chicagotribune--2020-01-23--Family, friends mourn young Latino leader who died in suicide, call for an end of mental health stig

Family, friends mourn young Latino leader who died in suicide, call for an end of mental health stigma: ‘Did he really not know how loved he was?'

For nearly two decades Cabrera , now at the University of Illinois at Chicago , has served as a counselor @ @ @ @ @ students in higher education , particularly those who live in the United States illegally .
@ @ @ @ @ keep those suffering from depression , or any other mental illness , from getting the @ @ @ @

Mourners gather around the casket of Rafael Zavala during his burial at Resurrection Cemetery on Jan. 22, 2020 in Justice. Zavala died by suicide Jan. 14. He was a student at the Illinois Institute of Technology and a mentor to younger students interested in the STEM field. (Stacey Wescott / Chicago Tribune)
This past Christmas break, Rafael Zavala mentored his last class of students from the Southwest Side of Chicago, where he grew up. The engineering student at the Illinois Institute of Technology did it hoping that the young people would be inspired to pursue degrees in science and technology despite any trouble at home or in the streets.
It was Zavala’s “strong leadership, bright soul and intelligence,” that masked possible signs of what led him to kill himself Jan. 14, said his mentor and friend Claudette Soto.
Advertisement
“It was an extreme shock to everyone because we saw such a strong person on the outside,” she said recently. “His immense potential was overshadowed by his mental health state.”
Those who knew and counseled Zavala, 23, say his reluctance to talk about his struggles points to larger issues among Latino young people, who are less likely to seek help than other youth suffering a mental illness, according to recent studies. And they hope his death will help inspire others to seek help.
Advertisement
Soto, an IIT alumnus, is the founder of VAMOS, a mentorship program geared toward science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics studies that Zavala joined soon after starting at IIT in 2015. Zavala also helped develop the curriculum for at-risk teens in Chicago Public Schools in the Gage Park, Back of The Yards and Brighton Park neighborhoods. When a group of student activists helped establish the first-ever scholarship for undocumented students at IIT in 2016, Zavala also took part.
Arturo Gallegos, of Mariachis Los Reales de Arturo Gallegos, plays the accordion at the burial of Rafael Zavala at Resurrection Cemetery on Jan. 22, 2020, in Justice. (Stacey Wescott / Chicago Tribune)
Zavala was a top student going back to high school, said his sister Jocelyne Zavala, 22.
Despite their father dying of cancer 11 years ago, he always “pulled through,” she said.
“Chief,” as his friends called him, led his cross-country and track teams, and was a member of the National Honor Society and the math team at Solorio Academy High School. Zavala also tutored at Solorio’s Academic Support Center after he graduated in 2015, the school confirmed in a Facebook post .
Rafael Zavala, a student at the Illinois Institute of Technology and mentor at VAMOS, killed himself Jan 14. 2020. As family and colleagues mourn, they also call for an end to mental health stigma. (VAMOS photo)
Aside from delivering pizzas, he juggled other jobs, internships, and involvement with various tech companies and start-ups, including 1871, the Chicago tech incubator.
“When he needed to become an activist, he was an activist, an advocate, a builder, a teacher," said Soto, a construction manager. "He was what his community needed him to be.”
Chicago police confirmed Zavala was found dead Jan. 14 and the Cook County medical examiner’s office ruled his death a suicide.
Jocelyne Zavala shared the news of her brother’s death in a message for a GoFundMe page to help their mother pay funeral expenses. Within 48 hours, nearly $15,000 was raised.
Advertisement
“He changed the lives of so many young kids and their families,” said Soto.
“Did he really not know how loved he was? We failed him. The whole system failed him,” she cried.
On his official Facebook page, Ald. Raymond Lopez, of the 15th Ward, shared a photo of himself with Zavala. He lamented Zavala’s death and urged others who might need it to seek emotional support.
“Rafael mattered. I wish he knew that before he left us ...,” Lopez wrote.
Behind Zavala’s smile and commitment to the community, “there was a broken soul,” said Tanya Cabrera, Zavala’s counselor at IIT during his first couple of years at the university. Zavala expressed his struggle with depression and frustration a few times, according to Cabrera and Soto. But overall “he was very reserved,” said Soto.
Rafael Zavala teaches a science and technology course during the VAMOS 2019 summer mentorship program. (VAMOS photo)
“He masked it very well,” said Javier Martinez, Zavala’s best friend since elementary school.
Advertisement
“His way of coping with any trouble was by staying busy in school, helping the community and engaging with others, but I didn’t know how bad it was,” Martinez added. “I wish I could have talked to him one last time.”
Martinez, 22, said Zavala confided in him the pressure that he felt to be an exemplary student, help the community, and to take on the role as the head of the household.
“It was perhaps our machista culture that shames men for showing our feelings which led him to keep anything that was going on to himself,” said Martinez.
He always tried to be there for his mother and three younger siblings, Jocelyne Zavala said. Zavala’s family was not aware that her brother was suffering from depression or any other mental illness, she said.
“He wanted to graduate college to get a better job so we could have the stuff that we couldn’t have as children and give my mom a better life,” Jocelyne Zavala said.
Amid the confusion and heartache, his family, mentors, and friends want Zavala to be honored for the impact he had on the Latino community.
Advertisement
“I hope that we honor his life and use it as fuel to honor everything that he stood for: commitment to honoring family regardless of the trials/tribulations, serving the immigrant community, and working towards the betterment of the self/overall community,” his counselor at Solorio, Rigo Padilla, wrote on Facebook.
Cabrera said she hopes Zavala’s story will inspire others to raise awareness about the mental health crisis in the Latino community, often masked by cultural stigmas and taboos. Those are fueled by beliefs that mental health issues are a myth and Latinos “should just suck it up,” Cabrera said. Some also perceive mental illness as “craziness,” linked to feelings of shame.
Pallbearers carry the casket of Rafael Zavala from St. Gall Catholic Church following his funeral on Jan. 22, 2020, in Chicago. (Stacey Wescott / Chicago Tribune)
For nearly two decades Cabrera, now at the University of Illinois at Chicago, has served as a counselor and outreach coordinator for minority students in higher education, particularly those who live in the United States illegally. She said stigmas tend to keep those suffering from depression, or any other mental illness, from getting the help they need.
A recent study published by Frontiers in Public Health suggested that African American and Latino college students tend to feel more embarrassment about mental health issues than their white peers.
Only 1 in 20 Latinos with a mental disorder receives attention from a mental health specialist, according to the American Psychiatric Association.
“Not having these conversations is killing our community,” Cabrera said.
Advertisement
For the past 20 years, Latina teens have had higher rates of suicide attempts than white teens and Latino males, according to the 2018 Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance Survey on young people ages 10 to 24 by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The suicide rate among all youth increased by 56% between 2007 and 2017, according to the CDC.
“So many people might look like they’re thriving and succeeding, but the reality is, no one knows what they’re truly going through,” Martinez said. “Depression is real.”
When Martinez saw his best friend one last time during a VAMOS winter break program, “he was still Rafa: smiling, committed, hyped,” he said.
But in recent months a series of events had caused Zavala more stress than usual, including his decision to take some time off of IIT to get another job, Martinez said. The institution confirmed that Zavala was on an approved leave.
Martinez said he encouraged Zavala to seek professional help various times through the years, but usually the conversation shifted.
Advertisement
“We are so afraid to talk about it,” he said.
If you or someone you know needs help, contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-TALK (800-273-8255).


chicagotribune--2020-01-23--3 Illinois Bed Bath & Beyond stores on closure list

Three Illinois Bed Bath & Beyond stores are on a list of 40 sites nationwide that the home goods retailer @ @ @ @ @ the stores on the list have already closed , while others will shut down this @ @

The Bed Bath & Beyond store at Randhurst Mall in Mt. Prospect is seen in 2010. The store is slated to close. (Andrew A. Nelles/ for The Chicago Tribune)
Three Illinois Bed Bath & Beyond stores are on a list of 40 sites nationwide that the home goods retailer is closing. Some of the stores on the list have already closed, while others will shut down this year.
The local stores on the list are at 530 N. State St. in Chicago and in Mount Prospect and McHenry.
Advertisement
Robyn D’Elia, the company’s chief financial officer and treasurer, said in a Jan. 8 earnings call that Bed Bath & Beyond plans to close 40 stores, including 20 of its concept stores. Last year, the retailer announced 60 total closures by the end of fiscal 2019.
Advertisement
[ Bed Bath & Beyond coupons are squeezing the company's profit margin ]
D’Elia said during the earnings call the company delayed those closures until the first half of fiscal 2020.
Jessica Joyce, a Bed Bath & Beyond spokesperson, said in an email the closures are “a limited number of stores that no longer meet the standards our customers expect from us.”
abjimenez@chicagotribune.com
Twitter @abdel1019


chicagotribune--2020-01-23--Review: ‘Once on this Island’ appears lost on the road at Cadillac Palace

In 2017 , “ Once On This Island ” was revived in the round at Circle in the Square on @ @ @ @ @ Arden , and the result was a wonderfully immersive and warm-hearted production , with the @ @ @ @ @ so intensely that it felt like you had been transported to a village in the @ @ @ @ @ usual cliches , the designer , Dane Laffrey , offered a realistic vista of a @ @ @ @ @ filled with present-day characters telling an age-old story that makes them seem immortal .
The @ @ @ @ @ the back of an abandoned truck , its detritus being overtaken by lights , dance @ @ @ @ @ theatrical stuff .
A live goat roamed the aisles and live chickens clucked on the @ @

