chicagotribune--2020-03-04--Without upgrades, the Des Plaines River Trail faces more flooding — some wonder whether the cost is

Without upgrades, the Des Plaines River Trail faces more flooding — some wonder whether the cost is worth it as heavy rains become more common.

Hart , who has worked 29 years at the forest preserve district , 17 years as trails manager , said @ @ @ @ @ been particularly challenging .
When it rains , he said , it is often a @ @ @ @ @ steady rains over the course of a day or so , it has not been @ @ @ @ @ Des Plaines trail to receive 2 inches of rain in 25 minutes .
Other trails @ @ @ @ @ preserve system also have been affected by the uptick in precipitation , Hart said , @ @ @ @ @ experiencing washouts and damage from rain and flooding .

Taylor Crosby grabs onto a concrete corner while navigating a frozen and flooded underpass below West Lawrence Avenue on the Des Plaines River Trail on the Chicago/Schiller Park border on Feb. 22, 2020. (John J. Kim / Chicago Tribune)
Along the Des Plaines River Trail, as trucks trundle past on Grand Avenue and trains rumble across the bridge spanning the slow-moving waters, the ground is soggy and caked in mud. It’s clear the river has lapped across the land here, covering the forested path with a jumbled assortment of twigs and branches.
Soon, with spring approaching, the water likely will return. The river will rise, boosted by seasonal rains, snowmelt, and contributions from the region’s smaller creeks and streams. All of that water has to go somewhere.
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Much of the precipitation that falls upon Chicago’s suburbs will make its way into the Des Plaines River watershed, one of the region’s largest. Runoff from business plazas, subdivisions and apartment complexes washes across the adjacent trail, taking soil and gravel along with it. During the past several springs, the river itself has overtopped its banks, and swamped the path and underpasses that provide safe passage below busy streets.
The trail, an attraction for tens of thousands of joggers, bicyclists and pedestrians each year, according to estimates, has become a barometer of sorts for the severity and frequency of flooding in the Chicago region. And now, the threat of high water and flooding is affecting potential future plans for the trail.
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“The last three years, the rain that we have experienced has been unbelievable and a lot of the time the trail was wet and unusable, I’d say, 60 to 70% of the time,” said Mike Hart, trails manager for the Forest Preserves of Cook County.
The state is receiving heavy amounts of precipitation more frequently, which has ramifications for engineers who design the area’s roads, buildings, bridges and stormwater systems, according to a 2019 Illinois State Water Survey report.
Elizabeth Krupa, of Oak Park, walks her dog, Winter, along the Des Plaines River Trail near West Irving Park Road on the Chicago/Schiller Park border on Feb. 22, 2020. (John J. Kim / Chicago Tribune)
“We’re just trying to keep up with a changing climate,” said Jim Angel, the retired Illinois state climatologist who was co-author of the report. “It’s a different ballgame, a different climate, a different world.”
The forest preserve in Cook County is considering options for trail upgrades and improvements for the section between Touhy Avenue and the trail’s terminus near North Avenue near River Grove, and the prospect of persistent flooding has been one of the reasons engineers and planners have proposed eliminating several of the underpasses, shifting the trail eastward away from the river bank and perhaps, if funding allows, building overpasses to allow trail users to avoid busy surface streets.
On the section of the trail in central Cook County, a recent study shows about one quarter of the trail and five of the underpasses are flooded more than 40% of the year. In Lake County, where the trail winds its way from near the Wisconsin border to the Cook County line, one of the trail’s key underpasses, at Illinois Route 60/Townline Road near Vernon Hills, was flooded about 50% of the time during the past three years.
“Pretty much whenever there’s snowmelt or whenever there’s a big thunderstorm, or when we get a ton of rain, she’s going,” said Michael Harland, a 26-year-old from north suburban Lindenhurst who runs several miles on the Lake County section of the trail multiple times per week, no matter the season. “It floods fairly often, and it does seem to be flooding more.”
Harland, who often runs during the morning after finishing work on the third shift, has frequented the northern portion of the trail for years. There are times when he heads out for his daily run on a sunny day, only to find portions of the trail still underwater from storms that occurred several days ago.
“Then you just have to wait,” said Harland from the parking lot of Independence Grove in Libertyville, where a few other joggers and bicyclists hit the trail despite Tuesday’s sleet. “I find roads boring (for running). And here, you just have all the space, and you can go with the flow and think and look at the river, look at the trees, the birds, watch the squirrels scamper off. You’re with nature.”
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Waterlogged and wet
In Illinois, flooding inundated communities along the Mississippi and Illinois rivers for much of last year, delaying or wiping out the planting of corn and soybeans, swamping small towns and leading to disaster proclamations across many western and southern Illinois counties.
Last year was the second wettest on record in the U.S., according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Only in 1973 did the country receive more precipitation. Last year also was the third wettest on record in Chicago, according to the National Weather Service.
A 2019 report by a team of Midwestern researchers suggests extreme bouts of precipitation and flooding could be the new normal in the Great Lakes region due to climate change. While the United States has seen annual precipitation climb 4% between 1901 and 2015, Great Lakes states have experienced a 10% rise over this same period.
A pedestrian underpass below West Lawrence Avenue on the Des Plaines River Trail is flooded and frozen on the Chicago/Schiller Park border on Feb. 22, 2020. (John J. Kim / Chicago Tribune)
As the warmer, wetter weeks approach, the National Weather Service office in the Quad Cities, in its spring flood outlook, says there is a “high confidence on widespread rises to near or above flood stage on all area rivers” in western and northwestern Illinois. One prediction graph shows that by mid-April, the Mississippi River at Dubuque, Iowa, has a 90% chance of moderate flooding and a 50-75% chance of major flooding. Moisture in soil across the area is high — in the 99th percentile in much of the upper Midwest, including northern Illinois — meaning snowmelt or rainfall will run directly into rivers instead of soaking into the ground.
On the Des Plaines River, the all-time record high crest recorded at the gauge in downtown Des Plaines occurred in April 2013, and the fourth highest happened in July 2017. Upstream at the Gurnee gauge, the record high occurred during that 2017 flooding. The Des Plaines River, which begins in southern Wisconsin, winds its way south through the Chicago suburbs — carving a route through protected forest, prairie and wetlands — before joining the Kankakee River and forming the Illinois River, southwest of Joliet.
“We’re seeing this happen in areas that we’ve never seen before,” Hart said. And it’s happening more and more each year, he said. “We’re getting so much rain, so fast, so often.”
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In Cook County, the proposals and possible plans for relocating sections of trail to the east, farther away from the river itself and onto slightly higher ground, have received mixed responses, Hart said. On one hand, repeat flooding that causes vast sections of the trail to be unusable for most of the year is far from ideal. But the trail’s popularity is its proximity to the water and the serene views of the river, waterfowl and the riverbank it affords.
“I love where the trail is, especially when it’s dry and you can walk down and not get mud up to your ankles,” Hart said.
The mud, though, has become a more frequent presence. And that’s if the trail isn’t completely underwater. On a recent weekday, with the spring rains still weeks away, the underpass at Lawrence Avenue was covered in a sheet of ice. The southern entrance was completely inaccessible, blocked by pool of icy water.
Hart, who has worked 29 years at the forest preserve district, 17 years as trails manager, said the last few years have been particularly challenging. When it rains, he said, it is often a devastating downpour. Instead of steady rains over the course of a day or so, it has not been uncommon for sections of the Des Plaines trail to receive 2 inches of rain in 25 minutes. Other trails throughout the Cook County forest preserve system also have been affected by the uptick in precipitation, Hart said, with trails north and south experiencing washouts and damage from rain and flooding.
Taylor Crosby, left, and Anthony Gage stop before navigating a frozen and flooded underpass below West Lawrence Avenue on the Des Plaines River Trail on the Chicago/Schiller Park border on Feb. 22, 2020. (John J. Kim / Chicago Tribune)
“You also have to consider, if you know more rain is going to come, do you put in the money to the trail if you know it’s going to wash away again?” Hart said.
There have been several times when Hart and trail crews have placed new stones and re-graded the trail, then watched as torrential rains pounded the trail and the surrounding neighborhoods, raising river levels and leading to water runoff that deluges the path.
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“There are times when we do the stoning and the improvements, and then two weeks later, it’s raining again and it’s all underwater again and all that stone just washes away,” Hart said. “At what point do you stop throwing money after it?”
Underpasses underwater
For about three years, the Lake County Forest Preserves has logged daily data from each of the trail’s nine underpasses, seven of which are close to the river. Crews record whether the trail is dry and safe or covered in water, and thus closed to bicyclists, joggers and walkers, throughout the year. (People can check the site before heading out: https://www.lcfpd.org/check-status-of-trails-and-preserves/ or https://www.lcfpd.org/preserves/closures-controlled-burns/.)
Using those records, forest preserve staff were able to quantify how much each of the underpasses were covered with water, according to John Nelson, director of operations and infrastructure for the Lake County Forest Preserves. One heavily flooded underpass is at Grand Avenue/Illinois Route 132 in Gurnee that is closed 40% of the time.
Nelson said that, on average, 20% of the trail’s 31 miles in Lake County is flooded. The worst months typically are April and May, with the driest months usually occurring during the summer.
The trail is, of course, in a vulnerable location, in most cases mere feet from the bank of the river itself. Still, many sections of the trail have been experiencing more frequent and longer closures. And the region’s water woes reach beyond the Des Plaines River valley, leaving many of the other trails in the Cook County system submerged or unusable in ways not seen in years.
In Lake County, the trail was built from the mid-1980s through 2008. And in 2015, the forest preserve district acquired the final piece of property, near Lincolnshire, that allowed the path to run from the Cook County line 31.4 miles north to Russell Road in Wadsworth. It winds through 12 different forest preserves along the way.
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Grace Kordulla, left, and Joanna Nawotka wait for car traffic to pass on West Lawrence Avenue while walking along the Des Plaines River Trail on the Chicago/Schiller Park border on Feb. 22, 2020. The women chose to cross automobile traffic on the road instead of taking a pedestrian underpass because it was flooded and frozen. (John J. Kim / Chicago Tribune)
Nelson said flooding is a reality on the trail, considering its location in a natural floodway. But the forest preserve district is aiming to use the data to better determine which sections flood the most and whether any improvements, such as increasing the size of culverts or perhaps paving sections of trail that frequently wash away, may be options. Those choices, however, may not make economical sense, considering how frequently water covers sections of the trail.
Angel, the author of the heavy precipitation report, notes that when much of the trail was planned, it was a “much drier climate” with less frequent heavy downpours.
While trail flooding may be inconvenient to nature enthusiasts and the fitness-minded, flooding in the forest preserves, a natural greenway with wetlands and riparian forests designed to take on floodwaters, is preferable to flooding in basements or businesses, Nelson said.
“This greenway is a benefit just for being a place where flooding and the water can go,” Nelson said. “The river has to have a place to go, and we know that.”
The trends that have developed over the past few decades, and which have accelerated in recent years, mean the area is not only experiencing increased annual and seasonal precipitation, but also more extreme weather precipitation events. Such storms create “instant runoff,” Angel said, which eventually heads toward low areas and natural floodplains, such as the Des Plaines River.
In Cook County, Hart and his crew work to smooth and repair the trail once it has been underwater for days, but with the spring season coming, he said there’s not much he and the others can do to stop the forces of nature.
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“That river just comes up so high, there’s nothing we can do in-house, we have no capability, the contractors have no capability, to do anything, considering the alignment of the trail and where it sits,” Hart said.
At the portion of the trail that hugs the east bank of the river through downtown Des Plaines, the trail and the rainbow-colored National Weather Service flood stage gauge affixed to the underpass beneath Miner Street is clearly visible and dry — for now. But the slowly rushing water is only a few feet away, and spring is on the way.


