programs for students who got incomplete grades in the spring.
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The summer learning “bridge” program for first through eighth graders identified 21,450 eligible students who ended the year with an incomplete grade in reading or math. Only 8,635 students enrolled and 5,907 completed the program, or about 27.5%, according to CPS data.
At the high school level, of 14,519 eligible students, only 6,959 enrolled and 3,059, or 21%, completed the “credit recovery” program for incomplete grades.
A statement provided by district officials said they recognize “that younger learners’ participation in virtual learning is more contingent upon parental support than older children and therefore presents unique challenges.”
“The district spent the summer expanding high-speed connectivity and devices, and helping schools create more structured and consistent learning environments for our students,” said CPS spokesman James Gherardi.
“While the district hoped that more eligible students would participate in voluntary virtual summer learning to mitigate learning loss, we also recognize that challenges related to the ongoing pandemic likely exacerbated existing barriers to participation,” Gherardi said. “As the district continues through the new school year, we are encouraged by a significant increase in participation from the spring, and robust outreach and academic supports for our most vulnerable learners will continue to be a priority.”
A summer program for English-learning students below a certain literacy proficiency level in grades one through seven only had 1,525 of 15,000 eligible students complete the program, about 10%.
Of 5,732 students whose individualized education programs called for involvement in an extended school year, about half completed the program.
All elementary students were automatically promoted to the next grade level. But as a result of an increased number of elementary students receiving incomplete grades in core courses last spring, eligibility for summer school among those students was significantly higher than in recent years, according to CPS.
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In the spring, students who did not participate digitally but completed paper work packets were not eligible for letter grades but were graded on a pass-incomplete system. Students who participated digitally could raise their letter grades, but if their grade went down, they would also get a pass or incomplete.
Nearly 1 out of 5 high school grades in core classes were “pass” grades, with close to 75% ranging from A through D and about 5% incomplete, according to CPS data. At the elementary level, 10% of students got incompletes.
High school students without digital access were the most likely to need credit recovery such as summer school, with about 30% “incomplete” grades in reading and math.
This school year, CPS is reverting to its normal grading policy.
Looking at early attendance numbers since the fall quarter started Sept. 8, along with students continuing to get connected to the internet and changes to the remote learning plan, the statement said officials “are confident that students will have an improved remote learning experience this fall.”
hleone@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-09-21--Little Village Discount Mall gentrification fears follow other signs of redevelopment in neighborhoo

Little Village Discount Mall gentrification fears follow other signs of redevelopment in neighborhood

“ They want to be close to their roots but they don ’ t have the houses or the amenities @ @ @ @ @ looking for , ” the alderman said .
Changes , such as the redevelopment of @ @ @ @ @ amenities to attract more Latinos to return , but also to help the longtime Little @ @ @ @ @ .

Kyle Cooney leads a tour at Lagunitas Brewery in 2015. In recent years, several Little Village-area buildings have been rehabbed, including near the brewery and close to the Pink Line train stations. (Brian Cassella / Chicago Tribune)
Though the redevelopment of the Discount Mall in Little Village has intensified the fear of gentrification in the area, it has been a worry for some since 2016.
That’s when former Mayor Rahm Emanuel announced the plan to transform the abandoned BNSF railroad into a trail called El Paseo, running from the east side of Pilsen to South Lawndale.
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“They did that over in Pilsen and now they want to do the same here,” said Ruben Perales, a community resident who stopped by to support the group of vendors and residents at a rally Wednesday to raise awareness of the possible closure of the mall.
Perales said his family used to live in Pilsen but were forced out because they couldn’t afford the property taxes.
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In recent years, several buildings have been rehabbed throughout the neighborhood, including near Lagunitas Brewery and close to the Pink Line train stations.
Ald. George Cardenas, 12th, said that those buildings are getting repopulated with young Latinos who had left the neighborhood to pursue education or a job elsewhere.
[ Discount Mall vendors ally with young activists to fight displacement in Little Village: ‘This is not just a mall, this is our culture’ ]
“They want to be close to their roots but they don’t have the houses or the amenities that they want or are looking for,” the alderman said. Changes, such as the redevelopment of the plaza will create those amenities to attract more Latinos to return, but also to help the longtime Little Village residents, he added.
Last year, Mike Moreno Jr. opened Osito’s Tap, 3724 W. 26th St., a modern speakeasy-style bar to cater to young Latinos and “show the potential of the Mexican American community,” Moreno said in an interview with Tribune in December.
His father established Moreno’s Liquors 50 years ago. Though the new bar is in the area of Little Village under Mike Rodriguez, 22nd, Moreno shares Cardenas' perspective.
“It’s a cycle where Little Village is losing some of its best and its brightest to another neighborhood because people don’t see any opportunity and any potential,” he said. “But I’m starting to see now more and more Latinos getting educated and ... noticing the potential that we have as a community, and they are starting to come back,” Moreno said.
However, Liliana Escarpita, Cardenas’ spokeswoman and policy director, said regardless of what changes are proposed for Little Village, Ald. Cardenas has been definitive that his office will not approve any project “if the agreement is not coupled with a comprehensive affordable housing plan that supports the people that live in La Villita in case property taxes were to go up.”


chicagotribune--2020-09-21--Discount Mall vendors ally with young activists to fight displacement in Little Village: ‘This is no

Discount Mall vendors ally with young activists to fight displacement in Little Village: ‘This is not just a mall, this is our culture’

But soon everything could change if the new owner of Little Village Plaza , 3045-3117 W. 26th St. , decides @ @ @ @ @ concept that has been in place since 1991 .
The possible changes , which the @ @ @ @ @ confirmed , echo other changes in the neighborhood such as the rehabbing of properties to @ @ @ @ @ neighborhood following the location of a Lagunitas brewery nearby .

