chicagotribune--2020-02-07--Lincoln Park High School local council says it was ‘completely blindsided’ by leaders’ removal but C

Lincoln Park High School local council says it was ‘completely blindsided’ by leaders’ removal but Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot says CPS has ‘done a good job’ handling alleged misconduct

“ CPS has been running point on this , I think they ’ ve done a good job , ” @ @ @ @ @ conference in the South Shore neighborhood to request that Chicago ’ s lakefront be declared @ @ @ @ @ They ’ ve made the notification .
They sent emails out to the parents .
@ @ @ @ @ on Monday .
I have very great confidence in CPS leadership , from the area @ @ @ @ @ Officer ) Dr. ( LaTanya ) McDade and ( CEO ) Dr. Jackson .
If @ @ @ @ @ that needs to be had , particularly if the LSC wants to meet with me @ @ @ @ @ to do it .
But I ’ m not going to tell them anything other @ @ @ @ @ already heard , which is that there was a series of serious issues at that @ @ @ @ @ be addressed for students ’ safety .
And that ’ s what we should be @ @ @

Eli Grant, an LSC community member at Lincoln Park High School in Chicago, talks to reporters regarding the changes in the administration at the school on Feb. 7, 2020. (Jose M. Osorio/Chicago Tribune)
Members of the Lincoln Park High School School Council say they were left out of the decision to remove top administrators and demanded more details from Chicago Public Schools officials.
“We’ve received no information. We were completely blindsided and left out of the process,” said David Marren, a parent and council member.
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A probe of alleged misconduct at the school has resulted in the removal or reassignment of several administrators and coaches and the suspension of the boys basketball season in recent weeks.
But members of the elected council, made up of parents, community members and teachers, were most upset about the sudden removal on Jan. 31 of interim Principal John Thuet and Assistant Principal Michelle Brumfield and the reassignment of Dean John Johnson pending multiple misconduct investigations at the school.
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Brumfield later confirmed to the Tribune that she was dismissed that day and placed on the district’s do-not-hire list. CPS has not confirmed whether Thuet also was terminated; the council said he has been but Thuet could not be reached for comment.
Thuet’s father-in-law, Mark Jochum, said Thuet has been “painted with a broad brush of key words like ‘misconduct.’ ”
“John put his heart and soul and dedicated his young life to make a difference in his community,” Jochum said in an email to the Tribune. “When he was given the opportunity to become a interim principal he passionately took the job and worked day and night to being the very best. ... Since the day of his dismissal John is in the state of shock not knowing why he was terminated and why Chicago Schools would ruin his reputation.”
Jochum said he flew in from Cleveland on Monday for the meeting at the high school. “I witnessed the outpouring of love for my son-in-law, from teachers, parents and students,” he said. “They know John Thuet, the John Thuet that I have known for 15 years.”
Local School Council member Eli Grant said they want more information about the three administrators’ roles in the handling of misconduct claims against students and other staff members.
“I think we need more information about that,” Grant said. CPS has “not said specifically what (the three administrators) did.”
What information has been provided, he said, is “incongruous with what we know about” the administrators.
“We have big statements (from CPS), and those are very concerning to us. We want to be part of the progress. … We’re 100% confident that, in what we know today, (the three administrators) are the right folks for school.”
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CPS officials announced Monday that four misconduct investigations were underway — that number has since grown to five — for a wide range of claims that include sexual misconduct, improper student discipline, dishonesty to families, allowing suspended employees to work, failure to create safety plans for students and interference with and withholding evidence from investigations, along with alleged sport recruiting violations and mismanagement of some sports-related accounts.
But students, parents and community members have decried the fact that officials generally haven’t specified who the claims are against.
Standing outside Lincoln Park High School, the council members and other parents said they don’t want the details of the alleged misconduct to become public but want further explanation for the staff removals.
Marybeth Jones, a parent and member of the Local School Council, read a statement saying the group wants to speak to Mayor Lori Lightfoot and CPS CEO Janice Jackson to hear what steps were taken that led to the departures and to plan for the school’s future.
“Lincoln Park has not been perfect, there have been security concerns and culture problems for years, but it’s a great school and since interim Principal Thuet, Assistant Principal Brumfield and Dean Johnson began, it was finally trending in a much better direction,” Jones said to a crowd of parents, students and reporters.
Lightfoot said later Friday she would “of course” meet with the Lincoln Park High School Local School Council, but added she wouldn’t likely be able to add much to the information they now know.
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“CPS has been running point on this, I think they’ve done a good job,” she said at a news conference in the South Shore neighborhood to request that Chicago’s lakefront be declared a federal disaster. “They’ve made the notification. They sent emails out to the parents. They held a town hall on Monday. I have very great confidence in CPS leadership, from the area chief to (Chief Education Officer) Dr. (LaTanya) McDade and (CEO) Dr. Jackson. If there’s more communication that needs to be had, particularly if the LSC wants to meet with me, I’m happy to do it. But I’m not going to tell them anything other than what they’ve already heard, which is that there was a series of serious issues at that high school that had to be addressed for students’ safety. And that’s what we should be doing.”
Lightfoot said she has been informed about the circumstance at the school and the steps CPS officials planned to take there in recent days, but that she did not offer input on those decisions.
Lightfoot called the situation described to her at the high school as “horrifying.”
“There’s a lot of things that were going on that involved student-on-student, that involved adult-on-student,” she said. “And there’s serious questions about whether the administration that was there acted in a responsible way, according to the policies and procedures that are set, first and foremost to make sure that our students are protected. ... Clearly, it’s a shocking thing to a school community, given the circumstances that unfolded, started last Friday. But in my view, based upon the information I had, it was absolutely necessary that CPS act, and act definitively, because students were being put at risk.”
CPS had scheduled a meeting with the members of the council this week, but it was rescheduled to next week amid changes within the council, according to an email from the district.
Friday morning, students streamed into the school after a chaotic week. Outside, one sign was left at the school’s fence read: “No Blame 4 Brumfield.”
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After a week of student sit-ins and walkouts and an emotional meeting with community members at Lincoln Park High, Thursday was marked by what school officials called a small numbers of altercations. Videos that circulated on social media showed at least two violent confrontations among students. The district said there were no serious injuries but that extra safety and student support measures would be brought in.
Created by the Chicago School Reform Act of 1998 to provide more neighborhood input to schools, local school councils have responsibilities that include approving how funds and resources are allocated, coming up with school improvement plans and selecting and evaluating principals. No experience or formal education is required to be on these councils, which are traditionally elected every two years but in some cases appointed. Most councils include six parents, two community representatives, two teachers, one non-teacher staff member and one high school student.
emalagon@chicagotribune.com
hleone@chicagotribune.com
jebyrne@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-02-07--Commentary: Our daughter isn’t eating mango quinoa salads just yet, but food therapy has helped our

Commentary: Our daughter isn’t eating mango quinoa salads just yet, but food therapy has helped our picky eater

Dilfer ’ s questioning helped develop her treatment strategy , but it also gave us more insight into Kate ’ @ @ @ @ @ some details from Kate ’ s history with fruit , Dilfer observed that she likely @ @ @ @ @ smell , which could be a reason for some of her aversions .
Her dislike @ @ @ @ @ with her taste profile : She favors “ savory over sweet.
” Most liberating , @ @ @ @ @ s message on fruit .
In a culture focused on healthy eating , a diet @ @ @ @ @ source of pressure and shame for Kate and us .
“ You don ’ t @ @ @ @ @ ” she said , noting that Kate can get essential vitamins in other foods .