chicagotribune--2020-03-04--Nordstrom closing Trunk Club stores, folding the Chicago-born personal shopping service into nearby

Nordstrom closing Trunk Club stores, folding the Chicago-born personal shopping service into nearby department stores

In 2014 , Trunk Club was on pace to double its revenue to $ 100 million in sales when Nordstrom @ @ @ @ @ company , retaining then-CEO Brian Spaly .
Nordstrom was looking to leverage its larger supply @ @ @ @ @ the service even faster .

A woman enters the building at 325 W. Ohio St. in Chicago on March 4, 2020, where a Nordstrom Trunk Club store is located on the seventh floor. All six Trunk Club stores are closing. (Antonio Perez / Chicago Tribune)
Nordstrom is closing all six of its Trunk Club stores, including the one in Chicago, and folding the fashion styling service into its nearby department stores.
The decision, announced during an earnings call Tuesday, comes five years after Nordstrom paid $350 million to buy Trunk Club with ambitions to grow the personal shopping business pioneered by the Chicago-based startup.
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“We are fully integrating our Trunk Club service to enable a superior experience for customers, drive more business and gain efficiencies,” Erik Nordstrom, CEO of the Seattle-based department store chain, said during the call. “Our plans include relocating clubhouse styling to nearby Nordstrom stores to reach more customers while continuing to offer our core Trunk-based services.”
Nordstrom took a $32 million charge during the quarter related to the integration of the Trunk Club stores, which are at 325 W. Ohio St. in Chicago, as well as in Boston, Dallas, Los Angeles, New York and Washington, D.C.
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The Chicago store is set to close May 18, Emily Sterken, a Nordstrom spokeswoman, said in an email Wednesday.
Sterken declined to say how many people worked at the Chicago Trunk Club store, but said eligible employees not placed at a Nordstrom store would receive a separation package.
Founded in 2009, Trunk Club generated plenty of buzz with its high-concept service — packing professionally selected clothing in trunks to send to sartorially challenged men. The following year, Trunk Club opened its first store on West Superior Street in Chicago’s River North neighborhood.
After an initial round of funding in 2011, the fast-growing Trunk Club moved to its current River North location the following year and began expanding its retail footprint into other markets.
The elevator button to Nordstrom's Trunk Club is illuminated March 4, 2020, at 325 W. Ohio St. in Chicago. (Antonio Perez / Chicago Tribune)
In 2014, Trunk Club was on pace to double its revenue to $100 million in sales when Nordstrom took notice and acquired the company, retaining then-CEO Brian Spaly. Nordstrom was looking to leverage its larger supply chains and infrastructure to grow the service even faster.
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An early Nordstrom initiative was to expand the Trunk Club service to female shoppers in 2015.
But in 2016, Nordstrom took a $197 million goodwill impairment charge, writing down Trunk Club’s value by more than half the $350 million it paid to buy it. Spaly left the company in January 2017. That same year, Trunk Club closed its Goose Island distribution center, eliminating 250 jobs.
Trunk Club sales grew 35% in 2018, according to Nordstrom financial reports. While Trunk Club sales were not broken out for 2019, full-price retail sales, a category that includes Trunk Club, declined 3.5% last year, according to Nordstrom’s fourth-quarter earnings report.
Nordstrom’s CEO said during the earnings call the company plans to integrate Trunk Club into the department store’s “styling ecosystem” this fall. It is unclear if the Trunk Club brand will survive the styling services merger.
“In terms of the Trunk Club brand itself, we’re still working through details of what this evolved styling will look like for our customers, and that includes branding,” Nordstrom spokeswoman Sterken said.
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rchannick@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-03-04--Casey Urlacher, brother of Bears great, pleads not guilty in gambling case

To expand the operation , Delgiudice hired people to act as agents and enlist new gamblers .
The agents — @ @ @ @ @ Delgiudice to collect cash and pay out winnings , and were paid a commission based @ @ @ @ @ gamblers ’ losses .
He covered his tracks by using encrypted messages to communicate with @ @ @ @ @ the indictment alleged .

Casey Urlacher, right, emerges from the Dirksen U.S. Courthouse on March 4, 2020, after he pleaded not guilty to federal gambling-related charges. (Zbigniew Bzdak/Chicago Tribune)
The brother of Chicago Bears legend Brian Urlacher pleaded not guilty Wednesday to federal charges alleging he acted as a recruiter and bagman for a sports gambling ring that raked in millions of dollars from hundreds of Chicago-area bettors.
Casey Urlacher, 40, who is the mayor of the tiny village of Mettawa in Lake County, entered his plea along with nine co-defendants in U.S. District Court Virginia Kendall’s crowded 25th floor courtroom.
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Standing at the back of a large group, Urlacher stood on his tiptoes so the judge could see him when his name was called.
Urlacher was charged with conspiracy and running an illegal gambling business. He is accused of acting as an agent for the gambling ring, recruiting bettors in exchange for a cut of their eventual losses.
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Prosecutors said in court he faces up to 10 years in prison if convicted of both counts. Urlacher was released on a recognizance bond and ordered to return to court April 30 for a status hearing.
The indictment filed last month alleged the gambling ring was run by Vincent Delgiudice, an Orland Park businessman who goes by “Uncle Mick.”
Vincent Delgiudice leaves after the arraignment hearing at the Dirksen U.S. Courthouse in Chicago on March 4, 2020. (Zbigniew Bzdak / Chicago Tribune)
Delgiudice, 54, allegedly paid a Costa Rica-based sportsbook a service fee to use its online platform and recruited gamblers to place wagers on his website.
To expand the operation, Delgiudice hired people to act as agents and enlist new gamblers. The agents — including Urlacher — worked with Delgiudice to collect cash and pay out winnings, and were paid a commission based on a percentage of the gamblers’ losses. He covered his tracks by using encrypted messages to communicate with representatives of the sportsbook, the indictment alleged.
The charges do not state how many gamblers in all took part in the ring, but in early 2019, Delgiudice told one of his agents by phone that he had 1,006 customers and had won $100,000.
When agents searched Delgiudice’s home in April 2019, they seized nearly $1.1 million in cash and nearly a half-million dollars’ worth of silver bars, gold coins and jewelry, the indictment stated. The government is seeking forfeiture of $8 million.
Delgiudice pleaded not guilty during Wednesday’s hearing and was released on his own recognizance.
Also acting as an agent was Nicholas Stella, 42, a veteran Chicago police officer, according to the indictment. Police Department records show Stella was stripped of his police powers and assigned to desk duty last May.
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Delgiudice’s father, Eugene, 84, was also charged in the indictment, accused of helping his son pay out winnings.
Among other “agents” charged were Matthew Knight, 46, of Mokena, who is also known as “Sweaters”; Justin Hines, 40, of Algonquin; Todd Blanken, 43, of Cary; Matthew Namoff, 23, of Midlothian; Vasilios Prassas, 37, of Chicago; and Keith Benson, 49, of Lombard.
All of them pleaded not guilty Wednesday except for Benson, who is scheduled to be arraigned next week.
Casey Urlacher moved with his famous older brother to Lake Bluff in 2000, shortly after Brian Urlacher signed with the Bears. He attended Lake Forest College and was invited to the Bears training camp as a fullback in 2003 and signed to a three-year contract, but he never made the team’s regular season roster.
He later had a brief career with the Arena Football League — including a stint with the Chicago Rush as a running back — before entering politics.
Urlacher was elected mayor of Mettawa — population 547 — in 2013 and reelected four years later. He said at a village meeting earlier this week that he intended to stay on as mayor while he fights the charges.
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“I’ll get my personal issues out of the way.” he told town officials at the meeting, according to a report in the Daily Herald.
After he was charged, Urlacher resigned from his $26,000-a-year position on the Illinois Civil Service Commission, which he was appointed to by then-Gov. Pat Quinn in 2013, the Tribune has reported.
jmeisner@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-03-04--Steppenwolf’s 2020-21 season: A premiere based on George Clooney movie and first show in new theater

The first show on the seasonal docket is Matt Charman ’ s “ Good Night , and Good Luck '' @ @ @ @ @ 20 in the Downstairs Theatre ) , a new stage play adapted from the 2005 @ @ @ @ @ conflict between Sen. Joseph McCarthy and journalist Edward R. Murrow .
The project has been @ @ @ @ @ Broadway , and the Steppenwolf premiere will be directed by Shapiro and star William Petersen @ @ @ @ @ Slotnick , Tom Irwin , Ian Barford , Audrey Francis , Jordan Brodess and Keith @ @ @ @ @ , Shapiro said that Clooney was expected to be involved in the project , although @ @ @ @ @ , in the show .