The Discount Mall in Little Village, adorned with the colors of the Mexican flag and a floor-to-ceiling eagle with a serpent in its mouth, is like no other shopping center in Chicago. It is in the heart of the community, just to the east of the emblematic arch that highlights the identity of the largest Mexican community in the city.
The mall, home to more than 150 family-owned shops, has been open in Little Village Plaza for nearly three decades. There are quinceanera dresses, religious artifacts and traditional Mexican crafts, among the many items for sale, said Irais Miranda, a vendor at the shopping mall for 14 years.
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But soon everything could change if the new owner of Little Village Plaza, 3045-3117 W. 26th St., decides to do away with the concept that has been in place since 1991. The possible changes, which the new owner hasn’t confirmed, echo other changes in the neighborhood such as the rehabbing of properties to lure young professionals to the neighborhood following the location of a Lagunitas brewery nearby.
[ Little Village Discount Mall gentrification fears follow other signs of redevelopment in neighborhood ]
A group of vendors who say they aren’t opposed to progress but are fearful of losing their businesses began mobilizing. They want clarity on the developer’s plans and demand to be included in the conversations regarding the future of the mall after they learned of the purchase of the plaza by a company linked to Novak Construction, a Chicago developer that works with big-box retailers.
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People gather in the 3000 block of West 26th Street for a rally to protest the possible future redevelopment of the Discount Mall in the Little Village neighborhood on Sept. 16, 2020. (John J. Kim / Chicago Tribune)
The group, Juntos Por La Villita, made up of mostly Spanish-speaking immigrant entrepreneurs, has since joined forces with young activists to try to halt “the efforts to gentrify the neighborhood,” said Kocoy Malagon, one of the leaders of the group, during a rally Wednesday evening.
“This is not just a mall, this is our culture,” Malagon said.
To raise its visibility, the rally was held the same day that hundreds celebrated Mexico’s Independence Day in the neighborhood. The vendors and activists fear that beyond vendors being left without a home for their shops, the redevelopment would raise property taxes in the area and erase their culture.
“We are worried because these changes could drastically modify the identity of this community (and) dismantle the community,” Miranda said in Spanish. “But it’ll also leave many of us without the possibility to continue owning our business and providing jobs.”
The group also asked for the support of their alderman, George Cardenas, 12th, whose ward includes Little Village. But they said Cardenas has been dismissive of vendors' concerns.
Cardenas said there is no intention of displacing the vendors and “improving is not gentrification.”
People paint a banner about the Discount Mall in the Little Village neighborhood before a rally to protest possible future redevelopment of the area. (John J. Kim / Chicago Tribune)
In addition to the mall, Little Village Plaza is also home to a bakery, a pizza parlor, a laundromat, a health clinic run by St. Anthony Hospital, and a Walgreens. It was acquired for $17.5 million in February by 26th Street Little Village, LLC, whose manager is John G. Novak, founder and president of Novak Construction, according to property records.
Novak shared with the Sun-Times initial plans to add stores in the area such as Target and grocery stores that cater to Latinos. But in a recent statement to the Tribune, 26th Street Little Village, LLC, said “there will be no redevelopment plans this year as they seek to understand the market and the neighborhood better.”
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The statement mentioned that the new owners recognized the plaza “serves as an anchor to the 26th Street shopping district,” and that during this first year of ownership, they will “engage with the Little Village neighborhood by hosting family-oriented events through the fall.”
The LLC “is excited to be a member of this close-knit community and wishing all its current tenants continued success and good health,” according to the statement.
A man strums a guitar at a vendor's booth inside the Discount Mall in the Little Village neighborhood, while a rally takes place outside the mall on Sept. 16, 2020, to protest its possible future redevelopment (John J. Kim / Chicago Tribune)
But the vendors say they haven’t felt that support nor the willingness to engage with community members. Malagon said that she has reached out to Novak Construction asking to meet but has not gotten a response.
Instead, when vendors and some of their customers organized a protest Aug. 5 in the mall’s parking lot to ask for the community’s support, a representative of the owners arrived to demand they end the rally and refused to speak with them, Miranda said.
In a Facebook video posted on the group’s page, a woman standing in the mall parking lot who the vendors identified as Karen Constantino acknowledges vendors have sent letters requesting a meeting. As vendors attempt to explain their requests, the woman walks away, ultimately shutting a door to an office inside the Discount Mall.
Novak Construction did not respond to requests for clarification.
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“We are open for changes, but not for displacement, and we can work together to ensure that,” Malagon said.
Isabel Aguilar and her son, Diego, 5, create a poster at a rally to protest the possible future redevelopment of the Discount Mall in the Little Village neighborhood on Sept. 16, 2020. (John J. Kim / Chicago Tribune)
After seeing the video online, Emilio Nieto, 20, decided to reach out to the vendors to offer help. He also made a call to other young activists to join the cause. It was clear vendors needed voices to amplify theirs because of their limited English, he said.
“If the Discount Mall closes, this will only start the domino effect of gentrification. A domino effect that the Black and brown people of this city know too well,” Nieto said during the rally Wendesday.
Miranda said that the vendors have found some hope in those who have stepped up to help them.
The youth committee of Juntos Por La Villita has taken the lead organizing events and spreading word about meetings and rallies.
For Nieto, the vendors represent family members who helped to shape his aspirations and goals.
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“They were the ones who helped us to establish here, to believe that we can also be small business owners,” he said.
For the vendors the fear goes beyond losing their income. Having to shut down would mean letting go of the dreams that many came to the United States to fulfill.
Cruz Ramirez Vargas, 59, began working at the mall 22 years ago. She started as an employee of the small business she now owns, where she sells ceramic decor. Ever since learning of the possibility of losing her livelihood and after being hit by the COVID-19 pandemic, she has been anxious.
“I’m old. If I lose my business, I lose everything because no one else will give me a job at this age,” she said.
People who shop at the mall are also worried.
Jessica Martinez travels from Blue Island to Little Village because “there’s no other place like this one,” she said.
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“When people come here, it reminds them of home, they come here to look for products you can’t find elsewhere.”
Religious artwork is displayed at a vendor's booth inside the Discount Mall in the Little Village neighborhood, while a rally takes place outside the mall to protest its possible future redevelopment on Sept. 16, 2020. (John J. Kim / Chicago Tribune)
Roberto Sotelo believes the way the new owner is treating the vendors is disrespectful.
“We have all built up Little Village and now they don’t even want to listen to them?” asked Sotelo.
But Cardenas said he is listening to the vendors' demands and understands their fears. He said improvements and change in the neighborhood won’t necessarily lead to the gentrification vendors want to avoid.
“I assure you that no one is trying to kick anybody out. If someone has a notice, I want to know about it,” Cardenas said during a phone interview. “One of the things that’s clear to me, and this came from the owner initially, is that their intention is not to displace anybody or change the way of life.”
In December 2019, Novak Construction donated $1,500 to the 12th Ward Democrats, a political party committee headed by Cardenas.
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According to the vendors, Cardenas has not answered their calls or attended their meetings.
“He only tells that to the media,” said Malagon.
Cardenas said he collaborated with the Little Village Chamber of Commerce to provide funds for the vendors and other businesses in the area to help them to deal with business practices and “minimize the fear factor” of change.
As of Friday, vendors didn’t know about the money being available, Malagon said. And Blanca Soto, director of the Little Village Chamber of Commerce, said the money includes no city funds and comes from a $600,000 grant from McCormick Foundation to aid small businesses in Little Village. It will be distributed through the Little Village Community Foundation, she said.
For now, vendors feel the clock is ticking.
Even though the company that has been managing the Discount Mall for decades has a contract until 2022, the vendors do not. Each pays week-to-week rent to P.K. Mall Inc., the lease agent, said attorney Roberto Mario Martinez, who is working with the vendors.
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That means that if P.K. Mall decides to terminate the contract, the vendors will have to leave, he said.
larodriguez@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-09-21--Nursing home staffers face stress and their own COVID-19 worries

Even before the pandemic , this group of workers was under stress .
A 2011 Harvard School of Public Health @ @ @ @ @ were common among low-wage nursing home employees .
Other research has shown that nursing home @ @ @ @ @ stress and burnout .
A survey earlier this year of 1,812 staffers at senior living @ @ @ @ @ difficulties , including relatives laid off and having to pay for day care with children @ @ @ @