The breakthrough bite took place about 30 minutes into treatment. My daughter Kate bravely raised a cracker to her mouth and, with little hesitation, took a bite. That cracker had cinnamon in it, a spice she hadn’t tried in years.
Most parents have struggled with picky eating children. But Kate, my funny, ordinarily easygoing 12-year-old daughter, is an extremely picky eater.
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She has never met a fruit she likes. She won’t sit next to someone eating bananas, blueberries or yogurt. And she’s so choosy about breakfast and lunch foods that for the past four years, she’s been drinking Ensure, a nutritional supplement, for those meals.
That’s what led us to seek the aid of Karen Dilfer, a Chicago-based occupational therapist who specializes in food therapy. There are many pediatric food therapists in the area who cover a wide range of issues — from infants struggling to swallow food, to preschoolers with sensory processing challenges, to teens with food-related anxieties — but Dilfer was one of a smaller subgroup of therapists who worked with kids similar to Kate: 7 to 18, often bright, well-adjusted, with no other special needs or medical issues.
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Also, Dilfer comes directly to your home. Jennifer Dean, a Northbrook mom of an extremely selective eater, told me therapy with Dilfer has been transformative. Her son, Quinn, started with only 10 foods on his list, now has 20, and recently had a breakthrough. “He ate a ham and cheese sandwich at Subway,” she said. “I was like, thank you, Lord.”
Occupational therapist Karen Dilfer, who specializes in food therapy, holds a mirror to Kate Schonwald, 12, as she tastes various foods during her second food therapy session in December. (Camille Fine / Chicago Tribune)
I, too, longed to hear Kate call me from Subway rapturous about trying a new sub. Last month, we tried food therapy: an evaluation and in-home treatment.
Kate isn’t eating mango quinoa salads just yet, but food therapy, even two sessions, was a great step for our family — and for reasons we never expected. Here are our most valuable takeaways:
Changes attitudes about picky eating
Instead of focusing on what Kate didn’t eat, Dilfer sought to understand why Kate has certain taste preferences, and then go from there. It was a glass-half-full view of picky eating.
Dilfer started with lots of questions — about goals, challenges, Kate’s likes, dislikes, former likes, turning points, hardships, even our family food history. Another Chicago food therapist, Lindsey Lieberman, described this part of her role as “food detective.”
Dilfer’s questioning helped develop her treatment strategy, but it also gave us more insight into Kate’s pickiness. After sharing some details from Kate’s history with fruit, Dilfer observed that she likely has a hypersensitive sense of smell, which could be a reason for some of her aversions. Her dislike of fruits is also consistent with her taste profile: She favors “savory over sweet.” Most liberating, though, was Dilfer’s message on fruit. In a culture focused on healthy eating, a diet without fruit has been a source of pressure and shame for Kate and us. “You don’t have to eat fruit,” she said, noting that Kate can get essential vitamins in other foods.
Food therapist Karen Dilfer, left, recommends pairing a new food with a liked, familiar flavor, using dips and spreads. Kate Schonwald and her dad, Josh Schonwald, try pairing crackers with peanut butter. (Camille Fine / Chicago Tribune)
When I confessed, almost shamefully, the details of my kid’s diet — pasta with cheese, pizza, hamburgers, Cheez-Its — Dilfer put a positive spin on it. Kate liked savory, had a protein-heavy diet, and was comfortable eating at restaurants. Even Kate’s ramen habit had an upside: “Noodles are a food group.”
The value of this positive attitude readjustment soon became clear. Our goal was to start in Kate’s food comfort zone, and then use a technique called “stretches,” so she could have positive experiences with new foods. By the end of our session, she had my wife and me excitedly brainstorming stretches with her: Ramen could be a gateway to udon or soba noodles; Kate’s love of cheese could be a motivator for exploration. Dilfer also injected a level of mind-expanding flexibility. “Ramen and salami for breakfast?” I asked. “Absolutely,” Dilfer said.
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Empowers a picky eater
Of all of her experiences with food, Kate says the worst happened at camp. Extra-anxious, away from home, surrounded by cabin mates at breakfast, her counselor pushed her to clean her plate and eat “more than bread.” She was shamed and embarrassed.
Dilfer made it clear that “clean your plate” should never happen in our house. And after meeting one-on-one with Kate, she presented us with a six-point list titled “Food Guidelines” and posted it on our refrigerator.
Kate, who created the “Food Guidelines” with Dilfer, pointed to No. 2 on the list: “No one can make you eat a new/different food.” The new guidelines gave Kate precisely what she wanted — she could refuse food and never had to eat more than she wanted.
Decades of research on children and feeding has found that pressuring children to “clean the plate” is bad for kids. Dilfer, who trained with Marsha Dunn Klein, a renowned food therapist and author of “Anxious Eaters, Anxious Mealtimes,” uses an approach that focuses on reducing anxiety around mealtimes by building trusting relationships and making mealtime a “safe place.”
Kate’s newfound power also came with new roles. Under the new order, she would play a bigger role in shopping, preparing and serving food. Even if she didn’t like a food, Dilfer encouraged us to give her a role, such as serving the salad. “Seeing other people enjoy the salad, even if she doesn’t like it,” Dilfer said, “that is a positive model for her.”
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At the end of her first treatment, Kate got a chance to cook whatever she wanted. She made pizza and mushrooms in a toaster oven.
Provides a toolkit and treatment plan
Dilfer demonstrated a method she called “redefine try it” on one of Kate’s biggest needs: breakfast foods. The method looked, at first, like a lab examination of a cracker. Dilfer guided Kate through several steps — she looked, touched, smelled and listened to the sound of the cracker. After each step, Kate was asked to describe what she thought the cracker would taste like.
It wasn’t until going through the pretasting process, gaining comfort and confidence at each step, that Kate actually tasted a cracker crumb. Although tasting just a crumb struck Kate as comical, that method has extraordinary success in palate changing, according to research.
Kate Schonwald tries a crumb of a cinnamon cracker during her food therapy session. (Camille Fine / Chicago Tribune)
After the crumb, Kate took a “mousebite,” and decided she didn’t like the cinnamon cracker. “If she says no to a food,” Dilfer said, “that’s fine. That’s her right. That cannot be the end of the story. You have to say, it’s OK, and keep presenting her with new options. That’s the art.”
The therapist recommends trying a combination method too. It’s pairing a new food with a liked, familiar flavor, using dips and spreads. When Kate found a chocolate cracker that she was just OK with, Dilfer encouraged her to try spreads. Hazelnut? Butter? Peanut butter? She kept saying “no.” Dilfer kept brainstorming. Finally, they stumbled on an approved option: chocolate and peanut butter on saltine crackers.
Dilfer’s final report gave us exactly what we wanted: ideas for foods that appealed to Kate’s tastes and responded to our worries about breakfast and lunch. It felt like the days of bulk shipments of chocolate Ensure were numbered.
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Her diet won’t completely change overnight, and it will require energy and patience, but Dilfer’s visit affected us more than expected. Learning more about Kate’s perspective, and thinking differently about our role in feeding her has already made us more thoughtful, creative and relaxed about food.
Josh Schonwald is a freelance writer.


chicagotribune--2020-02-07--Notre Dame announces 3 night games for 2020, including Wisconsin at Lambeau Field and Clemson’s visi

Notre Dame announces 3 night games for 2020, including Wisconsin at Lambeau Field and Clemson’s visit to South Bend

Notre Dame will play in five stadiums this year that were home to NFL teams in 2019 .
In addition @ @ @ @ @ , they will play Wake Forest at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte , N.C. @ @ @ @ @ , while their game at Georgia Tech will be played in the Falcons ’ home @ @ @ @ @ ’ s home stadium , Heinz Field , is shared with the Steelers , and @ @ @ @ @ the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum , also was the Rams ’ home stadium the last @ @ @

Notre Dame and NBC on Friday announced kickoff times for the 2020 home football schedule, including the Shamrock Series game against Wisconsin at Lambeau Field in Green Bay.
The Oct. 3 meeting with the Badgers at the home of the Packers is one of three games scheduled for 6:30 p.m. Central time starts. The Oct. 10 game against Stanford will kick off under the lights at Notre Dame Stadium, as will the most anticipated game of the season, Clemson’s first visit since 1979 to South Bend, Ind., on Nov. 7.
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The Tigers have played in four of the last five national championship games, winning two, and are likely to be the nation’s No. 1 team entering the 2020 season with quarterback Trevor Lawrence and running back Travis Etienne among their returning players.
Notre Dame’s Oct. 31 game against Duke in South Bend will start at 2:30 p.m., and the other three home games will start at 1:30 — Sept. 12 versus Arkansas, Sept. 19 against Western Michigan and Nov. 21 versus Louisville.
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Times and TV information for the remaining five games, including the season opener against Navy in Ireland, have yet to be announced.
The Irish will play Wisconsin again in 2021 on Sept. 25 at Soldier Field. The teams haven’t met since a three-game series in 1962-64.
Notre Dame will play in five stadiums this year that were home to NFL teams in 2019. In addition to the game at Lambeau, they will play Wake Forest at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, N.C., home of the Panthers, while their game at Georgia Tech will be played in the Falcons’ home, Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Pittsburgh’s home stadium, Heinz Field, is shared with the Steelers, and USC’s home, the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, also was the Rams’ home stadium the last four seasons.
Here’s the full 2020 schedule:


chicagotribune--2020-02-07--Super Snow Moon will take to the night sky this weekend

February ’ s full moon is most commonly known as the Snow Moon but has also been called Storm Moon @ @ @ @ @ Purnima , Magha Puja , the Mahamuni Pagoda Festival Moon , the Chinese Lantern Festival @ @ @ @ @ of Tu B ’ Shevat , according to NASA .

It’s a bird. ... It’s a plane. ... It’s a Super Snow Moon!
The second full moon of the year will appear this weekend, from Friday evening to Monday morning, reaching its peak in Chicago about 2:30 a.m. Sunday, according to Adler Planetarium astronomer Mark Hammergren.
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But this is no ordinary full moon.
February’s full moon is most commonly known as the Snow Moon but has also been called Storm Moon, Hunger Moon, Magha Purnima, Magha Puja, the Mahamuni Pagoda Festival Moon, the Chinese Lantern Festival Moon and the Full Moon of Tu B’Shevat, according to NASA.
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This year the Snow Moon will also be a supermoon.
A supermoon is a full moon that occurs during the moon’s closest approach to earth. That means this Super Snow Moon will appear about 7% closer and brighter, Hammergren said.
Chicagoans will see the Super Snow Moon rise about 4:30 p.m. Saturday, in the northeastern sky, right over the lake, according to Hammergren.
If we have clear weather, Hammergren said this will be a dramatic sight.


chicagotribune--2020-02-07--Review: Echos of Naha will draw fans to Kostali’s Mediterranean coast inspired menu

Given the restaurant ’ s coastal mission ( Kostali is the Maltese word for “ coast ” ) , one @ @ @ @ @ side of menu .
Beautifully bronzed skate wing , accompanied by in-house bacon and a @ @ @ @ @ vinaigrette , might have been magically whisked directly from Provence , were it not for @ @ @ @ @ on the plate .
A tranche of brioche-crusted black cod , above a mix of @ @ @ @ @ bursts of citrus , offers great flavor and superb balance .
Even the simple seafood @ @ @ @ @ and clams , over a ratatouille-inspired mix of tomatoes , zucchini , eggplant and Swiss @ @ @ @