The Steppenwolf Theatre, Chicago’s most famous resident theater company, has announced plans for its 2020-21 season, a series of plays that will conclude with the first production in its new theater in the round, currently under construction on its Lincoln Park campus — a new translation of Anton Chekhov’s “The Seagull."
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“We are hoping we can open right on schedule," said artistic director Anna D. Shapiro.
The first show on the seasonal docket is Matt Charman’s “Good Night, and Good Luck" (Oct. 22 to Dec. 20 in the Downstairs Theatre), a new stage play adapted from the 2005 George Clooney movie about the conflict between Sen. Joseph McCarthy and journalist Edward R. Murrow. The project has been discussed in recent months for Broadway, and the Steppenwolf premiere will be directed by Shapiro and star William Petersen, Alana Arenas, Joey Slotnick, Tom Irwin, Ian Barford, Audrey Francis, Jordan Brodess and Keith Gallagher. In an interview, Shapiro said that Clooney was expected to be involved in the project, although he is not, obviously, in the show.
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The first show in the Upstairs Theatre will be the world premiere of "Bald Sisters” (Dec. 3 to Feb. 7, 2021), an off-beat family comedy-drama by the New York-based actor-playwright Vichet Chum, a Texas-born writer of Cambodian descent.
In January, Steppenwolf will open “Barcelona” (Jan. 28 to March 14, 2021 in the Downstairs Theatre) by Bess Wohl. Seen at the Geffen Playhouse in Los Angeles in 2016, this two-character play follows a drunken pick-up between an American woman and a Spanish man, and the complications thereafter. As in LA, Trip Cullman will direct; full casting has not yet been announced.
The Chicago premiere of Donnetta Lavinia Grays’ “Last Night and the Night Before” (April 1 to May 16, 2021 in the Downstairs Theatre) follows in the spring. Directed by Valerie Curtis-Newton, this drama about a fractured African-American family premiered this past winter at the Denver Center for the Arts, under the same director.
A new production of Tarell Alvin McCraney’s 2013 play “Choir Boy” (June 10 to Aug. 1, 2021), staged recently both on Broadway and at Chicago’s Raven Theatre in 2017, will follow in the Downstairs Theatre. The play is set in a prep school for boys. It will be directed by Robert O’Hara and star James Vincent Meredith and Austin Pendleton.
Finally, the new theater in the round will open in the summer of 2021 with Yasen Peyankov’s new translation of “Seagull" (July 24 to Sept. 12, 2021). Steppenwolf has assembled a large group of ensemble members under Peyankov’s direction including Barford, Cliff Chamberlain, Francis Guinan, Tim Hopper, Sandra Marquez, Meredith, Caroline Neff, Karen Rodriguez and Namir Smallwood. The official opening night of the new theater will be Aug. 1, 2021.
“The cast has three, if not four, generations of ensemble members," Shapiro said. “And we feel like it reflects so much of the generational conflict and energy both at Steppenwolf and in the theater world in general.”
Chris Jones is a Tribune critic.
cjones5@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-03-04--Column: There were high hopes for DePaul, winners of 12 of its 1st 13 games. But then Big East play

Column: There were high hopes for DePaul, winners of 12 of its 1st 13 games. But then Big East play started. And DePaul became DePaul.

“ ( It was ) 32-32 at halftime , ” Leitao said .
“ I could hear them .
We @ @ @ @ @ .
When we got those stops , made key baskets , we could hear them @ @ @ @ @ notion late in the game .
This is what it felt like for those games @ @ @ @ @ the season ) when our crowd was a big part of our wins .
”

DePaul students — rowdy and hollering most of the night Tuesday, holding up fatheads of Blue Demons guard Charlie Moore and Chance the Rapper — eagerly (and literally) embraced the players as they exited the court.
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“Keep it up.” “Love that energy.” “Way to go!”
A fan in a blue DePaul jersey enthusiastically wrapped senior guard Jalen Coleman-Lands in a hug.
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Dave Leitao headed toward the locker room ahead of the players with his head bowed until a fan yelled, “Leitao, fist bump,” and the coach obliged.
The warmth felt at Wintrust Arena after the Blue Demons defeated Marquette 69-68 in their regular-season home finale raised the question: What would this place have been like had the Demons continued playing like they did in the nonconference part of their schedule?
Even Leitao had an early-season flashback.
“(It was) 32-32 at halftime,” Leitao said. “I could hear them. We got down a couple times. When we got those stops, made key baskets, we could hear them. I got a split-second notion late in the game. This is what it felt like for those games we had earlier (in the season) when our crowd was a big part of our wins.”
Regardless of the outcome of their regular-season finale Saturday at Providence, the Blue Demons (15-15, 3-14) will finish in last place in the Big East for the fourth straight season.
What does one make of a team that has five Quadrant 1 wins but only three conference wins?
Expand Autoplay Image 1 of 17 DePaul guard Jalen Coleman-Lands is lifted up in celebration by his teammates after a victory over Texas Tech. (Chris Sweda / Chicago Tribune)
Five wins in that important Quad 1 category puts the Blue Demons alongside Gonzaga, Florida State and Illinois. It’s more than Dayton or Louisville have accumulated.
DePaul stacked some of those impressive victories during the nonconference schedule at Iowa, at Minnesota and against Texas Tech.
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High hopes are rare in Lincoln Park, but fans had reason to dream through most of December. The Blue Demons won their first nine games and 12 of their first 13.
But then Big East play started. And DePaul became DePaul.
The Blue Demons lost eight straight and 12 of 13 in one ugly stretch.
Leitao is 63-97 overall and 19-70 in Big East play in the fifth season of his second stint at DePaul. (He coached the Blue Demons from 2002 to 2005, guiding them to their last NCAA Tournament appearance in 2004.)
He mentioned the word “resiliency” several times after Tuesday’s victory. DePaul struggled from the field — it shot 30.4% overall and 18.2% (4 of 22) on 3-pointers — but the Blue Demons drove to the basket aggressively, and it paid off with 35 free-throw attempts, of which they made 31.
DePaul also overcame playing without double-double machine Paul Reed, who is day to day with a hip injury.
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Moore led five Blue Demons in double figures with 15 points despite missing 12 of 15 shots overall and 6 of 7 3-pointers. Freshman forward Romeo Weems added 13 points.
The Golden Eagles (18-11, 8-9) have their own problems, losing five of six after a hot start.
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Leitao credited the DePaul defense, which forced 16 turnovers.
“Early on we were really, really good,” he said. “It’s one of the things I got a little disappointed about (during the losing streak) is we didn’t have the same energy and resiliency defensively, and when the offense wasn’t working, the defense broke down.”
Expand Autoplay Image 1 of 22 Romeo Weems celebrates with fans after the win. (John J. Kim / Chicago Tribune)
Leitao said he has been thinking about wild conference tournament performances that launched bottom-rung teams into the NCAA Tournament.
He recalled Dennis Felton’s 2008 Georgia team that finished the regular season 4-12 in the SEC but won four straight games to claim the conference tournament championship and advance to the NCAA Tournament.
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“Those kinds of things happen, but you have to make them happen,” Leitao said. “We have to remain resilient. We’ve got to remain positive. We’ve got to understand it’s out there for us.”
It’s another losing Big East season for DePaul. The only bright side? It’s not over yet.
“We can’t do anything about yesterday,” Leitao said. “We can just be better tomorrow.”


chicagotribune--2020-03-04--Woman arrested in connection with cruelty to emaciated dog found in garbage bag on side of road

The pit bull was found Feb. 17 inside a garbage bag on the side of the road near 87th Street @ @ @ @ @ Springs , according to the release .
The dog was taken to a veterinary center @ @ @ @ @ to the South Suburban Humane Society in Chicago Heights , where he continued to recover @ @

Vinny, a male pit bull, recovers Feb. 20 at the South Suburban Humane Society in Chicago Heights. He was found dumped in a trash bag on the side of a road in Willow Springs. (Warren Skalski/for the Chicago Tribune)
A woman has been charged in connection with the case of an emaciated and dehydrated pit bull found in a garbage bag on the side of a road in Willow Springs last month, officials said Wednesday.
Janiel Mixon, of Justice, faces misdemeanor charges. (Cook County Sheriff's Office)
Janiel Mixon, 48, of Justice, faces misdemeanor charges of cruel treatment of an animal and violating the duties of an animal owner in the treatment of the dog, since named Vinny, the Cook County sheriff’s office said in a news release.
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The pit bull was found Feb. 17 inside a garbage bag on the side of the road near 87th Street and Forest Avenue in Willow Springs, according to the release. The dog was taken to a veterinary center for treatment and later moved to the South Suburban Humane Society in Chicago Heights, where he continued to recover Wednesday.
After the dog was found, sheriff’s police were tasked with investigating and officials determined the dog last had been in Mixon’s possession. She was arrested Friday, charged, and released on her own recognizance, according to the release.
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She is expected to appear for a court hearing April 27 in Bridgeview.
kdouglas@chicagotribune.com
Twitter @312BreakingNews


chicagotribune--2020-03-04--Patricia Barretto, the visionary leader of Chicago’s Harris Theater, dies at 45

Barretto , a confirmed internationalist in arts presentation , upgraded the offerings at the theater , one of several venues @ @ @ @ @ for programming and donor dollars .
Although she only came to the Harris in 2015 @ @ @ @ @ sales and marketing , before ascending to CEO in 2017 , Barretto was responsible for @ @ @ @ @ many others ) the English National Ballet , Bangarra Dance Theatre of Australia , Angelique @ @ @ @ @ Black Mambazo , and John Eliot Gardiner and the Orchestre Révolutionnaire et Romantique performing its @ @ @ @ @ concluded Tuesday night in a performance that Gardiner dedicated to Barretto .