Fans of the ebullient Broadway musical “Once On This Island,” a group that includes me, revere the 1990 score by Lynn Ahrens and Steven Flaherty. This is a charming and delightful song-suite, embracing the French Antilles setting of its story and emblematic of the phenomenal, cross-genre talents of one of the greatest songwriting teams in Broadway history. It is justly beloved and, has been seen around Chicago for years.
In 2017, “Once On This Island” was revived in the round at Circle in the Square on Broadway by the director Michael Arden, and the result was a wonderfully immersive and warm-hearted production, with the African characters enveloping the audience so intensely that it felt like you had been transported to a village in the Caribbean. Instead of the usual cliches, the designer, Dane Laffrey, offered a realistic vista of a village in the islands, filled with present-day characters telling an age-old story that makes them seem immortal. The story really spilled out of the back of an abandoned truck, its detritus being overtaken by lights, dance, community and other magic theatrical stuff. A live goat roamed the aisles and live chickens clucked on the stage.
Advertisement
That’s the production that has arrived at the Cadillac Palace Theatre on its first national tour. The Palace is, of course, a massive proscenium theater (as is the case in most American cities that accept Broadway tours) and thus the show needed to be restaged for a completely different theatrical setting.
To put it simply, insufficient new work was done. To put it another way, it looks like everybody cheaped out.
Advertisement
I was deeply disappointed with the visual style of a show that so enthralled the eye and ear on Broadway. On Wednesday night, it looked more like the set was encumbering the actors’ movements rather than showcasing their storytelling. With a few patrons awkwardly seated on the stage, the playing area was filled with much of the same stuff that we saw on Broadway, but all crammed up and, alas and alack, it visually ignores the 99 percent of patrons who are seated out front.
MiMi Crossland (as Little Girl), Courtnee Carter (as Ti Moune) and the company of the North American tour of "Once on This Island." (Joan Marcus photo)
No one ever emerges from behind the proscenium or ventures anywhere near an aisle. There’s just no understanding of the space.
And, for the record, the goat and the chickens stayed behind in New York. Fair enough. Fowl hate to travel. But we have chickens here, too.
Granted, tours to venues of different sizes have challenges. But I’ve seen a lot of them over the years that have managed to adapt to new spaces while still retaining the essence of the original production. It takes a level of commitment and imagination that you don’t see in this touring production that feels mostly to be trading on the reputation of its source without living up to reasonable audience expectations, here in the hinterlands.
In fairness, several of the performances, some of whom have moved up to roles from the Broadway ensemble are very strong, especially Kyle Ramar Freeman, who plays Asaka, and Tyler Hardwick, who beautifully sings the role of Daniel. Young Courtnee Carter, who plays Ti Moune, wavers vocally in places (it’s a tough role to sing), but she is a charming presence and a formidable dancer.
Given the issues of the monarchical story, which require the dark-skinned Ti Moune to subjugate herself to the light-skinned Daniel to gain his love, the outer frame of “Once on This Island” is even more crucial. I think Arden immediately understood that the piece is about why we tell stories as much as the stories we tell. But that focus has gone missing on the road.
Review: Once on This Island (2.5 stars)
When: Through Feb. 2
Advertisement
Where: Cadillac Palace Theatre, 151 W. Randolph St.
Running time: 1 hour, 30 mins.
Tickets: $25-$99.50 at 800-775-2000 or broadwayinchicago.com


chicagotribune--2020-01-23--Struggling South Side hospitals join forces, announce $1.1B building plan. But some fear possible cl

Struggling South Side hospitals join forces, announce $1.1B building plan. But some fear possible closures: ‘These four hospitals are anchors in their communities.’

“ It is encouraging to hear that these hospital systems are trying to figure out a way to continue to @ @ @ @ @ in some cases , improve the quality of care they ’ re able to provide @ @ @ @ @ Malone said .
“ I just hope that they actually listen to what the community @ @ @ @ @ that into their decision-making .
”

South Shore Hospital, shown in 2018, is one of four struggling hospitals on the South Side that will combine into a new health system announced Thursday. (Jose M. Osorio / Chicago Tribune)
Four financially strapped hospitals on Chicago’s South Side plan to combine into a new system and embark on a $1.1 billion plan that includes building at least one hospital and potentially closing others.
The move by Advocate Trinity Hospital in Calumet Heights, Mercy Hospital & Medical Center in Bronzeville, South Shore Hospital in South Chicago and St. Bernard Hospital in Englewood is an effort to better serve patients in some of the city’s most challenged neighborhoods. The deal, announced Thursday, could be finalized by fall.
Advertisement
Many specifics of the new health system are still in development. But hospital leaders said they planned to build at least one state-of-the-art hospital and open three to six community health centers, each 30,000 to 50,000 square feet, that would offer outpatient surgeries, testing, mental health services, urgent care and primary care.
Advertisement
The new system’s leadership team, which has yet to be formed, will decide which, if any, of the existing hospitals to close, said Charles Holland, president and CEO of St. Bernard.
New facilities would be funded by the four hospitals and their parent organizations, as well as through donations. Hospital leaders also expect to receive funding meant for hospital transformation from the state, which has been working with them on the plan.
[ Rush welcomes LGBTQ patients, steps up efforts with new program: ‘They were just immediately comfortable, affirming and helpful’ ]
They say the new system will better meet the needs of patients on the South Side, an area that has faced greater health challenges than other parts of the city. Englewood residents have an average life expectancy of about 60 years, compared with about 90 years for residents of Streeterville, which is about 9 miles away, an NYU School of Medicine analysis found last year.
It was the largest gap between nearby neighborhoods in the country, according to the analysis. Neighborhoods with higher life expectancies tend to have access to good health care.
“We feel like this is the right thing,” said Rashard Johnson, president of Advocate Trinity Hospital. “We feel like we can’t meet the needs of our community on our own. Frankly, the people in our communities deserve better.”
[ Chicago hospitals brace for more weed-related visits. Illinois Poison Center is already fielding more cases, some involving kids. ]
Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s office praised the plan in a statement Thursday, calling it “an innovative proposal to ensure Chicago’s south side residents have access to quality and accessible healthcare services.”
Advertisement
Lightfoot campaigned on a promise to focus more attention on struggling West and South side neighborhoods by improving schools, creating jobs and fostering economic development.
Others said they’re hopeful the plan will improve health care in the area, but also are wary of possible hospital closures.
“The precarious financial position of the hospitals has been an ongoing threat to both the health and economic stability of the residents who are depending upon them for care,” said Greg Kelley, president of SEIU Healthcare Illinois, which represents some of the workers at St. Bernard, in a statement.
He said the new collaboration has the potential to stabilize the hospitals and expand services for community members. But he also called on leaders of the new system to keep all the hospitals open.
“These four hospitals are anchors in their communities, and our members on the South Side depend on them for care,” he said.
Jawanza Malone, executive director of the Kenwood Oakland Community Organization, also called potential hospital closures “deeply alarming," noting many people in his area use Mercy Hospital.
Advertisement
“It is encouraging to hear that these hospital systems are trying to figure out a way to continue to provide quality care or, in some cases, improve the quality of care they’re able to provide for the community,” Malone said. “I just hope that they actually listen to what the community has to say and incorporate that into their decision-making.”
Hospital leaders plan to hold community input sessions starting in February to help shape their plans. The state’s Health Facilities & Services Review Board also must approve the plan to combine before it can be finalized.
Each of the four hospitals has struggled financially — a result of fewer patients, increasing costs, old and inefficient buildings, and reimbursements from Medicaid that don’t cover the cost of care, said Carol Schneider, president of Mercy Hospital & Medical Center. The hospitals serve many patients on Medicaid, a state and federally funded health insurance program for people with low incomes.
[ Rush Oak Park Hospital buys neighboring home for $1 million ]
Many hospitals have faced similar challenges in recent years, and two Chicago-area hospitals, Westlake Hospital in Melrose Park and MetroSouth Medical Center in Blue Island, closed last year.
The four South Side hospitals lost a collective $79 million last year, Schneider said.
Advertisement
“We came together because all of our hospitals are on paths we couldn’t sustain,” Holland said. “The financial situation was pretty dire for us.”
Hospital leaders said their buildings are outdated and too large — only about 48% of the beds across the four hospitals are occupied. In recent years, many hospitals have seen decreasing demand for overnight stays, as more procedures can be done without the need for overnight care.
[ University of Illinois hospital seeks to build $191 million outpatient building on city’s West Side ]
Also, about 60% of patients in the hospitals’ service areas seek care elsewhere, Holland said.
The new system will focus on getting patients the right type of care at the right time, in hopes of keeping more of those patients closer to home. The combined hospitals will save money though economies of scale, by reducing inefficiencies, and investing in primary and urgent care to reduce the need for high-cost emergency department services.
The hospitals employ about 3,500 people, and no decrease in jobs is expected. The deal should lead to more jobs, including about 300 full-time, albeit temporary, construction positions, Johnson said.
The new system, which does not yet have a name, will have an independent board of directors, which will include a member from each of the hospitals. It will also have a CEO and leadership team, to be named later.
Advertisement
[ Nearly 10,000 NorthShore patients have taken DNA tests to check for health risks. Now, that program is expanding. ]
None of the existing hospitals will close until at least one of the new facilities opens, Holland said.
It’s unclear what might become of any hospitals that close. The old Ravenswood Hospital, on the city’s North Side, sat empty for more than a decade before work began Thursday to repurpose it into affordable housing for seniors through a public-private partnership involving the Chicago Housing Authority.
In recent years, local communities facing hospital closures have fought hard against them, often unsuccessfully. It’s possible, however, that even if the new system closes one or more hospitals, its plan to improve care might help allay those concerns, said Mark Silberman, vice chair of the health care group at law firm Benesch in Chicago.
“If you look at what’s happened with hospital closures lately, people feel like it’s an abandonment of the community and people feel rightfully threatened,” Silberman said. “If this is a larger, more organized plan of ‘how do we stay here, how do we stay present, how do we stay strong’ ... hopefully that can reduce some of the anxiety that often accompanies changes in health care delivery."
Mercy and St. Bernard are Catholic hospitals, but it’s unlikely they’ll remain so once the new system is in place. Catholic hospitals often don’t perform abortions, and they follow directives on how to deliver care based on Catholic beliefs, though they vary in what services they will and won’t perform.
Advocate Trinity will no longer be part of Advocate Aurora Health once the deal finalizes.
Advertisement
Advocate said earlier this month it plans to cut costs by $1.1 billion and more than double its revenue by 2025, but the plan to combine Advocate Trinity with the three other South Side hospitals is not part of those cost cuts.
Mercy Hospital is owned by Trinity Health, St. Bernard is sponsored by Catholic Health International and South Shore is an independent hospital.