Our Mothers' Feta Cheese Turnovers are phyllo triangles stuffed with kefalotyri, cottage and Mt. Vikos cheeses, dusted with zaatar spice mix and laid on a plate bearing smears of pumpkin puree and date molasses. (Erin Hooley / Chicago Tribune)
Carrie Nahabedian can keep insisting that Kostali “is not the new Naha,” but I bet the people behind The Gwen hotel restaurant would prefer that she keep mum on that subject.
Imagine how much buzz Kostali, which opened quietly around Thanksgiving, would generate if indeed it were Naha 2.0, referencing the restaurant that ran for 18 years in River North. Fans of chef Carrie, and her cousin and wine guru, Michael Nahabedian, have been awaiting the duo’s next act since Naha closed in 2018. (Brindille, the French restaurant the Nahabedians opened in 2013, is their main restaurant now.)
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But no.
“We had this opportunity to create Kostali for The Gwen, and that put the new Naha on the back burner,” Carrie Nahabedian said. “The biggest thing about Kostali is that I love the menu. We started with 100 items, and kept paring it down.”
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What remains at Kostali is a menu that has enough echoes of Naha that longtime fans will embrace it. There is, first of all, complimentary bread service, which Nahabedian has long espoused as the essence of hospitality. A basket of seeded fattoush and spiral tahini rolls, both house-made, arrive along with rustic bread sourced from Publican Quality Bread. Along for the ride is house-made butter, plus optional spreads of taramasalata, whipped feta or lentil with eggplant and labneh ($4 each).
The rest of the menu, executed by chef de cuisine Jose Valdez, takes its inspiration from the Mediterranean coast, a healthy amount of influence from the Nahabedians’ Armenian and Greek heritage, and a few more Naha echoes. One appetizer, Our Mothers’ Feta Cheese Turnovers, is a riff on a dish that once graced Naha’s menu, now conceived as a mashup of Carrie’s and Michael’s respective mothers’ recipes. The phyllo triangles are stuffed with kefalotyri, cottage and Mt. Vikos cheeses (the latter a Greek feta), dusted with zaatar spice mix and laid on a plate bearing smears of pumpkin puree and date molasses. It’s a yummy little four-bites-and-gone snack.
Oysters, another Naha staple, appear as a quartet topped with arctic char roe, tarragon, slivers of marinated leeks and celery, and a refreshing arak (anisette liqueur) sorbet. Hummus arrives light and velvety, alongside a sort of ragout of spiced ground lamb, raisins, currants and onion; the lamb adds fatty richness and a sweet undercurrent to the dish.
Lamb ribs are a popular, if inconsistent, dish. The first time I ordered them, the ribs were so fatty (though undeniably delicious) they overpowered the accompanying saffron- and aleppo-spiced yogurt. On a followup visit, the ribs were less rich, but more manageable.
Brioche-crusted black cod is served on a bed of flageolet beans, fennel and bursts of citrus. (Erin Hooley / Chicago Tribune)
Given the restaurant’s coastal mission (Kostali is the Maltese word for “coast”), one naturally turns to the seafood side of menu. Beautifully bronzed skate wing, accompanied by in-house bacon and a tangle of frisee with sherry vinaigrette, might have been magically whisked directly from Provence, were it not for the gently sweet Afghani raisins on the plate. A tranche of brioche-crusted black cod, above a mix of flageolet beans, fennel and bursts of citrus, offers great flavor and superb balance. Even the simple seafood pasta of garganelli, shrimp and clams, over a ratatouille-inspired mix of tomatoes, zucchini, eggplant and Swiss chard, sings.
On the meaty side is a Moroccan-style poussin with couscous, and a $65 rib-eye (at 16 ounces, easily shared) topped with blue cheese, herbs de Provence butter and roasted baby onions. I suppose a steak is an absolute must in a hotel restaurant, but this is really good.
Desserts are by Karen Gizowski, who worked previously at Naha and Brindille under the redoubtable Craig Harzewski, and again there are Naha echoes in such offerings as the cookie selection (which includes wonderful, date-filled ma-amoul cookies, among other regional treats). She also manages such globe-trotting dishes as kazandibi (a caramelized milk custard) topped with limoncello ice cream and huckleberries; and a dark-chocolate cremeux, plated with kataifi-topped custard and cinnamon ice cream.
The Basque cake sits on a bed of mascarpone, topped with halvah ice cream and sugar-cookie ribbons, and surrounded by Turkish apricots, pomegranate seeds and cake crumbles. (Erin Hooley / Chicago Tribune)
Best of all, however, is the Basque cake, elevated with a magazine-cover presentation; the rustic cake sits on a pillowy bed of mascarpone, topped with halvah ice cream and sugar-cookie ribbons, and surrounded by Turkish apricots, pomegranate seeds and cake crumbles.
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Michael Nahabedian’s wine selections are pulled almost entirely from the Meditteranean coast. Spain, France, Italy and Greece dominate the offerings, though there are some bottles from Portugal, Croatia, Slovenia and Morocco as well. You’re out of luck if you want a big Bordeaux, but gems, priced at $65 and less for the most part, are abundant.
The design, by yet another Nahabedian cousin, Tom (whose work at Brindille received a James Beard Foundation design award), segues seamlessly from the hotel’s lounge into an environment rife with coastal images, including a blue lava-stone topping the intimate, semicircular bar (with its own snacks menu, blue lighting accents and area rugs), and brass screens whose cutouts represent various coasts. Apart from one visit, when I was seated near a boisterous party of six (is there any other kind?), the noise level was gentle.
Service is well trained, and already shows good familiarity with the less-than-obvious wine list. Attentiveness was fine on my first visit, until about halfway through, when Michael Nahabedian spotted me in the dining room — at which point our yakking about the Cubs in 2020 threw our poor waiter’s timing for a loop. How do you serve the entrees when the boss is chatting at the table?
pvettel@chicagotribune.com
Kostali
521 N. Rush St.
312-645-1500
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kostalichicago.com
Tribune rating: ★ ★
Open: Dinner Monday-Saturday
Prices: Entrees $24-$39
Noise: Conversation-friendly
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Ratings key: ★ ★ ★ ★ outstanding; ★ ★ ★ excellent; ★ ★ very good; ★ good; no stars: unsatisfactory. The reviewer makes every effort to remain anonymous. Meals are paid for by the Tribune.


chicagotribune--2020-02-07--Review: ‘An American in Paris’ at Drury Lane is more than just a romantic stroll through the City of

Review: ‘An American in Paris’ at Drury Lane is more than just a romantic stroll through the City of Light

There are some caveats .
The Drury Lane can not fit a large orchestra , removing some of the pleasure @ @ @ @ @ , although the seven-piece pit band gives it a heck of a shot .
I @ @ @ @ @ Carey Deadman , the only trumpeter , and Jim Gailloreto , the only woodwind player @ @ @ @ @ must have gone home and collapsed .
I would say that Kurdziel-Formato and some of @ @ @ @ @ to larger spaces and there are spots here where things feel overplayed , as if @ @ @ @ @ letting the audience come to the material .
And , in the case of the @ @ @ @ @ , a very fine dancer , here is a performer with more to do to @ @ @ @ @ his American GI , Jerry Mulligan , will love and cherish the ballet dancer Lise @ @ @ @ @ .

“An American in Paris,” the 2015 Broadway musical based on the 1951 Hollywood movie featuring Gene Kelly and Leslie Caron hoofing along the banks of the River Seine, requires a big swing. It needs a set of grand ideas. It requires risk.
This is not a Disney musical where the show comes pretty much mapped out for a producing entity like the Drury Lane Theatre. This show, a hybrid of a book musical and a ballet, with much of the George Gershwin musical catalog shoehorned into the mix, really does have to be reinvented, narratively, every time.
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On Broadway, the show justly was acclaimed for its choreography by Christopher Wheeldon. His work does not come with the show. Drury Lane director Lynne Kurdziel-Formato and her New York and Chicago cast of 25 had to build everything here from scratch. Before I get to specifics, let me say that it is inconceivable that Drury Lane could have staged something of this level of ambition 20 years ago. I was there. In a era of so much retrenchment in the arts, your ability to find something like this in a suburb, down the road from a mall and with acres of free parking, in our shared Chicagoland community, is a reality to be treasured.
And never taken for granted.
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There are some caveats. The Drury Lane cannot fit a large orchestra, removing some of the pleasure of hearing this famous score, although the seven-piece pit band gives it a heck of a shot. I kept hearing so much of Carey Deadman, the only trumpeter, and Jim Gailloreto, the only woodwind player, that these two gentleman must have gone home and collapsed. I would say that Kurdziel-Formato and some of her out-of-town actors are used to larger spaces and there are spots here where things feel overplayed, as if there is a fear of letting the audience come to the material. And, in the case of the lead actor, Josh Drake, a very fine dancer, here is a performer with more to do to really make us believe that his American GI, Jerry Mulligan, will love and cherish the ballet dancer Lise Dassin (Leigh-Ann Esty).
It’s pivotal we pull for the lovers in a romantic comedy, especially since this one is structured so Lise has other choices in men, including the Frenchman Henri Baurel (Will Skrip) and the songwriter (and Gershwin stand-in) Adam Hochberg (Skyler Adams).
Esty, a young dancer who appears in the upcoming “West Side Story” movie, is magnificent. She’s deeply expressive, a rich and vulnerable communicator and quite a decent singer. Best of all, though, Esty has an innate understanding of how to make her character emblematic — of Parisians after the Nazi occupation, of the urban woman, of dancers throughout time. It’s an exquisite performance in the most crucial of all these roles. Then again, Adams is similarly rich and evocative and, while Skrip could dial things back a notch, he’s got the most spectacular voice. There’s a lot of talent on the stage.
The cast of "An American In Paris" by Drury Lane Theatre. - Original Credit: Handout (Brett Beiner / HANDOUT)
Overall, Kurdziel-Formato, a director who has worked mostly in Europe, takes a far darker tone than did Wheeldon in the technicolor Broadway original. You could conceive of “American in Paris” as offering audiences a romantic respite, but that is not what this particular interpretation is doing. Rather, throughout its ballets, it is playing with the idea of a citizenry suffering from a collective post-fascist, post-traumatic stress disorder, trying desperately to put their lives back together. I don’t mean to overstate that filter; if you love the film, you’ll find plenty of romance and joy here, but the gifted set designer Kevin Depinet and the costumer Karl Green clearly are exploring the contrast between the pluralistic Paris so many of us love and its fragility in the wake of the Nazis and their apologists.
The company of dancers is magnificent throughout and their achievement is all the more impressive given the limitations of a space that is not the easiest for ballet. No easy choices were made here. Not one. That’s why this show feels so innately powerful.
Chris Jones is a Tribune critic.
cjones5@chicagotribune.com
Review: “An American in Paris” (3.5 stars)
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When: Through March 29
Where: Drury Lane Theatre, 100 Drury Lane, Oakbrook Terrace
Running time: 2 hours, 35 minutes
Tickets: $60-$75 at 630-630-0111 or www.drurylanetheatre.com


chicagotribune--2020-02-07--Chicago woman charged with involuntary manslaughter after crash kills her spouse, injures state troo

Chicago woman charged with involuntary manslaughter after crash kills her spouse, injures state trooper

Camesia Miller ’ s actions unintentionally caused the death of Sindi Miller as the couple traveled on I-57 and subsequently @ @ @ @ @ two-vehicle crash , according to a news release from state police .
Following an autopsy @ @ @ @ @ County medical examiner ’ s office determined Sindi Miller died of multiple blunt force injuries @ @ @ @ @ her death was ruled a homicide .