Harris Theater president and CEO Patricia Barretto at the theater in Chicago in 2018. She was appointed to her post in 2017. (Lou Foglia / Chicago Tribune)
Patricia Barretto, the popular and highly respected president and CEO of the Harris Theater in Millennium Park, died Tuesday night, the Harris has announced. Barretto, 45, had been ill with breast cancer and died under hospice care at her West Loop home in Chicago.
David Snyder, the former Crain’s Chicago Business publisher and chair of the theater’s board of trustees, said the directors of the venue were “deeply grateful for the legacy she left us.”
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Barretto, a confirmed internationalist in arts presentation, upgraded the offerings at the theater, one of several venues in the downtown area competing for programming and donor dollars. Although she only came to the Harris in 2015, initially as vice-president of sales and marketing, before ascending to CEO in 2017, Barretto was responsible for bringing to Chicago (among many others) the English National Ballet, Bangarra Dance Theatre of Australia, Angelique Kidjo in collaboration with Ladysmith Black Mambazo, and John Eliot Gardiner and the Orchestre Révolutionnaire et Romantique performing its Beethoven Festival. That event concluded Tuesday night in a performance that Gardiner dedicated to Barretto.
The 2019 booking of the English National Ballet in Akram Khan’s “Giselle" especially delighted the Harris, being as the company, which specializes in touring the United Kingdom, has not been in the United States in some 30 years. The piece was a fusion of contemporary and Indian kathak dance, very much reflective of Barretto’s tastes and ambitions.
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“I like that it has not been in New York,” she told the Tribune in 2018, reflecting both her competitive spirit and her passion for her adopted city.
In that wide-ranging and often deeply personal interview, Barretto also talked about her strategy of approaching potential funders prior to booking prestigious, but expensive, international companies. That way, she said, she could generate excitement and help donors see the benefits of their giving, while also ensuring that her theater did not subject itself to dangerous risk. But she also wanted ordinary people to come to her shows.
“I really would like to become less reliant on our small group of major donors and able to keep growing our audience,” she said at the time.
Born in 1974 in Mumbai, Barretto was a populist, if a high-art one, and she did much to remove the long-standing barrier, physical and perceived, between the Harris and Millennium Park, opening up the theater lobby during the Chicago Jazz Festival, for example, and encouraging post-work performances, replete with cocktails and food trucks.
Another signature achievement of Barretto was her ability to marry the needs (and the calendar) of the Harris’ fleet of resident companies, part of the original mission of the initially troubled theater, with her wish to expand the so-called Harris Theater Presents series of high-profile but risky presentations. She also rented out the space for theatrical programming during peak holiday weeks, including a successful holiday tradition of magic shows.
Michael McStraw, executive director of Giordano Dance Chicago, said that the resident companies had benefited from Barretto’s “watchful and careful leadership.”
Lauren Warnecke, the editor of See Chicago Dance and a freelance critic for the Tribune, said that Barretto was " an extraordinary woman," who “leaves behind an exceptional example of what arts leadership looks like.”
Much of Barretto’s career was spent in Canada. She served as executive director of Toronto’s Opera Atelier, a company specializing in baroque opera, as well as a marketing officer for the work of the Royal Conservatory of Music and the Canadian Stage Company.
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In person, Barretto was an engaging, sophisticated and passionate advocate for her theater. Her marketing background gave her a sales ability relatively rare in arts CEOs, although there never was a question that her passion for her programming came from a deep personal commitment to international cooperation and understanding. She had a fundamental understanding that any arts administrator must be able to articulate, to tell the story of, what the arts can and should do in the life of a great city.
Survivors include Barretto’s husband, Sheldon Barretto, her son, David Barretto, her parents William and Fatima Mcrae, and her brother, Russell Mcrae.
A public memorial service will be held at 10 a.m. March 11 at Old St. Patrick’s Church, 900 W. Adams St.
Chris Jones is a Tribune critic.
cjones5@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-03-04--A big test awaits against the Oilers, but Dylan Strome rediscovering his form is promising. 3 takeaw

A big test awaits against the Oilers, but Dylan Strome rediscovering his form is promising. 3 takeaways from the Blackhawks’ 6-2 win against the Ducks.

“ He ’ s been getting better and better over the last few weeks , more and more active away @ @ @ @ @ Colliton said .
“ I think playing center , he ’ s been really good @ @ @ @ @ … It ’ s obviously been a point of emphasis for him to really be @ @ @ @ @ he can get out of there and play in the offensive zone .
”

The Blackhawks looked like a playoff team in a tune-up against a struggling team in Tuesday night’s 6-2 win against the Ducks, but they did not gain ground in the wild-card standings.
The Jets also won Tuesday to hold onto the second wild-card slot, though the Canucks have lost three in a row and play wild-card hopeful Arizona on Wednesday.
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For the Hawks, however, Tuesday night’s win at the United Center — marked by a phenomenal performance by the second line of Alex Nylander, Dylan Strome and Patrick Kane — gave them their third straight win and justified holding out hope of still making the playoffs.
“They’re not going to quit,” coach Jeremy Colliton said. “They’re never going to give up. There’s been multiple times through the year where people could have said and probably did say this group is dead and buried.
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“But there’s lots of games left, lots of home games left, and we’ve shown we’re resilient.”
Here are three takeaways from Tuesday night’s game.
1. It was only a matter of time before Dylan Strome got ‘off the schneid.’
Dylan Strome was the star of the night with 3 points, racking up two goals and an assist, all in the second period.
He was due. Strome hadn’t scored a goal since Jan. 5 against the Red Wings. He suffered a right ankle sprain the next game and went on injured reserve until Feb. 1 against the Coyotes. He showed signs of warming up with assists in back-to-back games against the Blues and Lightning last week.
“It was a long time,” he said. “Obviously, scoring right before I was injured and then getting injured and missing a bunch of games and then playing a bunch and I hadn’t scored since, like, early January, or something.”
He added, “I appreciate you guys not asking about it all the time. That was nice, actually. I knew, obviously. It’s nice to get off the schneid tonight and it felt pretty good.”
Expand Autoplay Image 1 of 13 Blackhawks goaltender Corey Crawford defends the net during the second period. (Armando L. Sanchez / Chicago Tribune)
Strome scored his first goal when Duncan Keith’s shot from the blue line bounced off the end wall and back to Strome. Patrick Kane found him streaking to the net on his second goal.
Coach Jeremy Colliton said it’s Strome’s work in the defensive zone and away from the puck that sets up scoring opportunities.
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“He’s been getting better and better over the last few weeks, more and more active away from the puck,” Colliton said. “I think playing center, he’s been really good I think in D-zone. … It’s obviously been a point of emphasis for him to really be good down there, so he can get out of there and play in the offensive zone.”
2. Alex Nylander had his 15 seconds of fame.
Alex Nylander has had his dry spells, but when the rookie gets hot he gets out. Nylander scored with less than two minutes to go in the second and assisted to Patrick Kane 15 seconds later, showing the benefits of playing on a line with Kane and Dylan Strome.
“Of course, I’ve got another level, but it was also nice to get those goals and playing with the line today,” he said. “We just need to build off that and obviously we can get better.”
That chemistry has been built through practices and shows up intermittently in games.
“Everybody wants the puck, we all want to play the puck too, so we work really well together...” Nylander said. “Just need to keep going to the net when Kaner has it and he finds me and Stromer in the open places.”
Before Nylander’s goal, his ninth of the season, Adam Boqvist disrupted Danton Heinen before he could get a shot off.
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“Boqqie made a great play to lift the guy’s stick and the puck just squirted up there,” Strome said.
Heinen regained the puck but overshot his pass to Sonny Milano — right to Nylander. Nylander had a 2-on-1 going with Jonathan Toews but goaltender John Gibson faded toward Toews, creating an open lane for Nylander.
“Just fake the shot a little bit and go backhand,” Nylander said of his goal. “He was coming out a little bit, waiting for the shot obviously because it was a 2-on-1, but it was nice to get that one.”
After Nylander’s 15 seconds, coach Jeremy Colliton sat his line with Kane and Strome, and “Kaner’s like, why are you taking us off?” Colliton said.
“I’m like, well two goals on one shift, what are you going to do?”
3. The real test comes Thursday against the Oilers.
Let’s face it: If it wasn’t for the Kings the Ducks would be the worst team in the Western Conference. But the Oilers are nipping right at the Golden Knights’ heels in the Pacific Division. The Oilers beat the Stars, another contender, 2-1 in overtime on Tuesday and are on a three-game streak.
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If the Blackhawks have any hopes of beating the odds to clinch a wild-card spot, they can’t afford to lapse into complacency like coach Jeremy Colliton saw for a stretch in the first period against the Ducks.
“First 10 minutes, I thought we were aggressive and did a lot of good things. The second 10, didn’t love as much,” he said. “I thought we turned the puck over and gave them some free chances.”
The Hawks have been searching for consistency all season, and Dylan Strome said alternating between long stretches home and on the road might have something to do with it.
“I feel like we’re a pretty streaky team,” he said. “When we win one or two in a row we feel like we go on a little bit of a run and we’re playing some good hockey. Obviously, the counter to that is that we’ve lost four or five in a row at points. … It’s been a little bit of an odd season but lots of time left.”
Alex Nylander saw reasons for optimism from Tuesday night’s game.
“We’re playing more together in the D-zone, we’re helping each other out, talking more, getting more clean plays out of the D-zone, which leads to better offense,” he said. “We’re getting the pucks to the net, more guys are coming to the net, and we’re playing an overall solid game.”
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Here is more coverage from the game.
The Blackhawks battered Ducks goaltender John Gibson with four goals in the second period — two of them 15 seconds apart — and coasted to a 6-2 win Tuesday at the United Center.
Backup goaltender Malcolm Subban made a brief debut for the Hawks in the third period after Corey Crawford took a knee to the head from Ryan Getzlaf. Crawford returned about a minute later.
Hawks coach Jeremy Colliton said there was some miscommunication about whether it was mandatory for Crawford to leave the game and be checked out for a possible concussion.
“He felt fine,” Colliton said. “He didn’t feel anything in his head.”
Crawford missed substantial time in each of the previous two seasons because of concussions.
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“Yeah, I think it was trainer’s discretion,” Crawford said. “It was more my neck than anything. It was one of those ones where you feel it for a few seconds and it was fine after.”
The Hawks flashed some of their young talent with two goals by Dylan Strome and one apiece by Drake Caggiula and Alex Nylander.
Colliton has preached consistency and getting off to fast starts, and the Hawks took advantage of a slightly younger Ducks team.
“Last time they were here, it was a tricky game,” Colliton said before the game about the Hawks’ 4-2 win Jan. 11. “We (didn’t have) a great start, we got better as the game went on (and) took over in the second period.”
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On Tuesday he wanted to see the Hawks look “real sharp off the bat but have a 60-minute game in mind where we’re going to wear them down.”
This time the Hawks got sharp play from the outset and a dominant second period, led by their youth movement.
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About two minutes into the game, Caggiula tipped in a goal set up by 19-year-old rookies Adam Boqvist and Kirby Dach.
Dach weaved in front of the Ducks’ Christian Djoos as Caggiula circled behind him and dropped down to the net. Dach passed to Boqvist at the top of the circle, and he made a nice pass through traffic to find Caggiula for an easy tip-in to Gibson’s stick side.
Strome led off the second-period barrage with a bit of good fortune. Duncan Keith’s shot bounced off the boards to Strome, who flipped it in. The Ducks answered with a goal by Danton Heinen, but Strome scored his second goal shortly after starting a shift when Patrick Kane found him streaking to the net.
Kane helped put the game away when he scored his 29th goal of the season 15 seconds after Nylander’s unassisted goal.
Ryan Miller replaced Gibson to start the third period and gave up the Hawks’ final goal to David Kampf.


chicagotribune--2020-03-05--Daywatch: Bernie Sanders is coming to Chicago, CPS has no plans to close for coronavirus and FitzGer

Daywatch: Bernie Sanders is coming to Chicago, CPS has no plans to close for coronavirus and FitzGerald’s has a new owner

Diona Bueno said she sensed her son ’ s presence on the other side of the door , waiting for @ @ @ @ @ was standing at the spot where Kenneth Paterimos was fatally stabbed last month outside Richard @ @ @ @ @ Town .
After demanding justice for his killer , she announced her plan to go @ @ @ @ @ .
But Bueno couldn ’ t get inside .