chicagotribune--2020-01-23--Indiana family of girl who fell from cruise ship window says Royal Caribbean lied in court filing

Anello has insisted that he did not know the window was open when he lifted Chloe to the window , @ @ @ @ @ allow her to bang on the glass like she did at her brother ’ s @ @ @ @ @ “ CBS This Morning ” in November that he was trying to stand Chloe on @ @ @ @ @ when she plunged from the open window .
He also said he ’ s colorblind @ @ @ @ @ he didn ’ t realize the tinted window was open .

18-month old Chloe Wiegand, of Indiana, who fell to her death from the window of a Royal Caribbean cruise ship. (Family photo)
The parents of an Indiana girl who fell to her death from the open window of a cruise ship docked in Puerto Rico contend it was “physically impossible” for the child’s grandfather to lean out of that 11th floor window, as the cruise line has alleged, just before the toddler slipped from his hands.
The parents of Chloe Wiegand also accuse Royal Caribbean Cruises of releasing deceptive surveillance images, and allege in their preliminary response filed Wednesday in U.S. District Court in Miami that the cruise line lied in its recent motion seeking the dismissal of the family’s lawsuit.
Advertisement
That suit accuses the cruise line of negligence in Chloe's death by allowing the window in the ship’s children's play area to be open.
In its Jan. 8 filing, Royal Caribbean alleged that surveillance video shows the child’s 51-year-old grandfather, Salvatore Anello, leaning out of the open window for about eight seconds just moments before he lifted his granddaughter up to the window, from which she fell to her death on July 8.
Advertisement
The cruise line said Anello's alleged actions were "reckless and irresponsible.” He was charged last year in Puerto Rico with negligent homicide in the 18-month-old girl's death.
But the Wiegand family says Royal Caribbean lied in its filing and that their attorney’s examination of the area shows it was impossible for Anello, of Valparaiso, Indiana, to have leaned over a wooden railing and through the angled window on the Freedom of the Seas cruise ship.
“Royal Caribbean has demonstrably lied to this court and, in so doing, Royal Caribbean has created a false narrative to accompany Royal Caribbean’s carefully selected CCTV video upon which Royal Caribbean bases its motion to dismiss,” the family’s filing states.
The distance between the window frame and the railing was about 18 inches so to even touch the window with the top of his head, the attorney “had to lift his feet at least seven inches off the ground,” the family says.
The attorney “could not lean ‘out of the window frame’ due to the distance between the railing and the window frame. In fact, it would have been physically impossible for Mr. Anello to have had his head out of the window frame with his feet on the deck,” it states.
The family from Granger, Indiana, accuses Royal Caribbean of creating “a false narrative" by including surveillance video stills from only two of 13 cameras in the area where the girl fell about 150 feet to her death. The family has filed a motion seeking to force the cruise line to release video from all 13 cameras.
The family’s attorney and others inspected, measured and photographed the 11th floor site of Chloe's deadly fall on Jan. 10, days after the cruise line said work to refurbish the area would begin on Jan. 12, the family states.
Royal Caribbean Cruises’ spokeswoman, Melissa Charbonneau, said in a statement Thursday that “we are confident in the case we presented to the court."
Advertisement
Anello has insisted that he did not know the window was open when he lifted Chloe to the window, saying he did so to allow her to bang on the glass like she did at her brother’s hockey games. He told “CBS This Morning” in November that he was trying to stand Chloe on the window’s railing when she plunged from the open window. He also said he’s colorblind and that may be why he didn’t realize the tinted window was open.
Anello’s attorney, José G. Pérez Ortiz, told The Indianapolis Star in November that surveillance video is consistent with the grandfather’s assertion that he believed the window was closed.


chicagotribune--2020-01-23--RPM Seafood opens tonight with stunning views of Chicago River

How many RPM restaurants can one neighborhood hold ?
That ’ s the question we ’ ll all find out @ @ @ @ @ tonight in River North .
Even with two other RPM restaurants ( RPM Steak and @ @ @ @ @ distance , Lettuce Entertain You President R.J. Melman says he ’ s not worried .
@ @ @ @ @ always concerned that we don ’ t compete with ourselves , ” says Melman .
@ @ @ @ @ this is a different restaurant , with a different feel and menu .
”

How many RPM restaurants can one neighborhood hold? That’s the question we’ll all find out soon as RPM Seafood opens tonight in River North. Even with two other RPM restaurants (RPM Steak and RPM Italian) within walking distance, Lettuce Entertain You President R.J. Melman says he’s not worried. “Clearly, we are always concerned that we don’t compete with ourselves,” says Melman. “But we feel like this is a different restaurant, with a different feel and menu.”
The opening of RPM Seafood caps off an ambitious three-phase project for Lettuce Entertain You at 321 N. Clark St., which has striking views of a prime portion of the Chicago River. The restaurant group has already opened Pizzeria Portofino, to much acclaim, and an event space called RPM Events (formerly RPM On the Water).
Advertisement
As RPM Seafood’s name suggests, the restaurant will focus on fish and shellfish. Melman says the restaurant will feature “great seafood from all over the world,” with a “very Mediterranean-inspired menu.” That includes both bluefin and Hawaiian tuna, lobster and lots of oysters. Melman’s current favorite dish is a swordfish chop served bone-in like a steak. “It’s going to be a complete showstopper,” says Melman. “It’ll be cooked over charcoal and fanned like a rib-eye.” He’s also excited about a lobster tempura dish.
But Melman is quick to add that there will be plenty to eat for non-seafood lovers. “We’ll have some simple pastas and a nice amount of steaks,” says Melman. “It’s very much an everyday restaurant for people.”
Advertisement
The kitchen will be run by Bob Broskey, who most recently worked at Beacon Tavern, and he also had experience at two ambitious Lettuce Entertain You restaurants that have since closed, Intro and L20. The project was originally going to be overseen by Doug Psaltis, who crafted the menus at both RPM Italian and RPM Steak. But Psaltis left the company in November under mysterious circumstances.
Melman says that wine director Richard Hanauer crafted a menu with “a lot of emphasis on lighter whites and seafood friendly wines.” Ben Schiller is in charge of the cocktail menu.
The space is dominated by huge windows facing the river. “I really believe it’s one of the best views in the city,” says Melman. “You can see the Riverwalk, boats passing, and people walking on the Clark Street bridge.” In the summer, the space will have a huge outdoor patio to take even better advantage of the location.
While Melman is excited to finish this huge project, don’t think for a second that there aren’t other plans in the works. Melman rattled off a list of projects, including a Sushi-San sushi bar in Willis Tower, an Aba restaurant location in Austin, Texas, and a Beatrix in Orlando.
317 N. Clark St., rpmrestaurants.com
nkindelsperger@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-01-23--Uber looks to offload part of its massive Old Post Office space — before it even moves in

San Francisco-based Uber confirmed the 10-year lease in August .
The company ’ s commitment was a key moment in @ @ @ @ @ of the 2.8 million-square-foot former old main post office at 433 W. Van Buren St. @ @ @ @ @ more than two decades before New York-based 601W Cos. took on the project .
The @ @ @ @ @ in October .

Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi, center, walks Sept. 9, 2019, with the head of Uber Freight Lior Ron as they arrive at the Old Post Office, where Uber Freight will be based in Chicago. (Jose M. Osorio / Chicago Tribune)
The biggest office tenant headed to the redeveloped Old Post Office could be getting a little smaller as Uber looks to offload a block of the massive space it leased last year.
If Uber finds someone to sublease the space, it would reduce the 463,000-square-foot footprint planned by the company and whittle down what was one of the largest leases signed in the Chicago office market in recent years.
Advertisement
San Francisco-based Uber confirmed the 10-year lease in August. The company’s commitment was a key moment in the $800 million-plus redevelopment of the 2.8 million-square-foot former old main post office at 433 W. Van Buren St., which sat vacant for more than two decades before New York-based 601W Cos. took on the project. The first office tenants moved there in October.
Uber is offering a 10-year sublease on 65,000 square feet, starting Jan. 1 , 2021, according to marketing materials from brokerage CBRE, which represents Uber.
Advertisement
That is about 14% of Uber’s space. In a sublease, Uber could include rights to eventually take back the space as the company expands in Chicago.
“This is a tactical real estate decision to leverage available space this new year,” Uber spokeswoman Kelley Quinn said in an emailed statement. Quinn added that “Uber retains rights to option additional space in the building in the future, and we remain committed to growing our headcount and investment in Chicago” in several business lines.
Quinn declined to comment beyond the statement.
Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi speaks at the the Old Post Office in Chicago, where Uber Freight will be located, on Sept. 9, 2019. (Jose M. Osorio / Chicago Tribune)
It’s not unheard of for a tenant planning a big expansion in a new space to offer some of it for sublease in the short term. But a long-term downsizing of Uber’s ambitions would be a letdown for Chicago’s tech and real estate sectors.
Local leaders including Mayor Lori Lightfoot attended a September event to trumpet Uber’s ambitious growth plans in the city.
The Tribune first reported Uber’s intention to move there last May.
Uber currently leases about 185,000 square feet combined in office buildings at 225 W. Randolph St. and 111 N. Canal St.
Uber has said the Old Post Office would become the headquarters for its Uber Freight logistics business and home to more than 3,000 total employees, including 2,000 new hires over the next three years.
Advertisement
The company has grown fast in Chicago. Besides Uber Freight, which connects truck drivers with shippers, the company’s Chicago office also has employees in the Uber Eats, Uber Ride and Uber Works businesses, among other roles.
Companies including Walgreens, PepsiCo and Ferrara Candy also have signed Old Post Office leases, bolstering the nation’s largest reuse project. When it’s fully occupied, the building is expected to have 15,000 to 16,000 daily workers, as well as amenities including a riverfront park, food hall and 3.5-acre rooftop park.
The Old Post Office is part of a broader expansion of the once-sleepy southwest corner of downtown Chicago, near the Chicago River and commuter train stations.
rori@chicagotribune.com
amarotti@chicagotribune.com
Twitter @Ryan_Ori
Advertisement
Twitter @AllyMarotti


chicagotribune--2020-01-23--Chicago Restaurant Week and SoxFest 2020—here are 5 things to do in Chicago this weekend

That cool , probably expensive restaurant you ’ ve been wanting to try ?
Next week might be the time @ @ @ @ @ Week has fallen upon the city ( and the suburbs ) once again , and @ @ @ @ @ participate in 2020 .
The term “ week ” is generous here — the event @ @ @ @ @ and that ’ s all the better for diners .
Each participant will offer two- @ @ @ @ @ brunches and three- and four-course dinners , or all of the above , for the @ @ @ @ @ Reservations are strongly recommended .
Daily through Feb. 9 , locations vary , see Choose @ @ @ @ @ lunches and brunches $ 24 , three-to-four-course dinners $ 36- $ 48 ; choosechicago.com/chicago-restaurant-week

Looking for some fun events and activities? You’re on the right page. Chicago’s Restaurant Week kicks off this weekend, along with SoxFest 2020, a dog-friendly polar plunge, pop-up record shop and lots of mac 'n' cheese.
All you can eat
That cool, probably expensive restaurant you’ve been wanting to try? Next week might be the time. The annual Chicago Restaurant Week has fallen upon the city (and the suburbs) once again, and a ridiculous 400-plus restaurants will participate in 2020. The term “week” is generous here — the event actually spans 17 days, and that’s all the better for diners. Each participant will offer two- and three-course lunches, weekend brunches and three- and four-course dinners, or all of the above, for the duration of the event. Reservations are strongly recommended. Daily through Feb. 9, locations vary, see Choose Chicago website for details, lunches and brunches $24, three-to-four-course dinners $36-$48; choosechicago.com/chicago-restaurant-week
Advertisement
White Sox shortstop Tim Anderson throws his bat as he celebrates his walk-off solo homer in the ninth inning against the Tigers at Guaranteed Rate Field on Friday, April 26, 2019. (Chris Sweda/Chicago Tribune)
‘The Kids Can Play’ sequel
Stop me if you’ve heard this one before: This is the White Sox year, baby. OK — let me actually keep going. After an aggressive, acclaimed off season of moves plus some exciting young talent, 2020 feels like the year Chicago’s South Side team can buck its last decade of losing and contend in the American League Central division. If you’re among the excited Sox fans, SoxFest 2020 is shaping up to be a good one, with a stellar lineup of past and present players including Hall of Famers Frank Thomas, Harold Baines and “Hawk” Harrelson. 4 p.m. Friday and 9 a.m. Saturday, McCormick Place, 2301 S. Martin Luther King Drive, $10-$45, mlb.com/whitesox
Plunge for pups
If you’re gonna be cold this weekend, at least get cold for a cause. The 11th annual Shelter Shiver from local Alive Rescue animal shelter invites guests to do something like the polar plunge, but to support pooches. Proceeds go towards Alive’s efforts in canine rescue and adoption. There are three different levels of participation, and all participants receive a goodie bag and coupons. 10 a.m.-1 p.m. Sunday, North Avenue Beach, 1600 N. Lake Shore Drive, $25 registration; firstgiving.com
Advertisement
All mac, no knife
Who doesn’t love mac ‘n’ cheese? Aside from the lactose intolerant. Get your fill of the all-time favorite dish at this weekend’s Mac & Cheese Crawl through River North. Tickets include admission to each bar, plus servings of mac at each spot as well. Drink specials will be available throughout the event. Locations include AceBounce, Bar Louie, Joy District, Moe’s Cantina, Old Crow Smokehouse and Point & Feather. 11 a.m.-7 p.m. Saturday, wristband pickup at 155 W. Kinzie St., $20; eventbrite.com
The bar is one of just a few in the country to serve beer at multiple temperatures — about 35 degrees for most taps and, for the malt-forward beers whose flavor pops a bit warmer, 44 degrees. (Michelle Kanaar / Chicago Tribune)
Spins and suds
Your local bottle shop turns into a record store this weekend when Bucket O’ Blood Books and Records, Wild Prairie, and Tone Deaf Records will turn the Beer Temple into a pop-up record store for a day. Ontario, Canada’s Collective Arts Brewing will also be present with samples of its new “music-inspired” lager Audio/Visual, plus special tappings. And, if you pick up some new vinyl, you can get a free gift from Collective Arts while supplies last. 3-8 p.m. Saturday, Beer Temple, 3173 N. Elston Ave., no cover; facebook.com/events


chicagotribune--2020-01-23--Plan commission recommends changes to Oak Park marijuana business regulations

“ We ’ ve got to find the right balance for everything , ” commission chair David Mann said .
@ @ @ @ @ be a special use because of this new type of use .
There ’ s @ @ @ @ @ , parking , noise , security and other elements that really fit the definition of @ @ @ @ @ for .
It ’ s so we can look at those on an individual basis @ @

A sales representative from MedMen Oak Park visits with people waiting in line to purchase marijuana the morning of Jan. 1. The village's plan commission is recommending stronger regulations on future marijuana businesses that may open. (Kevin Tanaka / Pioneer Press)
While currently a permitted use in Oak Park, a village commission is recommending more stringent regulations be in place before any future marijuana businesses open up in town.
In September 2019, the village board voted 4-3 to allow recreational marijuana businesses to open in Oak Park as a permitted use, with some restrictions. Following the concerns of some residents and business owners, however, trustees asked the plan commission to review that decision and make a new set of recommendations.
Advertisement
“Basically, the village board wants to understand should this remain a permitted use with certain restrictions, a special use with certain restrictions or a special use,” village planner Craig Failor said.
During a special meeting Jan. 16, plan commission members agreed to unanimously recommend that future marijuana businesses and craft growers in Oak Park be designated as special uses. A special use permit process would require an applicant to host a public hearing and receive village board approval prior to opening.
Advertisement
“We’ve got to find the right balance for everything,” commission chair David Mann said. “I think it should be a special use because of this new type of use. There’s also other factors of traffic, parking, noise, security and other elements that really fit the definition of what special use permits are for. It’s so we can look at those on an individual basis.”
In addition to recommending the shops be designated special uses, commission members agreed to recommend any future marijuana shops be 1,500 feet away from an existing marijuana business and that marijuana businesses be at least 500 feet away from “sensitive uses.” The commission defined sensitive uses as schools, daycare centers, children’s museums and public parks.
Commissioners also plan to recommend to the village board that Oak Park limit the village to a maximum of three marijuana dispensaries total as it studies the effects of the new state law allowing recreational sales.
Currently, MedMen Oak Park, 1132 Lake St., is the village’s lone medical and recreational marijuana dispensary.
Prior to the commission’s vote, several residents and local business owners had asked commissioners to recommend categorizing the businesses as special uses.
“It would be in Oak Park’s best interest to give these a special use designation from the beginning to have more control over all aspects of them,” resident Amanda Massie said. “Having a marijuana dispensary isn’t like having a beauty salon or a yoga studio. Special use designation will not stop businesses from opening, but will help guard against any state loopholes that may arise in Oak Park.”
The North Avenue District, represented by executive director Judith Alexander, said it supported special use zoning and banning on-site consumption of the product at marijuana businesses.
Some, such as Julianne Nery of the Wonder Works Children’s Museum, 6445 W. North Ave., worry that North Avenue could become a highly attractive roadway for marijuana businesses, and urged the village to strongly regulate them.
Advertisement
“We had 80,000 visitors last year,” Nery said. “We have as many as 500 guests visiting on a single day. Our young visitors and families are a constant in the neighborhood. We believe any type of [marijuana] business adjacent to our property will have a significant detrimental impact on our children’s museum.”
Prior to sending the matter to the plan commission to study, the village placed a moratorium on future marijuana businesses from opening through May 4.
The set of recommendations are expected to be provided to the village board at a future meeting for consideration.
sschering@pioneerlocal.com
Twitter: @steveschering


chicagotribune--2020-01-23--New law will allow Illinois students to miss school to vote

