chicagotribune--2020-03-31--‘The Last Dance,’ ESPN’s 10-part documentary on Michael Jordan and the Bulls, will debut on April 19

“ As society navigates this time without live sports , viewers are still looking to the sports world to escape @ @ @ @ @ , ” ESPN said in a statement .
“ We ’ ve heard the calls @ @ @ @ @ move up the release date for this series , and we ’ re happy to @ @ @ @ @ been able to accelerate the production schedule to do just that .

Like Michael Jordan and the 1997-98 Bulls, ESPN’s “The Last Dance” apparently cannot be held back.
Years in the making and originally scheduled to launch in June in conjunction with the NBA Finals, the long-awaited 10-part documentary about the Jordan-led team’s pursuit of its sixth and final championship instead will run on five successive Sunday nights beginning April 19, ESPN announced Tuesday.
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One-hour episodes will debut in pairs weekly, beginning at 8 p.m. Central time, through May 17.
“As society navigates this time without live sports, viewers are still looking to the sports world to escape and enjoy a collective experience,” ESPN said in a statement. “We’ve heard the calls from fans asking us to move up the release date for this series, and we’re happy to announce that we’ve been able to accelerate the production schedule to do just that.
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“This project celebrates one of the greatest players and dynasties ever, and we hope it can serve as a unifying entertainment experience to fill the role that sports often play in our lives, telling a story that will captivate everyone, not just sports fans.”
So excited to officially share the news: The Last Dance - Coming April 19th! @espn -- and outside of the US on @netflix #thelastdance #thewaitisover🍿🏀 pic.twitter.com/5s0p0OWyDD — Estee Portnoy (@esteep) March 31, 2020
The scheduling change, which fans lobbied for via social media, comes as the coronavirus pandemic has millions of people home-bound and looking to TV for diversion in the absence of live sports.
Promos for the series had changed earlier in March to say “The Last Dance” was “coming soon” rather than “coming in June,” despite ESPN publicly downplaying expectations.
April 19th can’t come fast enough. I CAN NOT WAIT!! 🗣Yessir!🍿 #LastDance — LeBron James (@KingJames) March 31, 2020
This naturally stoked speculation ESPN would expedite the documentary series combining behind-the-scenes video and interviews with not only Jordan, Scottie Pippen, Dennis Rodman, Steve Kerr, Phil Jackson and other principals, but also other NBA stars and peripheral figures such as former President Barack Obama.
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ESPN indicated in mid-March that such a move would be far easier said than done.
For one thing, ESPN has multiple partners on the project, including Jordan’s Jump 23, NBA Entertainment and Mandalay Sports Media, along with Netflix, which will distribute the series internationally beginning April 20. Also, the miniseries wasn’t finished.
“Overall, any original content project that we can conceivably move up, we are obviously considering that, including films,” said Burke Magnus, ESPN’s executive vice president of programming, acquisitions and scheduling.
“I know some have asked about ‘The Last Dance,’ and the reality is that the production of that film has not yet been completed, so we are limited there at the moment. Obviously, you can’t air it until it’s done.”
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“The Last Dance” is directed by Jason Hehir, whose well-received documentaries include “Andre the Giant,” “The ’85 Bears” and “The Fab Five.”
“Michael Jordan and the ‘90s Bulls weren’t just sports superstars, they were a global phenomenon,” Hehir said in a statement. “Making ‘The Last Dance’ was an incredible opportunity to explore the extraordinary impact of one man and one team.
"For nearly three years, we searched far and wide to present the definitive story of an era-defining dynasty and to present these sports heroes as humans. I hope viewers enjoy watching our series as much as we enjoyed the opportunity to make it.”


chicagotribune--2020-03-31--Nick Foles’ chat with Chase Daniel on his webcast includes discussion about Ironman triathlons and c

Nick Foles’ chat with Chase Daniel on his webcast includes discussion about Ironman triathlons and coffee — but no Bears QB talk

“ It didn ’ t go as I had planned , but I went into the offseason extremely hungry as @ @ @ @ @ so hungry just because of how things happened , ” he said .
“ I @ @ @ @ @ do an Ironman .
I won ’ t probably do it while I ’ m @ @ @ @ @ lives away in our contract .
But I approached my training like Ironman training .
@

Bears quarterback Nick Foles walks to the field before the first quarter against the Seahawks at Lumen Field on Dec. 26, 2021. (Armando L. Sanchez / Chicago Tribune)
Former Bears backup quarterback Chase Daniel began a new webcast called “Chase Chats” on social media Monday night, and his first guest was the player who will replace him in the Bears quarterback room.
Daniel talked for more than 30 minutes with eight-year NFL veteran Nick Foles, whom the Bears acquired from the Jaguars this month.
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They didn’t get into the state of the Bears offense or Foles’ role alongside Mitch Trubisky on his new team.
Daniel, who signed with the Lions, hinted the two quarterbacks were keeping their teams’ media relations officials happy by refraining from such talk. The Bears did not announce the trade for Foles until Tuesday afternoon and haven’t held an introductory news conference. Official announcements of free-agent signings and trades have been slowed this year by restrictions on physicals due to the coronavirus pandemic.
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Instead, the pair talked about how Foles is spending his offseason, how he’s dealing with the coronavirus quarantine, his work off the field and their shared love of coffee.
Here are four things we learned.
1. Nick Foles is fascinated by Ironman triathlons, and he modeled his early offseason workouts after such training.
Foles said he went through “trial after trial” in his only season with the Jaguars in 2019. He broke his collarbone in the opener and played in only three more games — all losses.
“It didn’t go as I had planned, but I went into the offseason extremely hungry as always, but even more so hungry just because of how things happened,” he said. “I’ve always wanted to do an Ironman. I won’t probably do it while I’m playing because we sign our lives away in our contract. But I approached my training like Ironman training.”
Foles has watched Ironman training videos and said he worked his way up to about a 9-mile run, 3,300-yard swim and 1½-hour bike ride before he backed off the training. He now is working out for an hour five days a week, but he enjoyed the taste of what it means to be an endurance athlete.
“You want to quit,” he said. “Almost every workout, I’m in the middle of it, and I’m like, ‘Ugh, I can’t keep going.’ But I love that because you have to fight that mental weakness where it’s easy to give up — get out of the pool or stop running. But it’s something deep inside that you keep pushing, keep pushing and keep going.
“With that, you build resilience. That’s the thing that is almost intoxicating for me, getting to that point where I want to quit and then fighting through that and getting over that edge. Because once you get over the edge, you’ve grown as a human being.”
Chase Chats w/ Chase Daniel feat. Nick Foles https://t.co/HfYMmSO92w — Chase Daniel (@ChaseDaniel) March 31, 2020
2. Nick Foles’ offseason to-do list includes taking a class in theological studies and planning a foundation and a podcast.
Foles is vocal about his faith and said he one day would like to be in vocational ministry.
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He is working on a master’s degree in theological studies at Liberty University. He is planning a podcast with former Eagles teammate Chris Maragos, a faith-based venture Foles said he hopes will be of interest to all when it debuts in August. And he’s working to set up his Believe It Foundation.
“God has allowed us to have this platform, and we’re going to use it in a unique way, affecting communities in a positive way in Jesus’ name, whether it be youth initiatives, family crisis counseling, homelessness, health, other initiatives we’re fine-tuning right now,” Foles said. “We want to make sure it’s something we can really make an impact.”
3. As Nick Foles and his wife, Tori, try to entertain a 2-year-old daughter during the coronavirus quarantine, his father is working to keep his restaurants operating.
Larry Foles, one-half of the Guy and Larry Restaurants team, owns numerous restaurants in Texas, Arizona and California. Nick Foles said he was just on the phone with his father talking about how his businesses are moving forward.
“This is obviously a challenge for the hospitality business right now,” Foles said. “A lot of people are suffering. A lot of it is turning into to-go orders — and it’s really a sit-down industry. It’s been fascinating hearing what he’s been doing to help the employees and create something that works. It’s a challenge for everyone right now with the coronavirus.”
Meanwhile, Foles said Tori has been constantly working on keeping their daughter, Lily, who’s almost 3, occupied with artwork, soccer and occasionally “Frozen 2.”
“You get a little restless,” he said. “But at the end of the day, we have to do what we’ve got to do to social distance.”
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4. Nick Foles, a coffee connoisseur, joins a Bears quarterback room that has a fancy coffee machine.
The only real insight into the Bears quarterback situation to come out of the interview is that Foles and Mitch Trubisky will be well-caffeinated.
Foles is a fan of Bulletproof butter coffee, and he often made it for his Eagles teammates. Chase Daniel is a proponent of Jura coffee machines, and he said Trubisky bought one for the Bears quarterback room after Daniel introduced it to him.
“So you are going to get to enjoy that when you get in that quarterback room at some point,” Daniel said.


chicagotribune--2020-03-30--Coronavirus case reported at Wilmette senior living residence

“ This is of course not the news any of us wanted to receive .
Our hearts go out to @ @ @ @ @ with COVID-19 with our wishes for a full recovery .
The health and well-being of @ @ @ @ @ top priority , ” Katrina O ’ Neill , executive director of Mather Place , @ @ @ @ @ “ Mather Place Wilmette has taken proactive , decisive action to help prevent the spread @ @ @ @