Want Daywatch delivered to your inbox? Sign up here. | Get the top Tribune stories of the day on your smart speaker | Here’s how to get the most out of your Tribune subscription | Got something to say? Join the conversation on our Facebook page
Good morning, Chicago. Here are some of the top stories you need to know to start your day.
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Chicago Public Schools says it's preparing for a number of different possible scenarios related to coronavirus. (José M. Osorio/Chicago Tribune)
Chicago Public Schools has no plans to close but is preparing for “a variety of scenarios” related to the coronavirus, according to a CPS spokeswoman.
“At this time, the district is not considering closing schools based on the recommendation of local health authorities,” states a letter to families from CPS Chief Health Officer Kenneth Fox and Chicago Department of Public Health Commissioner Allison Arwady.
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United Airlines becomes the first major airline to cut domestic flights as coronavirus takes a toll on travel
Here’s what you need to know about coronavirus in Illinois
Presidential candidate Sen. Bernie Sanders and his wife, Jane, acknowledge supporters after speaking at a campaign event on Feb. 1, 2020, in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. (John J. Kim / Chicago Tribune)
Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders is bringing his presidential campaign to Chicago. Sanders is holding a rally at the Petrillo Music Shell in Grant Park Saturday afternoon, his campaign announced Wednesday. The Democratic presidential candidate also has a campaign stop scheduled on Tuesday in Rockford.
Chicago police shot a man at the CTA’s Grand Red Line station Friday afternoon, authorities said. (E. Jason Wambsgans / Chicago Tribune)
Just days after a Chicago police officer shot an unarmed man at a CTA Red Line station in an incident captured on a viral video, interim Police Superintendent Charlie Beck on Wednesday stripped two cops involved of their police powers.
Santiago Bueno and Diona Bueno (center) remember their brother and son Kenneth Paterimos as family and friends rally outside Richard's Bar on March 3, 2020 demanding justice in his killing. (Brian Cassella / Chicago Tribune)
Diona Bueno said she sensed her son’s presence on the other side of the door, waiting for her. The grieving mother was standing at the spot where Kenneth Paterimos was fatally stabbed last month outside Richard’s Bar in West Town. After demanding justice for his killer, she announced her plan to go inside and pray Tuesday evening. But Bueno couldn’t get inside.
Former owners Bill and Kate FitzGerald, far left and far right, stand on either side of new owner Will Duncan outside FitzGerald's on March 2, 2020, in Berwyn. (Erin Hooley/Chicago Tribune)
After a 2½-year search for a new FitzGerald’s owner, the Berwyn nightclub has been sold. Founding proprietor Bill FitzGerald and Will Duncan finished signing the papers Wednesday that sealed the sale of the forty-year-old music venue on Roosevelt Road. Duncan — now the new owner — is a Chicago restaurant and club veteran.


chicagotribune--2020-03-05--Pandemic, the game, has become all too real, says its Chicago-area creator

A : I don ’ t know .
I ’ m certainly more attuned now to the spread of disease @ @ @ @ @ to read a lot of books about it just to work on the products based @ @ @ @ @ I ’ m not surprised now when something like coronavirus happens ?
I certainly see @ @ @ @ @ and think of how those actions might work their way into future versions of the @ @ @ @ @ didn ’ t have quarantines .
It was one thing too many .
We later @ @ @ @ @ kind of see the advantages and disadvantages of real-world quarantines , but we can ’ @ @ @ @ @ a game .
We have three different expansions and it ’ s hard to add @ @ @ @ @ without making it too complicated .
Early on I was just comforted to realize my @ @ @ @ @ ’ t far from the real world — I didn ’ t want to teach @ @ @ @

Pandemic is not Chutes and Ladders.
Pandemic is not Candy Land. Or even Risk. The goal, the finish line, is easy to grasp — stop an infectious disease from spreading across continents and killing millions — but hard to reach. And the stakes couldn’t be starker: Everybody wins or everybody loses.
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Still, it is just a game.
Albeit, a very popular one. Pandemic, the best-selling board game — currently just behind Monopoly and Clue on Amazon’s board-game sales chart — has sold more than two million copies since first published in 2008, becoming a major franchise with a half-dozen Pandemic spin-offs. Players begin in Atlanta at the headquarters for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, then travel across the globe, taking actions to slow disease transmission and save lives. You don’t move plastic pawns or metal thimbles across a board; you deploy field tents and maps on a board, performing various roles — medic, researcher, quarantine specialist.
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Any win, though, is strictly zero-sum.
Instead of traditional competition and a single champion, players work together, looking for a cure to halt the spread of a virus. Which has made Pandemic something of a staple in classrooms (and medical schools) eager to foster cooperation among students.
“The way that earlier generations grew up with board games like Monopoly in their closets, Pandemic is becoming that for younger generations,” said J.P. Nery, owner of Chicagoland Games Dice Dojo in Edgewater. “It’s a modern classic. Really, it’s the grandfather of cooperative gaming. Pandemic was not the first game to introduce the idea — you don’t roll the dice then come to a winner — but it did bring the concept of cooperative board games into the mainstream. Now you see these games in Walmart.”
Indeed, the history of board games is not necessarily based in competition.
Battleship is likely a variation of a pencil and pad exercise from World War I; Monopoly started as a way for an Illinois activist named Elizabeth Magie to explain the value of a single-tax system that would be focused on land ownership; Life has its roots in 19th century New England morality lessons; and the buzzy Operation, created in the 1960s, began as a student project in the industrial design department at University of Illinois.
Pandemic is no exception.
It was created by Matt Leacock, a former Chicago graphic designer who grew up partly in Wheaton and studied visual communication at Northern Illinois University. He’s unsure of the exact inspiration for Pandemic but notes he developed it between the SARS epidemic of 2003 and the H1N1 swine flu outbreak of 2009, with warnings about the spread of infectious diseases in the 21st century on his mind. Now 48, he lives with his family in Silicon Valley, and like everyone else, he’s intently following coronavirus news and contemplating the endgame. We spoke the other day about the legacy of his scarily prescient creation. The following has been edited and condensed for space and clarity.
Q: Have you ever heard from the CDC about Pandemic?
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A: I was told the game was sold in their gift shop.
Q: The CDC has a gift shop?
A: News to me, too. (The shop closed in 2012.) They are also using it in an exhibition on cultural reactions to the spread of infectious diseases (opening in late May). And there’s been some contact from epidemiologists who worked in West Africa and loved the game. But mostly I hear this stuff just anecdotally. The University of Leicester’s medical school in the UK used it for a couple of years to teach communication cooperation and found some good results with it. I was contacted just today by a high school in San Francisco looking to buy copies of Pandemic in bulk, to teach concepts about the spread of infectious disease. It’s not a simulation but it’s great for introducing concepts, which is really what games have always been good at.
Q: Was that your goal?
A: No, I didn’t set out to teach anything. I wanted something that made your heart beat and got people working together. It was a design problem to me — could you create an artificial opponent out of cardboard and paper that engaged kids and adults sitting for an hour around a table? It’s a daunting challenge but I found how to do it by experimenting.
Q: Did developing it give you a window into how we handle actual pandemics?
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A: I don’t know. I’m certainly more attuned now to the spread of disease. I’ve had to read a lot of books about it just to work on the products based around Pandemic. I guess I’m not surprised now when something like coronavirus happens? I certainly see how the real world works and think of how those actions might work their way into future versions of the game. The earliest versions didn’t have quarantines. It was one thing too many. We later introduced it. You can kind of see the advantages and disadvantages of real-world quarantines, but we can’t necessarily capture everything in a game. We have three different expansions and it’s hard to add more to the base game without making it too complicated. Early on I was just comforted to realize my modeling of the issue wasn’t far from the real world — I didn’t want to teach something dramatically inaccurate.
Q: Did you interview medical professionals?
A: No, just casual research. I was sort of an indie game designer, doing this game as a hobby on the side. There was no pressure to have a well-researched product. The pressure was, will I ever get a game published? I didn’t even name the diseases in the game because I didn’t want it too clinical — which, actually now, makes it kind of topical.
Matt Leacock is the creator of Pandemic, a board game about infectious diseases, as well as other games such as Forbidden Island. (Florence Catania photo)
Q: Did you create games as a child? It seems like one quality that a lot of game designers have is they were designing their own games in elementary school.
A: Yes, and I’ve heard that quite a bit. It was this physical need for me as a kid. Most of the games I designed were terrible, but as a teenager, my uncle and I would design games when we were not satisfied. When we hated a game, we would flip over the board and try to draw something better on the back. I think of games as problem-solving opportunities you opt into, but you should need to make interesting decisions while playing. If you’re not making decisions, I think of that game as more of an activity. I’m not going to get into a fight with someone who says Candy Land is a game, but you could argue it doesn’t allow decisions. You draw a card, you move and you win or lose.
Q: Cooperative games — and I guess Dungeons & Dragons is an example — have been around a long time in different forms, but the reputation was that, compared to something like Clue, they were hard to learn, byzantine. And yet Pandemic has the reputation for making exactly that kind of game mainstream. Why this game?
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A: I chalk it up to timing. But also, the rules aren’t as complicated (as similar cooperative games), and a player’s emotions are manipulated. You’re also playing a reasonable time. You do need a clock. People don’t have patience beyond 60 minutes.
Q: Your name is above the title on the box for Pandemic. How common is that?
A: I stand on the shoulders of many German game designers who made a pact that they would only work with publishers who put their names on the covers as the creator. So I wanted to follow that tradition and actually I have gotten two other U.S. game publishers to follow the practice. We believe that games have authors, just like books.
Q: What’s Pandemic’s origin?
A: Well, I had learned I enjoyed playing cooperative games with my family more than playing games based around negotiation. I had played a negotiation game with my wife one night and I won but it became a horrible experience where it crossed over into the real world. It was this game called Chinatown. You’re basically manipulating people, all within the circle of the game. But that can kind of bleed out and you feel like you’ve lost.
Q: Games reveal qualities you don’t necessarily like to acknowledge.
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A: I think the best thing about cooperative play is it promises a safe space where you can experiment without (those qualities) affecting actual life. But it’s not always true — it’s just the promise. Cooperative games are a way to go up against artificial enemies together, which is a good skill to practice. I kind of find it weird that so many games are competitive when in fact, in life, we cooperate much more than compete head-to-head.
Q: What’s the biggest mistake people make when they play Pandemic?
A: They focus on short-term objectives. They run around the world and try to put out local fires without thinking about a long-term goal, which is the only way they can win.
Q: Do players generally win?
A: Depends who comes to the table. If they have experience making critical decisions and communicating, they have a higher chance. There are difficulty levels but someone new might get beat up. If it’s a close loss, I tend to be happy. Especially if players blame themselves and know what they’d do differently. But real life is infinitely more complex.
Q: Does Pandemic sell better when there is actual pandemic?
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A: My suspicion is that it does better because people are trying to understand. There is some aversion — nobody wants to feel that they trivializing human suffering. And I get quarterly statements so I have no idea how it’s doing right now. But I would guess, just from the references I have seen to it on social media lately, it is being played right now.
Q: We play board games when we don’t want to leave the house.
A: You know, I follow some retailers in Hong Kong, and they have been encouraging folks to grab a game and play at home — I suppose if you’re going to be staying home anyway ...
cborrelli@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-03-04--Ask Amy: Friends don't let friends take a cab

When my partner and I travel to see one of these couples , they do n't offer to pick us @ @ @ @ @ They have actually said that they would prefer if we just took an Uber to @ @ @ @ @ is not wise for them to waste two hours back and forth in traffic .
@ @ @ @ @ they do n't expect us to pick them up from the airport , either .