“ The advocacy of the students in my district convinced me I had to sponsor this legislation , and their @ @ @ @ @ the finish line , ” Sims said in a news release .
“ Signing this @ @ @ @ @ a barrier that has long made it difficult for them and other students throughout the @ @ @ @ @

Students in Illinois will no longer have to worry about potential repercussions of missing class in order to vote, starting with the November general election.
Gov. J.B. Pritzker signed legislation Wednesday that allows students to be excused from school for up to two hours to vote in primary, general and special elections or any election in which propositions are submitted to a popular vote, according to a news release from the governor’s office.
Advertisement
The state’s primary election is March 17 but the law will take effect June 1.
Students may be excused on Election Day or any day that early voting is offered. Although, the law allows for schools to set specific hours when students may be excused.
Advertisement
A group of high school students from Thornton Fractional North and Thornton Fractional South high schools brought the idea to state Sen. Elgie Sims, D-Chicago, who worked with others in the General Assembly, including state Rep. Nick Smith D-Chicago, to pass it into law, according to the release.
A plan I sponsored to give students two hours off from school to vote was signed into law today
The passion and support of some @tfd215 students helped this bill cross the finish line after push back at a "March to the Polls" in 2018.
Read more here: https://t.co/Y00hY8oD0w pic.twitter.com/EDFTAEcAzn — Elgie Sims (@ElgieSims) January 22, 2020
“The advocacy of the students in my district convinced me I had to sponsor this legislation, and their passion helped get it over the finish line,” Sims said in a news release. “Signing this plan into law broke down a barrier that has long made it difficult for them and other students throughout the state to vote.”


chicagotribune--2020-01-23--Meet Dr. Richard Berger, Chicago hip and knee surgeon to the likes of Archie Manning, John Slattery

Meet Dr. Richard Berger, Chicago hip and knee surgeon to the likes of Archie Manning, John Slattery and more

Debbie Korb , who works with celebrities as a real estate broker in New York City , didn ’ t @ @ @ @ @ told her about Berger .
“ When my knee started to act up , I @ @ @ @ @ said , ‘ What ’ s the name ?
’ And I got it , @ @ @ @ @ the next thing you know , a friend of mine in New York is ( @ @ @ @ @ ) John Slattery , who a lot of people know .
And I said , @ @ @ @ @ m going to Dr. Berger.
’ And I said it was the most luxurious operation @ @ @ @ @ not that I ’ ve had many , ” Korb told the Tribune earlier this @ @ @ @ @ Berger for a check-up and to accompany another friend — Bob Savage , the painter @ @ @ @ @ Nanette Lepore — to his appointment .

Archie Manning doesn’t remember who first told him about Dr. Richard Berger. The Hall of Fame quarterback said perhaps his son, Peyton Manning, recommended the Chicago orthopedic surgeon. Or maybe it was friends in Dallas or Birmingham. Former president George W. Bush also had been a Berger patient, you know.
Debbie Korb, who works with celebrities as a real estate broker in New York City, didn’t want to say who initially told her about Berger. “When my knee started to act up, I called that person and I said, ‘What’s the name?’ And I got it, and I came. And the next thing you know, a friend of mine in New York is (‘Mad Men’ alum) John Slattery, who a lot of people know. And I said, ‘John, I’m going to Dr. Berger.’ And I said it was the most luxurious operation I have ever had, not that I’ve had many,” Korb told the Tribune earlier this month. She was visiting Berger for a check-up and to accompany another friend — Bob Savage, the painter and husband of fashion designer Nanette Lepore — to his appointment.
Advertisement
These are but a few of the bold-faced names who have come to Chicago to see Berger, an assistant professor at Rush University Medical Center who pioneered minimally invasive hip and knee replacement. Berger said he replaces the joint without cutting muscles, ligaments or tendons, which means a quicker, less painful recovery. He has been performing this type of hip surgery since 2001 and knee surgery since 2003, but social media is helping to draw attention to him now.
“I treat a lot of patients from around the world who want to come to see me to get a quick recovery. So that’s actors and famous people. It’s CEOs of companies, and it’s sometimes just the teacher down the street who just wants to have their life back quicker,” Berger told the Tribune in a recent interview in his office at Rush’s orthopedic building on Harrison Street near Ashland Avenue. “Regarding taking care of ‘celebrities,’ it’s of course really nice and an honor to meet people who are famous. I have found, very pleasantly, that almost all of them are just nice, normal people.”
Advertisement
Actor Misha Collins, a University of Chicago alum who lives in Los Angeles, came to Chicago last month for a hip replacement to fix a condition he said he got from running a lot. While he was here, he hosted a fan meet-up downtown and shared photos of himself before and after surgery. “Up and walking 2 hours later,” he wrote.
“Dr. Berger is a pioneer and the best hip replacement surgeon possibly in the world. Also, I’m convalescing in the Peninsula hotel, which is one of my favorite hotels, and I can order deep dish pizza delivered to my room. It’s a no-brainer,” Collins told the Tribune via a spokeswoman at the time.
There were 447,000 total hip replacements and 796,000 total knee replacements performed in the United States in 2016, according to research provided to the Tribune by the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS), which is based in suburban Rosemont. Berger said he does about 1,500 surgeries a year, typically tackling about 1,000 knees and 500 hips. He became fascinated with motion as a kid watching his dad make the holiday displays for Macy’s windows in New York. He studied mechanical engineering at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and used that knowledge to design the instruments he uses in surgery.
For knee or hip surgery, Berger makes a 3- to 4-inch incision and maneuvers around muscle and soft tissue to access and replace the joint. A 10- to 12-inch incision is made in a traditional hip replacement, and the muscles are split or detached from the hip so it’s in full view for the surgical team, according to the AAOS. An 8- to 10-inch incision is made during a traditional knee replacement.
Dr. Richard Berger, right, chats with his patient, Debbie Korb of New York, on Jan. 7. Berger replaced Korb's knee in 2016. (Abel Uribe / Chicago Tribune)
The typical recovery timeline for Berger patients is: Walk out of the hospital the day of surgery; drive and return to work the week after surgery; and finish physical therapy four to six weeks after surgery, when they are about 90 percent recovered.
Berger said his technique — which initially drew skepticism from other surgeons — has evolved in the last two decades to become more refined and even less invasive. He’s also changed the anesthesia and medications used in his procedures.
“What Dr. Berger has worked hard to do is to do minimally invasive approaches coupled with multimodal anesthesia, which is lots of different ways to block pain pathways so that you feel less discomfort associated with your surgery, and to minimize the surgical approaches to decrease the inflammation from putting the hip or knee in the patient,” Dr. Thomas Muzzonigro, a Pennsylvania orthopedic surgeon, told the Tribune. Muzzonigro — who, like Berger, trained at the University of Pittsburgh — serves as the chair-elect of the AAOS Board of Councilors.
Berger said what also sets him apart from other surgeons is his customer service. The father of two said he gives every patient his home phone number and the phone numbers of his team. Berger even checked Slattery’s knee in his hotel room before Slattery flew home to New York.
Advertisement
The average cost of a knee replacement in the Chicago area is around $34,700, and a total hip replacement here is about $32,800, according to a 2015 report by Blue Cross and Blue Shield. Berger said he charges a “standard fee” to perform surgery, but he declined to disclose that number to the Tribune. He said about 60 percent of his patients carry the insurance that he accepts.
And then for some, there’s the cost of travel to Chicago for appointments. Berger said slightly more than half of his patients take an airplane to see him.
Korb said she can take an 8 a.m. plane to Chicago for an appointment with Berger and be home in Manhattan by 9:30 p.m. She said her knee replacement in 2016 was expensive, but “it’s so worth it. I mean, it’s your knees.”
“It was all fine, and they woke me right up, and sure enough, I jumped off that table. Don’t say ‘jumped,’ but I got up, walked up and down the stairs and then went back to the Peninsula where they treat you like royalty. And I thought, this is great, I love this operation,” she said. “Now, having said that, the healing time is a little tricky. It’s not tricky, it’s just— there’s no such thing as no pain. The first month was a little hard. There’s pain when you wake up in the morning, when you first straighten your knee, but ultimately, it goes away. And now it’s like a brand-new knee.”
Berger said he recommends various five-star hotels to his out-of-town patients, but the Peninsula in the Streeterville neighborhood “does a better job than most.” Manning stayed there as well.
“It’s kind of funny. When you walk in the Peninsula hotel in Chicago and you’re kind of limping, the bellman and all the people that work there say, ‘You’re one of Dr. Berger’s patients?’ They’re kind of ready for you,” said Manning, who had his right knee replaced by Berger in 2017. Manning said he played nine holes of golf four weeks after surgery.
Advertisement
“Most of the people that I had talked to around the country had had a good experience, and so since then, I’ve had several people call me. I guess I’ve been somewhat responsible, maybe some others too, of some friends going to see him, probably another six or seven people.”
tswartz@tribpub.com


chicagotribune--2020-01-23--Naperville man convicted of theft 25 years ago charged again with swindling woman’s estate

Later that year , Parcon gave the executor a fabricated letter purporting to be from the Illinois Department of Revenue @ @ @ @ @ state nearly $ 13,000 in additional taxes , according to the charge .
Again , @ @ @ @ @ he ’ d paid the outstanding bill , and in July 2016 he accepted a @ @ @ @ @ from the estate , according to the charge .