Ed Cortez stands outside Caledonia Senior Living & Memory Care in North Riverside on Sept. 17, 2020, with a donated tablet loaded with meditation apps and breathing exercises. (Antonio Perez / Chicago Tribune)
During a year most have found stressful, Ed Cortez finds meditation calming.
Cortez, 53, works at Caledonia Senior Living & Memory Care in North Riverside, where his duties as a housekeeper include cleaning bathrooms and dining areas — keeping everything sanitary.
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“Our job is making sure everything’s going to be maintained safely,” he said. “Not only protecting yourself, but protecting the residents as well.”
Across the country, challenges exist at places like nursing homes, from outbreaks of the coronavirus to families wrestling with limited visiting policies. This can also cause stress for staffers who watch the angst of family members while trying to reduce the risk of COVID-19.
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To help combat some of this stress, Caledonia received a tablet with meditation and breathing exercises from Caring for our Caregivers. The group is donating tablets loaded with stress-reducing techniques so staffers can access tools whenever they have a few moments.
Ed Cortez sits outside Caledonia Senior Living & Memory Care in North Riverside on Sept. 17, 2020, with a donated tablet filled with meditation apps and breathing exercises. (Antonio Perez / Chicago Tribune)
Recently, Cortez began using the tablet, listening to meditation with classical music. He has found breathing exercises useful in the past.
“It was calm and soothing throughout the session,” he sad, “especially with the music.”
As a housekeeper, he is able to greet people every day, he said, and that social interaction helps. But it has been hard to watch at times as residents are separated from family.
“You feel happy that they’re OK, but at the same time you feel some concern, because they don’t get to see their families as much because of COVID,” Cortez said.
Recent data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention showed that essential workers are among people likely to experience more mental health conditions amid the pandemic; so are unpaid caregivers.
COVID-19 also has put stress on those who work in long-term care, said Eleanor Feldman Barbera, a psychologist who writes for McKnight’s Long-Term Care News. Stress comes from multiple angles, including worries about the coronavirus and how to manage financially if workers need to take time off. Some are seeing residents die and worrying about adequate protective gear.
Even before the pandemic, this group of workers was under stress. A 2011 Harvard School of Public Health study showed symptoms of depression were common among low-wage nursing home employees. Other research has shown that nursing home staff experience significant levels of stress and burnout. A survey earlier this year of 1,812 staffers at senior living communities showed many had financial difficulties, including relatives laid off and having to pay for day care with children out of school.
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Saloumeh Bozorgzadeh, a Chicago psychologist who is helping to collect donations for Caring for our Caregivers, said mental health conditions among health care professionals were already on their radar.
“We wanted something for burnout,” she said. She hopes the tablets help create calm.
Cortez said many people might have preconceptions about meditation.
“To many people it may not seem like it’s a lot,” he said, “but for the most part, it should help.”
abowen@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-09-21--A national group studied commercial property tax assessments in Cook County under the last assessor,

A national group studied commercial property tax assessments in Cook County under the last assessor, Joe Berrios. The results were not pretty.

The conclusions of the new study , released Monday but provided to the Tribune in advance , are nearly identical @ @ @ @ @ 2017 investigation by the Tribune and ProPublica Illinois but are based on more recent data @ @ @ @ @ Assessing Officers , whose standards are widely accepted across the United States , looked at @ @ @ @ @ Cook County after Berrios completed his 2018 round of assessments , which affected the tax @ @ @ @ @

Then-Cook County Assessor Joseph Berrios appears before the Cook County Board on July 18, 2017, to answer questions raised by a Chicago Tribune investigation, which documented how assessments shifted more of the tax burden onto less affluent homeowners. (Antonio Perez / Chicago Tribune)
Under Fritz Kaegi’s predecessor as Cook County assessor, commercial properties as a group were valued far too low, valuations varied widely among similar properties, and the property tax burden was unfairly shifted onto the owners of less expensive properties, according to a new study Kaegi commissioned from an international nonprofit organization.
The broad undervaluation of commercial properties under former Assessor Joseph Berrios meant residential property taxpayers paid more than their fair share of the county’s tax levy while many higher-end commercial property owners got an unauthorized break, Kaegi said in an interview.
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A property’s assessed value determines its tax bill. Generally speaking, the higher the assessment, the higher the bill.
The conclusions of the new study, released Monday but provided to the Tribune in advance, are nearly identical to the findings of a 2017 investigation by the Tribune and ProPublica Illinois but are based on more recent data. The International Association of Assessing Officers, whose standards are widely accepted across the United States, looked at assessments of commercial properties throughout Cook County after Berrios completed his 2018 round of assessments, which affected the tax bills mailed in 2019.
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[ The Tax Divide: How flaws in Cook County property tax assessments harmed the poor and helped the rich ]
The study, which cost $6,000 and was funded with a grant from the MacArthur Foundation, is one of several Kaegi has commissioned since taking office in late 2018, after he defeated Berrios in the Democratic primary while running as a reformer. The earlier studies concluded that Berrios' residential assessments also were often inaccurate and tended to overvalue lower-priced properties and undervalue more expensive ones.
The 2017 investigation, “The Tax Divide,” had already documented how assessments conducted under Berrios shifted more of the tax burden onto less affluent homeowners.
After the Tribune published the first installments of that series, Berrios tweaked his residential assessment process. But he did not change the way he was valuing commercial properties before voters removed him from office.
Kaegi called the most recent study “an acid test of where the system is.” Kaegi added that he plans to commission further analysis of his own work, noting that some states mandate studies that compare assessed values with market values.
Since taking office, Kaegi has dramatically revamped the assessment process, particularly the way business properties are valued. He started from the ground up, reworking the assessment formula and drawing on publicly available information about sales prices and loan deals.
He first applied those techniques last year in the north and northwest Cook County suburbs — and encountered a good deal of pushback from many people who owned business properties whose assessed value increased substantially.
When Kaegi reassessed the north suburban region — defined as all suburbs north of North Avenue — the assessed value of commercial properties in the region rose by 77%. The Board of Review, an elected three-member panel that handles assessment appeals, later scaled that overall increase back to 25% by overruling some of Kaegi’s valuations.
Business organizations and property owners also formed Renew Cook County, a nonprofit with undisclosed funding that has hired Resolute Consulting, the same public relations firm that helped opponents kill off Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle’s penny-an-ounce soda pop tax. That effort was funded by the American Beverage Association.
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Renew Cook County contends that Kaegi’s assessment “approach discourages growth, stability and investment in Cook County," according to its website.
On Monday, Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s administration said in a statement that the unpredictability of the system under Berrios harmed continued growth and investment in the city.
“Real estate developers and investors need an assessment system that is not a hindrance to growth, and residential property owners deserve fairness, not burden shifting,” the statement said. Lightfoot backed Kaegi’s election.
Many critics have long decried the assessment appeal process in Cook County as an insiders' game that supports a large cadre of property tax attorneys and consultants who in turn kept Berrios' campaign coffers full. Kaegi has sworn off such campaign contributions.
For the new study, the international assessors group looked at 1,643 business property sales throughout Cook County in 2018 and compared the sales prices with the assessed values. It found that in the county as a whole, properties were assessed at a median of 61% of their actual sales price, far from the group’s acceptable range of 90% to 110%.
The comparison was even worse in Chicago, where the median valuation of commercial properties was found to be just 52% of sales prices. For Evanston, the figure was 39%; for Oak Park, 43%.
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Compounding the underassessment problem was the fact that commercial assessments were not consistent, varying widely among similar properties.
The study also also found that overall assessments were regressive, meaning less expensive properties were overvalued and more expensive ones were undervalued, which unfairly burdens less wealthy property owners. The problem was worst in Chicago’s central business district and on the Near South Side and the Northwest Side, according to the group’s analysis.
Taken together, the problems with commercial assessments were less severe — but still problematic — in the south suburbs and worst in the city, the study found. “Commercial assessments in the city are indicated to be more consistently undervalued, less uniform and more regressive than assessments in the north or south (suburbs),” it stated.
Preckwinkle, who was a close Berrios ally, said in a statement that she “appreciated” Kaegi’s efforts to make the system fair and accurate.
“The IAAO is an internationally recognized expert in evaluating assessment practices,” she wrote. “We look forward to their continued evaluation of whether or not Cook County’s assessments meet industry standards.”
hdardick@chicagotribune.com
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chicagotribune--2020-09-21--McCook police chief on paid administrative leave following extortion indictment

Tobolski also admitted in the plea that he extorted or collected bribes from at least four other people by abusing @ @ @ @ @ or county commissioner .
The amount of bribes he collected totaled at least $ 250,000 @ @ @ @ @ not spell out how many victims were involved .