Officials at an independent senior living development in Wilmette said Monday that a resident has tested positive for COVID-19.
The case was reported by the family of a resident, who lives at Mather Place, and who is being treated at Evanston Hospital, officials said.
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This is the first known case of COVID-19 connected to Mather Place, located at 2801 Old Glenview Road, officials said.
The resident was experiencing symptoms and taken to the hospital and tested Saturday, officials said.
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“Mather Place residents have been in self-isolation since March 17 to minimize COVID-19 exposure, and will continue to do so,” officials said.
“Upon receiving the report, Mather Place responded immediately to notify residents, family members, and employees, and is using a third-party national provider to deep clean and sanitize high touch areas and the resident’s apartment home,” officials said in a Monday statement.
The case has also been reported to the Illinois Department of Public Health, officials said.
“This is of course not the news any of us wanted to receive. Our hearts go out to our resident who is hospitalized with COVID-19 with our wishes for a full recovery. The health and well-being of residents and employees is our top priority,” Katrina O’Neill, executive director of Mather Place, said in a statement. “Mather Place Wilmette has taken proactive, decisive action to help prevent the spread of COVID-19.”
Officials said an “internal interdisciplinary task force on COVID-19 was initiated on February 28, and communication to residents regarding the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines started on March 3.”
“The task force continues to meet daily, taking steps to ensure that the community is prepared, including: Restricting all visitors with the exception of essential health care professionals; requesting all residents remain in their homes; screening all employees and essential vendors and health care professionals; canceling in-person activities and programs; closing restaurants and amenity spaces; asking employees to limit travel and avoid large groups,” officials said.
“These measures have been implemented to keep Mather Place Wilmette as safe and healthy as possible,” officials said. “While it is hoped these actions mitigate the spread of the virus, Mather Place Wilmette leadership has continued to conscientiously plan and prepare to respond effectively to potential further threats.”
kcullotta@chicagotribune.com
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Twitter @kcullotta


chicagotribune--2020-03-31--‘We’re planning on having a full season’: NFL executives remain confident that coronavirus disruptio

‘We’re planning on having a full season’: NFL executives remain confident that coronavirus disruptions will stop well short of Week 1

If March 2020 taught us anything about the sports world , it ’ s that looking too far down the @ @ @ @ @ impractical .
When the month began , no one had any idea that sports were @ @ @ @ @ shutdown and that most of the country would follow suit as a global pandemic brought @ @ @ @ @ our front door .

If March 2020 taught us anything about the sports world, it’s that looking too far down the road can prove imprudent and impractical. When the month began, no one had any idea that sports were headed for an almost complete shutdown and that most of the country would follow suit as a global pandemic brought a terrifying health crisis to our front door.
Remember way back when? Remember those days of yore when sports reporters had the seemingly significant concern of being restricted from clubhouses and locker rooms as a precaution against the spread of the coronavirus?
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Remember when LeBron James insisted he had little desire to play NBA games with no fans in attendance?
Remember when the Ivy League’s decision to cancel its basketball tournaments seemed controversial?
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Yep, that all happened just a few weeks ago, in March 2020, a long, long month unlike any before it, a stretch that took our once comfortable and leisure-filled existence and slammed it to a screeching halt.
The NBA and NHL seasons: suspended. March Madness: gone. Opening day: postponed.
Yet on the final day of March 2020, the NFL made a bold and emphatic proclamation. Its bigwigs aren’t worrying about contingency plans for the upcoming season.*
The league expects everything to proceed as scheduled in the fall.*
Said Jeff Pash, the league’s executive vice president and general counsel: “All of our discussions, all of our focus has been on a normal, traditional season, starting on time, playing in front of fans in our regular stadiums and going through the full 16-game regular season and a full set of playoffs. That’s our focus.”
So no talk of possibly abbreviating or modifying the schedule?
No worries about having to push the start of the season back a few weeks or even months?
No discussions of possibly playing in empty stadiums to eliminate public health worries about large gatherings?
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Nope. Nope. Annnnd nope.
Not yet anyway.
Get yourself ready for Week 1 in early September then.*
Start dreaming about the usual 16-game slate with international games played as planned.*
Be ready, starting in January, for four weekends of playoff pressure, including an expanded 14-team postseason field.*
Save the date: Feb. 7, 2021. Super Bowl LV in Tampa, Fla.*
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“Our planning, our expectation is fully directed at playing a full season,” Pash reiterated, “starting on schedule and having a full regular season and a full set of playoffs. Just as we did in 2019. That’s our expectation.”
(* — It’s all subject to change.)
The league’s optimism certainly sounded comforting during Tuesday’s conference call with reporters. After two weeks of widespread seclusion, of work-from-home isolation and grocery-store anxiety, even the smallest promise of normalcy seems tantalizing. Even if it’s five months up the road and subject to change. Just grab at that glimmer of hope.
Football is coming?!?!? Football is really coming back?!?!?
Maybe.
“Am I certain?” Pash said. “I’m not certain I’ll be here tomorrow. But I’m planning on it.”
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The NFL is not going about this in reckless fashion. It will continue to follow the guidance of public health and government authorities. Like all businesses, it will adapt and modify its plans as necessary. It will keep tabs on the coronavirus developments — daily, weekly, monthly — and adjust accordingly.
But the league is keeping its head down and proceeding toward a much-hoped-for normal regular season. And NFL executives remain confident that’s realistic.
That certitude, Pash said, comes from insight and analysis the league is gleaning from infectious disease experts; from organizations such as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; and from in-house medical specialists such as chief medical officer Dr. Allen Sills and Dr. Thom Mayer, the medical director for the NFL Players Association.
Said Pash: “What the doctors are looking at are models that address the effectiveness of different kinds of interventions on how the (COVID-19) curve has trended down and tailed off in other countries and what they believe will be the result based on the modeling that’s been done in this country.
“Keeping in mind that we’re still in March and there are still several months between now and when our season would begin, the belief and the information we have is leading us to continue focusing on having the season start on time and be played in a normal way.”
For now.
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On the same call, though, the league detailed extreme modifications it has made because of the COVID-19 emergency. The NFL draft, for example, no longer will take place on the Las Vegas Strip in April. In fact, with front-office personnel and coaches banned indefinitely from their team facilities, the draft will have peculiar logistics this year as the league orders teams to adhere to the new standards.
No more than 10 people in a room. Each of those people at least 6 feet apart. And proper hand hygiene is a must, said Peter O’Reilly, executive vice president of club business and league events.
Teams also are adjusting for an offseason program that likely won’t include the usual strength and conditioning programs, team meetings or spring practices. Instead, teams are working to find digital alternatives to as much as they can.
So who knows for certain when the curve will flatten and trend down, when the public health system will be allowed to breathe again, when the daily death numbers will begin to decrease? Who knows for certain when we’ll get the green light for normal life to start to return?
Who knows if something new and unforeseen will knock the NFL’s confidence in the 2020 season off course? And if the current plans are derailed, then what?
“A lot of it will depend on what the medical and public health situation is,” Pash said. “If the modeling is as we’ve been given to understand, we may not have to get very far down that road. If things take a different turn and if there are different regulations put in place, then we would have to address it in a more substantial way.
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“But as I say, for the time being, we’re pretty confident that we will be able to go on schedule.”
For the time being, that sounds promising. Encouraging. Comforting.
For now.*
(* — It’s all subject to change.)


chicagotribune--2020-03-31--Bears are extending the deadline to make season ticket payments on an individual basis — 1 of 28 NFL

Bears are extending the deadline to make season ticket payments on an individual basis — 1 of 28 NFL teams to offer some sort of extension

The Bears decided not to move the deadline for the entire group of season ticket holders because of the fluidity @ @ @ @ @ They believed setting a new date might not solve the issue for everyone , so @ @ @ @ @ dialogue with individuals with concerns .
But those individuals must present their case to the @ @ @

The deadline to pay for 2020 Bears season tickets was March 20. But the team continues to field calls from season ticket holders concerned about making such payments in a time of economic uncertainty due to the coronavirus pandemic.
The Bears are encouraging such calls so they can work with individuals to extend the deadline on a case-by-case basis, said Scott Hagel, senior vice president of marketing and communications.
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“We continue to work on customized plans to best fit each of our season ticket holders who have called for an extension,” Hagel said Tuesday. “And (we) continue to encourage those calls at 847-615-BEAR.”
The Bears are one of 28 teams that have either extended the deadline or offered to negotiate on a case-by-case basis, according to the Associated Press. The Broncos’ final deadline was Feb. 1. The Cowboys, 49ers and Bengals haven’t made such a call.
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Some teams extended their deadlines by several months, including the Patriots and Falcons, who moved their dates to June 30 and July 1. The Ravens, Eagles, Vikings and Packers also are among the teams that moved their deadlines.
“All fans have to do is fill out the form in their email and we’ll take care of it for them,” the Falcons wrote to their fans. “We want to do what’s best for ALL of our season ticket holders by offering options during this trying time."
The Bears decided not to move the deadline for the entire group of season ticket holders because of the fluidity of the coronavirus crisis. They believed setting a new date might not solve the issue for everyone, so they wanted to allow for dialogue with individuals with concerns. But those individuals must present their case to the ticket office.
Hagel said last week on “Mully & Haugh” on WSCR-AM 670 that only 2% of season ticket holders had asked for an extension. He didn’t have an update to that number this week but said calls continue to come in about it. The team increased season ticket prices by an average of 3.9% this year.
While the NFL is pushing back the unveiling of the 2020 schedule from mid-April until around May 9, the league said on a conference call Tuesday it plans to begin its full 16-game schedule on time in September.
That, of course, could change depending on how the coronavirus crisis continues to unfold, and the league will have contingency plans in place.
Associated Press contributed.


chicagotribune--2020-03-31--Bulls guard Zach LaVine is set to participate in an NBA 2K20 tournament on ESPN

Participants will each select a pool of eight teams prior to the tournament and can play with each club only @ @ @ @ @ Rounds one and two will be single elimination , and the semifinals and finals will @ @ @ @ @