Dear Amy: We are a group of friends in our early 40s, who have known each other for decades and consider each other closer than family.
When my partner and I travel to see one of these couples, they don't offer to pick us up at the airport. They have actually said that they would prefer if we just took an Uber to their home, because it is not wise for them to waste two hours back and forth in traffic. At the same time, they don't expect us to pick them up from the airport, either.
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I am a bit traditional. If someone is spending the money to come fly to my city to see me, I should pick up and drop off, or pay for their cab. We have had a candid conversation with our various friends about this, where I stated this, and they stated that their perspective was practical concerning time and juggling multiple responsibilities.
They said that we can all afford to take a cab or car-share. That is definitely true, but these folks seem to think that during college days when we were all scraping by, it was one thing to spend time on airport runs, but now that we can afford airport transportation, we have to choose where we spend our time wisely.
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Would it be different if someone was just using the host's place as a crash pad to do other things, as opposed to making a special trip just to see these friends?
What are your thoughts? Am I not keeping up with the changing times?
Can you please help solve this?
— Curious in New York
Dear Curious: Following is a list of people you are obligated to pick up from the airport: Parents and grandparents; elderly aunts, uncles and elderly or infirm friends; servicemembers, missionaries, or volunteers returning from long overseas assignments; long-distance loves you are eager to impress; kids coming home from band camp.
Here is a list of people you are NOT obligated to pick up from the airport: Friends from college whom you will be hosting in your home for an extended personal visit.
I agree with others in your group. The hours spent on an airport run (which often can turn into more than one run because of delays/cancellations) would be better spent vacuuming the guest bedroom and preparing a nice meal and a fresh cocktail for weary travelers to enjoy, once they arrive.
In fact, unless the circumstance is extreme, I would always rather find my own transportation from the airport -- because this gives me the flexibility to dawdle if I want to, without the pressure of someone waiting on me at the cellphone lot, or -- worse -- circling the airport like a wayward seagull.
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Give this one up.
Dear Amy: I have kind of a weird little problem.
I own a house with a nice, completely furnished apartment attached to it. Right now, I have a really nice tenant on a six-month lease. She is a single person who is working on writing a book.
"Emily" and I get along very well. When I decided to rent out the apartment, I had the wall that separates the two living spaces insulated in order to cut down on noise distractions.
Emily keeps extremely early hours. Every day it is the same: She is up at 5 or 5:30, and I am jolted awake by the sound of the beeping microwave. Then it is the sound of the water flowing into the bathtub. This goes on every day, seven days a week. Otherwise, she is extremely quiet, and (I assume) working.
I'd like to speak to her about this, but I don't know what to say. Can you help?
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— Bothered
Dear Bothered: You own the apartment. You supplied the microwave. Perhaps you can switch out the beeping microwave for one that doesn't beep, and find a way to double-insulate the wall between the bathroom and your home. But no -- you don't get to tell your extremely quiet tenant not to get up so early and/or use the facilities in the home that she is paying for.
Ask Amy Daily No-nonsense advice for better living delivered to your inbox every morning. By submitting your email to receive this newsletter, you agree to our Subscriber Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy >
Dear Amy: I disagree with your answer to "Old Wounds." This girl was sexually abused in school and she is worried about her narcissistic so-called "Christian" parents finding out?
You should have pointed out what bad parents they are.
— Disappointed
Dear Disappointed: Her specific question was about how to disclose this. I don't think encouraging her to blame her folks would be particularly helpful.
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(You can email Amy Dickinson at askamy@amydickinson.com or send a letter to Ask Amy, P.O. Box 194, Freeville, NY 13068. You can also follow her on Twitter @askingamy or Facebook.)
Copyright 2019 by Amy Dickinson
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chicagotribune--2020-03-04--Northwestern falls 63-48 at Wisconsin as the Badgers move into a tie for 1st in the Big Ten

“ We ’ d love to always hit our shots , ” guard Brad Davison said .
“ But when @ @ @ @ @ , if you play both ends of the floor , you can win from both @ @ @ @ @ ”

MADISON, Wis. — No. 24 Wisconsin will have a shot to clinch at least a share of the Big Ten title. The Badgers need to tighten up a few things to improve their chances.
Nate Reuvers scored 11 points and Wisconsin struggled through a 63-48 victory over Northwestern on Wednesday night, moving into a three-way tie for first place in the conference with Maryland and Michigan State at 13-6.
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Illinois is a half-game back at 12-6 entering its game Thursday night at Ohio State.
“We’re not done yet,” Wisconsin guard D’Mitrik Trice said. “We’ve got one more to go.”
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The Badgers (20-10 overall) play at Indiana on Saturday.
They have work to do after shooting 39% against the No. 12 scoring defense in the conference.
Neither team put on an offensive show. The Badgers found a way in the second half to put things together and pull away.
Northwestern (7-22, 2-17) dug itself two holes, finding its way out of only one.
The Wildcats started the game 1-for-10 with five turnovers in the first nine minutes. After trailing by 17 with 5:48 left in the half, Northwestern cut the Wisconsin lead to 32-28 just before halftime.
The Wildcats’ offensive woes resurfaced after the break as they started 1-for-12 and fell behind 48-33 with 8:51 left. They shot 31.5% for the game.
Pete Nance led Northwestern with a game-high 14 points and seven rebounds off the bench. Miller Kopp, Boo Buie and Pat Spencer — the Wildcats’ top three scorers — were a combined 4 of 23 from the field and 1 of 7 from 3-point range.
NU coach Chris Collins said the most frustrating thing was not taking advantage of the opportunity the Wildcats gave themselves by largely keeping Wisconsin’s offense in check. The Badgers had averaged 75 points over their six straight wins coming into the game.
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“I thought our defense did enough,” Collins said. “It was just our inability to score to keep us within striking distance.”
Northwestern hosts Penn State on Saturday in the regular-season finale.
The Badgers rely heavily on 3-pointers, averaging nearly nine a game and shooting 35% from beyond the arc. They made consecutive 3s on their first two possessions, then hit only 6 of 23 the rest of the game.
“We’d love to always hit our shots,” guard Brad Davison said. “But when it comes down to it, if you play both ends of the floor, you can win from both ends of the floor.”
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The win was Wisconsin coach Greg Gard’s 100th. He’s 100-57 since taking over midway through the 2015-16 season from Bo Ryan.
“I’m just happy for all the people who have been a part of it,” Gard said. “I haven’t done this by myself.”
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Special night for Rashard Griffith
Wisconsin’s final home game of the season was a special night for two seniors, including one who started his career with the Badgers more than 25 years ago.
Chicago native Rashard Griffith, who led King to a state championship in 1993, left Wisconsin after his sophomore season in 1995 to turn pro. He returned to school in 2017 and is scheduled to graduate in May.
He was accompanied during the senior night festivities by the parents of Wisconsin assistant coach Howard Moore, who was Griffith’s teammate with the Badgers. Moore, also a Chicago native and former head coach at UIC, has been on leave this season while recovering from a May car crash that killed his wife and daughter.
Meanwhile, Michael Ballard, who had played nine minutes all season, entered the game in the final minute. He drove through several Northwestern defenders in the closing seconds for a layup, even though teammate Brevin Pritzl joked that it was a “blatant” travel that the refs let go.
“He got his name in the scorebook, so that’s all that matters,” Pritzl said.


chicagotribune--2020-03-04--After the Bulls lose 115-108 to the Timberwolves, coach Jim Boylen challenges his team to be tougher

After the Bulls lose 115-108 to the Timberwolves, coach Jim Boylen challenges his team to be tougher: ‘I didn’t think we were tough enough tonight and I didn’t like it’

“ There ’ s no excuses , we still should play at a high level , ” Young said .
@ @ @ @ @ different lineups , trying to get back acclimated with each other , that ’ s @ @ @ @ @ understanding where those guys have been in the flow of the offense and where they @ @ @ @ @ hard , especially considering the significant time that they ’ ve been sitting out .
@