The police chief in west suburban McCook has been put on paid administrative leave in the wake of a federal indictment alleging he participated in an extortion scheme along with his former boss, then-Mayor Jeffrey Tobolski.
Mario DePasquale had been police chief in McCook since 2013. (McCook Police Department)
Mario DePasquale, who had been police chief in the town since 2013, turned in his gun and badge Saturday morning, the day after the federal charges were made public, according to acting Mayor Terrance Carr.
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Carr said DePasquale was on paid leave pending a board hearing Monday night, when further action could be taken.
Carr has been the town’s acting mayor since spring, after Tobolski resigned amid an investigation into the same extortion scheme and other political corruption. Tobolski has pleaded guilty and is cooperating with prosecutors in hopes of leniency.
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DePasquale, meanwhile, is scheduled to be arraigned in U.S. District Court on Friday.
DePasquale has been under a cloud since his name appeared on a search warrant executed by federal agents at the McCook village facility in September 2019. The raid was part of a sweeping public corruption probe that has led to a slew of charges against Democratic lawmakers and power players.
The four-count indictment alleged DePasquale conspired with Tobolski beginning in 2016 to shake down a business owner who ran a restaurant at a McCook-owned facility and needed the mayor’s approval to host events with liquor. At the time, Tobolski doubled as McCook’s liquor commissioner.
The charges stated DePasquale demanded the restaurant owner — identified only as Individual A — pay $1,500 in bribes for each “themed event” that he wanted to host. DePasquale later picked up the money in person, and he and Tobolski split the cash, according to the indictment.
DePasquale also told the restaurant owner he had to donate to Tobolski’s political campaign funds, which the victim did on multiple occasions, according to the charges.
Tobolski, who stepped down from his dual posts as mayor and Cook County commissioner earlier this year, admitted in a plea agreement that he collected $29,700 in cash from his end of the extortion plot.
Tobolski also admitted in the plea that he extorted or collected bribes from at least four other people by abusing his official position as mayor or county commissioner. The amount of bribes he collected totaled at least $250,000, though the plea does not spell out how many victims were involved.
While the charges against DePasquale and Tobolski don’t identify the restaurant involved in the extortion scheme, federal records from the Sept. 26 raid in McCook shows authorities seized checks related to the “Pub Max project” and items related to an event dubbed “Latino Night at the Max.”
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The Pub at the Max restaurant was part of the McCook Athletic & Exposition Center facility until it closed in 2018 and was replaced with another eatery.
jmeisner@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-09-21--Jerry Harris, star of Netflix show ‘Cheer,’ to remain in custody in child pornography case

Harris has been held for the past four days at the MCC in downtown Chicago — a facility that was @ @ @ @ @ to try to curtail the spread of the coronavirus among inmates and staff .
Seven @ @ @ @ @ have tested positive for the disease , while 126 others have since recovered from it @ @ @ @ @ Bureau of Prisons .
There have been no COVID-19-related deaths reported at the MCC .

Netflix star Jerry Harris will remain in federal custody for the time being on child pornography charges alleging he coerced minors to send him nude photos and videos and solicited sex from boys as young as 13 at cheerleading competitions.
Harris, 21, who rocketed to fame earlier this year as the breakout star of the Netflix docuseries “Cheer,” was charged in a criminal complaint last week with one count of production of child pornography, which carries a minimum of 15 years in prison upon conviction.
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Prosecutors have said they want him held without bond pending trial because he is a danger to the community and is accused of crimes of violence against children. Harris’ lawyer, Todd Pugh, said he intends to argue for his release, in part because Harris has asthma and uses an inhaler and is at increased risk of contracting COVID-19 behind bars.
But in a brief hearing Monday, Pugh told U.S. Magistrate Judge Sunil Harjani that they were dropping their bond request for the time being because they were still searching for a “suitable residence” and a third-party custodian for Harris should he be released.
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Harjani ordered Harris to remain in custody pending any renewed request for a detention hearing.
Harris, who participated by telephone from the Metropolitan Correctional Center, spoke only briefly during the five-minute hearing, telling the judge in a tired, scratchy voice, “Yes I can hear you, hello. Good morning.”
Harris has been held for the past four days at the MCC in downtown Chicago — a facility that was put on lockdown for months to try to curtail the spread of the coronavirus among inmates and staff. Seven inmates at the Loop jail have tested positive for the disease, while 126 others have since recovered from it, according to the U.S. Bureau of Prisons. There have been no COVID-19-related deaths reported at the MCC.
Harris was arrested shortly after 11 a.m. Thursday, three days after the FBI raided his home in an upscale Naperville neighborhood in the 2600 block of Evercrest Court. USA Today was the first to report on the raid and criminal investigation.
The criminal charges appear to be related to a lawsuit filed in Texas last week by two teenagers who accused Harris of “sexual harassment, exploitation, manipulation, intimidation and sexual abuse.” Harris has denied those allegations through a spokesperson.
According to the criminal complaint, Harris first contacted one male victim on Snapchat in December 2018 and, over the next 15 months, repeatedly enticed him to produce sexually explicit videos and photographs of himself and send them to Harris. The boy informed Harris during their initial online encounter that he was 13 years old, the complaint stated.
The victim’s parent discovered some of the images on the boy’s cellphone and confronted him, and he said that Harris had also solicited oral sex from him in a bathroom at a cheerleading event they both attended, according to the charges.
The boy told his parent Harris had also sought a second in-person sexual encounter at a different competition, according to the complaint. The parent then called law enforcement.
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Harris admitted in an interview with FBI agents last week that he had solicited lewd images and sex from the boy on numerous occasions, according to the complaint.
The complaint stated Harris also admitted to soliciting and receiving child pornography on Snapchat from “at least between 10 to 15 other individuals he knew were minors.”
The U.S. attorney’s office said its investigation is ongoing, and any other potential victims were encouraged to contact the FBI Chicago field office.
Born in Hinsdale and raised in Bolingbrook, Harris rose to fame on the Emmy-winning “Cheer,” which premiered in January. The docuseries follows the competitive cheerleading squad at Navarro College in Texas.
Harris graduated in 2017 from Waubonsie Valley High School in Aurora, where he was a standout student, and studied at Navarro.
Viewers and celebrities took note of the way he enthusiastically motivated his fellow cheerleaders while they performed stunts, also known as “mat talking.”
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He worked the Oscars red carpet in February as a correspondent for Ellen DeGeneres’ talk show. He shared a stage with Oprah Winfrey, appeared in a sketch on “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” and recently got a surprise virtual visit from actress Gabrielle Union, who showered him with praise.
jmeisner@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-09-21--Students are getting too much screen time while remote learning in Chicago Public Schools, but in-pe

Students are getting too much screen time while remote learning in Chicago Public Schools, but in-person services still pose COVID-19 risk, CTU says

“ I ’ m watching kids have struggles to stay focused , one , and two , to stay awake @ @ @ @ @ “ I see my kids and I know that we can do better by them @ @ @ @ @ schedules can be tailored to make our kids be more successful and feel more successful @ @ @ @ @ kids struggle , but I know that if our voices in the schools were part @ @ @ @ @ learning it would not be so , at least not to this extent .
”