NEW YORK — Bulls guard Zach LaVine will compete in a 16-player field of NBA players in an NBA 2K20 tournament airing on ESPN. The event will be headlined by fellow participants Kevin Durant and Trae Young.
The NBA, the players’ association and 2K announced the NBA 2K Players Tournament on Tuesday. Play begins Friday, and the winner of the weeklong competition will receive a $100,000 donation to a coronavirus-related relief effort of their choice.
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Players have been seeded according to their NBA 2K player rating — from Durant’s 96 down to Derrick Jones Jr.'s 78 — and tenure. Durant, the Brooklyn Nets star who sat out this NBA season due to injury, will face Jones in the first game Friday night. Other matches will air on ESPN2. The championship is set for April 11.
LaVine’s NBA 2K rating is 85, and he is the No. 7 seed. He will take on Suns center Deandre Ayton in the first round.
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It’s happening! Introducing The NBA 2K Players Tournament. 16 players will go head to head in the ultimate 2K tournament aired on @espn. We finally get all the trash talking NBA players to face off to find out who’s truly the best.. pic.twitter.com/pLv6ihtpoY — Ronnie 2K 2K20 (@Ronnie2K) March 31, 2020
Participants will each select a pool of eight teams prior to the tournament and can play with each club only once throughout the tournament. Rounds one and two will be single elimination, and the semifinals and finals will be best of three.
The other matchups include Young vs. Harrison Barnes, Hassan Whiteside vs. Pat Beverley, Donovan Mitchell vs. Rui Hachimura, Devin Booker vs. Michael Porter Jr., Andre Drummond vs. DeMarcus Cousins and Montrezl Harrell vs. Domantas Sabonis.
The NBA has been shut down since March 11, the night that Utah center Rudy Gobert became the first player in the league to have a positive diagnosis for the virus revealed. The league is still discussing scenarios for resuming play once allowed.


chicagotribune--2020-03-31--Here’s the number of COVID-19 cases in several suburbs; they rose by 300 in one day

Charley said all employees who have had direct contact with the first officer have been placed in quarantine as a @ @ @ @ @ who had close direct contact with the officer will be notified .
Employees who came @ @ @ @ @ officer have also been notified , but will not be required to quarantine as the @ @ @ @ @ 14 days ago , Charley said .

A nearly-empty Lake Street in Oak Park is typical of the suburbs, as residents and visitors stay away from the village's usually crowded streets and sidewalks on March 19. The village and state remains under a 'stay-at-home' order in an effort to control the spread of the COVID-19 virus. (Antonio Perez/Chicago Tribune)
Suburban residents are watching as the number of COVID-19 cases ticks up each day.
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On Tuesday, the Cook County Department of Public Health reported 1,645 confirmed cases of COVID-19 and 35 deaths related to the virus within the department’s jurisdiction. The number of confirmed cases increased by 299 from Monday to Tuesday.
This area includes all municipalities in Cook County with the exception of Chicago, Evanston, Oak Park, Skokie and Stickney Township, which have their own local health departments.
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In a March 27 letter sent to River Forest residents, village president Cathy Adduci said public health in the village is under the jurisdiction of the Cook County health department, which means local reports may not be as detailed.
“As people are diagnosed with COVID-19 in River Forest, the village is unable to confirm or verify those diagnoses,” Adduci said. “I understand your frustration.”
According to an interactive map on the Cook County public health department’s website, five cases of COVID-19 have been confirmed in River Forest as of Tuesday evening.
As one of just five Cook County municipalities with a certified local public health department, neighboring Oak Park is able to provide more detailed information.
In its latest report Tuesday, village health director Mike Charley announced 36 Oak Park residents have tested positive for COVID-19.
Charley added that a second village police officer had also tested positive for COVID-19, one day after announcing the first officer’s positive test. The second officer had chosen to self-quarantine, Charley said, and has been out of the workplace since mid-March.
Charley said all employees who have had direct contact with the first officer have been placed in quarantine as a precaution, while any employee who had close direct contact with the officer will be notified. Employees who came into contact with the second officer have also been notified, but will not be required to quarantine as the contact took place more than 14 days ago, Charley said.
To date, Oak Park has reported one infant less than one year old has tested positive, while the rest of the confirmed cases involve people from their 20s to 70s. The village’s first positive case, a man in his 30s, was announced March 18.
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Due to privacy laws, the village is not able to release additional information about the people who have tested positive, Charley said.
According to available data, the suburb with the highest number of COVID-19 cases within the CCDPH jurisdiction was Glenview, which had reported 84 cases as of Tuesday, the department said.
Cases within other area communities were as follows:
Des Plaines: 44
Park Ridge: 25
Forest Park 17
Morton Grove: 16
Lincolnwood: 14
Elmwood Park: 12
Franklin Park: 10
Niles: 10
Harwood Heights: 7
Norridge: 7
River Grove: 7
Northlake: Under 5
Rosemont: Under 5
On Tuesday, Gov. J.B. Pritzker announced he will extend his stay-at-home order through the end of April as part of the state’s effort to slow the spread of the virus. The move comes as the state announced 937 additional coronavirus cases and 26 more deaths.
In total, there have been 5,994 known cases of COVID-19, including 99 deaths, in 54 of the state’s 102 counties since the outbreak began in Illinois in late January.
Pioneer Press reporter Jennifer Johnson contributed to this story.
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sschering@pioneerlocal.com
Twitter: @steveschering


chicagotribune--2020-03-31--Three finalists named for consideration as Chicago Police Department superintendent

“ They may have spent time in the penitentiary in the past , but we have to remember one thing @ @ @ @ @ of the issues ( in ) society .
Who better to help us to rectify @ @ @ @ @ ?
” Cato said .
“ What they did in the past and what they @ @ @ @ @ that ’ s talking to the young people out on the streets who are doing @ @ @ @ @ them what not to do .
”