MINNEAPOLIS — One of the few constants throughout this disappointing Bulls season has been coach Jim Boylen’s relentlessly positive demeanor.
Even during the most trying stretches and uninspired performances, he has maintained optimism, latched on to the affirmative and kept a steady presence.
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After the Bulls’ 115-108 loss to the Timberwolves on Wednesday night, however, Boylen was as displeased as he has been all season. He issued a postgame challenge to his players in the locker room before chiding their effort on the boards and on 50-50 balls.
“We’ve got to do a better job,” Boylen said. “I don’t care who’s coming back. I don’t care who’s been out, who’s working on a minute restriction. I didn’t think we were tough enough tonight, and I didn’t like it.”
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The Bulls were coming off only their second win this season against a team over .500, but they couldn’t capitalize on that momentum against the scuffling Timberwolves. Nor did they take advantage of the return of Lauri Markkanen, who scored 13 points in 21 minutes in his first game since Jan. 22, or another solid game from rookie Coby White, who scored a team-high 26 points with six assists.
The Bulls allowed the Timberwolves to shoot 50% from the field and grab 10 offensive rebounds, numbers that irked Boylen, who has taken pride in his team’s defensive effort even as injuries have left the lineup in shambles. The Wolves were 40 of 80 and scored 14 second-chance points.
Tomas Satoransky eyes the basket as the Timberwolves' Malik Beasley and Naz Reid defend in the second half. (Jim Mone / AP)
“You can’t let them shoot 50% and then not rebound the ball,” Boylen said. “Can’t do it. I didn’t like it. I understand what we’re operating under, and it’s difficult on the group. But we’ve got to be tougher.”
Boylen alluded to the fact the Bulls have been incorporating three of their most important players back into the rotation, with Markkanen, Wendell Carter Jr. and Otto Porter Jr. all limited by minutes restrictions. It has made for disjointed lineups.
The timing of Boylen’s message was odd considering the Bulls have been bullied worse on the glass in recent games, including Saturday against the Knicks when they were outrebounded 50-33 and allowed 17 offensive rebounds. And after several players hit minutes restrictions, the closing lineup Wednesday featured Thaddeus Young at center with four guards.
“There’s no excuses, we still should play at a high level,” Young said. “Just the rotations and different lineups, trying to get back acclimated with each other, that’s the hardest part. Just understanding where those guys have been in the flow of the offense and where they fit in again is very hard, especially considering the significant time that they’ve been sitting out.”
Young acknowledged the Bulls need to play better and tougher at times, especially on those 50-50 balls that require extra effort to win, and he said the message was received.
And how does Boylen expect his team to respond to the challenge?
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“We’ll see,” he said. “They know. Our guys are good guys. They understand. I am positive. I’m coaching my team. Let me coach my team.”
Here are three additional takeaways from Wednesday’s game:
1. Lauri Markkanen wants to prove he’s more than a spot-up shooter.
Markkanen was held scoreless in his first stint on the floor to open the first quarter, his first action after missing 15 games with a stress reaction in his right pelvis. When he checked in for a second time, however, the Bulls were treated to a much more active Markkanen offensively.
He popped smoothly beyond the line after setting screens, cut toward the rim and even scored twice on post-up moves. Markkanen looked much more mobile than he had before the injury, scoring 13 points on 6-of-10 shooting, including 1-for-4 beyond the arc.
“I tried to get to the rim and get a couple easy ones,” Markkanen said. “Of course you’ve got to move to get there, not just stay at the 3-point line. Obviously talked with coach, too, and we ran something to get me on the move.”
Bulls coach Jim Boylen directs his players in the first half against the Timberwolves. (Jim Mone/AP)
Markkanen said his body felt good and he likely could have played more than 21 minutes, but the Bulls are easing him and the rest of their injured players back into the lineup with minutes restrictions.
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Attacking the basket has been a point of emphasis for Markkanen, especially considering how disappointing his first 46 games had been as his points and shooting percentage dipped to career lows. Over the Bulls’ final 20 games, there is perhaps no player with as much to prove heading into the offseason than Markkanen, who wants to put all of his talents on display.
“That I can be aggressive and do multiple things,” he said. “And not be a spot-up shooter.”
2. Coby White appears to have turned a corner.
It’s no longer fair to call what White is doing simply a hot streak.
He is playing the best basketball of his brief NBA career, leading the Bulls with 26 points Wednesday, the fifth time in the past six games he has scored at least 20. Before that stretch, he had done so only five times.
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A number of signs point to White having turned a corner in his rookie season. While his scoring is commanding the headlines, it’s clear White has made strides to his all-around game. He had six assists against the Timberwolves as his passing continues to improve, and Boylen has been impressed with his effort defensively as well.
“That’s what I’m the most happy about,” Boylen said. “People talk about the thirty point games, those are great, we’ll take them. But for us to become the team we want to become, this year, next year, we’ve got to have guys that care about the defensive end of the floor. We’ve got to guard. And he’s committed to that. I’m really happy about that.”
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3. The Bulls are taking steps to educate players on the coronavirus.
As a part of their morning film session in Minnesota, Bulls coaches put on a video powerpoint from the NBA outlining some basic health tips to response to the coronavirus outbreak.
The NBA sent a memo to teams this week offering recommendations to players with hopes of decreasing the risks of getting the virus, which includes not taking items from fans seeking autographs and avoiding handshakes and high-fives from strangers.
“I think it’s important,” Jim Boylen said. “The video is about the basics, washing your hands and trying maybe not to have an open-hand touch. More knuckle bumps and all that stuff. It’s an issue that’s out there, the league’s on top of it.”
The rapidly spreading virus has not been a huge topic of discussion around the team recently, according to Boylen, but he figured it had been on the minds of his players, who have families to think about.
“I haven’t heard much concern from the players,” he said. "But I know they know it’s out there. What you think about in this situation is your parents. My mom is 83. My kids are 12 and 14. You think about those things more than yourself. And you hope people don’t get sick.”


chicagotribune--2020-03-04--Read the letter CPS officials sent to parents with coronavirus guidelines

Chicago Public Schools sent a letter to parents Tuesday saying the district has no plans to close , though officials @ @ @ @ @ variety of scenarios ” related to the coronavirus .
Read the letter below .

Chicago Public Schools sent a letter to parents Tuesday saying the district has no plans to close, though officials are preparing for “a variety of scenarios” related to the coronavirus. Read the letter below.


chicagotribune--2020-03-04--‘My only time with Alyssa now comes at a cemetery,’ says mom at hearing where Wheeling man gets 4-ye

‘My only time with Alyssa now comes at a cemetery,’ says mom at hearing where Wheeling man gets 4-year sentence for crash that killed her daughter

At trial , prosecutors said Grunin was driving south on Milwaukee Avenue and struck several cars in the southbound lanes @ @ @ @ @ mph in an attempt to flee .
At Hintz Road , he smashed into the @ @ @ @ @ vehicle , which was stopped for a red light .

Adam Grunin, of Wheeling, arrives at the Rolling Meadows Courthouse for his trial on Jan. 7, 2020. (Stacey Wescott/Chicago Tribune)
After listening to heart-rending statements Wednesday from the parents of a Mount Prospect teenager killed in a high-speed crash, a Cook County judge sentenced the 32-year-old driver who caused it to four years in prison.
Adam Grunin, who was convicted of reckless homicide in January, faced up to five years in the crash that killed Alyssa Lendino, 16, and seriously injured her father, Tony, and her then-12-year-old sister, Amanda.
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The jury in January also convicted the Wheeling man of aggravated reckless driving, a lesser felony. No illegal drugs or alcohol were involved in the accident, according to authorities, but Grunin was on medication to control epileptic seizures at the time of the July 21, 2018, incident.
Grunin could serve less than six months under state sentencing guidelines, which take into account, among other factors, the 534 days he spent on electronic home monitoring while he was awaiting trial.
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Michele Lendino, the mother of Alyssa and Amanda, read an emotional victim impact statement that brought tears to many in the crowded courtroom.
“My only time with Alyssa now comes at a cemetery,” Michele Lendino testified. “I stare down and talk to a headstone with her name on it. I have a hole in my heart that will never be filled.”
Alyssa Lendino was a popular student at Hersey High School, where she participated on the track, swim and bowling teams.
Grunin was portrayed by defense attorney Steve Weinberg as an upstanding citizen who has no criminal record and has never exhibited violent behavior.
The defendant sat quietly during the proceedings until Judge Joseph Cataldo asked him if he wanted to make any statements. With his hands trembling, Grunin, dressed in tan jail scrubs, addressed the court.
“There are no words to express how sorry I am for what happened,” Grunin said, reading from notes. “I pray every day for healing. I would never wish this pain on anyone.”
Cataldo said that Grunin’s actions were “an unintentional crime” but that he was driving his car at 107 mph, a speed that can kill.
“This is a lifelong trauma they (the Lendino family) will never get over because of the defendant’s actions,” Cataldo said.
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He denied Weinberg’s request for probation.
At trial, prosecutors said Grunin was driving south on Milwaukee Avenue and struck several cars in the southbound lanes before speeding to over 100 mph in an attempt to flee. At Hintz Road, he smashed into the rear end of the Lendino vehicle, which was stopped for a red light.
Michele Lendino was in the driver’s seat of the Chevy Equinox and was slightly injured. Tony Lendino was in the front passenger seat, and Amanda and Alyssa were in the rear seat.
Grunin’s car also struck a pickup truck making a left turn in the intersection before coming to rest.
Grunin’s defense team said he suffered an epileptic seizure that led to the crash and put on expert witnesses to bolster its defense. But the jury deliberated less than an hour before finding Grunin guilty.
At the sentencing hearing, Cataldo rejected a motion by prosecutors to deny Grunin credit for the 534 days he spent on electronically monitored home confinement pending trial.
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With the 54 days Grunin has spent in Cook County jail since his conviction, and the home confinement time, Grunin could serve less than six months in prison, since he is eligible for serving as little as 50% of his sentence under state sentencing rules.
Assistant State’s Attorney Mike Clarke cited previous cases in arguing that Grunin should not be allowed to claim credit for his 534 days on home monitoring.
“The defendant in this case should not get credit for electronic monitoring,” Clarke said.
Cataldo said state law was clear that Grunin should get credit for all 534 days and said it was a common practice that electronic monitoring and home confinement time are subtracted from a sentence.
Cataldo also said Grunin’s driver’s license will be revoked due to the convictions.
Michele Lendino declined to comment following the hearing.
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George Houde is a freelance reporter.


chicagotribune--2020-03-04--White Sox starter Dylan Cease has his fastball working, striking out 5 in 4 innings and hitting 98 m

White Sox starter Dylan Cease has his fastball working, striking out 5 in 4 innings and hitting 98 mph

“ It ’ s just throwing every day , feeling out your body , lifting , shoulder care , all @ @ @ @ @ , ” Cease said .
“ Basically I ’ m not doing anything different than @ @ @ @ @ it ’ s just I have that experience and I ’ m going to continue @ @ @ @ @ ”