A group of educators, clinicians, clerks and Chicago Teachers Union brass on Monday shared what they think is and isn’t working with remote learning, including the concern that students are spending too much time in front of screens.
The district, however, countered many claims made by union officers and rank-and-file members, asserting that critical screening services for students with special needs — such as hearing and vision tests as well as special education evaluations and occupational and physical therapy — should be conducted in-person.
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As Chicago Public Schools began its third week of remote classes, one teacher said she believes students, particularly the youngest ones, are having trouble staying alert because of the demands of sitting in front of a computer for so many hours of the school day, sedentary and isolated.
“I think it requires us to really take a look … and refocus so that these schedules are more humane,” said Lori Torres, a Spanish teacher at Monroe Elementary. “I’m thinking that if we can make schedules that make more sense, time-wise, for our children, we can produce better outcomes when we see our kids face-to-face.”
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Torres’ students span first to eighth grade, and she meets her youngest students after lunch.
“I’m watching kids have struggles to stay focused, one, and two, to stay awake,” she said. “I see my kids and I know that we can do better by them. I know that these schedules can be tailored to make our kids be more successful and feel more successful. I’m seeing kids struggle, but I know that if our voices in the schools were part of creating schedules for remote learning it would not be so, at least not to this extent.”
Also present on Monday’s CTU-hosted Zoom call, which was made available to members of the media, was a CPS clerk who said she and others in that job should have greater flexibility to work remotely — which is the subject of a current CTU labor complaint.
The district countered that it has in place stricter guidelines than public health guidance demands, including mandatory mask-wearing as outlined by state and local regulations. Health measures include temperature checks, symptom screeners, use of electric spray disinfectant misters, and readily-available sanitizer. Masks are being provided and are required, and sneeze guards were installed at every school.
While principals or a designated administrator, security guards, custodians, engineers, warehouse staff, food service employees and other workers report in-person to schools, as they have throughout the the school closures, any employee can apply for an accommodation, including the option to work from home or may apply for leave of absence, according to CPS.
Another speaker on the union call, Sharon Gunn, a districtwide clinician, said one silver lining of remote learning is that occupational and physical therapists in CPS “have connected with parents in a way we never had the opportunity before” because of increased, if virtual, interaction.
She added that CPS has begun looking into providing such services in person.
“My major concern is that we are placing high-risk students in a potentially compromising situation due to COVID. For these students to safely return to school, many adjustments would need to be made,” Gunn said.
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Emily Bolton, a spokeswoman for Chicago Public Schools, said it is imperative students are able to receive in-person services that are essential to their growth and development.
“The district’s highest priority is health and safety and CPS strongly believes that specific types of student services — including hearing and vision tests and physical therapy — can be delivered in-person safely and must be delivered in-person for our most vulnerable students to benefit," Bolton wrote in an email. "It is deeply concerning that the CTU is yet again standing in the way of ensuring our most vulnerable students can safely access the critical in-person services they need.”
Jesse Sharkey, president of the teachers union, which threatened to go on strike if CPS didn’t back off its plans to reopen schools for in-person classes this fall, called Monday’s discussion “a progress report. It’s not a final grade yet.”
“… This is not normal. This is us getting through a dire health emergency,” he said.
Sharkey also said district officials have been “imposing their ideas on how remote learning works and they need to listen. If we do it together, it’ll work better.”
After they announced the switch to an all-remote learning model for the fall quarter, CPS officials released a lengthy plan for remote learning that they said was based in part on, and provided additional avenues for, feedback from teachers and staff.
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Lucille Thompson, a clerk at Carl Schurz High School, said she and other clerks have been required to be at the schools in case parents come to ask questions. But she thinks it’s putting she and her co-workers at a heightened risk to catch COVID-19.
Sharkey seconded that, saying clerks should be allowed to do certain activities, such as checking email, remotely.
Gunn said she thinks parents for the first time understand just how hectic the workload is for clinicians, who often have 50 or 60 students each. She also said the clinicians generally think they’re getting to know parents better now than they have in the past, despite doing more group sessions with students than in previous years.
kdouglas@chicagotribune.com
@312BreakingNews


chicagotribune--2020-09-21--Aurora police officer shoots and kills ‘aggressive dog’ during response to domestic incident

The officer said he feared for his safety and shot and killed the dog .
The man told officers the @ @ @ @ @ and had almost bitten him earlier in the day , officials said .

An Aurora police officer shot and killed a dog who charged at officers while they were investigating a domestic incident in Aurora Sunday afternoon, officials said.
Aurora police received multiple 911 calls around 4 p.m. Sunday, reporting a fight between two people in the 1600 block of Linden Park Lane, police said in a news release. When officers arrived, a man connected to the incident was inside his home with a large pit bull.
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After securing the dog, the man spoke to police outside. When officers returned to the front door 20 minutes later to give the man paperwork, the dog aggressively charged at the officers, officials said.
The officer said he feared for his safety and shot and killed the dog. The man told officers the dog had previously been aggressive and had almost bitten him earlier in the day, officials said.
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Police are opening a formal investigation to determine if the officer complied with departmental policy for discharging their weapon.
Officers are also continuing to investigate the domestic violence incident after the suspect fled before police arrived, officials said.
mejones@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-09-21--COVID-19 in Illinois by the numbers: Here’s a daily update on cases, positivity rate and hospital da

COVID-19 in Illinois by the numbers: Here’s a daily update on cases, positivity rate and hospital data in your area

Among the metrics ( see below ) tracked under guidelines set by Gov .
J.B. Pritzker are the percentage of @ @ @ @ @ , the number of people hospitalized for COVID-19-like illnesses , and the capacity of hospitals @ @ @ @ @ state will decide how much or how little to restrict activities based on these metrics @

Note: With Chicago and Illinois moving into phase 5, the Tribune is no longer updating this data. If the state moves back into bridge phase, the Tribune we reassess. Daily metrics on COVID-19, like cases, deaths and hospitalizations, can be found here. And Daily metrics on the vaccination effort can be found here. More on where the coronavirus stands nationally and around the world can be found here.
To assess how different parts of Illinois are handling the COVID-19 pandemic, officials look at the state through the 11 regions of Emergency Medical Services. The city of Chicago is one region, for example, and the rest of Cook County is another.
Among the metrics (see below) tracked under guidelines set by Gov. J.B. Pritzker are the percentage of coronavirus tests that return positive, the number of people hospitalized for COVID-19-like illnesses, and the capacity of hospitals to take in new patients.The state will decide how much or how little to restrict activities based on these metrics. (Cases, deaths and tests data is as of Dec. 31).
• Check out the Tribune’s coronavirus coverage.
• Remembering the lives of those in Illinois who died from coronavirus.
• Other Chicago, suburbs and Illinois COVID-19 metrics.
• See how the governor’s plan to manage the regions works.
Source: Illinois Department of Public Health
Created by the Chicago Tribune dataviz team. On Twitter @chitribgraphics


chicagotribune--2020-09-21--COVID-19 cases in Illinois by ZIP code: Search for your neighborhood

Search below by street address , ZIP code or city , then click on the map to see the number @ @ @ @ @ state is not providing data for any ZIP code with five cases or fewer .