Sophie Sherry, Katherine Rosenberg-Douglas

A Chicago woman has been charged with involuntary manslaughter following a crash that killed her spouse and injured an Illinois State Police trooper on Interstate 57 early Monday.
Family members still have questions about the death of 29-year-old Sindi Miller, known as CeCe to many.
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“Cece definitely didn’t deserve to have her life (taken) so unexpectedly,” said Sindi Miller’s aunt Jannice Hodge.
The accident happened about 2:30 a.m. Monday on northbound I-57, south of Maplewood Avenue, officials said. A 50-year-old state trooper was leaving the scene of a fatal crash when his squad car was cut off by a 2006 gray Nissan, whose driver lost control, according to state police.
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Sindi Miller was driving the Nissan and her spouse, Camesia Miller, 46, of Chicago, was the front-seat passenger. Camesia Miller has been charged with involuntary manslaughter, according to state police.
Camesia Miller’s actions unintentionally caused the death of Sindi Miller as the couple traveled on I-57 and subsequently caused their involvement in the two-vehicle crash, according to a news release from state police. Following an autopsy performed Tuesday, the Cook County medical examiner’s office determined Sindi Miller died of multiple blunt force injuries in the collision, and her death was ruled a homicide.
As of Friday, Camesia Miller was in state police custody but remained hospitalized as she recovered from injuries suffered in the crash. State police did not yet know when Camesia Miller will appear in bond bourt.
The trooper involved in the crash was taken Monday to Advocate Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn, where his condition was stabilized.
State police said Tuesday that two other people were in the car with Sindi Miller: a 31-year-old woman from Chicago who suffered injuries not considered life-threatening and a 25-year-old woman from Chicago who was not injured.


chicagotribune--2020-02-07--Lyric Opera review: A compelling case for ‘Madama Butterfly’

Long before doom befalls Cio-Cio-San , a delicate figure whom everyone calls Butterfly , it ’ s clear that little @ @ @ @ @ entanglement with U.S. Navy Lieutenant B.F. Pinkerton .
To Butterfly , he is a way @ @ @ @ @ life , her dream-come-true of all-American bliss .
To Pinkerton , alas , Butterfly is @ @ @ @ @ be used , then discarded .

Cio-Cio San/Madama Butterfly (played by Ana Maria Martinez), right, Sorrow (played by Graham Macfarlane, 5), and Suzuki (played by Deborah Nansteel) perform during the second act of Madama Butterfly. (Stacey Wescott / Chicago Tribune)
Yes, Puccini’s “Madama Butterfly” still can make you weep.
It wasn’t difficult to hear sniffles at the Lyric Opera House on Thursday evening as the grand old opera approached its inevitable conclusion, the title character paying the ultimate price for her lover’s sins.
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By reviving director Michael Grandage’s sturdy, visually spare production, Lyric enabled “Butterfly” to drive home its key points: the folly of blind love, the powerlessness of an impoverished girl, the tragic toll of romantic exploitation, the evils of colonialism.
Long before doom befalls Cio-Cio-San, a delicate figure whom everyone calls Butterfly, it’s clear that little good will come of her entanglement with U.S. Navy Lieutenant B.F. Pinkerton. To Butterfly, he is a way to escape a dehumanizing geisha life, her dream-come-true of all-American bliss. To Pinkerton, alas, Butterfly is but a passing fancy to be used, then discarded.
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Soprano Ana Maria Martinez was a fragile, vulnerable Butterfly, her sound not large but disarming in its delicacy. Though she was a bit generous with vibrato in her opening passages, she soon gained control of her instrument, making up in nuance what she occasionally lacked in power.
Martinez’s “Un bel di vedremo,” the most widely beloved aria in “Butterfly,” proved quite effective, thanks to the tenderness of her tone and ardor of her delivery. Better still, she portrayed Butterfly’s romantic self-delusion with heartbreaking conviction, showing what pure love and devotion are all about – even in the face of betrayal.
When Butterfly realized that Pinkerton had married and would take their child away, Martinez reached the high point of her performance, unbearable anguish apparent in her face, body language and vocal tone.
Tenor Brian Jagde did not overplay his hand as seductive villain, looking longingly at Butterfly as he wooed her, desperately as he watched her downfall. Jagde produced radiant timbre from his opening aria, “Dovunque al mondo,” his voice ample in tone and focused in pitch.
The production’s most appealing instrument belonged to Ryan Opera Center alumnus Anthony Clark Evans as Sharpless, Pinkerton’s friend and, in effect, the story’s conscience. Evans owns a deep, dark, all-encompassing baritone, which underscored his authority to hold Pinkerton accountable for his sins.
Mezzo-soprano Deborah Nansteel provided musical and dramatic counterweight to Butterfly as Suzuki, a servant who sees trouble ahead and palpably feels Butterfly’s pain.
Revival director Louisa Muller paced the proceedings briskly, a wise decision considering the tale’s familiarity. Henrik Nanasi was a nimble conductor, shaping graceful phrases from a Lyric Opera Orchestra that added considerable color and emotional urgency to the production.
Neil Austin’s lighting design, revived by Chris Maravich, reflected the production’s lean aesthetic, nowhere more eloquently than when dusk segued into dawn, as the second act led into the third. To witness Butterfly waiting all night for a lover who has abandoned her was to share this agony with her.
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Puccini’s score of course worked its charms, especially in the Act 3 trio for Pinkerton, Sharpless and Suzuki, their intertwining lines pushed forward by swelling commentary from the orchestra. Words were not necessary to understand their laments.
In the end, “Butterfly” reminds us that certain scores are timeless because of the composer’s craft and the story’s universality. So long as powerful men can exploit powerless women, “Butterfly” will be a contemporary tale.
3 stars
“Madama Butterfly” runs select dates through March 8 at Lyric Opera House, 20 N. Wacker Drive; ticket prices vary; 312-827-5600 or www.lyricopera.org.
Howard Reich is a Tribune critic.
hreich@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-02-07--Ex-Oriole chefs Tim Flores and Genie Kwon opening highly anticipated modern-Filipino restaurant Kasa

Ex-Oriole chefs Tim Flores and Genie Kwon opening highly anticipated modern-Filipino restaurant Kasama in late spring

The last time we saw Tim Flores and Genie Kwon , it was March 2018 , when the couple , @ @ @ @ @ and pastry chef at Oriole , were announcing their departure from the four-star restaurant , @ @ @ @ @ than “ a few ideas for conceptual development ” and “ being open to other @ @ @

Tim Flores and Gene Kwon will open Kasama restaurant in spring 2020 at 1001 W. Winchester Ave., the former home of The Winchester. (Kristen Mendiola Photography)
The last time we saw Tim Flores and Genie Kwon, it was March 2018, when the couple, respectively the chef de cuisine and pastry chef at Oriole, were announcing their departure from the four-star restaurant, with plans no more concrete than “a few ideas for conceptual development” and “being open to other projects.”
Now they’ve announced the upcoming opening of Kasama, a restaurant opening this spring/summer in the East Village, in the former home of The Winchester (1001 W. Winchester Ave.).
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The restaurant will be a dual concept, Flores and Kwon said, with counter-service breakfast and lunch (with an emphasis on Kwon’s pastries) and full-service dinner. The dinner menu, Flores said, will be “a modern take on Filipino-American food; the food I grew up eating.”
The name Kasama is a Tagalog word meaning “together” or “including,” Flores said.
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“We’re combining our concepts,” he said. “Genie’s pastries and my savory work. Dinner will be a la carte. We’re intentionally moving away from the fine-dining, tasting-menu model. We want to create a neighborhood restaurant, something more accessible. We met with the neighborhood association and introduced ourselves. Everybody was really open to the concept."
The space has room for 55-60 seats, and there’s an outdoor patio that can accommodate 45.
“So much of the infrastructure is already in place,” Kwon said. “Hopefully the cosmetic work won’t take too long; we hope to open late-spring to early summer, to catch the patio season. We’re really excited to get in there and start working."


chicagotribune--2020-02-07--Bribes, red light cameras and corruption: A detective’s string board breaking down the Martin Sandov

Bribes, red light cameras and corruption: A detective’s string board breaking down the Martin Sandoval investigation

With the guilty plea of former state Sen. Martin Sandoval , the onetime head of the Senate ’ s Transportation @ @ @ @ @ to be convicted in an ongoing corruption probe that has touched on a who ’ @ @ @ @ @ players , including a handful of other elected officials ; magnates in the construction , @ @ @ @ @ lobbyists ; transportation officials ; and Commonwealth Edison executives .
Prosecutors said the probe was @ @ @ @ @ but declined to discuss who else might be in their crosshairs .
To make sense @ @ @ @ @ the Tribune created a detective ’ s string board of key players and connections in @ @ @ @ @ filings and news reports .

Jason Meisner, Jemal R. Brinson, Chad Yoder

With the guilty plea of former state Sen. Martin Sandoval, the onetime head of the Senate’s Transportation Committee became the first person to be convicted in an ongoing corruption probe that has touched on a who’s who of state power players. Those have included a handful of other elected officials; magnates in the construction, asphalt and casino industries; lobbyists; transportation officials; and Commonwealth Edison executives. Prosecutors said the probe was “far from over” but declined to discuss where the investigation might be headed.
To make sense of the sprawling case, the Tribune diagrammed the relationships between the key players. Among the key players, only Sandoval has been charged. No others have been accused of wrongdoing.
Source: Court filings, news reports, Tribune reporting
Created by the Chicago Tribune Dataviz team. On Twitter @ChiTribGraphics
A headline from an earlier version of this story has been revised and an explanation added that only Sandoval has been charged.


chicagotribune--2020-02-07--Kris Bryant declines to discuss his service-time grievance with the Cubs amid trade speculation: ‘Yo

Kris Bryant declines to discuss his service-time grievance with the Cubs amid trade speculation: ‘You’ve got to tune out stuff that doesn’t benefit your day-to-day life’

Bryant , the 2016 National League MVP , likely will be the subject of trade speculation throughout spring training .
@ @ @ @ @ keep him at least through the middle of the 2020 season if they can ’ @ @ @ @ @ their liking .