A total of 238 cadets were sworn in as Chicago police officers at the department's graduation and promotion ceremony held at Navy Pier's Grand Ballroom in Chicago in 2019. (Jose M. Osorio / Chicago Tribune)
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The Chicago Police Board has chosen three finalists to potentially lead the city’s police force, sources familiar with the process said, setting up a pivotal choice for Mayor Lori Lightfoot as the department works to reduce gun violence while trying to implement reforms from within as part of a federally mandated consent decree.
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The names on the board’s list given to Lightfoot for consideration are Ernest Cato, a CPD deputy chief; Kristen Ziman, chief of police in west suburban Aurora; and David Brown, an ex-Dallas police chief.
The police board plans to make an official announcement on the three finalists during a special public meeting held via audio teleconference at 4 p.m. Wednesday. Lightfoot has said she expects to make her choice from among those on the board’s list.
The nine-member board compiled a five-page job application that listed more than a dozen requirements for the job, including ensuring the 13,000-strong Chicago Police Department is compliant in a timely manner with its federally mandated consent decree aimed at improving training, supervision and other policing practices and overseeing policies that address the mental health of officers.
Candidates were asked to talk about themselves in a video presentation, outlining their law enforcement experience and why they’re best suited to be Chicago’s next top cop. The presentation required them to talk about how they’d lead police reforms under the consent decree, develop effective crime-fighting strategies and work to build trust with communities.
The finalists were chosen from a pool of 25 applicants. Eleven of them either currently work for CPD or “spent a significant amount of their career” in the department, the police board has said. The other 14 applicants were from outside of Chicago.
Chicago Police Board President Ghian Foreman has said that 21 of the applicants were men and four were women. He also said 13 applicants were white, 11 were African American and one was Latino.
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The board opened the application process Nov. 21 after then-Chicago police Superintendent Eddie Johnson announced plans to retire by the end of the year. Lightfoot announced his temporary successor would be former Los Angeles police Chief Charlie Beck.
But that all changed in early December when Lightfoot abruptly fired Johnson, saying he had intentionally misled her about his conduct after a late weeknight out in October when he was found asleep in his running vehicle near his South Side home. Beck started his job as interim superintendent on Dec 2.
In an interview with the Tribune a few weeks after she fired Johnson, Lightfoot said she was looking for an energetic and dynamic leader "who can rally the troops" and has experience with "a large, complex, urban" police department.
"Somebody who sees the consent decree as an opportunity and not an obstacle," Lightfoot said. "You've got to have impeccable management skills and the full range of being able to be a leader but also being willing to hold people accountable. And somebody who recognizes that ... the fight ... has to be done with partners, community partners, partners in other parts of city government."
Ziman, 46, was in the national spotlight last year as Aurora’s police chief when the west suburb was reeling following a mass shooting that claimed the lives of five employees of the Henry Pratt Co. warehouse, and left injured another employee and five Aurora police officers. The gunman was killed in an exchange of gunfire with police.
Ziman grew up in the Aurora Police Department, joining the force as a cadet at 17 and working her way though the ranks to, in her mid-30s, become its first female commander.
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Brown, 59, was a veteran of the Dallas Police Department for more than 30 years, retiring as its chief in 2016. That year, five police officers were killed, and several others wounded, in an ambush-style rifle attack in downtown Dallas. Brown also found himself in the national spotlight when officers under his direction killed the suspect by deploying near him a remote-controlled robot carrying an explosive and detonating it.
Cato, 54, is a Chicago police deputy chief in charge of three patrol districts -- Austin, Harrison and Ogden -- primarily on the West Side, which comprise some of the most violent parts of the city. He has been viewed as a rising star in the department, in part due to his willingness to work with community organizations that offer mediation on gang conflicts and help with social services and jobs.
Here is a look at each finalist:
Dallas Police Chief David Brown speaks during a news conference at Dallas City Hall in 2016 in Dallas. (David Woo/The Dallas Morning News)
David Brown
When downtown Dallas fell under attack by an Army veteran hell-bent on shooting police officers as payback for the killing of African-American men by U.S. law enforcement, David Brown suddenly had a career-defining decision to make as a police chief.
He had implored one of his commanders to come up with a plan to stop Micah Johnson, who was holed up after killing five police officers and wounding several others in an ambush-style shooting on July 7, 2016. Johnson, 25, was cornered by police inside a building, but officers didn’t want to risk more casualties by maneuvering down a long hallway toward him.
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“We could use an explosive,” the commander told Brown. “We could use our robot to deliver the explosive.”
Brown, now on a list of finalists vying to become Chicago’s next police superintendent, recounted his ultimate decision to use the tactic in his 2017 autobiography, “Called To Rise: A Life in Faithful Service to the Community That Made Me (co-written by journalist Michelle Burford).” If selected in Chicago, Brown, one of two African-Americans to make the final cut, would go from leading a Dallas department of about 3,500 officers to one with 13,000, the nation’s second largest.
The plan Brown approved to kill Johnson with the robot did work, but Brown in his book acknowledged some of the public criticism about his department’s handling of the incident. Some critics said the decision he made essentially meant executing a suspect before he could have a trial.
“I had no hesitation about detonating the explosive,” Brown said in the book. “(Johnson) had already wreaked enormous havoc and bloodshed on my officers and was threatening to snuff out the lives of others. He never once showed signs of surrender. If I were presented with the same circumstances today, I’d make the same choice – without question, I’d do it again.”
The tragedy undoubtedly helped boost Brown’s national profile. . After he retired, Brown became a contributor to ABC News to discuss race relations, social justice and law enforcement issues, and was hired by Dallas Mavericks’ billionaire owner Mark Cuban to find ways the NBA team could partner with the community.
Born and raised in Dallas, Brown, a devout Christian, became a city cop in 1983 after seeing the negative effect the crack epidemic had on his neighborhood of Oak Cliff. His climb to the department’s top post was marked by tragedy.
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In 1988, a former partner he had known since his days in the police academy was shot and killed in the line of duty. Then Brown’s younger brother was slain by a drug dealer in 1991.
And in 2010, several weeks into his appointment as Dallas police chief, Brown’s son and namesake – whom he called “D.J.” -- fatally shot a cop in a suburb of Dallas and killed another man. D.J. Brown eventually was killed by responding police.
“As much as I hurt after D.J.’s passing, in those initial weeks I grieved just as deeply for the loved ones of those my son had taken,” Brown wrote. “I felt as if my own brother or sister had died at the hands of my child.”
Brown’s son suffered from bipolar disorder and autopsy results showed he had marijuana and PCP in his system when he died.
“I will never know the full story of what my son experienced in the years and hours before that day, but my guess is that he, like many people who wrestle with mental illness, had rejected his diagnosis and any medication prescribed to manage it,” Brown wrote.
His son’s death didn’t put Brown in the good graces of his rank-and-file. Members of the Dallas department were outraged when its officers were used to escort D.J. Brown’s body during his funeral procession.
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Brown did not make that decision, but some felt he should have stopped it from happening.
“That did not go over well at all,” said Mike Mata, president of the Dallas Police Association. “It was a very bad message to the rank-and-file.”
But Mata, who is also a Dallas police sergeant, said Brown was able to patch up his relationship with the troops. They felt bad for his loss, but they also learned he was very personable.
“He is a very, very good talker. Very engaging. Very charismatic,” Mata said.
Brown oversaw the Dallas police force’s CompStat program as he rose through the ranks. He also emphasized community-policing efforts aimed at improving trust between law enforcement and the neighborhoods.
But the mass shooting in 2016 arguably remains his truest test as a police leader.
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Brown’s commander, a colleague from their days together on Dallas police’s SWAT team in the 1990s, suggested equipping the remote-controlled robot with the right amount of C-4 to contain the explosion at the end of a hallway and not injure officers nearby.
Though the plan was risky, Brown, who had just completed a press conference about the shooting, told the commander to “take care of business.”
“Just don’t blow up the whole building,” Brown told the commander.
In a memorial service for the five slain officers, attended by then-President Barack Obama and former President George W. Bush, Brown wanted to dedicate his remarks to the officers’ families, he said in his book. Unconditional love was the theme of those remarks and with that, he recited lyrics to Stevie Wonder’s 1976 song, “As.”
“I recited the lyrics that had always touched me,” Brown wrote, "including the one line that summed up exactly how I felt and what our city most needed to hear: ‘Just as hate knows love’s the cure...I’ll be loving you always.’”
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Deputy Chief of Patrol Ernest Cato stands outside the 18th District during a memorial for Police Commander Paul Bauer on Feb. 13, 2020, in Chicago. Bauer was fatally shot on Feb. 13, 2018, while trying to apprehend a man who was fleeing other officers. (John J. Kim / Chicago Tribune)
Ernest Cato III
Ernest Cato III’s rise through the ranks of the Chicago Police Department was not a surprise to Jamar Taylor’s family.
Taylor was 26 when he was shot and killed more than ten years ago down the street from his family’s West Side apartment. Then a detective on the case, Cato assured Taylor’s loved ones the murder would be solved, they recalled, remembering Cato as a cop who showed a mix of persistence and compassion.
Within a year, there were murder charges. Then a conviction.
“He came inside our home. He talked to us. He treated us well. And he went out and he did the job,” said Taylor’s aunt, Dorothy Taylor, 54. “He felt for us. And that’s something that sometimes you don’t get.”
Cato is the lone insider chosen as a finalist to become Chicago’s next top cop. Many observers said they doubted a CPD member would even be considered for the job, but Cato’s track record for community engagement has earned him high praise from city officials and the various neighborhood groups with whom they work.
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Perhaps that partly explains his rapid ascension to CPD’s upper echelon. Three years ago, Cato was just a lieutenant in the West Side’s Austin patrol district, an area long beset by poverty, drug dealing and gun violence. Then in October 2017, then-police Superintendent Eddie Johnson promoted him to Austin’s district commander.
The move appeared to be encouraging. By July of last year — less than two years into Cato’s leadership post — the district had seen a dramatic 40% drop in total shootings, with 55 through the halfway point of 2019, down from 90 a year earlier.
Cato was promoted again by Johnson to the rank of deputy chief last fall.
Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s decision to choose ex-Los Angeles police Chief Charlie Beck as her interim superintendent was telling to many observers, since the temporary post is usually given to a high-ranking official on the inside. Lightfoot has also been known to question the overall quality of CPD’s leadership, further suggesting their would be no inside candidate considered for the department’s top spot this time around.
The brother of a retired CPD sergeant, Cato was born in Chicago and raised on the West Side. According to his CPD personnel file, obtained by the Tribune through an open-records request, Cato served in the Illinois Army National Guard from 1985 to 1991 and attained the rank of second lieutenant.
He started with the Chicago Police Department in July 1990, serving as class commander as a recruit in the police academy. He also received the top physical fitness award in his class.