Note: With Chicago and Illinois moving into phase 5, the Tribune is no longer updating this data. If the state moves back into bridge phase, the Tribune we reassess. Daily metrics on COVID-19, like cases, deaths and hospitalizations, can be found here. And Daily metrics on the vaccination effort can be found here. More on where the coronavirus stands nationally and around the world can be found here.
Illinois releases the number of positive COVID-19 cases by ZIP code daily. The map below shows the cumulative cases for each area as well as other analysis of the data.
• Check out the Tribune’s coronavirus coverage.
• Tracking daily Illinois coronavirus deaths, cases and tests.
Search below by street address, ZIP code or city, then click on the map to see the number of confirmed and probable cases. The state is not providing data for any ZIP code with five cases or fewer.
Data as of June 10.
The map search tool above works best in Chrome or Firefox and may not perform consistently in Internet Explorer.
Note: Because of a coding error this map was displaying the incorrect rates for new cases in the last 7 days per 100,000 people — the issue should now be resolved.. The Tribune adjusted the data shown on the map below to focus on new cases, those the state tracked in the last 7 seven days. The totals for the entire pandemic are still available, but in the pop-up after tapping or clicking on a ZIP.


chicagotribune--2020-09-21--Daily Illinois coronavirus graphs: 7 new deaths, 1,477 new confirmed cases and 38,234 new test resul

Daily Illinois coronavirus graphs: 7 new deaths, 1,477 new confirmed cases and 38,234 new test results

Illinois announced 1,477 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 Monday for a total of 275,735 .
The state also announced 7 @ @ @ @ @ of 8,457 and 38,234 new test results for a total of 5.14 million .

Johns Hopkins University & Medicine tracked coronavirus cases, deaths and test totals from Jan. 22, 2020 through March 10, 2023, but is no longer providing this data. These charts will no longer be updated.
Check the Illinois Department of Public Health for the most up-to-date data for Illinois.
[ Remembering the lives of those in Illinois who died from coronavirus ]
Can’t see these charts? Go here.


chicagotribune--2020-09-21--Viewing ‘Chicagohenge’: How it works

Viewing ‘Chicagohenge’: How it works

Twice a year , during the spring and fall equinoxes , the rising and setting sun lines up with Chicago 's east-west street grid , creating spectacular photo opportunities as the sun is framed within Chicago 's skyline .
The fall equinox is Tuesday , Sept. 22 , 2020 .
Take a look to the west shortly before sunset , according to Michelle Nichols , master educator for the Adler Planetarium .
The effect is visible for about the week before and after the equinox .
And if you miss it , wait another six months for the next one @ @ @ @ @ @ @ March 20 , 2021 .
Throughout the year , the spots on the horizon where the sun rises and sets change .
They creep north until the day with the longest period of sunlight ( summer solstice ) , then move south until the day with the shortest period of sunlight ( winter solstice ) .
The cycle repeats yearly .
This apparent movement of the sun occurs because Earth is tilted on its axis , and as Earth moves along its orbit one hemisphere tilts toward or away from the sun .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Pole is tilted toward the sun during spring and summer and away from it during fall and winter .
During the spring and fall equinoxes , the sun shines equally on both hemispheres , and rises and sets directly to the east and west .
Since Chicago 's street grid corresponds almost exactly with the points of the compass , the rising and setting equinox sun aligns with the street grid , framing it between the city 's buildings .
Where to see it The city 's rigid east-west grid pattern means that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but a street without many obstructions would be best .
Skyscrapers in the Loop will offer some of the choicest framing opportunities .
The sun sets along Washington Street in the Loop on Sept. 22 , 2015 , during the autumnal equinox .
( Brian Cassella/Chicago Tribune ) Why the name ?
The alignment is named after Stonehenge , a formation of massive stones erected more than 4,000 years ago , according to Shane Larson , an astronomer at the Adler Planetarium and a professor at Northwestern University .
During certain dates the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the stones , leading some scientists to suggest that Stonehenge could have been an observatory or an astronomical calendar .
Do other cities have henges ?
Any gridded city is likely to have at least a couple of days of the year when the sun lines up with the street grid .
One of the most famous examples of the phenomenon is `` Manhattanhenge '' in New York .
Because Manhattan 's street grid is offset about 30 degrees from the points of the compass , the dates when the phenomenon is visible @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Astronomer Neil deGrasse Tyson wrote about Manhattanhenge for the American Museum of Natural History .

The setting sun appears over West Monroe Street on the first evening of autumn, Sept. 22, 2022, in Chicago. The term "Chicagohenge" is used to describe the setting sun between buildings during the vernal and autumnal equinox. (John J. Kim / Chicago Tribune)
Twice a year, during the spring and fall equinoxes, the rising and setting sun lines up with Chicago’s east-west street grid, creating spectacular photo opportunities as the sun is framed within Chicago’s skyline. The spring equinox is Monday.
Take a look to the west shortly before sunset, according to Michelle Nichols, master educator for the Adler Planetarium. The effect is visible for about the week before and after the equinox. And if you miss it, wait another six months for the next one. The fall equinox happens Saturday, Sept. 23, 2023.
[ Photo gallery: Chicagohenge through the years ]
How it works
Throughout the year, the spots on the horizon where the sun rises and sets change. They creep north until the day with the longest period of sunlight (summer solstice), then move south until the day with the shortest period of sunlight (winter solstice). The cycle repeats yearly.
[ Sunrise and sunset times for Chicago ]
(Kyle Bentle/Chicago Tribune)
This apparent movement of the sun occurs because Earth is tilted on its axis, and as Earth moves along its orbit one hemisphere tilts toward or away from the sun. In the Northern Hemisphere, the North Pole is tilted toward the sun during spring and summer and away from it during fall and winter.
(Kyle Bentle/Chicago Tribune)
During the spring and fall equinoxes, the sun shines equally on both hemispheres, and rises and sets directly to the east and west. Since Chicago’s street grid corresponds almost exactly with the points of the compass, the rising and setting equinox sun aligns with the street grid, framing it between the city’s buildings.
Where to see it
The city’s rigid east-west grid pattern means that just about any east-west street works, but a street without many obstructions would be best. Skyscrapers in the Loop will offer some of the choicest framing opportunities.
The sun sets over West Madison Street on the autumnal equinox, Sept. 22, 2020, in Chicago. (John J. Kim / Chicago Tribune)
Why the name?
The alignment is named after Stonehenge, a formation of massive stones erected more than 4,000 years ago, according to Shane Larson, an astronomer at the Adler Planetarium and a professor at Northwestern University. During certain dates the rising and setting sun lines up with the stones, leading some scientists to suggest that Stonehenge could have been an observatory or an astronomical calendar.
Equinox devotees will gather every year for the Vernal Equinox. A place of sun worship still, Stonehenge is a mysterious destination that holds deep spiritual value for many travelers. Some researchers suggest the formation was erected as early as 2200 BC, while others argue it was even earlier, in 3000 BC. No matter the date of creation, Stonehenge is a powerful landmark, and well worth the visit for a beautiful — and perhaps magical — sunrise. (Alan Copson/Getty)
Do other cities have henges?
Any gridded city is likely to have at least a couple of days of the year when the sun lines up with the street grid. One of the most famous examples of the phenomenon is “Manhattanhenge” in New York. Because Manhattan’s street grid is offset about 30 degrees from the points of the compass, the dates when the phenomenon is visible don’t correspond with the equinoxes. Astronomer Neil deGrasse Tyson wrote about Manhattanhenge for the American Museum of Natural History.
Sources: Michelle Nichols, master educator at the Adler Planetarium; American Museum of Natural History


chicagotribune--2020-09-21--Valparaiso man charged in shooting of relative tells judge he’s hiring an attorney; bond set at $3,5

Valparaiso man charged in shooting of relative tells judge he’s hiring an attorney; bond set at $3,500

According to court documents , when police arrived at the scene around 7:15 a.m. Sept. 16 , they saw a @ @ @ @ @ and blood soaked clothing near a black Dodge Ram in the parking lot south of @ @ @ @ @ victim pointed to the corner of the parking lot , near a white Toyota Camry @ @ @ @ @ with a pistol in his hand .