A bout of the flu kept Kris Bryant from talking to reporters at the Cubs Convention three weeks ago.
But Bryant looked after Chicago-area reporters Thursday by declining to talk to Las Vegas media about the service-time grievance he lost that will prevent him from becoming a free agent until after the 2021 season.
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Bryant, however, was more forthcoming about trade speculation involving him and the Cubs, who might not be able to address several needs unless they move his $18.6 million salary.
[ Column: Now, Cubs fans brace for a Kris Bryant trade as Red Sox fans wail over Mookie Betts’ departure ]
“I tune everything out, especially in this world we live in now,” Bryant told the Las Vegas Review-Journal during a promotional event. “You’ve got to tune out stuff that doesn’t benefit your day-to-day life. I’m just focused on that every day. It sounds miserable.
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“I’ve been happy working out at such a beautiful place like this. I’m ready to get going. I’m playing baseball for a living. I can’t complain about anything.”
Bryant, the 2016 National League MVP, likely will be the subject of trade speculation throughout spring training. The Cubs could decide to keep him at least through the middle of the 2020 season if they can’t find trade compensation to their liking.


chicagotribune--2020-02-07--3 takeaways from the Bulls’ 125-119 loss to the Pelicans, including the Zion Williamson show and Ada

3 takeaways from the Bulls’ 125-119 loss to the Pelicans, including the Zion Williamson show and Adam Mokoka’s scoring barrage

They appeared lifeless for stretches against the Pelicans and are limping toward the All-Star break , having dropped four in @ @ @ @ @ played Thursday ’ s game without Denzel Valentine ( hamstring ) and Daniel Gafford ( @ @ @ @ @ players are expected to return in the next few days .
In each of the @ @ @ @ @ Dunn , including Friday night in Brooklyn , where he sprained an MCL on the @ @ @ @ @ have given up at least 125 points .

Bulls guard Zach LaVine has watched the end of the last three games from a place he is not accustomed to: the bench.
Each of those games has ended in a Bulls blowout loss, including Thursday’s 125-119 defeat against the Pelicans that never was as close as the final score indicated, leaving a frustrated LaVine to watch helplessly from the sideline.
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“It sucks. If you don’t make a game of it, you’re going to lose,” LaVine said. “It sucks not being able to play.”
The Bulls spent most of the last month masking over the injuries that have depleted their rotation and putting the bulk of responsibility on LaVine’s shoulders. But this team is starting to look every bit like a team missing four of its top rotation players and far from the playoff contention that was within its grasp just about a week ago.
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Here are three takeaways from Thursday’s game.
1. The Bulls are sputtering toward the break.
Reinforcements are not coming until, at the earliest, the end of the month.
That’s approximately when executive vice president John Paxson said he expects some of the Bulls’ most important players, such as Lauri Markkanen, Wendell Carter Jr. and Otto Porter Jr., to be able to return to the lineup. It’s why the Bulls did not make any moves before Thursday afternoon’s trade deadline, Paxson said, because injuries had hindered the organization’s chance to properly assess the roster.
But leave it to Zach LaVine to inject a little bit of reality.
“I don’t know, at the beginning of the year, we lost games and we had everybody,” he said.
Expand Autoplay Image 1 of 16 Pelicans forward Zion Williamson drives on Bulls forward Thaddeus Young during the first half. (Armando L. Sanchez / Chicago Tribune)
Indeed, the Bulls started 3-6 before Porter got injured. They navigated through the first two months with a nearly a full lineup (besides Porter, who has not played since November) and were below .500, struggling to continue any sort of positive momentum.
So while the idea is misguided that a fully healthy lineup is the cure to the Bulls’ problems, it’s also true the Bulls roster is overmatched right now.
They appeared lifeless for stretches against the Pelicans and are limping toward the All-Star break, having dropped four in a row. They also played Thursday’s game without Denzel Valentine (hamstring) and Daniel Gafford (ankle), although both players are expected to return in the next few days. In each of the three games since losing Kris Dunn, including Friday night in Brooklyn, where he sprained an MCL on the first play, the Bulls have given up at least 125 points.
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“I thought we weren’t not trying,” coach Jim Boylen said. “I thought they were better than us offensively.”
2. Zion Williamson brought his show to the United Center.
Perhaps the scariest thing for teams aiming to slow Pelicans rookie sensation Zion Williamson: He’s just getting started.
Thursday’s game was only the eighth of Williamson’s NBA career, and he is almost certainly not at 100% after missing the start of the season with a knee injury. Against the Bulls, the 19-year-old rookie was the most dominant player in the paint. He bullied and bulldozed past Bulls defenders. His athleticism appeared effortless, judging by how he leaped above the rim. His quickness seemed to defy logic.
Williamson led the Pelicans with 21 points on 9-of-11 shooting in just 25 minutes. He is shooting 57.4%, the best by a player in his first eight games since Hakeem Olajuwon in 1984-85 and the third-best by any player in the shot-clock era, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.
Zion Williamson is shooting 57.4% this season, the best by a player through 8 career games since Hakeem Olajuwon in 1984-85 (min. 100 attempts).
From @EliasSports, it's also the 3rd-best through 8 games by any player in the shot-clock era (min. 100 attempts). pic.twitter.com/yl4HKKF1TW — ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) February 7, 2020
The Bulls saw Williamson during the preseason for a game at the United Center, and they had no answer for him then. Thursday’s game was no different.
“He looked pretty much the same as that,” Zach LaVine said. “He’s explosive, he’s big. Once he gets to his spot, he can elevate over pretty much everybody, coming from a guy who knows how to jump. His strength is crazy for a 19-year-old because you see his figure. We did a good job in the beginning to contain him. He didn’t take a lot of shots, but he was effective.
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“He’s not even 100% right now, you can tell. So he’s an extreme athlete.”
3. Adam Mokoka’s scoring barrage gave fans something to cheer about.
Thursday’s game was all but decided by the time Bulls guard Adam Mokoka checked in late in the fourth quarter, but he at least gave the home fans something to get excited about with a memorable scoring flurry.
No player in the shot-clock era had scored as many points in so little time before Mokoka unleashed a 15-point barrage in five minutes Thursday, according to the Elias Sports Bureau. Mokoka knocked down all six of his field-goal attempts, including three 3-pointers, earning the adoration of the remaining crowd at the United Center, which serenaded him with a chant of “M-V-P.”
Mokoka had not scored in his first five NBA games, totaling 17 minutes, and then he put on a performance Zach LaVine compared to Tracy McGrady, who once scored 13 points in 33 seconds.
To make Mokoka’s moment even more memorable, he put on this performance in front of his mother, Rosette, who made the trip from France to watch the 21-year-old rookie play in the U.S. for the first time.
“Oh, that’s super cool. I’m glad that the fans, they’re happy for me,” Mokoka said. “To me that’s a blessing. And my mother, she just got here today, so to be able to score in front of her against this team and to make my first bucket in front of my mother, that’s really a blessing.”
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Here’s more coverage from Thursday’s game:
While the Bulls preach patience in the midst of the third season of their rebuilding process, the Pelicans accelerated their rebuild last summer. They ignited the process with a strong return in the trade that sent Anthony Davis to the Lakers, then they benefited from some lottery luck to land the No.1 pick in the draft, which they used to select phenom Zion Williamson.
The disparity between the rosters was on display during the Bulls’ 125-119 loss to the Pelicans on Thursday at the United Center. A late Bulls run made the score more palatable, but New Orleans led by 27 points at one point in the second half, forcing the Bulls starters to watch the closing minutes from the bench as the team dropped its fourth straight.
Williamson had his way in the paint, bulldozing past a shorthanded frontcourt with ease to score a Pelicans-high 21 points on 9-of-11 shooting in 25 minutes. The Pelicans were not met with much resistance all night by the Bulls, who are missing their top two defenders, Wendell Carter Jr. and Kris Dunn.
“We’re beat up, man,” said Bulls guard Zach LaVine, who finished with 22 points. “It’s hard for us to stay in some games right now. That’s how I felt, you get frustrated with it. And you should be frustrated. If you’re not frustrated, that means you don’t care. So, I hope everybody’s frustrated.”
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The Bulls defense has been their calling card most of the season, as they have hovered around the top 10 in defensive efficiency, but they were picked apart in their third game without Dunn. The Pelicans assisted on 38 of their 49 field goals and shot 56.3% from the field. They scored 72 points in the first half. By the end of the third quarter, they had 103 points, which led to some boos.
“They were just picking us apart,” LaVine said. “They were playing harder than us. They were running us. ... They play extremely fast; they took advantage of our matchups. Thad (Thaddeus Young) did a really good job on Zion, but we got to help him, too.”
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The Zo-Zion connection is ridiculous 🔥 pic.twitter.com/ju6TM64Obc — New Orleans Pelicans (@PelicansNBA) February 7, 2020
A late 23-4 run by the Bulls’ reserves, led by a spirited charge from guard Adam Mokoka, helped cut the deficit to four late before the Pelicans sealed the game. Mokoka scored 15 points in five minutes, making all six of his field-goal attempts. No player in the shot-clock era had scored that many points in so little playing time, according to the Elias Sports Bureau. The 21-year-old rookie from France had not scored in 17 minutes of NBA action in five games entering Thursday.
It provided a brief bright spot for the Bulls on a day earlier defined by their inaction. They did not make a move before Thursday’s trade deadline because the organization did not believe it could properly evaluate its roster with so many injuries.
The Bulls have implored their players to hang on until they get back to full strength, which the organization hopes will be near the end of the month. Until then, perhaps they can draw inspiration from the Pelicans.
Although New Orleans also finds itself on the outside of the playoff race in the Western Conference, the Pelicans navigated through most of their season without Williamson and now look like a team with a bright future and a full, healthy lineup that appears to be clicking.
“My thought on that is we just keep practicing, we keep working at it, we keep looking at our mistakes and growing,” Bulls coach Jim Boylen said. “That’s the only way to survive is to evaluate how you play, fix what you can work at it and move forward. I don’t think there’s any secret sauce to it or secret remedy.”


chicagotribune--2020-02-07--Musician talks about getting stabbed on Red Line: ‘I was bleeding out everywhere. I just lit a cigar

Musician talks about getting stabbed on Red Line: ‘I was bleeding out everywhere. I just lit a cigarette, sat on a bench and watched her destroy my (stuff)’

Malinowski said he was performing at the Jackson station , 230 S. State St. , around 1:35 pm Tuesday when @ @ @ @ @ amplifier .
Then she started to push him and pull at his hair and tried @ @ @ @ @ subway tracks .
Malinowski said he pushed back at Johnson , trying to create space @ @ @ @ @ continued pursuing him , prosecutors said .