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In the early 1990s, he was a tactical officer responding to gang- and narcotic-related crimes in the old Prairie District, which encompassed such South Side areas as Hyde Park and Washington Park. Records show he was later assigned to the city’s inspector general’s office as an investigator specialist, looking into criminal and non-criminal misconduct allegations against city employees.
He also once worked as a youth investigator, according to the records, and later as a detective investigating homicides in the old Area 4 division on the West Side.
Cato, who now has 29 years with CPD, has been viewed as a rising star by even some outside the department. And he also may have another inside track, as records show he is the mayor’s neighbor, living just up the street from Lightfoot’s home in Logan Square.
His elevation comes at a time when it’s crucial for CPD to improve its fractured relationship with African-American neighborhoods throughout the city. Much of this has to do with his willingness to work alongside community organizations that offer mediation on gang conflicts, and help with social services and job opportunities.
For years, such groups were known to be on shaky ground with Chicago police. Officers didn’t trust them since many of their workers are ex-convicts, and the workers also chose not to interact with Chicago police out of fear they could lose credibility with gang members they’re trying to help.
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But last year, while still Austin’s district commander, Cato spoke to a Tribune reporter about the importance of the groups.
“Any group that’s going to bring something to the table to reduce violence is important,” Cato said last spring following a news conference in the Austin District station on West Madison Street. “I think it’s important that we listen to them. I think it’s important that we take that opportunity to see what they’re about.”
Cato sees these street workers’ criminal backgrounds as a plus when it comes to preventing violence.
“They may have spent time in the penitentiary in the past, but we have to remember one thing, they actually caused some of the issues (in) society. Who better to help us to rectify those problems in the future?” Cato said. “What they did in the past and what they’re doing now, that’s talking to the young people out on the streets who are doing the same thing and telling them what not to do.”
Teny Gross, who runs one of those groups in Austin, said he met Cato when he was the district’s tactical lieutenant, overseeing teams of officers who go on aggressive enforcement missions in response to patterns of violence and other crimes in the area.
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Gross said Cato would push those tactical, plainclothes officers to show up at community meetings and build relationships with residents, a function often reserved for beat patrol officers or those working in the district’s community-policing offices.
“He really did believe, and he does believe also from his previous experience as a homicide detective, that relationship-building is important,” said Gross, who heads the Institute for Nonviolence Chicago. “And then when he became the commander, he even took it further.”
“I’ll see him at 2 in the morning when there’s large gathering and there was concern over there on the weekend,” Gross said. “He often shows up at the hospital…His work ethic is insane.”
But Austin resident Ronald Reid was a bit more critical of Cato’s efforts.
Reid, who helps run the Central Austin Neighborhood Association, praised Cato’s engagement with the community but believes he and Austin’s several other district commanders before him fell short of eliminating the criminal element from the blocks surrounding his home.
“I’m angry because none of them have decided that they want to clear up the drug corners,” said Reid, whose organization is in the midst of a nearly decade-old lawsuit against the city alleging there’s a disproportionate number of Chicago cops to respond to 911 calls in the city’s patrol districts.
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“Maybe they can cite statistics,” said Reid, “but that means absolutely nothing to the people who live on the ground.”
In January, Cato was among more than 30 of Beck’s top police officials to get new posts in the department’s upcoming reorganization, set to fully begin in April. Cato was assigned as deputy chief of the new Area 4, overseeing patrol officers, as well as some detective and specialized gang and drug units, in the Austin, Harrison and Ogden Districts on the West Side.
The post will one of the busiest in the department due to the area’s high concentration of drug sales and the violence accompanying it. Those three districts are regularly the focus of gang and narcotics units that conduct sensitive investigations, oftentimes with FBI agents and other federal law enforcement.
It was in the old Area 4 where Cato and Jamar Taylor’s family crossed paths.
Taylor was killed in October 2009 near Pulaski Road and Grenshaw Street when, authorities said, another man named Martell Hill approached his car and shot Taylor several times.
Taylor’s family remembered Cato’s empathy during those first days without Jamar. He spoke to his family members separately. He wanted to know about Jamar as a person.
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“When he came in, he didn’t come in like he was interrogating us,” said Taylor’s niece, Ebony Taylor, now 28. “He felt what we was going through.”
But the family later found out that Cato and his partner were aggressively working the case, though quietly and without sharing details. The family learned others in the neighborhood were being contacted for questioning. One person even described Cato as “vicious,” because of his persistence, Taylor’s family said.
Police collected enough evidence to obtain an arrest warrant for Hill, and he was arrested in September 2010 during a traffic stop. Now 36, Hill is serving an 80-year prison sentence in the Stateville Correctional Center, according to the Illinois Department of Corrections.
Taylor’s family sat on a porch outside their apartment on the day Cato and his partner drove there to tell them about Hill’s arrest. They remembered Cato’s “little smile” when he delivered the good news.
“He was dedicated to what he was doing,” Jamar Taylor’s niece, Arica Taylor, 37, said of Cato. “He told us that he was going to solve this murder and he did just that.”
Aurora Chief of Police Kristin Ziman talks at a press conference at the Aurora police station about the police involved shooting in which one person was killed and two officers injured near Galena Blvd. and Lasalle St. in Aurora, March 23, 2018. (Antonio Perez / Chicago Tribune)
Kristen Ziman
Kristen Ziman was dubbed “America’s police chief” by some for how she handled the aftermath of the deadly Aurora warehouse shooting in February 2019.
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Stepping onto the podium that day to address a throng of media, Ziman showed command and poise as she answered questions about the shooting that killed five warehouse employees, and injured another employee and five of Ziman’s Aurora police officers.
Even as reports of injured officers trickled in to the command post during the shooting, Ziman exhibited calm and leadership, former Aurora Police Chief Bill Powell said.
“I saw determination and a concerted effort to understand the radio traffic, to respond to what was happening and keep track of hundreds of responders," Powell said.
Since then, Ziman’s star has risen as she’s spoken to police groups and Fortune 500 companies about her department’s response to the warehouse shooting, and she was named the vice president of the International Association of Chiefs of Police. She was recently back in the news when it was disclosed she had tested positive for COVID-19.
Just as Lori Lightfoot broke barriers when she was elected Chicago’s first female black mayor and the city’s first openly gay mayor, Ziman, who also is openly gay, could do the same if she becomes Chicago’s first female police superintendent.
Ziman often compares herself to “Officer Hopps,” a bunny who fights to become a police officer in the Disney movie “Zootopia” and is underestimated because of her tiny stature. Ziman has been described as progressive, innovative, a backer of education and a supporter of increased technology. In 2018, she helped create a critical incident intel center that uses data and social media to help officers solve crimes.
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Ziman, 46, was raised in Aurora and started as a cadet in the Aurora Police Department at 17 in 1991. She followed in the footsteps of her father Hans Kjendal-Olsen, who worked as an officer for 17 years in the same department.
When Ziman joined the force, there were no females in the command ranks or anyone to emulate, she said. In her mid-30s, Ziman worked her way up to become the department’s first female commander, and she was named Aurora’s first female police chief since 2016.
“She is a good leader of people, and she grew up in Aurora so she had a good understanding of the area,” Former Aurora Police Chief Greg Thomas said.
Aurora, the state’s second-largest city, has never been completely free of the sorts of problems Chicago faces, including gang issues and shootings, Powell said. But Chicago is a different animal, he said.
In the mid-1990s, Aurora’s murder figures were three times the national rate of homicides per 100,000 residents, reaching 26 murders in 1996. Today, the number of murders there has decreased, with Aurora seeing four murders in 2018, 12 in 2019 and 2 so far in 2020.
In Chicago, 72 people had been shot and killed by early March.
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Leaving Aurora to run one of the largest police departments in the country would be a massive step for Ziman.
Chicago has a population of 2.7 million, while Aurora’s is 200,000. One police district in Chicago is roughly the same size as Aurora’s entire police department, which has about 300 sworn officers.
Thomas said Ziman could handle it.
“She has been well prepared both by herself and through the experiences and training she has had to move into the (chief’s) position,” Thomas said.
Powell warned there is a segment of people who might look down on Ziman because she is a woman and because she did not advance through the Chicago police ranks herself.
“There is a certain segment who would look down on that and because she is an outsider,” Powell said. “But those are things she would overcome with time. Once she gets comfortable with command staff, those things will fade.”
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Eight Chicago police officers died by suicides within the last two years, and Lightfoot has made mental health a priority for the department. It’s a concentration of Ziman’s as well.
Ziman’s father, after retiring from the department, battled alcoholism and died by suicide in November 2015, one day after Ziman interviewed to be Aurora’s police chief.
In 2018, one of Ziman’s Aurora officers contemplated suicide, and the department worked to allow the officer to keep his job even though the state revoked his FOID card after he checked in to a mental health facility.
The department lobbied for legislation, and Gov. Bruce Rauner later signed a bill that prevents police agencies from requiring a FOID card as a condition of continued employment.
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After the warehouse shooting, the focus on mental health services within the Aurora police force only increased.
“She is open about herself and she talks about how the shooting affected her personally,” Thomas said. “She makes sure her officers are taken care of both physically and mentally and tries to heal the city. Those are all big things.”
Ziman has called the tough exterior police officers sometimes display a “mirrored sunglasses attitude,” and she recently paired the department with a website that connects officers in need with a peer or mental health professional.
“This has been a long time coming, but the culture of asking for help has changed in our department,” Ziman said in an interview with the Aurora Beacon-News.
In October, Ziman was sworn in as the vice president of the International Association of Chiefs of Police Board of Directors, and in February attended Donald Trump’s State of the Union address as a guest. Lightfoot also attended.
Ziman co-chairs a national committee for recruitment, retention and training law enforcement in the U.S. and recently joined the Police Executive Research Forum’s Board of Directors.
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She earned a bachelor’s degree from Aurora University and a master’s degree from Boston University, later graduating from the FBI National Academy. She is working toward a second master’s degree in homeland defense and security.
Ziman has said transparency and communication is important to her. She writes a blog and is a proclaimed extrovert.
Ziman, though, has been criticized for a lack of transparency at times. She took to social media in 2017 to lament open records requests from a reporter at the Aurora Beacon-News. Several news outlets and journalism organizations chastised her stance at the time.
Ziman has said previously that she would give herself a minimum of four years as chief in Aurora before she would start “thinking of what is next.” January 2020 marked Ziman’s fourth year as Aurora’s chief.
While Powell said he would be sad to see Ziman leave, he knows even if she doesn’t get the Chicago job, she may be gone in a year or two anyway.
“That is just how well known she is throughout this country now,” Powell said.
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jgorner@chicagotribune.com
mejones@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-03-31--5 things we learned from Blackhawks captain Jonathan Toews’ video interview, including his feelings