A Valparaiso man charged with three felonies in the Sept. 16 shooting of a female relative and her boyfriend had his bond set at $3,500 cash during a Monday court hearing.
Porter Superior Court Judge Roger Bradford also set preliminary pleas of not guilty on the charges for Joseph Scott, 19, of the 600 block of Glendale Boulevard, and issued a no-contact order at the request of the state, between Scott and the male shooting victim.
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Scott faces charges of aggravated battery, a Level 3 felony; battery with a deadly weapon, a Level 5 felony; and criminal recklessness, also a Level 5 felony. The Level 3 felony carries a sentence of three to 16 years, Bradford said, and the sentence for the lower level felony is one to six years.
Scott, appearing via videoconference from Porter County Jail because of the COVID-19 pandemic, told Bradford he is in the process of hiring an attorney. Bradford set Scott’s next court date for 9 a.m. Nov. 9, with a status hearing at 9 a.m. on Dec. 7 and a pretrial conference at 9 a.m. on Jan. 4.
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According to court documents, when police arrived at the scene around 7:15 a.m. Sept. 16, they saw a man with an abdominal injury and blood soaked clothing near a black Dodge Ram in the parking lot south of the apartment complex. The victim pointed to the corner of the parking lot, near a white Toyota Camry, and police saw Scott with a pistol in his hand.
Police ordered Scott to set the pistol down on the roof of the car and ordered him away from the passenger seat, where someone was sitting and had their legs out of the vehicle.
Police ordered the passenger to get out of the vehicle but Scott told them the woman in the passenger seat had been shot and Scott told police he believed the man may have a weapon.
The woman, 40, who police said in charging documents also had been shot in the abdomen, told police she was being beaten by the man and Scott, her relative, had shot her.
The man, 38, told police that “nothing warrants this,” and said Scott just shot him in the back while he was standing up. He claimed he never had a weapon, according to court documents.
The woman told police she and the man, who were in a relationship, got into an argument in her bedroom.
The man, she told police, grabbed a laptop cord and raised it like he was going to hit her. The woman, who noted the bedroom door was open, said Scott entered the room “and she heard gunshots and couldn’t recall much of what happened next.”
She told police she didn’t know who was shot first and added that both Scott and the man had weapons.
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Both victims were transported to Chicago area hospitals for treatment, police said.
Amy Lavalley is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune.


chicagotribune--2020-09-21--Despite Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s announcement of ticketing relief during the pandemic, thousands recei

Despite Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s announcement of ticketing relief during the pandemic, thousands received parking citations anyway: ‘It’s a betrayal, just absolutely ridiculous’

Lightfoot again singled out expired parking meters as something she did not consider to be a public safety threat , @ @ @ @ @ would have to keep feeding the meters .
She said the message would be conveyed @ @ @ @ @ , the private meter company that made a one-time payment of $ 1.15 billion to @ @ @ @ @ ago in return for the right to keep all the meter revenue and raise the @ @ @ @ @ the 75-year lease .