Sophie Sherry, Rosemary Sobol, William Lee

Busker Michael Malinowski jams for CTA Red Line commuters at the State and Lake subway station in 2017. He was stabbed while performing this week. (Antonio Perez / Chicago Tribune)
Michael Malinowski, known as “Machete Mike” to riders of the Red Line where he regularly plays guitar, had just been stabbed by a woman angry his music was giving her a headache. Now she was tossing his guitar onto the tracks at the Jackson stop.
"I was bleeding out everywhere,” Malinowski said. “I just lit a cigarette, sat on a bench and watched her destroy my s---.”
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The woman, Barbara Johnson, was quickly arrested after the Tuesday attack -- for at least the 43rd time in her life. Malinowski was taken to Northwestern Memorial Hospital for a cut to his left arm.
Malinowski, 26, said Thursday he is recovering but it will be a while before he is able to play again.
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“It’s one thing to get beat up or robbed, but at this point, I feel like I got robbed in the worst way,” he said. “She essentially destroyed my arm and that’s my whole livelihood. That’s the whole reason I even have a career.”
The attack was the second in two days on a CTA train. On Wednesday, a 30-year-old man was shot in the back by a gunman as a Blue Line train pulled into the UIC-Halsted stop. The victim was taken to nearby Stroger Hospital, and a suspect was arrested within hours. Like Johnson, he has an extensive arrest record.
Barbara Johnson (Chicago Police Department)
Johnson, 38, of Blue Island, told officers she began attacking Malinowski because the music was giving her a headache, according to police records. She was charged with aggravated battery with a deadly weapon, aggravated battery in a public place and criminal damage to property.
Her court-appointed attorney said she suffered from “mental health illnesses” but a judge denied her bail, calling her a “clear and present danger to the community.” Court documents show Johnson has more than 40 arrests on her record, many of them for battery and resisting arrest.
Malinowski said he was performing at the Jackson station, 230 S. State St., around 1:35 pm Tuesday when Johnson approached and unplugged his amplifier. Then she started to push him and pull at his hair and tried to shove him onto the subway tracks. Malinowski said he pushed back at Johnson, trying to create space between them, but she continued pursuing him, prosecutors said.
Malinowski said he swung at Johnson repeatedly to free himself from her grip. When she appeared in court Thursday, she had a black right eye.
Interim Chicago police Superintendent Charlie Beck said Thursday there “may have been some mental illness involved,” and added that it raises some tough questions for police.
“I think this also brings up a really serious issue that faces Chicago and other major cities in the United States, which is the incidence of violence connected to mental health," he said. “How do we address that and what are the big systems we need to put in place.”
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Johnson was charged with aggravated battery to a peace officer in 2005, aggravated battery causing great bodily harm in 2012, aggravated battery to a peace officer in 2014, resisting a peace officer in 2017, and misdemeanor battery in 2017. She was cited for disorderly conduct on the CTA in 2010, records show.
Beck said he planned to meet with officials Friday about deploying more police on CTA lines.
Meawhile, Malinowski’s sister has launched a GoFundMe page to help her brother raise money for new equipment. The page had raised more than $4,700 as of early Friday. He was shocked his sister did that, but said he needs the help.
Malinowski is due to release a second EP, titled “Stations Creation,” sometime soon. Like his first EP, “Tales of The Tunnels,” it will feature music he wrote while working in the subway.


chicagotribune--2020-02-07--Nurse practitioners have nearly tripled in Illinois, where they can now practice independently. Some

Nurse practitioners have nearly tripled in Illinois, where they can now practice independently. Some even use the title ‘doctor.’ Should you be worried?

But the profession ’ s growth has come with controversy .
Some doctors groups are concerned medical providers are using @ @ @ @ @ at the expense of patient care .
Nurse practitioners , they say , are not @ @ @ @ @ to identify certain conditions and may miss important red flags .
And they ’ re @ @ @ @ @ ve earned their doctorate degrees in nursing practice use the title “ doctor , '' @ @ @ @ @ patients .

Elizabeth Hug had a choice: wait months to see a doctor to treat her fibromyalgia or visit a nurse practitioner in the same office immediately.
The Joliet resident decided sooner was better than later. She liked the nurse practitioner, Christopher Galloway, so much that she continued to see him, even when he went into private practice in Crest Hill. He was caring, accessible and a good listener, she said.
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Hug, her husband and two teenage children now visit Galloway regularly — instead of a primary care doctor.
“It’s kind of a different experience,” Hug said. “They just seem to know how to talk to people differently.”
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It’s an experience that’s becoming increasingly common, as the number of nurse practitioners in Illinois skyrockets, and some begin to work independently of doctors under licenses that became available in June. More nurse practitioners can mean more access to care amid a national shortage of primary care physicians. Nurse practitioners can handle many of patients’ most common complaints, but at a lower cost, their supporters say.
[ Northwestern Memorial Hospital plans to spend $78 million on project to relieve overcrowding in its ER ]
But the profession’s growth has come with controversy. Some doctors groups are concerned medical providers are using nurse practitioners to cut costs at the expense of patient care. Nurse practitioners, they say, are not as well trained as doctors to identify certain conditions and may miss important red flags. And they’re particularly troubled some who’ve earned their doctorate degrees in nursing practice use the title “doctor," which could be confusing for patients.
Illinois has more than 12,000 nurse practitioners, up nearly threefold from 2012. A nurse practitioner is a type of advanced practice registered nurse, which is a nurse with additional training, education and certification. They’ve long been providers at many urgent care clinics, but are increasingly showing up in primary care, specialty practices and hospitals. More than 400 Illinois advanced practice registered nurses have licenses to practice independently of doctors under a state law passed in 2017.
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Christopher Galloway, a nurse practitioner, works with nursing student Desiree Hilborn, right, as they examine Elizabeth Hug, at Elemental Care center in Crest Hill. (Zbigniew Bzdak / Chicago Tribune)
After becoming registered nurses, nurse practitioners must have master’s degrees in nursing and at least 500 direct patient care hours to be nationally certified, while medical doctors go to four years of medical school and spend at least three years getting hands-on experience as residents. Some specialists do more.
Nurse practitioners, nurse anesthetists and nurse midwives — which are all types of advanced practice registered nurses — earned a median of $113,930 a year in 2018, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Doctors and surgeons earned a median of $208,000 a year.
In 2017, Illinois Gov. Bruce Rauner signed a bill allowing Illinois nurse practitioners who meet certain requirements to work without a formal relationship with a doctor, though they still can’t prescribe certain medications, such as opioids, without a doctor and they can’t sign death certificates.
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[ Plan to build new $240 million Provident Hospital put on hold after ouster of Cook County Health CEO ]
Twenty-two states allow nurse practitioners to work with total independence from doctors in their own practices, and 16 states, including Illinois, allow independence with some restrictions, according to the American Association of Nurse Practitioners.
To practice without an agreement with a physician in Illinois, advanced practice registered nurses must have an additional 250 hours of continuing education and at least 4,000 hours of clinical experience after attaining national certification.
The American Medical Association opposes legislation to allow nurse practitioners to work independently, saying in a statement they’re "valuable members” of physician-led health care teams, but “not a substitute for physicians.”
“Patients’ best interests are optimally served when they are treated in a physician-led team-based model of care,” the association said.
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Nurse practitioners are taking on roles doctors have filled in the past. For example, Edward-Elmhurst Health in the western suburbs decided in November to lay off about 15 of its urgent care doctors and instead use nurse practitioners, sources said.
Edward-Elmhurst spokesman Keith Hartenberger said in a statement that any advanced practice clinicians, such as nurse practitioners, will work under a doctor’s supervision. He declined to confirm the number of people affected, but said the decision to "move to a team model” was driven by “feedback from our patients that they are looking for a lower-cost alternative for walk-in care.”
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Most of the care provided at Edward-Elmhurst’s immediate care clinics is for low-level conditions such as sore throats, earaches and urinary tract infections, Hartenberger said.
“These visits are well within the scope of an advanced practice clinician’s license, and this model is being used by other centers throughout the nation,” he said.
Edward-Elmhurst is working with those affected by the change to find “alternative placement,” Hartenberger said.
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Physicians for Patient Protection, a national group that advocates for physician-led care, has criticized Edward-Elmhurst’s plans, saying they’re emblematic of a bigger problem.
Health systems “see these nurse practitioners and physician assistants as a cheaper labor force and have totally disregarded patient safety in the name of saving dollars,” said Dr. Amy Judice Townsend, a board member of Physicians for Patient Protection who practices in Texas. “There are a lot of things that come in that are routine, but some things … you have to have clinical experience to recognize it’s not something that’s just run-of-the-mill.”
A 2014 study published in the journal JAMA Internal Medicine found advanced practice clinicians ordered more medical imaging tests for patients than primary care doctors.
Dr. Amber Price, who has a Chicago practice, Willow Pediatrics and Lactation, said she’s seen patients who were misdiagnosed by nurse practitioners. One child she saw early in her career had a serious problem that required hospitalization, but had been diagnosed with pink eye by a nurse practitioner, she said.
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“Doctors make mistakes, but we don’t miss obvious things,” said Price, who is a member of Physicians for Patient Protection.
Doctors groups have similar concerns about physician assistants, who perform many of the same tasks as nurse practitioners but have different training and education. But there are far fewer physician assistants in Illinois than nurse practitioners, about 3,700. Physician assistants’ education is modeled on medical school curriculum while nurse practitioners’ education is in nursing.
Physicians for Patient Protection also worries about confusion caused by nurse practitioners who use the title “doctor” because they’ve earned doctorates in nursing practice. Though the title is technically correct, some physicians worry patients will assume all who use it are medical doctors.
“It’s deceptive to patients,” Townsend said. “Patients, when they’re introduced to someone as a doctor in a clinical setting, are assuming the knowledge base is in clinical practice and that’s not the case."
It’s a issue that could become more prevalent now that the National Organization of Nurse Practitioner Faculties, which acts as a resource for nurse practitioner education programs, wants to see all nurse practitioner programs offer doctorates of nursing practice by 2025.
Nurse practitioners point out that the initials after their names show their credentials, such as APRN, and Illinois law requires those who use the title “doctor" to “clearly state” they’re not medical doctors. The law also prohibits advanced practice registered nurses from using the titles “doctor” or “physician” in advertising.
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Galloway, the Crest Hill nurse practitioner who’s been treating Hug for years, said he uses the title “Dr.” because, like medical doctors and many professors, he earned the highest degree in his field. If anything, he said, medical doctors should be called physicians, not doctors, to clear up any confusion.
Nurse practitioners say fears about the quality of care they provide are unfounded.
“Nurse practitioners have been providing care for over 50 years and we’ve got 50 years of data that reinforces the fact that nurse practitioners are educated and trained to provide the care in these settings,” said Sophia Thomas, president of the American Association of Nurse Practitioners.
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When advanced practice nurses are involved in emergency and critical care, patients have shorter stays, shorter waits for consultation or treatment, and improved mortality rates, satisfaction and cost savings, according to a 2017 review of 15 studies published in Human Resources for Health. A 2014 study in the journal Nursing Outlook found states that allow nurse practitioners to practice without a doctor’s supervision have lower hospitalization rates and better health outcomes.
Nurse practitioners are also often the most viable option for patients because of the shortage of doctors, Thomas said. As baby boomers age, the U.S. will have a shortage of primary care doctors, with anywhere from 21,100 to 55,200 too few by 2032, according to the Association of American Medical Colleges.
There are still far more doctors in the U.S. than advanced practice registered nurses — 756,800 compared with 240,700 nurse anesthetists, nurse midwives and nurse practitioners in 2018, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
But the number of advanced practice nursing jobs is expected to grow 26% between 2018 and 2028, much faster than the average growth rate of 7% for doctors, according to the bureau.
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Many people decide to become nurse practitioners instead of doctors because they’re already registered nurses who want to build on their educations rather than start over, because they’re attracted to nursing or because going to medical school takes longer and costs more than earning a master’s degree in nursing, said Susan Swart, executive director of the Illinois Society for Advanced Practice Nursing.
“Physicians understandably are concerned about this change, but I think the reality is it is a supply and demand issue,” said Hazel Seabrook, a managing director at consulting firm Huron, who’s worked as a nurse. “There aren’t going to be enough primary care physicians or physicians, period, in the coming years, so what do we do as a health care system to plug the gap?”
About 19% of consumers surveyed said they had trouble scheduling a new patient visit with a primary care physician in the last year, according to a national survey of 1,500 people conducted last year by the Texas Medical Center Health Policy Institute. City dwellers had a tougher time, with 32% saying they had trouble scheduling an appointment, though that may have had to do with insurance issues rather than a shortage of doctors.
Providers who rely on nurse practitioners are also reacting to cost pressures, Swart said.
“Everybody is challenged to provide the best care they can at the best cost savings,” Swart said. “If they have the ability to free up physicians to provide care for more complex patients, then utilizing an advanced practice registered nurse in those voids makes a lot of sense.”
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The lower cost of nurse practitioners is part of the reason Midwest Express Clinic relies heavily on them at its 17 locations in Illinois and Indiana, said Kaitlyn Steinberg, director of clinical operations at the company and a family nurse practitioner. Midwest Express has physicians at a few of its locations.
“We’re able to provide more affordable prices for our patients without sacrificing the quality of care," Steinberg said.
Dr. Daniel Weissbluth, whose pediatric practice has three offices in Streeterville, the South Loop and Bucktown, has eight pediatricians and five nurse practitioners. He’s long had nurse practitioners, who do well-child and sick-child visits when pediatricians are unavailable, or when parents simply prefer to see them over the doctors.
“Many patients choose to see nurse practitioners because their clinical skills and communication skills are very good, and they like that person,” Weissbluth said. “If at any point they ever feel that they’re unsure of the best course of action, there’s always a pediatrician there who can work with them and guide them.”
Most doctors expect to see fewer patients in coming years as the number of nurse practitioners grows, according to the Texas Medical Center Health Policy Institute survey. Some of the apprehension toward the spread of nurse practitioners may come from doctors who “resent people coming into their turf,” said Dr. Mark Werner, a director with consulting firm the Chartis Group.
“I think they sometimes see nurse practitioners as additional competition for their patients,” Werner said.
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Galloway, the Crest Hill nurse practitioner, wants to see the state allow nurse practitioners even more independence. Doing so would expand patients’ access to care, he said.
“I wish it wasn’t such a political battle between ourselves and doctors. We really need to be working together,” Galloway said. “There are enough patients to go around.”
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lschencker@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-02-07--Forced to find higher-rent apartment, behind on medical bills, 72-year-old West Side street vendor k