5 things we learned from Blackhawks captain Jonathan Toews’ video interview, including his feelings about ‘Tiger King’ and Patrick Kane as a roommate

“ Regardless of what ’ s going on in the organization , your job as a captain and a player @ @ @ @ @ the focus on getting the most out of ourselves , getting the most out of @ @ @ @ @ said .
“ We went through quite a few serious injuries to key players , @ @ @ @ @ the playoffs ... ( and ) brought that character and leadership in the room , @ @ @ @ @ .

Since the NHL started hosting video news conferences with various players, some commonalities have emerged.
Players miss the games and fans, they face various challenges while trying to keep in playing shape and some have gone stir crazy — along with their families — while they wait out the league’s lockdown during the coronavirus pandemic.
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It was pretty much the same for Blackhawks center Jonathan Toews, Blues defenseman Alex Pietrangelo and Predators defenseman Roman Josi, who spoke to reporters Tuesday via teleconference. Each shared what they’ve been doing during the break and their hopes for the league and their teams.
Here are five things we learned about Toews from the interview.
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1. Jonathan Toews believes the Blackhawks are on the cusp of contending.
Earlier this month, Hawks Chairman Rocky Wirtz said on NBC Sports Chicago’s “Blackhawks Talk” podcast that he plans to keep management intact.
“You’re looking at salaries, you’re looking at free agents, you’re looking at signing college players, free agents in Europe,” Wirtz said. “The nice thing is, (President) John McDonough and his crew and (general manager) Stan Bowman, in my humble opinion, we have a good organization. They will figure it out.”
Asked about management’s direction, Toews pivoted.
“Regardless of what’s going on in the organization, your job as a captain and a player ... it’s just the focus on getting the most out of ourselves, getting the most out of our group,” Toews said. “We went through quite a few serious injuries to key players, guys that have experience in the playoffs ... (and) brought that character and leadership in the room, so that definitely hurt us.
“But on the other hand, we’ve got some young players who are learning and getting better really quickly. And we showed some signs this year, even if we’re not sitting in a playoff spot right now, we’re right on the edge.”
2. If the Blackhawks and Blues weren’t such bitter rivals, ‘Tazer and Petro’ might be a thing.
It was only a brief glimpse of how NHL peers interact off the ice, but Jonathan Toews and Alex Pietrangelo appeared to have bromance-level chemistry.
From the start, Toews poked fun at Pietrangelo being stuck at home with a big family.
“I’m just here in Chicago with my girlfriend, a little Yorkie and that’s about it,” Toews said. “So it’s pretty quiet compared to Petro’s house, it sounds like.”
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Pietrangelo admitted: “It’s a little loud over here — three kids, two dogs, (a) wife. … I tell you what, the kids can do some damage in the house in a two-week span when you keep them inside too long.”
When Pietrangelo added that he has spent chunks of his time cleaning or watching cartoons with the kids, Toews joked, “I’m really starting to feel bad for Petro over here.”
Pietrangelo chuckled when Toews mentioned games in which the Hawks led the Blues in St. Louis, “but we blow it.”
They also shared a mutual respect.
“Jonny’s just a pain in the ass to play — pardon my language,” Pietrangelo said.
Toews recalled being teammates with Pietrangelo for Team Canada during the 2016 World Cup of Hockey in Toronto, “and I was standing in front of the net one time, he’s letting one rip and I thought it was aimed right at my chin, but somehow (he) whistled it right by my shoulder, top shelf. So it was kind of (interesting) to be on that side for once.”
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“We’ve had some great playoff series against each other where there’s been some hatred,” Toews said, “but that’s what the game’s all about.”
Roman Josi wasn’t left out of the ribbing either. When the Predators star talked up Netflix’s bizarre “Tiger King” docuseries, Toews shook his head in hilarious disapproval.
For what it’s worth, with the time off, Toews said he has gotten into Season 3 of “Ozark.”
3. If Jonathan Toews and Alex Pietrangelo are frenemies, Toews and Patrick Kane are, well, frenemies.
NHL moderator John Dellapina asked each player about his best and worst choices for a quarantine roommate.
Toews picked “easy-going” goaltender Corey Crawford as his best.
And his worst? Well, Toews and Kane were roommates on road trips for five years, and apparently that was more than enough.
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“Least (favorite)?” Toews said. “Since I roomed with him for so long, I’d have to say Kaner. There are some ups and downs through that relationship there.”
Dellapina chimed in, “You stopped talking, so I guess you don’t want to be more specific.”
Toews laughed. “Definitely would not.”
4. Jonathan Toews hopes to see young fan Declan Dassie if play resumes.
Because of the shutdown, Junior IceHogs skater Declan Dassie missed out on plans to celebrate his seventh birthday at a Hawks game this month. But Toews gave him a special shout-out during an appearance on NBC’s “Today.”
There are so many health care professionals we love, and we have some #WithYouTODAY messages to share, including one from Sharon. She sent us a shoutout for her sister, who’s a nurse in Illinois. pic.twitter.com/aUeCaojoPK — TODAY (@TODAYshow) March 26, 2020
“I guess at some point we’ll see our little buddy Declan there,” Toews said during Tuesday’s teleconference. “The sign that he held up on one of our postgame shows I think said something like, ‘I’ll never give up.’ It’s great to see we have some little fans out there sticking with us through thick and thin.
“So I sent him a little message since they were going to highlight that whole thing on the ‘Today’ show.”
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“Today” host Hoda Kotb stumbled on Toews’ name, pronouncing it “TAY-vitz.”
“I thought I heard all the different pronunciations of my name, but … that was a new one,” Toews said. “It was pretty funny.”
In addition to his video message, Toews donated $100,000 to the Chicago Community COVID-19 Response Fund, and Dassie thanked him for both gestures.
“Thank you for donating the money for the virus, and I’ll see you at the United Center soon,” Dassie said.
Declan wanted to say a thank you to his buddy @JonathanToews while he was out shooting some pucks. Coincidentally, he just received the World’s jersey for his birthday on Sunday. A big thank you to all that made his birthday a little more special during this time. @NHLBlackhawks pic.twitter.com/iIW4ZVGZCX — Stefanie (@MommyStef2) March 28, 2020
5. Jonathan Toews has a message for fans: ‘Come together.’
All three players expressed eagerness to learn when play might resume.
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“The season turned on a dime,” Toews said.
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He admitted he didn’t have much motivation to exercise for the first four or five days after the shutdown, but he has since started riding his bike to stay in shape.
“I’m thinking, hey, at some point this has to wrap up. We’ve got go back to our normal lives,” Toews said. “Just not sure when that is. Hopefully it’s sooner rather than later.”
Still, Toews preached patience, as much to himself as to fellow players and fans.
“No matter what your background, what your political views are, I think we’re all kind of coming together on this, and that’s the biggest thing,” he said.
Toews compared the situation to the solidarity a winning team displays, saying it will take that kind of fortitude from the community to “wait this thing out.”
“We’ve got to do what we’ve got to do, and we’ll get through it,” he said.


chicagotribune--2020-03-31--Local caterer donating meals twice a week to Elmhurst Hospital staff

“ Market Table is so appreciative to the health care providers that are in the front line fighting this horrible @ @ @ @ @ health , ” Market Table said in comments on its website .
“ We hope @ @ @ @ @ them during these difficult times will make a difference .
”

Market Table staff have pushed aside restaurant tables to make room for meal assembly. (Graydon Megan / Pioneer Press)
Market Table Catering & Events of Elmhurst is helping the fight against coronavirus by donating meals to Elmhurst Hospital to feed caregivers and other staff as they work to care for those affected by the pandemic.
Market Table, 130 N. York St., has pledged to provide 1,700 individually prepared meals twice a week for the foreseeable future. The business, which describes itself as an event venue and catering business, began deliveries last week. Providing sandwiches, chips, fruit and cookies that hospital food service staff are arranging on platters for delivery to staff working in units all over the hospital.
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The donations benefit anybody and everybody working in the hospital, according to Keith Hartenberger, system director, public relations for Elmhurst Hospital parent Edward-Elmhurst Health.
Hartenberger said the donation covers anyone in need of a quick nutritious meal, from the emergency room to radiology to surgery.
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“This is extra and much appreciated,” Hartenberger said.
Market Table chefs prepare sandwich ingredients. (Graydon Megan / Pioneer Press)
“Market Table is so appreciative to the health care providers that are in the front line fighting this horrible disease and risking their own health,” Market Table said in comments on its website. “We hope that providing some nourishment to them during these difficult times will make a difference.”
The business also encouraged other restaurants and caterers to consider supporting the hospital and other healthcare institutions. Delivery First of Elmhurst has joined the effort, donating delivery services to get the meals to the hospital.
Delivery First of Elmhurst is donating delivery services. (Graydon Megan / Pioneer Press)
Market Table offers a broad selection of food for pick-up or delivery. More information is available on its website, https://www.mtcateringandevents.com.


chicagotribune--2020-03-31--Column: From passing beers down the row to throwing back home-run balls, these new rules may be nece

Column: From passing beers down the row to throwing back home-run balls, these new rules may be necessary when fans return to ballparks

Yes , it ’ s a fan-friendly thing to pass concessions from the vendor in the aisle to the fan @ @ @ @ @ row .
Of course there ’ s always one wise guy during the procedure who @ @ @ @ @ keep the beers before laughing at his joke and passing them down .
And the @ @ @ @ @ has to pass down the money .
Since this involves too many people touching things @ @ @ @ @ better off going to the concession stands .

For decades we’ve heard the familiar chant emanating from the Wrigley Field bleachers whenever a fan catches a home-run ball hit by the visiting team.
“Throw it back. Throw it back.”
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It’s an unwritten rule that most bleacherites at Wrigley adhere to and that fans at a few other parks have adopted over the years. Those who refuse to throw the balls back are typically harassed until peer pressure forces them to conform.
Sadly, those days are probably over thanks to the coronavirus pandemic.
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Because we won’t know whether your hands are clean, and no one wants you potentially spreading your germs to the player or employee who has to retrieve the ball once it has been thrown back onto the field, a new unwritten rule must be adopted.
“Keep it. Keep it.”
Cubs fans in the Wrigley Field bleachers have been throwing opponents' home-run balls back onto the field for decades. (John J. Kim / Chicago Tribune)
Major League Baseball announced an agreement with its players union last week concerning service time, draft rules and other issues pertaining to players. But we still don’t know when the game will return. Assuming fans eventually will be allowed into ballparks this year, some changes will have to be instituted to ensure the health and safety of players and fans alike.
Here are seven other rules we’d like to see enacted to help us feel safer at the ballpark.
1. Stop passing beers and hot dogs down the line.
Yes, it’s a fan-friendly thing to pass concessions from the vendor in the aisle to the fan in the middle of the row. Of course there’s always one wise guy during the procedure who pretends as though he will keep the beers before laughing at his joke and passing them down. And the fan who ordered them then has to pass down the money. Since this involves too many people touching things, we’re all better off going to the concession stands.
2. Turn off the old Comiskey Park shower at Guaranteed Rate Field.
Eli Wright of Chatham, Ontario, gets some relief in the outfield concourse shower before a 2012 White Sox-Blue Jays game at U.S. Cellular Field. (Chris Sweda / Chicago Tribune)
Many fans used the center-field shower at old Comiskey back in the day to cool off under a hot sun. It was another of Bill Veeck’s great ideas, and the Sox later brought it over to new Comiskey and installed it in the left-field bleachers. As much as we love the idea of a shower at a ballpark in the summer, it’s not feasible to disinfect it after every fan uses it.
3. Close the Chase Park swimming pool.
In early March, the Miami Marlins announced the closing of the Clevelander Club beyond left field at Marlins Park, which featured a swimming pool, dancers and DJs. It had nothing to do with the pandemic but was simply part of a ballpark makeover. The only other major-league park with a pool is Chase Field in Phoenix, which opened in 1998. As popular an attraction as a swimming pool is, Diamondbacks fans will have to watch the game without going for a dip.
4. Alter pregame dugout routines.
Over the last few years, players from almost every team have adopted personal pregame routines in the dugout with a separate set of hand or body gestures for different teammates. This is a lot of fun to watch and definitely should continue — just without the touching and high-fiving.
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5. Man the exits of washrooms with health inspectors.
This shouldn’t be necessary, but we all know it is. Someone has to stand at the exit and say, “Go back and wash your hands, sir, or you’re not leaving.”
6. Enforce social distancing in the Miller Park Sausage Race.
The Racing Sausages come out during a 2015 game at Miller Park in Milwaukee. (Mike McGinnis / Getty Images)
As a former Sausage Race participant during a Cubs-Brewers game in 2003, I’m all for keeping this great Milwaukee tradition alive. But times change, and we need to keep the Racing Sausages at least 6 feet apart at the starting gate, even if it means having one of them start inside the foul line. Better to have safe sausage racing than no sausage racing at all. Remember, all sausages are in this together.
7. Ban the spitball.
Oh, wait. Spitballs already are banned. No further action is necessary. Never mind.


chicagotribune--2020-03-26--12 shot in Chicago, the city’s most violent day since stay-at-home order issued

In one of the shootings on the West Side on Wednesday , a 24-year-old woman was shot in the head @ @ @ @ @ in the back of a car in the 3100 block of West 25th Street in @ @ @ @ @ police .
She was shot by someone in a white SUV that sped off and @ @ @ @ @ Hospital in critical condition .