Stacy St. Clair, Jennifer Smith Richards, Gregory Pratt

A city parking sign in the 700 block of West Adams Street where Xavier Santos received two parking tickets in early April amid the coronavirus pandemic. (Armando L. Sanchez / Chicago Tribune)
With schools closed, restaurants shut down and an economic collapse looming in the early weeks of the pandemic, Mayor Lori Lightfoot announced plans to stop ticketing, booting and impounding cars throughout the city to ease financial pressures on Chicagoans.
“The only ticketing that is going to be happening is if there is a car or other vehicle posing some kind of public safety threat. But the normal ticketing should be suspended until April 30,” she said during a March 18 news conference. “So, for example, an expired meter that is otherwise legally parked and not posing a public safety threat, you should not be getting ticketed.”
Try telling that to Michaela Spence of Bronzeville, who was parked outside her doctor’s office.
Or Joseph Wasif, a pharmacist who drove to work in the Loop rather than risk his patients' health by taking the train.
Or Kurt Schauer of Evanston, who ran into his River North office to pick up supplies.
Try telling that to anyone else who got hit with one of the more than 35,000 parking tickets the city issued during the period Lightfoot told the public they’d be getting a break.
“It’s a betrayal, just absolutely ridiculous,” said Spence, who received a $70 parking ticket for an expired meter April 10. “It puts people in a tough financial position at the absolute worst time. It’s just a really shady thing to do.”
A Tribune analysis of city parking data found that nearly half of the tickets were given to cars for expired meters in the downtown area — an infraction Lightfoot specifically had singled out as exempted from punishment.
Behind the scenes, the Lightfoot administration declared expired meter parking anywhere in the central business district to be a threat to public safety and directed ticketing to continue, according to documents obtained through an open records request. The public wasn’t told about that change in tactics, however.
In all, about 70% of tickets citywide were issued for reasons the mayor had suggested would be given a pass: Parking without a proper city sticker or a valid residential permit (3,111); for having expired plates (2,009); for being stopped during rush-hour times (984) or early morning snow-zone parking (66); or being parked at expired meters both inside and outside the downtown area (17,564).
Nearly 1 in every 5 tickets later were dismissed by City Hall or an administrative hearing officer, analysis of city data shows. Most people did not appeal or simply paid them without a fight.
Though most tickets were written in the downtown area, the Tribune found more than 13,000 instances where vehicles were ticketed outside the central business district. Citations were most often written in Black and Latino neighborhoods, communities already struggling with the coronavirus' devastating impact on public health and unemployment rates.
Lightfoot officials declined to be interviewed for this story. A city spokeswoman denied that the mayor ever said parking tickets wouldn’t be issued for expired meters or other non-safety reasons.
“Mayor Lightfoot didn’t say we would only be ticketing for safety reasons — she said we would emphasize safety reasons. Safety reasons included double parking, blocking fire hydrant, etc.,” spokeswoman Kristen Cabanban wrote in an email.
But audio from the mayor’s 38-minute news conference shows that Lightfoot twice said tickets would “only” be issued for safety reasons. Lightfoot also stated — twice — that expired parking meters were the kind of infraction that would not be considered a public safety threat, though she said drivers should still feed the meters.
And the mayor was clear that she would push the private parking company that owns and enforces Chicago’s metered spaces to follow suit.
“We’re going to be working with them to make sure that the only ticketing that is going to be happening is if there is a car or other vehicle posing some kind of public safety threat,” Lightfoot said.
Underscoring the mayor’s pledge, city Comptroller Reshma Soni added, “We are limiting all our parking tickets to only public-safety related items.”
‘The way they go about it’
As complaints started rolling in that the city was still issuing tickets, Lightfoot slightly tweaked her message about parking enforcement. Instead of saying that tickets would only be given for public safety violations, the mayor told reporters on March 24 that the “emphasis is supposed to be limited to public safety reasons.”
Lightfoot again singled out expired parking meters as something she did not consider to be a public safety threat, though she repeated that drivers would have to keep feeding the meters. She said the message would be conveyed to Chicago Parking Meters LLC, the private meter company that made a one-time payment of $1.15 billion to the city a dozen years ago in return for the right to keep all the meter revenue and raise the rates over the course of the 75-year lease.
“So obviously we need to continue to be in conversation with them about where the emphasis should be placed, but members of the public should know this isn’t just free parking for the duration,” Lightfoot said. “So things like fire hydrants, blocking key entrances to buildings, things along those lines, those are things where we want the emphasis to be placed instead of parking meters.”
Three days later, Lightfoot’s administration wrote a letter directing the company to ticket expired parking meters in the downtown area effective immediately. It contradicted what she’d told the public, but Chicagoans were not made aware of the switch.
According to the March 27 letter, the city deemed parking violations throughout the entire central business district to be a safety risk because of the amenities located there.
“Access to government offices, hospitals and hotels cannot be impeded by illegal parking, including metered spaces,” states the letter signed by Jennie Huang Bennett, the city’s chief financial officer. “Police, fire and other first responders performing essential public safety functions cannot be hampered in their duties due to any type of illegal parking in these zones.”
In effect, City Hall was suggesting that a vehicle parked at a paid meter was safer than a car parked at an unpaid one. The Tribune asked a Lightfoot administration spokeswoman to explain the logic, but she declined.
During the first six weeks of the mayor’s pandemic parking directive, the majority of tickets were issued in Chicago’s central business district, the area bounded by Roosevelt Road to the south, North Avenue to the north, Halsted Street to the west and Lake Michigan to the east. Although the area assumed a post-apocalyptic feel as companies ordered employees to work from home and tourism ground to a halt, more tickets were given within those borders than all other parts of the city combined.
It was in the city’s financial interest to grant Chicago Parking Meters permission to ticket for expired meters in its most profitable areas, given the constraints of the much-maligned meter privatization deal carved out during Richard M. Daley’s administration. If the city waives meter parking, even temporarily, it must pay the “full value” of the spot to the private company.
Last year, the city’s tab was about $11 million for metered streets closed for festivals, construction and other reasons, according to an audit obtained by Chicago attorney Clint Krislov, director of the Center for Open Government at Chicago-Kent College of Law. If Lightfoot had kept her pledge to halt tickets for expired meters across the downtown, the city could have owed millions more in make-good payments to the private company.
For the roughly 16,500 tickets issued for expired downtown meters from March 18 to April 30 alone, the city already has collected about $558,000. It could bring in as much as $405,440 more as unpaid tickets are reconciled.
The city will keep all of that money, according to its arrangement with the parking vendor. Lightfoot is looking for cash where she can find it, as the city faces an estimated $1.2 billion budget shortfall next year.
“That’s the money the city sorely needs because no one was down there (during the early weeks of the pandemic),” said Schauer, who received a ticket for an expired meter in late April. “They’re going to try to get it anyway they can and I understand that. It’s the way they go about it that everyone hates.”
The city’s parking ticket policy isn’t the first time Lightfoot’s words haven’t lived up to her actions in recent months.
Under pressure to offer solutions as Chicago reeled from days of widespread looting earlier this summer, Lightfoot announced a $10 million fund to help shop owners rebuild ransacked businesses. But behind the scenes, the fund morphed into primarily a COVID benefit for businesses that lost revenue due to the pandemic, and officials paid out just $232,760 in funds designated to help looted business.
In May, Lightfoot declared that the popular Playpen boating area would be closed for the summer, and her administration doubled down on the claim. But it’s actually the Coast Guard with authority to take action, so the party went on.
No safety threat
Wasif received one of those “expired meter” tickets five days after Lightfoot’s announcement when he decided to drive from his Lincoln Park home to his job as a pharmacist in the Loop. With a heavy emphasis placed on social distancing and the many unknowns about how the virus spread in those early days, Wasif believed then — as he does now — that he could best serve his patients by avoiding public transportation and limiting his own potential exposure.
He parked at a metered spot on a deserted Wabash Avenue on March 23, the first workday following Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s stay-home order. When Wasif’s shift ended hours later, he returned to find a bright orange ticket on his windshield.
“I was annoyed and surprised,” Wasif said. “I literally just watched her say how she wasn’t going to ticket anybody unless it was a safety issue, which this wasn’t. It was a normal pay-to-park area.”
Orphe Divounguy, chief economist with the conservative-funded Illinois Policy Institute, understands why people may have felt misled by the Lightfoot administration. He received a ticket for an expired meter in the Streeterville neighborhood just two days after the mayor’s March 18 announcement.
Having heard the mayor’s message, he called City Hall to resolve what he assumed had been an error on the enforcement officer’s part. He said he was told that the mayor never waived tickets for expired meters and he would have to pay.
“The city made a promise it couldn’t keep and who paid for it?” Divounguy said. “For families that can’t afford that extra expense, this is a serious problem, especially in the current economy when so many people have lost their jobs. We’re in the middle of a recession. You cannot possibly be imposing these regressive fines and taxes on people.”
Outside the downtown area, the ZIP codes most often ticketed were in Belmont Cragin, Chicago Lawn, Austin, Humboldt Park and South Lawndale. Those neighborhoods, home to many Black and Latino residents, also were among the hardest hit by the coronavirus in terms of confirmed cases and unemployment rates, further emphasizing the racial inequities laid bare by the pandemic.
“Those are the neighborhoods that have the most police presence, so you’re probably going to have more opportunity to get your city sticker discovered as expired. Also they’re neighborhoods where people don’t have as much clout as Lakeview or Lincoln Park or the Gold Coast,” said Samuel Kling, a fellow at the Chicago Council on Global Affairs who has studied the ramifications of the parking meter deal.
“Furthermore, there’s a very long history of this stuff — Black neighborhoods being targeted and poor neighborhoods being targeted, and nothing’s really changed on that front.”
Seeking dismissals
City parking data shows 6,821 tickets given between March 18 and April 30, or 19%, had been dismissed as of mid-August. The Tribune, however, found dismissals were inconsistent.
The city issued more than 2,200 to vehicles without a city sticker, but later dismissed most of them and the $200 fine associated with the citation. However, as of mid-August, more than 220 recipients of city-sticker violations had paid their dismissed tickets.
A Lightfoot administration spokeswoman told the Tribune that anyone who had paid a ticket that later was deemed “dismissed” should call the city’s finance department for a refund.
Drivers who were ticketed for other reasons, such as expired meters and rush hour parking, had varying success in getting their fines overturned.
Xavier Santos on Sept. 13, 2020, in the 700 block of West Adams, where he received two parking tickets in early April amid the coronavirus pandemic. (Armando L. Sanchez / Chicago Tribune)
Xavier Santos, who lives in Greektown, received two tickets for leaving his car in a spot where parking is prohibited during rush hour. With the city shut down and traffic nonexistent in early April, he had believed the spot would be exempt from a citation per the mayor’s announcement.
“I was definitely confused and I was frustrated when I saw two tickets on my car,” he said. “Everything was changing so fast at that time. When you think something like parking is solved, then you come out to find another problem, that’s a challenge. I went online and battled both tickets.”
Santos' three-paragraph defense proved successful, as an administrative judge dismissed both tickets.
Neil Paule, 29, next to his car at 2929 West Belmont Avenue in Chicago's Avondale neighborhood where he received a rush hour-zone parking ticket on March 18. (Jos M. Osorio / Chicago Tribune)
A few miles to the north in the Avondale neighborhood, Neil Paule appealed a rush hour-zone parking ticket that he received March 18, the same day that the mayor made her announcement. An administrative judge determined the mayor’s own words weren’t legal justification for disobeying the sign.
Paule said he was told he could challenge the finding in court, which would cost money if he was unsuccessful, or pay $100. He chose the fine.
“It was a 24-hour news cycle of stress, anxiety and no sleep during that time,” Paule said. “The last thing I needed was the city trying to nickel-and-dime me when I’m more concerned about what’s been the most historical world event of my lifetime.”
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