Forced to find higher-rent apartment, behind on medical bills, 72-year-old West Side street vendor keeps selling corn in winter: ‘I’m not the only one’

Out of about 12 paleteros who sell her ice pops as contract vendors , Rios said , nine of them @ @ @ @ @ .
The majority of the paleta men from Paletería Los Magos , 1700 W. 19th @ @ @ @ @ immigrants , said owner Norma Ayala .
Since she opened 30 years ago , most @ @ @ @ @ her paletas as independent vendors have been seniors in the country illegally who can not @ @ @ @ @ to age or illness , Ayala said .

Street vendor Arnulfo Tovar boils ears of corn for elotes to sell from his food cart near the National Museum of Mexican Art on 19th Street in Chicago on Jan. 31. 2020. (Terrence Antonio James / Chicago Tribune)
For nearly three decades, Arnulfo Tovar saved enough money selling corn on the streets of Pilsen each summer to pay his rent during the winter months. This year it was not enough.
[ Para leer en Español, haga click aquí ]
In December, the now 72-year-old was forced out of his longtime apartment. He had to move into a new one for which he pays nearly double the rent, leaving him with no other option than to continue selling outside, despite the cold weather and his deteriorating health, he said.
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Tovar has been caught up in a more than two-decade process of gentrification in the West Side neighborhood. His fellow street vendors, or eloteros, are a staple of the Mexican American neighborhoods in Chicago, and many of them, like Tovar, face an uncertain future because of their immigration status, their advanced age and complex regulations that often hamper their ability to make a living.
“I need to find a way to make some money because otherwise, I don’t know how I would survive,” said Tovar, who is missing most of his front teeth and can no longer see from his right eye because of diabetes and cataracts.
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He sets up a small, old grill next to his cart to keep himself and the corn warm. In recent months, Tovar said, there’s been days when he makes almost $40, but other times he only sells one or three elotes, making about $12 a day.
Regardless of it all, he must continue working.
Street vendor Arnulfo Tovar, left, who sells food from a cart near the National Museum of Mexican Art on 19th Street in Chicago, gets a hug from a customer Dinorah Gomez, on Jan. 31. 2020. Gomez works in the Back of the Yards neighborhood but came to Pilsen to buy from Tovar because she learned on social media about his financial struggles. (Terrence Antonio James / Chicago Tribune)
Entangled in a series of low-wage jobs his whole time in the United States because he is living in the country without legal authorization, Tovar was never able to save enough money to retire. And he does not qualify for health insurance or public aid.
He spent his last $2,000 in savings to move into his one-bedroom basement apartment, for which he pays about $800 a month, after his old building was slated for renovation. He had never paid more than $500 since he moved to Pilsen.
“And it was because I know the owner of the building and he was compassionate,” said Tovar, in Spanish. “Otherwise, I don’t know what I would have done because there’s nothing else I can afford.”
When Tovar immigrated to Chicago from Puebla, Mexico, in 1977, leaving his family behind, he had dreams of working to save enough to open a restaurant and eventually return. He said he settled in the Pilsen area because he was attracted and welcomed by the culture of Mexican immigrants already there. Today, the changes in the neighborhood mean much of that culture is at risk.
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“Eloteros like Don Arnulfo are some of the last ones standing who make up the essence of Latino communities like Little Village and Pilsen, which are now drastically changing,” said Leone Jose Bicchieri, executive director of Working Family Solidarity, an organization that advocates for affordable housing.
In 2017 Tovar approached Bicchieri for guidance on housing, translations and other documentation because Tovar can’t read or write.
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Street vendor Arnulfo Tovar boils ears of corn for elotes to sell from his food cart near the National Museum of Mexican Art on 19th Street in Chicago on Friday, Jan. 31. 2020. He continues to sell during the winter despite his old age and the cold weather because he has no other way to pay for food or rent. (Terrence Antonio James / Chicago Tribune)
“These street vendors are immigrants that have lived in these neighborhoods for decades, who made the community and they are at risk of being homeless because they are often overlooked,” Bicchieri said.
Like the nearly 2,000 street vendors who sell elotes, tamales and fresh fruit, most concentrated in the South and West sides of the city, Tovar only speaks Spanish. The majority of them are immigrants and more than 30% of them are 55 years and older, according to a 2015 study by the Illinois Policy Institute.
About 10% of vendors are 65 years and older, said Martin Unzueta, the executive director of Chicago Community and Worker’s Rights. Unzueta has worked with street vendors for more than a decade in the Street Vendors Association of Chicago advocating for the rights and just policies for eloteros and tamaleros, who regardless of legalities, make up the strong visual culture of some predominantly Latino neighborhoods.
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“They must find a way to continue selling because they are in extreme need,” and the majority are “undocumented,” Unzueta said.
When Tovar decided to become an elotero, he hoped to kick-start his goal of becoming a small business owner. Now, it’s pure survival mode.
In 2010, Tovar separated from his wife and lost all his savings in a business venture that failed. Since then, he hasn’t been able to get back on his feet. Over the years, his health has deteriorated and he spent most of his money on medicine, food and rent. And although he filed federal taxes every year, he does not qualify for Social Security benefits.
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Just last year he lost the sight in his right eye because he didn’t have the money to have his sarcoma treated, he said. Last month he found himself with no money after paying to move when he was evicted.
“I’m not the only one" going through this, Tovar said. “I’m sure some of my colleagues are suffering to get through the winter with little or no money.”
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Selling corn, fruit, tamales or the ice pops known as paletas is a common way for seniors without the ability to work legally who cannot get another job to earn money, said Dolores Castañeda, a research assistant at the University of Illinois in Chicago currently working on an investigation about the way precarious work affects the health of seniors who lack the legal ability to work in the United States.
Some have the support of family, but many do not, she said. There are seniors who make food, sew clothes, sell gum, and even clean homes to try to make some money, Castañeda said.
Street vendor Arnulfo Tovar waits for customers at his food cart near the National Museum of Mexican Art. (Terrence Antonio James / Chicago Tribune)
Up until last winter, Ananias Ocampo, 75, sold cheese from door to door while using a walker. During the summer he sold ice cream seven days a week at 18th and Paulina streets.
When Marta Rios, owner of Cafe Emmanuel, 1915 W. 19th St., who provided Ocampo with the cart and supplied the ice cream, noticed the man’s pain and struggle, she called for the community’s support. They raised more than $10,000 and Ocampo now is being treated for his severe arthritis, said Hilda Burgos, a community activist who has helped to care for him.
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Out of about 12 paleteros who sell her ice pops as contract vendors, Rios said, nine of them are seniors without legal status. The majority of the paleta men from Paletería Los Magos, 1700 W. 19th St., are also older immigrants, said owner Norma Ayala. Since she opened 30 years ago, most of the vendors who sell her paletas as independent vendors have been seniors in the country illegally who cannot get a job elsewhere due to age or illness, Ayala said.
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“It is heartbreaking to see these grandparents out in the street, barely able to walk, still working,” Castañeda said. “The reality is that unfortunately, there are absolutely no resources for them and some end up dying alone.”
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Even as Tovar struggles to pay the rent, sales have drastically decreased because of the changing makeup of his neighborhood and other parts of the West Side. Once an epicenter of Mexican American families, Pilsen for years has been transitioning to being the home of younger, upper-income whites, according to John J. Betancur, a UIC professor who conducted a 2015 study on gentrification in the neighborhood.
During some of the “good days,” Tovar used to make $650 to $750 a week in sales, he said. It left him enough money to restock, pay rent and save money to get through the winter months.
Those good days are gone, he said. Last summer, he made around $200 a week. The average vendor in Chicago makes $330 in profit a week, according to the Illinois Policy Institute study. Betancur said that the decrease in sales likely is a result of gentrification in the area, much like the closing of small immigrant-owned businesses.
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Complicating the matter, Tovar says that throughout his time as an elotero, he has constantly feared being scolded by police or city officials because he was never able to get a city license.
Although street vendors take to the streets in the summer outside of schools, in front of churches and near parks, most operate without proper licenses from the city. The process to get a license is “extremely” complicated, costly and insensitive, said Beth Kregor, director of IJ Clinic on Entrepreneurship at the University of Chicago and attorney for the Street Vendors Association of Chicago.
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“I think police officers understand us,” Tovar said. “Most don’t bother us because they know we’re not doing anything wrong.”
Kregor said most of the time, how street vendors are dealt with is up to the discretion of police officers and local aldermen.
The city works “closely” with street vendors and other micro-enterprises and through recent policy changes, the city has made it “easier than ever” for some vendors to do business in Chicago, said Rosa Escareno, commissioner of the city’s Business Affairs and Consumer Protection Department.
But vendors aren’t allowed under current city ordinance to sell food prepared anywhere except a licensed kitchen, and most eloteros cook their own corn.
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In the statement Escareno added that they look forward to continuing to work closely with all entrepreneurs to increase compliance and support business growth, but didn’t answer questions about how the city deals with vendors without licenses.
Eloteros have been trying to regularize their profession for more than 20 years. Unzueta said the mayor’s office needs to create laws that are more “sensitive to their culture” and “realistic” for the vendors to be able to comply with.
Ald. Byron Sigcho-Lopez, 25th, said his office will work toward policies to support street vendors like Tovar and Ananias.
As his situation became more dire, people came together to help Tovar. Laura Delgado, one of his former neighbors, who would sometimes lend him money to pay rent, opened a GoFundMe page in mid-January asking for help from the community.
More than 400 people have donated a total of more than $11,000.
“He’s like my grandfather and it broke me that I couldn’t help him more," Delgado said. "He shouldn’t be out there in the cold.”