A Naperville man who went to federal prison 25 years ago for embezzling more than $1 million from then-accounting giant Arthur Andersen has been hit with new fraud charges alleging he swindled a woman’s estate out of nearly $90,000 in a strikingly similar scheme.
Raymond Parcon, 67, was charged with wire fraud in a criminal information filed Wednesday in U.S. District Court. A criminal information typically means a defendant intends to waive indictment and plead guilty.
Advertisement
According to the charges, Parcon operated a tax preparation business in Naperville and prepared returns for the victim’s estate after she died in 2015.
In April 2016, Parcon created a phony document claiming the estate owed about $66,000 in taxes to the Internal Revenue Service and gave it to the executor of the estate, who was the woman’s nephew.
Advertisement
Parcon told the executor he’d paid the tax bill through his accounting business, even though he hadn’t paid a penny because the bill was made up, the charges alleged. The executor then cut a check to Parcon for the $66,000, according to the charges.
[ New Trier grad stole almost $10 million from investor to bankroll Las Vegas sports gambling, lavish lifestyle, feds say ]
Later that year, Parcon gave the executor a fabricated letter purporting to be from the Illinois Department of Revenue claiming the estate owed the state nearly $13,000 in additional taxes, according to the charge. Again, Parcon told the executor that he’d paid the outstanding bill, and in July 2016 he accepted a $12,944 check as reimbursement from the estate, according to the charge.
Parcon repeated the phony tax claims three more times in 2017 and 2018, collecting a total of about $10,300 in supposed back payments from the estate, the charge alleged.
Attempts to reach Parcon were unsuccessful Thursday. The court docket did not indicate if he had hired an attorney.
The alleged scheme was nearly identical to what Parcon pulled when he worked for Arthur Andersen as a tax manager beginning in the 1980s, records show.
[ Accountant pleads guilty to $65 million fraud to finance homes, jets, yachts, Lamborghini dealership ]
In that case, Parcon admitted he falsified paperwork over a five-year period to make it appear sizable checks had been sent to the IRS and Illinois tax officials to cover the company’s withholding obligations.
In reality, Parcon submitted those checks, sometimes for hundreds of thousands of dollars at a time, as payments on his personal tax debt and then claimed huge refunds from the IRS and the Illinois Department of Revenue, court records show.
Parcon pleaded guilty and was sentenced in November 1995 to eight months in prison followed by eight months of home confinement — a significant break from sentencing guidelines that called for up to about three years behind bars.
Advertisement
[ Chicago pastor charged with bilking federal program to feed needy kids, spending $142,000 on a Bentley for himself ]
U.S. District Judge Robert Gettleman said during the sentencing hearing that he felt the unusual departure was warranted because Parcon’s disabled mother and brother had no one else to care for them.
Parcon’s embezzlement was an embarrassing episode for Arthur Andersen, which at the time was one of the largest accounting firms in the U.S. and was known for helping set up internal controls for companies to prevent employee theft and fraud.
[ Former Outcome Health analysts change pleas to guilty, are cooperating with investigation ]
“It’s hard to believe Arthur Andersen … was not able to catch this earlier,” Gettleman said at the hearing. “It’s amazing to me.”
Arthur Andersen was effectively put out of business in 2002 after being convicted for its role in the Enron scandal, though the case was later overturned on appeal.
Parcon’s attorneys, meanwhile, contended his theft from the accounting firm was an ill-conceived attempt to improve life for his family. He remodeled the family home to accommodate a wheelchair, bought a vacation condominium in Missouri as a retreat for his family and purchased a fur coat for his mother, his attorneys said at the hearing.
But Gettleman scoffed at the suggestion, noting Parcon used the ill-gotten gains to buy expensive foreign cars and spent $50,000 on floral arrangements.
Advertisement
"He lived a pretty good life,” the judge said.
[ Hinsdale police: Pawn shop reports fraud after taking watch for $1,500 with fake parts ]
jmeisner@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-01-23--Lake Forest area hoping for increased tourism with Bears’ training camp move to Halas Hall

“ I love the fact that we , as a community , can celebrate one of our assets with the @ @ @ @ @ them and their fans , and to be able to showcase them , '' Rolek @ @ @ @ @ can do to support this wonderful new infusion of visitors into town , we are @ @ @ @ @

Chicago Bears outside linebacker Khalil Mack (52) warms up with other players during a Bears minicamp in July 2019 at Halas Hall in Lake Forest. (Armando L. Sanchez / Chicago Tribune)
After the Chicago Bears announced plans to move training camp from Bourbonnais to Halas Hall in Lake Forest, city officials and business owners in the North Shore suburb say they’re hoping for an economic boon that reverberates throughout the region this summer and beyond.
“We are absolutely delighted with the news from the Bears,” said Joanna Rolek, executive director of the Lake Forest/Lake Bluff Chamber of Commerce. “It is wonderful that they have come full circle and they have come back to town.”
Advertisement
According to Bears spokesman Brandon Faber, thousands of fans flocked to Olivet Nazarene University in Bourbonnais each year to watch the team ramp up preparations for the regular season. Lake Forest officials are hoping to see similar crowds.
The Lake Forest/Lake Bluff Chamber of Commerce already has begun putting together hospitality packages that cater to Bears fans and support area businesses, Rolek said. The chamber wants to make sure Bears fan know where they can dine and spend their time in between training camp sessions, she said.
Advertisement
“I love the fact that we, as a community, can celebrate one of our assets with the Chicago Bears and celebrate with them and their fans, and to be able to showcase them," Rolek said. "Whatever we can do to support this wonderful new infusion of visitors into town, we are happy to do.”
The Bears’ recent announcement to move training camp follows an 18-year run in Bourbonnais.
While Lake Forest has been the center of the Bears’ operations for generations, the public has had little access to Halas Hall, which has undergone renovations in recent years. That likely will change this summer, with the team planning to make large portions of training camp free for fans to watch.
“It is great news for the city of Lake Forest and for our region at large,” said Lake Forest City Manager Jason Wicha. “The city takes great pride that the Bears have chosen Lake Forest as their longtime home.”
The Bears’ move to host training camp in the city also should cause an economic impact throughout Lake County, according to Lake County Partners, a regional economic development group.
Kevin Considine, president and CEO of Lake County Partners, said the open-air Mellody Farm shopping center in nearby Vernon Hills is one of those outlying destinations that stand to benefit. The center features restaurants at the corner of Route 60 and Milwaukee Avenue and should attract many customers during training camp, Considine said.
“As a fan, I am excited, but from a Lake County perspective, I think it is awesome," Considine said of the Bears’ decision. “I think it should be a great boost for the restaurants and the hotels at that point in the summer.”
And while Rolek said transportation services in the city stand to benefit with an influx of tourism, Lake Forest officials also will need to prepare for the increased traffic, particularly with fans traveling the one mile on Field Drive through the Conway Park office complex to reach Halas Hall.
Advertisement
An entrance to the Chicago Bears' Halas Hall in Lake Forest. (Jose M. Osorio/Chicago Tribune)
Lake Forest Community Development Director Catherine Czerniak estimated 5,500 employees work in the office park, which encompasses 10 corporate headquarters and other offices. City officials already have begun preparations for a large number of fans to visit Halas Hall during working hours, she said.
The city also has experience with hosting special events, Czerniak noted. The nearby Conway Farms Golf Club hosted the PGA Tour’s 2013, 2015 and 2017 BMW Championships, which drew large crowds.
For the BMW Championship, visitors had access to remote parking lots with some as far away as Great America in Gurnee.
“Lake Forest has a lot of experience in working with special events and I am confident we will work through the logistics,” Czerniak said.
She said officials also will encourage Bears fans to use Metra and alternative modes of transportation.
Faber said the exact dates for Bears training camp would be announced later this year. In 2019, training camp lasted from July 25 through Aug. 11, with three days of practices closed to the public and other off days sprinkled in.
Advertisement
“We have been in constant communication with the City of Lake Forest, Conway Park and many other key parties throughout our process of exploring the possibility of moving training camp to Halas Hall,” Faber said.
Daniel I. Dorfman is a freelance reporter for Pioneer Press.