PHOENIX — Dylan Cease struck out Brewers right fielder Avisail Garcia to lead off the second inning. Then he fanned Jedd Gyorko and Mark Mathias.
Three batters up, three batters down. All on strikeouts. Each swinging.
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“I was dotting down and away really good and I was throwing sliders off of that, so I was able to get ahead and put (them) away,” Cease said of the inning.
Cease had strong command of his fastball in Wednesday’s Cactus League game at American Family Fields of Phoenix. The White Sox right-hander allowed one run on three hits and struck out five in four innings.
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“That was probably the best I’ve ever commanded my fastball,” Cease said. “Really for most of the spring, my fastball command has been good, so it’s just a continuation of the process I’m working on.”
He threw 40 of his 58 pitches for strikes.
Before the game, manager Rick Renteria said the Sox hoped to get Cease through three or four innings, depending on his efficiency. Cease was very efficient.
The performance mirrored what Renteria has seen from Cease throughout spring training.
“He’s been commanding a lot better this spring, which we want to continue to see,” Renteria said before the game. “He’s been throwing the ball well.”
Dylan is dealin' pic.twitter.com/1t8wPGqa5T — Chicago White Sox (@whitesox) March 4, 2020
Wednesday’s outing was Cease’s second of the spring. He struck out three in two scoreless innings Feb. 23 against the Reds at Goodyear Ballpark.
After that outing, Cease credited his changeup, curveball and slider for the solid performance.
Wednesday was all about the fastball. According to the scoreboard, he clocked in at 97 and 98 mph on a couple of occasions. Cease noticed the numbers.
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“Every once in a while I’ll just see where I’m at,” he said. “I was happy with that, if that is correct.”
Cease’s confidence continues to build.
“Whenever I’m facing anybody in a big-league spring training game, they’re all good hitters,” he said. “But to get big-league guys out, that is definitely a confidence booster.”
He made only one mistake Wednesday, allowing a long home run to Keston Hiura over the center-field wall leading off the fourth.
“(It was a) hanging curveball — I think it was hanging, based on the way he hit it anyway,” Cease said with a laugh. “I don’t know for sure.”
One key this spring has been sticking to his process from some of his experiences in 2019.
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“It’s just throwing every day, feeling out your body, lifting, shoulder care, all the little things we do,” Cease said. “Basically I’m not doing anything different than I was last year, it’s just I have that experience and I’m going to continue to build on it.”
Cease went 4-7 with a 5.79 ERA in 14 starts as a rookie last season after joining the Sox from Triple-A Charlotte on July 3. He had 81 strikeouts and 35 walks in 73 innings.
The 24-year-old is one of the young talents the team is expecting to make strides.
Cease said the progression this spring is going well.
“I’m not lacking confidence by any means,” he said. “I’m not going out there super cocky thinking it’s going to be easy, but I’m happy with where I’m at.”


chicagotribune--2020-03-04--Two Waukegan teens charged with murder of man found shot in Maine Township

The 17-year-old was charged as an adult and denied bond during a March 4 hearing at the Cook County Courthouse @ @ @ @ @ .
Due to his age , he is being held in a juvenile detention center @ @ @ @ @ .

Two Waukegan teenagers have been arrested in connection with the shooting death of a man whose body was found on a residential street in unincorporated Maine Township last week, the Cook County Sheriff’s Office announced Wednesday.
The boys, who are 17 and 15, were each charged on March 3 with murder in the Feb. 28 shooting death of Hussein Damra, 20, of unincorporated Maine Township, the sheriff’s office said.
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The 17-year-old was charged as an adult and denied bond during a March 4 hearing at the Cook County Courthouse in Skokie, police said. Due to his age, he is being held in a juvenile detention center, according to the department.
The 15-year-old was charged as a juvenile.
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Sophia Ansari, a spokeswoman with the sheriff’s police department, said an investigation determined Damra was shot after he got into a car in the parking lot of XSport Fitness, 9210 N. Milwaukee Ave. in Niles, several blocks east of where his body was found.
Court records indicate Damra had been shot in the head.
Ansari said Damra was “involved in a narcotics transaction prior to the shooting.” He was then driven to the 9500 block of North Greenwood Drive, a circular block of single-family homes west of the Golf Mill Shopping Center, and left in the roadway, Ansari said.
Officers were called to the block shortly after 9:15 p.m. and Damra was pronounced dead at the scene, according to police.
Additional details about the shooting, including a possible motive, have not been provided by police.
The Cook County Sheriff’s office is handling the case and the Niles Police Department has not been involved in the investigation, said Niles Acting Police Cmdr. Anthony Scipione.
According to the Cook County Medical Examiner’s Office, Damra was a resident of the 8900 block of Lyons Street in unincorporated Maine Township, which is located several blocks southwest of where his body was found.
According to court records and the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office, Damra was arrested by Chicago police in 2017 on an armed robbery charge and pleaded guilty to theft last year in connection with that case. He was sentenced to 30 months probation, the state’s attorney’s office said.
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Damra briefly attended Maine East High School in early 2017, said Maine Township High School District 207 spokesman Brett Clark.
jjohnson@chicagotribune.com
Twitter: @Jen_Tribune
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chicagotribune--2020-03-04--Enrique Iglesias and Ricky Martin arena tour coming to Rosemont

Enrique Iglesias and Ricky Martin are teaming up for their first-ever arena tour .
Kicking off in Phoenix on Sept. @ @ @ @ @ hit venues all over North America through the end of October .
Latin newcomer Sebastian @ @ @ @

Enrique Iglesias and Ricky Martin are teaming up for their first-ever arena tour. Kicking off in Phoenix on Sept. 5, the two will hit venues all over North America through the end of October. Latin newcomer Sebastian Yatra will open.
The show will come to suburban Rosemont on Oct. 1 at Allstate Arena.
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Produced by Live Nation, the trek brings together two of Latin music’s biggest names, with more than a dozen hit singles between them. Iglesias is best known for the songs “Hero,” “Escape,” “Bailando,” “I Like It” and “Tonight.”
More recently, he notched Spanish language hits “Subeme La Radio” and “Duele El Corazon.”
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A new album by the singer is due out later this year.
Martin’s international smashes include dance-floor staples “The Cup of Life,” “Livin’ La Vida Loca” and “She Bangs.”
Recently released “Tiburones” will be included on his forthcoming 2020 studio album.
See the full list of tour dates below:
Saturday, Sept. 5: Phoenix, AZ, Gila River Arena
Sunday, Sept. 6: El Paso, TX, Don Haskins Center
Wednesday, Sept. 9: Edinburg, TX, Bert Ogden Arena
Friday, Sept. 11: San Antonio, TX, AT&T Center
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Saturday, Sept. 12: Houston, TX, Toyota Center
Sunday, Sept. 13: Dallas, TX, American Airlines Center
Thursday, Sept. 17: Los Angeles, CA, STAPLES Center
Tuesday, Sept. 22: San Jose, CA, SAP Center
Thursday, Sept. 24: Sacramento, CA, Golden 1 Center
Saturday, Sept. 26: Las Vegas, NV, MGM Grand Garden Arena
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Thursday, Oct. 1: Chicago, IL, Allstate Arena
Tuesday, Oct. 6: Boston, MA, TD Garden
Thursday, Oct. 8: Toronto, ON, Scotiabank Arena
Saturday, Oct. 10: Montreal, QC, Centre Bell
Wednesday, Oct. 14: Philadelphia, PA, Wells Fargo Center
Thursday, Oct. 15: Washington, DC, Capital One Arena
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Saturday, Oct. 17: Newark, NJ, Prudential Center
Sunday, Oct. 18: New York, NY, Madison Square Garden
Friday, Oct. 23: Miami, FL, American Airlines Arena
Thursday, Oct. 29: Orlando, FL, Amway Center
Friday, Oct. 30: Atlanta, GA, State Farm Arena


chicagotribune--2020-03-05--White Sox reportedly agree to a 5-year, $70 million contract extension with Yoan Moncada

When asked last week about the possibility of a contract extension , Moncada said through an interpreter : `` Honestly @ @ @ @ @ pay too much attention to that .
My focus is just on the game , @ @ @ @ @ the best position that I can be for the season and just work hard .
@ @ @ @ @ and where my focus is .
”

GLENDALE, Ariz. — Yoan Moncada had a breakout season in 2019.
And the White Sox reportedly have rewarded the 24-year-old third baseman with a five-year, $70 million contract extension.
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The deal, reported Thursday by Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic, includes a club option that could bring the total value to $90 million. According to the report, the contract potentially would buy out two free-agent years. And if the option is exercised, Moncada would be a free agent after his age-30 season.
3B Yoan Moncada in agreement with #WhiteSox on five-year extension with a club option, sources tell The Athletic. Dollars not yet known. Would potentially buy out two free-agent years. If option is exercised, Moncada would hit open market after age 30 season. — Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) March 5, 2020
The Sox did not make an announcement regarding the move Thursday.
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Moncada had career highs in home runs (25) and RBIs (79) and finished third in the American League with a career-best .315 average in 2019. He improved his average 80 points from 2018, the fourth-best jump in franchise history, while cutting his strikeouts from 217 to 154.
Source confirms: Moncada five-year extension is for $70M. Exercising of club option can bring total value to $90M. On it: @BNightengale. — Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) March 5, 2020
When asked last week about the possibility of a contract extension, Moncada said through an interpreter: "Honestly, I don’t pay too much attention to that. My focus is just on the game, prepare myself to be in the best position that I can be for the season and just work hard. That’s my goal and where my focus is.”
Later during the Feb. 25 interview with reporters, Moncada said he was comfortable with the Sox, adding: “I actually see myself on this team for a very long time.”
The Sox have locked up several members of their young core recently.
Last spring they reached a six-year, $43 million deal with left fielder Eloy Jimenez. They came to terms with center fielder Luis Robert on a six-year, $50 million deal Jan. 2. And they announced a five-year, $16 million extension with reliever Aaron Bummer on Feb. 22.
James Fox of the website FutureSox first tweeted Feb. 25 that discussions of a Moncada extension were underway. USA Today’s Bob Nightengale was first to report the amount of the deal.
The Sox acquired Moncada in the December 2016 trade that sent Chris Sale to the Red Sox. Moncada was the No. 2 prospect in baseball entering 2017 and joined the White Sox in July after starting the season with Triple-A Charlotte.
He hit .231 in 54 games in 2017 and .235 with 17 and 61 RBIs in 2018. Those numbers improved across the board in 2019 while Moncada made the move from second base to third.
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"He certainly improved on both facets (last season),” Sox manager Rick Renteria said on Feb. 15. "I thought his third-base play was really good after transitioning from playing second base the previous year. I know everybody was concerned. He was very solid there. He went through his offensive correction in terms of strikeouts and things of that nature.
“He’s a young man who has a tremendously high ceiling. He’ll be able to pop a ball out of the ballpark. He’s going to hit for a decent average over time, he’s going to walk. There’s nothing that he can’t do. He’s one of the five-tool players that we have on the club.”
Moncada came to camp with high hopes.
“My confidence level is very high right now after what I did last season,” Moncada said in February. “I’m sure I’m able to do big things and I feel good for this season and the expectations are high.”
Now it appears he has the contract to match it.