chicagotribune--2020-02-06--Lake Michigan water levels break monthly record high for the first time in more than 30 years; Illin

Lake Michigan water levels break monthly record high for the first time in more than 30 years; Illinois seeks federal disaster aid

Scientists say climate change is ushering in a new reality throughout the world .
Last year was the second-wettest year @ @ @ @ @ , according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration .
Only in 1973 did the @ @ @ @ @ the course of a year .
Chicago received 49.54 inches of precipitation in 2019 , @ @ @ @ @ wettest year on record and more than 12 inches greater than normal , according to @ @ @ @ @ Since Illinois meteorologists began collecting precipitation records in 1871 , four of the Top 5 @ @ @ @ @ occurred in the last decade .

A bicyclist rides the Lakefront Trail near North Avenue Beach in Chicago as Lake Michigan waves crash along the lakefront on Feb. 4, 2020. (Jose M. Osorio / Chicago Tribune)
Pounding waves, eroding bluffs, submerged trails and disappearing beaches have become a common sight along the Lake Michigan shoreline during the past months. While lake levels usually reach their lowest point in winter, this year the lake has remained stubbornly high.
Persistent Midwestern rains — combined with warmer temperatures that led to earlier and faster snow pack melt — pushed the Lake Michigan water level to a record high for the month of January. This is the first time a new monthly high has been recorded in more than 30 years.
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Lake Michigan water levels averaged about 4 inches above the previous January high set in 1987. The lake, measured together with Lake Huron because the two are connected at the Straits of Mackinac, is still 9 inches below the all-time high, set in October 1986.
The new January record may be just the beginning, scientists say, and is likely a precursor to higher lake levels during the wet months of spring.
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“This is definitely a big deal,” said John Allis, chief of the Great Lakes Hydraulics and Hydrology Office for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, based in Detroit. “This is going to continue to be a big problem for people.”
Large Lake Michigan waves pound 31st Street Beach in Chicago on Feb. 4, 2020. (Zbigniew Bzdak / Chicago Tribune)
Just weeks after a winter storm caused major shoreline flooding, the Chicago Park District closed part of the Lakefront Trail on Tuesday as big waves battered the coast again. Gov. J.B. Pritzker issued a state disaster proclamation Thursday for damages sustained in Cook and Lake counties from the Jan. 10 storm. This is the first step to allow municipalities to apply for federal funding.
In Wisconsin, officials examined shoreline damage from Milwaukee to Kenosha to see whether the state will seek a federal disaster declaration, and some Michigan lawmakers are pushing for a state of emergency declaration for shoreline communities.
In addition to inundating portions of the Lakefront Trail, lakefront parks and streets in Chicago, the high water level has led to the erosion of picturesque sandy bluffs; damaged lakeside homes, docks and marinas; and left beaches underwater, especially along Michigan’s western coast, Allis said. A South Side portion of the Lakefront Trail was shut down after a storm on Veterans Day and isn’t expected to reopen until spring.
“It’s really been the rain component that has been the real driver of this,” Allis said. “It’s just been wet, and it’s been a sustained wet. Especially in Michigan, many areas kept experiencing wet month after wet month. It’s really as simple as that.”
Scientists say climate change is ushering in a new reality throughout the world. Last year was the second-wettest year on record in the U.S., according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Only in 1973 did the country receive more precipitation over the course of a year. Chicago received 49.54 inches of precipitation in 2019, which ranks as the third wettest year on record and more than 12 inches greater than normal, according to the National Weather Service. Since Illinois meteorologists began collecting precipitation records in 1871, four of the Top 5 wettest years in Chicago have occurred in the last decade.
Waves crash on the breakwater at North Avenue Beach in Chicago on Feb. 4, 2020. (Jose M. Osorio / Chicago Tribune)
And 2019 also was the second warmest year ever since records began to be collected in 1880. The warmest was 2016, aided by El Nino events. Rising temperatures and increased precipitation are linked, scientists said. For every 1 degree of warming, the atmosphere can hold 4% more water vapor that can turn into precipitation.
January in much of the Great Lakes region was warmer and wetter than normal, conditions that helped push the lake levels higher. Warmer-than-average temperatures in December also led to greater runoff due to snow pack melting, especially on lakes Superior, Michigan and Huron, leading to more water supply, according to the Army Corps. The warm air also caused less evaporation off the lakes’ surface.
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The water levels of each of the Great Lakes peaked during the summer or fall in 2019 and have been in decline since then, but they still remain extremely high, and significant erosion continues in many locations.
To determine the lakes’ water levels, a network of gauges are set up along the shorelines. The Army Corps, which maintains the official record, takes the readings from the Chicago area and all along the Lake Michigan and Huron coastlines, and averages the daily levels to calculate the monthly figure.
Andrew Gronewold, associate professor at the University of Michigan’s School for Environment and Sustainability, said warmer winter temperatures, even brief bursts of warm weather during a usually cold time for the Great Lakes region, also contribute to high lake levels. When temperatures rise, snow melts earlier, and the runoff in the Great Lakes basin flows into the region’s rivers and streams and eventually into the lakes.
That phenomenon has contributed to the flooding along the Mississippi River and other area rivers and streams in Illinois, as well as the high lake levels on Lake Michigan. The Chicago area straddles the boundary between the Great Lakes and Mississippi River basins. A sliver of northeastern Illinois feeds into Lake Michigan, while most of the rest of the state’s water heads south and west toward the Mississippi. Most of the lower peninsula of Michigan drains into Lake Michigan and Lake Huron, as do portions of Wisconsin, the upper peninsula of Michigan, northern Indiana and Ontario, Canada.
Up north, Lake Superior also set a record for high water level for January, Allis said.
“There’s an awful lot of water and flooding all across the Great Lakes basin,” Gronewold said.
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Gronewold said there is a shift occurring for when water comes through the system. With more precipitation, combined with earlier snow melts, water is making its way into the lake earlier than the typical late February through April period. And there does not appear to be an end to this pattern.
“I think we’re going to continue to see this for the next few months, and maybe the next few years,” Gronewold said.
The lakes’ high level comes seven years after Lake Michigan set a record low in January 2013.
“That’s extraordinary,” Gronewold said. “Fast forward, and here we are at the other extreme.”
Allis said the Army Corps’ forecast for the coming months predicts more monthly records may fall.
As winter wanes and ushers in a warmer and wetter spring, the lakes will likely continue to rise.
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“Looking at the forecasts, there’s a significant probability we’ll be above level highs for the next few months,” Gronewold said, “all the way into June.”