chicagotribune--2020-01-23--40,000 homicides: Retracing 63 years of murder in Chicago

Chicago saw a homicide total lower than 500 in 2019 , the first time under that threshold since 2015 .
The spike in violent crime that has plagued Chicago since 2016 has even more gravity when viewed in comparison with six decades of homicides in Chicago .
Since 1957 , the city has had homicide totals of 700 , 27 of 63 years , and has been lower than 500 a third of the time , 20 of 62 years .
To understand this long-term view , the Tribune asked two experts to give perspective as to what was behind @ @ @ @ @ @ @ combed through news coverage going back to the 1960s .
The Tribune turned to John Hagedorn , a professor of criminology at the University of Illinois at Chicago who has written extensively on Chicago 's gangs as well as Wyndell Watkins , a retired Washington , D.C. , deputy chief of police with more than 40 years of public safety experience .
Here is a closer look at the numbers and some of the influences behind them .
1974 remains the city 's deadliest year in six decades with 970 homicides .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the start .
On Jan. 3 , an 81-year-old man suffering from dementia shot and wounded an officer before police returned fire and killed him .
Less than two weeks later , a school principal was killed , allegedly by the 14-year-old son of a policeman .
The boy , who was upset about being transferred , also allegedly shot and wounded three others .
In early February , Chicago police Officer James Campbell was shot in a robbery attempt .
The father of five died eight days later .
In mid-March , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ apartment in an apparent burglary in the 1900 block of North Clark Street .
A sergeant on the scene called it , `` the cowardliest sort of crime . ''
In early June , a North Side doctor was stabbed to death , allegedly by his 50-year-old son , and that same week police hunted an ex-convict suspected in a triple slaying in the 5700 block of North Winthrop Avenue .
What was going on ?
The nation 's social net appeared to be tearing apart .
The Tribune published a three-part series @ @ @ @ @ @ @ found , in part : `` Police and criminologists express chagrin at what they see as a change in the nature of homicide , long thought to be something that mostly happens indoors among people who know each other , and on hot summer nights . ''
`` There are more senseless , irrational killings , '' First Deputy Police Superintendent Michael Spiotto told the Tribune for the series .
`` There are more cases of murder for which we ca n't determine any motive . ''
Today , experts point to many @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nation was in the middle of a recession in 1974 , but that could only have exacerbated a murder rate that had jumped before the economic malaise hit .
Unemployment remained a problem , Watkins said , as the drug problem grew .
He said police attempted to increase staffing and training but low pay was a problem .
In terms of street violence , `` super gangs '' were competing with one another citywide over colors and drug markets , not just on local corners , Hagedorn said .
Gang-related homicides grew @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
More high-ranking gang members were sent to prison , causing them to form alliances for protection : Most street gangs belonged to one of two broad alliances , the `` Folks '' and the `` People . ''
Though homicides fell after 1974 , they remained around 800 a year through the end of the decade .
The off-duty Chicago police officer -- a six-year veteran of the force -- was shot in the back while finishing up some last-minute holiday shopping with his son , Harold , 8 , who was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on Dec. 23 , 1974 .
Four teens -- including one who admitted to buying the `` Saturday night special '' .22-caliber pistol found at the scene from a youth on the West Side for $ 5 -- were charged with Meister 's murder .
He was the sixth Chicago police officer to be shot to death in 1974 .
A decline , then gangs become more violent `` There were killings in the '60s , '' Chicago Police Department Cmdr .
Edward Pleines told the Tribune in 1984 , `` but gangs @ @ @ @ @ @ @ overall .
There is more killing today over a larger area . ''
Pleines ' quote came in a Tribune story that detailed 97 gang homicides of young people ages 11 to 20 .
The Tribune 's coverage was under the headline `` Year of slaughter on city streets . ''
Those 97 contributed to 748 homicides that year .
The total dropped slightly from the 1970s but remained high .
The city passed a strict new handgun freeze in 1982 banning further sale and registration in the city .
The shootings of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Ronald Reagan contributed to anti-handgun efforts in the city and suburbs .
The emergence of crack cocaine added to the volatile mix .
Meanwhile , the Folks and People coalitions broke up , Hagedorn said , and gang conflicts were about to send homicide numbers soaring .
The 6-foot-7 Simeon high school senior , 17 , was considered the best high school basketball player in the country when he was gunned down on Nov. 20 , 1984 .
On his lunch break from school , Wilson was walking with his girlfriend and another @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reportedly bumped into William Moore , 16 , a suspected gang member , who then shot the basketball star .
Wilson 's heart and liver were punctured by the gunshots , and he died the next day .
Homicides soared to 920 in 1992 , the highest number since 1973 .
`` I think that it is not a coincidence that crack cocaine came at the same time that our homicide numbers shot up , '' Chicago police spokesman Kevin Morison told the Tribune in 1998 .
Another expert told the Tribune that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ homicides can be explained by an unstable drug market .
There was a lot of competition for the crack market from the late '80s to the 1990s in the inner city community , and that led to a large number of homicides , '' said Arthur Lurigio , then chairman of the criminal justice department at Loyola University Chicago .
Territory was a major driver of gang violence in the 1990s .
As the city began to demolish its high-rise public housing projects , people -- including gang members -- were displaced .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ to live in areas already claimed by other gangs , which caused conflicts .
In the early 1990s , gangs battled not just each other over territory , but in-fighting among members also occurred , according to a 1996 report by the Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority .
The violence spread wide .
Sixty-two children were killed in gang violence in 1993 -- including 7-year-old Dantrell Davis , who was shot by a sniper while walking to school with his mother .
Homicides began to decline in the later part of the decade @ @ @ @ @ @ @ prisons , their control was taken away .
Hagedorn says the turn from a high-profit crack market to a lower-profit marijuana market also played a role .
Shortly after the 9 a.m. school bell on Oct. 13 , 1992 , Dantrell , 7 , was shot in the head by a sniper while walking with his mother from his Cabrini-Green high-rise to the Jenner Academy of the Arts .
Half an hour later , he was pronounced dead at .
Police arrested Anthony Garrett for Dantrell 's death .
He was a gang @ @ @ @ @ @ @ From a 10th-story window , he fired a burst of bullets from an AR-15 semiautomatic rifle at rivals in front of Dantrell 's building .
Dantrell was the only one hit .

Kyle Bentle, Jonathon Berlin, Ryan Marx, Kori Rumore

Chicago saw a homicide total lower in 2020 of 770, a tragic jump over the 496 from 2019. The spike in violent crime that has plagued Chicago since 2016 has even more gravity when viewed in comparison with six decades of homicides in Chicago.
Since 1957, the city has had homicide totals of 700, 27 of 63 years, and has been lower than 500 a third of the time, 20 of 62 years. To understand this long-term view, the Tribune asked two experts to give perspective as to what was behind Chicago crime decade by decade, and combed through news coverage going back to the 1960s.
The Tribune turned to John Hagedorn, a professor of criminology at the University of Illinois at Chicago who has written extensively on Chicago’s gangs as well as Wyndell Watkins, a retired Washington, D.C., deputy chief of police with more than 40 years of public safety experience. Here is a closer look at the numbers and some of the influences behind them.


chicagotribune--2020-01-23--Jim Lehrer of the ‘MacNeil-Lehrer Report’ dies at 85

`` When we expanded to the hour , it changed from being a supplement to an alternative , '' Lehrer @ @ @ @ @ Now we take the position that if you 're looking for a place to go @ @ @ @ @ out what 's happened and get some in-depth treatment , we 're the place .
@