As Chicago’s mayor and top cop upbraided people for flouting a stay-at-home order, the city experienced its most violent day since the directive went into effect four days ago, with 12 people shot.
Half of those wounded by gunfire were in the Ogden and Harrison districts on the West Side, traditionally the most violent areas of the city that had been relatively quiet since the stay-at-home order went into effect Saturday evening because of the widening coronavirus outbreak.
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Three people were hit in a drive-by shooting in the Englewood District on the South Side. The other shootings were reported in the Grand-Central District on the Northwest Side and the Gresham and Wentworth districts on the South Side.
No more than four people were shot during previous days since the order was imposed. There has not been a fatal shooting in Chicago since shortly after midnight Sunday.
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The burst of violence came as people ventured outside to enjoy the spring weather, crowding streets and packing parks and trails despite the stay-at-home order issued to control the spread of the coronavirus. Mayor Lori Lightfoot and interim police Superintendent Charlie Beck called a news conference and warned residents that those who don’t listen could be ticketed $500 for a first offense while repeat offenders could be arrested.
In one of the shootings on the West Side on Wednesday, a 24-year-old woman was shot in the head around 11:50 p.m. while sitting in the back of a car in the 3100 block of West 25th Street in Little Village, according to police. She was shot by someone in a white SUV that sped off and was taken to Mount Sinai Hospital in critical condition.
No one was in custody.
Officers watched closely as two women, consoling each other, sat on the sidewalk on the north end of West 25th Street. One woman, in a black jacket, was just barely inside the yellow tape marking the crime scene, which police usually do not allow. Distraught, she sat near a gangway across the street from a black SUV that was part of the investigation.
Soon, the women stood up and hugged. They waited around until a man drove up, his car skidding to a halt in front of a parked car on 25th Street.
“They shot at us!” one of the women shouted as they ran up to the man.
“Where?” the man asked.
“On Albany,” she said.
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The three drove away and the scene became quiet except for the hum of a squad car’s engine.
Earlier Wednesday night, a 17-year-old boy was shot in the Washington Park neighborhood on the South Side. Around 10:20 p.m., he was walking on the sidewalk in the 5700 block of South Michigan Avenue when he was shot in the abdomen and leg, police said. Friends drove him to Comer Children’s Hospital, where he was stabilized in serious condition.
A 31-year-old man was shot in the Humboldt Park neighborhood on the Northwest Side. He was on the sidewalk around 6:40 p.m. when he heard gunfire and was hit in the bicep, police said. He was taken to Mount Sinai Hospital in fair condition.
That same hour, three people were shot in a drive-by attack in the Englewood neighborhood on the South Side. Around 6:10 p.m., a dark SUV sped past three people and someone inside fired at them in the 7400 block of South Stewart Avenue, police said. A 42-year-old man, a 43-year-old woman and a 32-year-old man were taken to University of Chicago Medical Center. The two men were in serious condition, while the woman’s condition was fair, police said.
A 15-year-old boy was wounded in the Little Village neighborhood on the Southwest Side. He was on the sidewalk in the 2800 block of South Komensky Avenue around 4:40 p.m. when he was shot in the leg, police said. The boy was taken to Stroger Hospital in good condition. A witness told officers the boy returned fire, but no weapon was recovered, police said. No one else was injured.
In the afternoon, a 25-year-old man was shot by a gunman in the Austin neighborhood on the West Side. Two people walked up to him around 3:40 p.m. as he was on a sidewalk in the 1700 block of North Long Avenue, police said. One of them took out a handgun and fired, hitting the man in the left arm, police said. He was taken to Mount Sinai Hospital in good condition.
Three more people were shot in the morning between 7:30 a.m. and 11 a.m., and another person, a 29-year-old man was shot shortly after midnight. Police said someone in a gray sedan opened fire at him, striking him in the left leg, about 12:10 a.m. in the 4700 block of West Harrison Street.
ayin@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-02-28--United extends China flight cancellations, reduces service to other Asian destinations as coronaviru

United extends China flight cancellations, reduces service to other Asian destinations as coronavirus spreads

The additional reduction in service will cancel the O ’ Hare to Tokyo Narita route from March 8 to 27 @ @ @ @ @ resume flights between Chicago and Tokyo on March 28 , when it will switch to @ @ @ @ @ is closer to the city .
The change is unrelated to the virus and is @ @ @ @ @ to the city more convenient , Scott said .

Passengers wearing masks arrive at Narita International Airport on Jan. 24, 2020, outside Toyko, Japan. United announced Friday it is reducing service to Narita and other Asian destinations because of coronavirus concerns. (Tomohiro Ohsumi/Getty Images)
United Airlines announced Friday it won’t restart flights between the U.S. and China until May and is paring back its schedule to other parts of Asia as the coronavirus epidemic continues to spread.
The Chicago-based airline said it is reducing service to Tokyo, Osaka, Singapore and Seoul, offering fewer flights and smaller planes, beginning next month.
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“It is a fast-moving situation,” United spokeswoman Leslie Scott said. “We are in daily contact with the CDC and other global health organizations as we continue to evaluate our schedule."
While United halted flights to China in early February, this is the first time it has reduced capacity to other Asian destinations as a result of the growing epidemic, Scott said.
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The airline has seen a 75% drop in demand for its Asian routes, outside of China, in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak, according a filing Monday with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
Before the suspension of service, United had about 12 flights each day between the U.S. and China, including flights connecting Chicago to Beijing and Shanghai at O’Hare International Airport.
The additional reduction in service will cancel the O’Hare to Tokyo Narita route from March 8 to 27. United is scheduled to resume flights between Chicago and Tokyo on March 28, when it will switch to Tokyo Haneda Airport, which is closer to the city. The change is unrelated to the virus and is intended to make business travel to the city more convenient, Scott said.
American Airlines does not have direct service between Chicago and China, but earlier this month extended its suspension of all flights to China out of its Dallas and Los Angeles hubs through April 24. This week, Fort Worth, Texas-based American also added flight waivers to Italy and South Korea because of the coronavirus outbreak, allowing passengers to make travel changes without fees.
Atlanta-based Delta Air Lines previously suspended all flights to China through April 30, and this week reduced service to South Korea. Delta has issued travel waivers for China, South Korea and all flights to and from Italy, including Bologna, Milan, Rome, Venice and Turin in response to increased coronavirus cases there.
United also issued flight waivers for China and Hong Kong, and this week added South Korea and northern Italy to the list of no-fee travel changes.
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The virus, now dubbed COVID-19, has disrupted travel since reports of the new respiratory illness first surfaced in Wuhan, China, in late December. China remains the epicenter of the disease, with nearly 79,000 confirmed cases and more than 2,700 deaths as of Thursday, according to the World Health Organization.
But the virus has since spread to about 50 countries, with confirmed cases on the rise in South Korea, Italy and Iran, among other countries, according to health organizations.
There have been 61 confirmed cases in the U.S., according to the CDC, including two in the Chicago area. A woman who returned from a visit to Wuhan, China, in January gave the virus to her husband in the first known case of person-to-person coronavirus transmission in the U.S., according to the CDC. The couple has since been released from a hospital in northwest suburban Hoffman Estates.
rchannick@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-04-01--1 wounded in Englewood neighborhood Wednesday afternoon

The man suffered a wound to the abdomen area , and was taken to the University of Chicago Medical Center @ @ @ @ @ fair condition , police said .

A 31-year-old man was shot Wednesday afternoon while he was walking in the Englewood neighborhood, Chicago police said.
About 4:45 p.m., the victim was walking in the 6800 block of South Loomis Boulevard when someone approached, pulled out a gun and shot him.
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The man suffered a wound to the abdomen area, and was taken to the University of Chicago Medical Center where he was listed in fair condition, police said.
No one was in custody, and police were investigating.


chicagotribune--2020-04-01--Amid the coronavirus pandemic, stresses of having a baby in NICU increase for parents

“ If they need any procedures or special treatment done , as their parent you want to be there for @ @ @ @ @ best of days in the NICU , you want to be there to hold them @ @ @ @ @ know you are there for them , you ’ ll protect them , and to @ @ @ @ @ , ” Strock said .

Niama Nash sits outside of Advocate Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn on March 25. Her son Braylon is currently in the NICU. (Gary Middendorf / Pioneer Press)
Niama Nash’s daily routine revolves around hospital visits.
For Nash, the mother of a baby who was born prematurely and is currently in a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, the coronavirus pandemic is always on her mind.
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“I’m scared. Absolutely,” Nash said. “I have a lot of anxiety. I try to keep it together and calm because I can still see my son."
When Nash enters Advocate Children’s Hospital in Oak Lawn, her temperature is taken and displayed on a sticker she wears for the length of her visit.
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She slips her cellphone and credit cards into a machine to be sterilized.
And before she enters the NICU to visit her son, Braylon, she takes off her outer layer of clothes, stashes them in a storage bag and pulls on a clean gown. She washes her hands and applies more sanitizer.
Braylon was born 10 weeks early, on March 12.
“I see people outside without gloves, without masks, being comfortable, and that’s just something I’m not going to do,” Nash said. “I’m not taking any risks.”
Nash is just one of the many parents of babies born prematurely or with a health condition that requires a stay in the NICU. As the number of COVID-19 cases in the Chicago area increases, hospitals have been forced to make tough decisions about how to keep their tiniest patients safe as they grow and develop enough to journey home.
Many hospitals, like NorthShore University HealthSystem’s Evanston Hospital, are restricting visitors to only parents, and in some cases just one parent at a time, said spokeswoman Colette Urban.
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Those visiting their Infant Special Care Unit have their temperatures taken and are screened for symptoms of COVID-19 before they enter, Urban said.
But it’s not as easy as restricting access to some of the hospital’s most vulnerable, said Rahul Gupta, chief medical and health officer and senior vice president at the March of Dimes.
The national organization advocates for the health of moms and babies, with programs that focus on those born early or with birth defects.
One in 10 babies are born prematurely, Gupta said. Activities like skin-to-skin contact or kangaroo care — where a baby lies on a parent’s bare chest — can help with the baby’s heart rate, breathing, sleeping and temperature regulation, according to the March of Dimes’ website.
Those physical connections can also reduce stress in parents and helps parents and children bond. In addition, parents of NICU babies are at a higher risk of postpartum depression and post-traumatic stress disorder, among other issues, Gupta said.
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“We don’t know what would happen if you were to separate them,” Gupta said. “Will they be exacerbated, these stresses and other challenges?”
‘You want to be there for them’
Parents of preemies and other hospitalized newborns are now living in a new reality, though, one in which their visits and those of other family members and friends are restricted or barred entirely. Many say the already-stressful experience of having an infant in the NICU has been worsened.
“The visits are important because that is your baby that you planned and envisioned bringing home, and to have to leave them at the hospital when you go home is very hard,” said Samantha Strock, 30, of Chicago.
Her son, Sonny, was born three weeks early, on March 11. She brought him home March 19 from the NICU at Amita Health Adventist Medical Center in Hinsdale.
“If they need any procedures or special treatment done, as their parent you want to be there for them. Even on the best of days in the NICU, you want to be there to hold them because you want them to know you are there for them, you’ll protect them, and to be their advocates when needed,” Strock said.
In downtown Chicago, Aaron Hamvas, division head of neonatology at Lurie Children’s Hospital and Northwestern University, said they’re working to keep parents and NICU babies together as much as possible during the coronavirus threat, while also keeping both safe.
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“It’s a tough problem. Part of the issue is we really don’t have a clear understanding of what the effects of the virus on premature babies will be,” Hamvas said. “There hasn’t been anything I’m aware of that’s been published with respect to premature babies already born who get infected.”
As a result, “we don’t have anything to really rely on,” Hamvas said.
The threat to preemies’ developing respiratory systems is a “theoretical concern,” Hamvas said. Three babies in China born to moms with COVID-19, and who tested positive for the disease themselves, did not require significant escalation in their care and recovered in a few days.
“That being said, we are very cautious and will need to see how things evolve over the next several weeks,” Hamvas added in an email.
He predicted hospitals in New York, which is experiencing large numbers of COVID-19 cases, will provide more guidance.
Currently, two parents or guardians are allowed to visit NICU babies at the same time at Lurie, Hamvas said. At Northwestern, only one parent at a time is allowed to visit.
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That’s a change from the hospitals’ previous policies, which allowed up to four adult visitors at a time in the NICU, officials there said.
‘You feel not complete’
Shaina Helm, 31, of Elmwood Park has seen the rules change at Edward Hospital in Naperville since her son, Benjamin, was born Feb. 27 at 26 weeks’ gestation.
Shaina Helm and her son, Benjamin, who was born premature at Edward Hospital in Naperville. (Shaina Helm)
At first she could bring guests into the NICU to meet her son. Now though, only his two parents are allowed. She fears the hospital could ban parents completely if the pandemic gets worse.
It’s already tough leaving Benjamin to go home at night, she said.
“That’s been the hardest feeling. You feel not complete,” Helm said.
Helm hopes to bring her son home next month, but worries the pandemic may just be hitting its peak at that time.
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“To me, the scariest thing is waking up one morning and being told indefinitely you’re not going to be able to see your child,” she said.
Back in Oak Lawn, Nash said if the coronavirus precautions remain in place when it’s time for Braylon to come home — at the end of April or beginning of May — she and her fiancé will ban visitors until the pandemic passes.
“If that’s the case, then no, we won’t have any visitors,” Nash said. “I really will restrict individuals who would like to see the baby until this dies down.”
And when that day arrives when they can finally take their baby home, Nash already has a plan.
“I will have more fear and anxiety," she said, "but we’ll Lysol the car and everything else we need to do and do a straight drive home.”


chicagotribune--2020-04-01--La Grange neighbors use street to exercise in good social distance form

But with the virtual shutdown of the state , Trayser has had to move her adult classes to a Zoom @ @ @ @ @ children ’ s classes are cancelled for the time being , so Trayser organized the @ @ @ @ @ mind .

Despite the COVID-19 virus quarantine, residents of the 700 block of North Spring Avenue in La Grange Park have found a way to get in shape, enjoy their neighbors, and practice social distancing at the same time.
They meet every day in mid-afternoon to practice group exercise, but only in front of their own homes.
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“We’re doing a block gym class,” Karen Trayser, block resident and fitness instructor, said before leading the half-hour fitness regimen.
Monday, the group included about 15 Spring Avenue residents of varying ages, all of them families working out together.
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The workout to music started this day at 2:30 p.m. and ran about one-half hour.
It included traditional calisthenics done non-stop to obtain a good cardio workout, body weight bearing exercises and some dancing and games thrown in.
Karen Trayser leads the workouts on the 700 block of Spring Avenue. (Hank Beckman / Pioneer Press)
“We geared it toward kids and fun,” Trayser said.
Like the rest of the State of Illinois — and much of the country — La Grange Park residents are essentially in a lockdown as a result of the virus.
Many are off work, children are out of school indefinitely and many, if not most, area businesses are closed.
But there is still a need for movement, fresh air and exercise to keep people from stagnating and that’s what motivated Trayser to organize the group.
“I have four kids of my own,” she said, “and they’re starting with E-learning. We just wanted a way to keep them learning and to keep these kids active.”
The program is accessible, with the participants only having to go as far as the curbs in front of their house.
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Kids practicing their push ups. (Hank Beckman / Pioneer Press)
Trayser worked in elementary education before having children and now runs her own fitness business, CF Lite Athletics, whose web site describes the 45 classes as “bootcamps” striving to “burn fat, build muscle and increase endurance.”
But with the virtual shutdown of the state, Trayser has had to move her adult classes to a Zoom application online. And any children’s classes are cancelled for the time being, so Trayser organized the block workouts with them in mind.
“They get outside every day, and this definitely keeps the kids positive,” she said. “This workout respects the distances needed and the requirements we have to shelter in place.”
Residents stepping to the beat. (Hank Beckman / Pioneer Press)
Janelle Watanabe brought her three children to the workout.
“There are a lot of children on our block,” she said. “Typically we go about a half-hour, depending on the energy level.”
Watanabe said after the workout that the day had went well.
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“They were pretty energetic out there,” she said. “Karen does a good job.”


chicagotribune--2020-04-01--Cancellation of Cubs-Cardinals series in London in June is no shock but still disappointing for fans

Cancellation of Cubs-Cardinals series in London in June is no shock but still disappointing for fans who planned to make the trip. ‘It seemed perfect. Too perfect.’

“ Given the extraordinary circumstances , our refund process is taking slightly longer than usual , ” the email from @ @ @ @ @ don ’ t need to do anything ; please rest assured we are working through @ @ @ @ @ and will issue a refund for your tickets to the method of payment used to @ @ @ @ @

Ryan Gunterman said he probably would travel to England to watch the Cubs play next summer if his schedule permits.
“But chances are they wouldn’t play on my birthday, and I won’t be turning 40,” Gunterman said Wednesday, hours after Major League Baseball canceled the June 13-14 London Series between the Cubs and Cardinals because of the coronavirus pandemic.
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Gunterman, executive director of the Indiana High School Press Association at Franklin College, was one of many fans resigned to the cancellation of what would have been the Cubs’ first series in Europe.
And like many travelers, Gunterman had scheduled the London Series as part of a lengthy overseas trip.
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“I always wanted to go to Europe,” said Gunterman, who said his only trip outside of North America was to Grand Cayman for a wedding.
He and his wife planned to leave the United States on June 9, attend the Cubs-Cardinals game at London Stadium on June 13 — his 40th birthday — then visit other countries through June 21.
“It seemed perfect,” Gunterman said. “Too perfect.”
Colleen Schaffer, a Cubs fan from Illinois who lives in Arizona, also planned to attend the London Series for her birthday after a six-day trip to Ireland.
Wednesday’s announcement was more of a cold reality than a shock. The Sun, a British newspaper, reported last week that organizers had postponed the event.
Two weeks ago, MLB canceled series between the Diamondbacks and Padres scheduled for April 18-19 in Mexico City and between the Mets and Marlins on April 28-30 in San Juan, Puerto Rico.
Fortunately for Gunterman, he bought refundable plane tickets. And as soon as MLB announced the cancellation, many ticket holders received email assuring them of a full refund for tickets and service charges.
“Given the extraordinary circumstances, our refund process is taking slightly longer than usual,” the email from Ticketmaster read. “You don’t need to do anything; please rest assured we are working through these as quickly as possible and will issue a refund for your tickets to the method of payment used to buy your tickets.”
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Schaffer said she was awaiting confirmation from a travel agency on the status of a full refund.
Cubs players and other personnel also looked forward to the trip. As recently as the second week of March, a few days before the suspension of spring training, British reporters visited Arizona to interview manager David Ross and players about their anticipated visit.
“The excitement comes from the newness, the uniqueness of it, the ability to go and show your skill set, the ability to show America’s pastime in a different country,” Ross said last month, adding he planned to take his children for some sightseeing before the series.
Ross said he would seek a balance between the task of winning two games and fun activities such as tours and a team dinner. He said he spoke with a few former teammates who participated in the first London Series last year between the Yankees and Red Sox before 120,000 fans at London Stadium.
“If you do stuff as a family and bring in wives and parents and make everyone feel at home and enjoy the experience, it’s easy to go to work and throw in your hat,” Ross said.
Gunterman said the refunds lessen only some of the disappointment of not getting to celebrate his milestone birthday watching the Cubs in London.
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“Hopefully I’ll be able to see friends from 6 feet apart,” he said. “Or have time for a Zoom celebration.”