Debate moderator Jim Lehrer during the first U.S. Presidential Debate between presidential nominees Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., and Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., at the University of Mississippi in Oxford, Miss. Sept. 26, 2008. PBS announced that PBS NewsHour's Jim Lehrer died Thursday, Jan. 23, 2020, at home. He was 85. (Chip Somodevilla / AP)
Jim Lehrer, co-host and later host of the nightly PBS "NewsHour" that for decades offered a thoughtful take on current events, has died, PBS said Thursday. He was 85.
Lehner died “peacefully in his sleep,” according to PBS. He had suffered a heart attack in 1983 and more recently, had undergone heart valve surgery in April 2008.
Advertisement
For Lehrer, and for his friend and longtime partner Robert MacNeil, broadcast journalism was a service, with public understanding of events and issues its primary goal. Lehrer was also a frequent moderator of presidential debates.
"We both believed the American people were not as stupid as some of the folks publishing and programming for them believed," Lehrer wrote in his 1992 memoir, "A Bus of My Own."
Advertisement
"We were convinced they cared about the significant matters of human events. ... And we were certain they could and would hang in there more than 35 seconds for information about those subjects if given a chance."
The half-hour "Robert MacNeil Report" began on PBS in 1975 with Lehrer as Washington correspondent. The two had already made names for themselves at the then-fledgling network through their work with the National Public Affairs Center for Television and its coverage of the Watergate hearings in 1973.
The nightly news broadcast, later retitled the "MacNeil-Lehrer Report," became the nation's first one-hour TV news broadcast in 1983 and was then known as the "MacNeil-Lehrer NewsHour." After MacNeil bowed out in 1995, it became "The NewsHour with Jim Lehrer."
“I’m heartbroken at the loss of someone who was central to my professional life, a mentor to me and someone whose friendship I’ve cherished for decades,” said Judy Woodruff, anchor and managing editor of the PBS NewsHour, in a statement.
Politics, international relations, economics, science, even developments in the arts were all given lengthy, detailed coverage in their show.
"When we expanded to the hour, it changed from being a supplement to an alternative," Lehrer said in 1990. "Now we take the position that if you're looking for a place to go every 24 hours and find out what's happened and get some in-depth treatment, we're the place."
Lehrer moderated his first presidential debate in 1988 and was a frequent consensus choice for the task in subsequent presidential contests.
"Anybody who would say it's just another TV show is a liar or a fool," he once said. "I know how important it is, but it's not about me. It's what the candidates say that matters."
Advertisement
He also anchored PBS coverage of inaugurations and conventions, dismissing criticism from other TV news organizations that the latter had become too scripted to yield much in the way of real news.
"I think when the major political parties of this country gather together their people and resources in one place to nominate their candidates, that's important," he told The Associated Press in 2000. "To me, it's a non-argument. I don't see why someone would argue that it wasn't important."
Naturally, Lehrer came in for some knocks for being so low-key in the big televised events. After a matchup between George W. Bush and Al Gore in 2000, David Letterman cracked, "Last night was probably the first and only that time Jim Lehrer (was) the most exciting person in the room."
Debate moderator Jim Lehrer during the first U.S. Presidential Debate between presidential nominees Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., and Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., at the University of Mississippi in Oxford, Miss., Friday, Sept. 26, 2008. (Alex Brandon/AP)
But the real-life Lehrer — who had a tradition of buying a new tie for good luck before each debate — was more colorful than he might have seemed on PBS.
On the side, he was also a novelist and sometime playwright whose debut novel, "Viva Max!", was made into a movie starring Peter Ustinov. He did a whole series of novels about the adventures of an Oklahoma politician known as The One-Eyed Mack.
"Hemingway said this, too: If you paid attention as a reporter, then when the time came to write fiction you'd have something to write about," Lehrer told The Associated Press in 1991.
Advertisement
"And it turned out I did. And I've got all these stories stored up after 30 years in the news business. And they're just flowing out of me."
As Lehrer turned 75 in spring 2009, PBS announced the show would be retitled as "PBS NewsHour" later in the year, with Lehrer pairing up on anchor duties with other show regulars.
He said he approved of the changes, telling The New York Times that having a pair of anchors would "shake things up a bit," even as all sectors of the news business struggle to meet changing reader and viewer demands.
Lehrer was born in Wichita, Kansas, in 1934, the son of parents who ran a bus line. In addition to titling his memoir "A Bus of My Own," he collected bus memorabilia — from station signs to a real 1946 Flxible Clipper bus.
After graduation from college in 1956, he served three years in the Marines — and later called the experience so valuable he thought all young people should take part in national service.
"I had no close calls, no rendezvous with danger, no skirted destinies with death," he wrote. "What I had was a chance to discover and test myself, physically and emotionally and spiritually, in important, lasting ways."
Advertisement
He went to work from 1959 to 1970 at The Dallas Morning News and the now-defunct Dallas Times-Herald. Lehrer jumped to television on a Dallas nightly newscast.
Lehrer wrote that it was ironic that the Watergate hearings helped establish the importance of public TV, since President Richard Nixon hated public broadcasting. He also recalled that the lengthy hearings gave him the chance to practice his new craft, and MacNeil, already a veteran, gave him valuable pointers on how to speak on camera clearly and conversationally.
He is survived by his wife, Kate; three daughters: Jamie, Lucy, and Amanda; and six grandchildren.
___
Former Associated Press writer Polly Anderson contributed to this report.


chicagotribune--2020-01-23--Michelin-starred Band of Bohemia isn’t Chicago’s best brewery — but here’s why it’s among the most e

Michelin-starred Band of Bohemia isn’t Chicago’s best brewery — but here’s why it’s among the most essential

Last November , Band of Bohemia tried to raise $ 50,000 through a Kickstarter campaign to finance “ a space @ @ @ @ @ socialize within the dimensions of a Michelin-starred brewpub.
” The effort raised $ 5,537 , @ @ @ @ @ Carroll and Sindelar still hope to open a taproom , the outcome of the fundraising @ @ @ @ @ of Bohemia is the world ’ s first Michelin-starred brewpub , but it ’ s @ @ @ @ @ place to sit around drinking beer on a Saturday afternoon .

Band of Bohemia brewer Brian Schnell pours a sample of a beer that is being brewed at the restaurant Oct. 7, 2019. (Kristen Norman/for the Chicago Tribune)
There’s an irony about the world’s first Michelin-starred brewpub. If you go for the beer, you may well be disappointed.
That’s not to say that the beer at Band of Bohemia is inherently disappointing. It is well-made. It is clever and playful. It is clear in its intention.
Advertisement
But that intention can be confounding, and rarely recognizable as modern-day brewing. Band of Bohemia doesn’t brew to style, and nearly all its beers come with a twist — or 12 of them in the case of RootsBeer, a stout currently on draft made with roasted parsnip, sassafras root, fennel, chicory, sarsaparilla, vanilla, cinnamon, ginger, bay rum leaves, cubeb pepper, yucca and molasses.
Even at its most accessible, Band of Bohemia tosses curve balls. Among its lightest beers is an ale released each summer that’s made with 150 pounds of uncooked rice called Jasmine Rice. It’s meant to be crisp and accessible, pairing well with food or standing cleanly on its own.
Advertisement
But lurking in the mix is that curve ball: jasmine tea, which is added to the beer in 10-gallon batches just before fermentation. The result is a beer that begins light and refreshing but lands with surprising bitterness and astringency. For 80 percent of the sip, you think you understand Jasmine Rice and then — bam — it becomes something else.
Yes, it’s refreshing. But it also veers from an after-work kind of beer to a beer that is, for better or worse, more layered and complicated — just like virtually every other beer made at Band of Bohemia.
All this is to say, you might expect world-class beer from the world’s first Michelin-starred brewpub. But that’s not Band of Bohemia.
Band of Bohemia co-owner Michael Carroll, left, and brewer Brian Schnell smell and taste a sample of a beer. What drives Band of Bohemia is the idea that the beer must be good with food. (Kristen Norman/ for the Chicago Tribune)
Instead of conventionally great beer, Band of Bohemia aims for iconoclastic beer that transcends simply what’s in the glass. It may not scratch the post-work itch, but it does make Band of Bohemia one of the most singularly minded breweries in a nation of 8,000 breweries and counting. And in a brewery-packed city, it makes Band of Bohemia one of the most interesting — even if few people would call it one of the best.
The unique approach also contributes to that Michelin star, which was affirmed last fall for a fourth consecutive year: “So much more than a working brewery with a talented kitchen, Band of Bohemia is in fact a truly inspired gastropub that produces its own utterly unique creations both in the glass and on the plate,” Michelin says in its annual guide. (A second brewpub, The Butcher’s Son at De Koninck brewery in Antwerp, Belgium, was also awarded a Michelin star in 2018. It and Band of Bohemia remain the world’s only Michelin-starred breweries.)
Unlike most breweries, where beer is made with a specific goal in mind, Band of Bohemia concepts start with ingredients. Co-founder Michael Carroll, who was also Band of Bohemia’s original head brewer, cited a sweet potato as a potential starting point.
“What will we do with it?” he said. “Skin on? Skin off? Roast it until cooked or roasted until caramelized?”
As those decisions are made, the beer takes shape.
Advertisement
Band of Bohemia beers don't begin with a style in mind. Instead, the brewer and owners think about what flavor they want. (Kristen Norman/ for the Chicago Tribune)
“Let’s say it’s roast heavy with the skin on until blistered and almost charred — then what? We have that flavor, but what malt do we use? Do we want the beer to be grassy? Nutty? Where do we want to take this? Dried raisin character? Chocolate character?”
The goal is not a style of beer. It’s a flavor.
“We think about the season and then finding a way to make it work in the end as a beer,” Carroll said. “It’s different than making a stout and then adding something to it. We’re adding ‘the something,’ then figuring out the hops and the grain.”
Making conventionally great beer with this approach is virtually impossible. Crisp pilsners, fruity double IPAs and velvety stouts generally spring from specific ingredients, processes and goals. Band of Bohemia works in reverse — precisely because it is not trying to make conventionally great beer. Band of Bohemia has never even attempted an India pale ale, which is craft beer’s most popular style. It has, however, made an Indian pale ale with traditional Indian spices and flavors: lime leaves, cloves, star anise, lemongrass, cardamom and roasted grapes.
“The goal is making beers that are interesting and different and good with food,” Carroll said.
And there it is, the engine that drives Band of Bohemia: good with food.
Advertisement
What most likely accounts for the Michelin star isn’t just quality food alongside quality beer. It is the seamless interplay between the two, playing off each other like bass and drum. There’s a constant push-pull between them, and at Band of Bohemia’s best, that push-pull can be tasted.
Bottles of Band of Bohemia beer note the fact that the restaurant is the world's first Michelin-starred brewpub. (Josh Noel/Chicago Tribune)
Executive chef Soo Ahn, who previously worked at the Ritz, the now-shuttered Grace and EL Ideas, is kept apprised of beers in planning, and the flavors and aromas to expect. He tastes from the tanks with head brewer Brian Schnell as the beers progress. About two weeks before a new beer is released, Ahn begins crafting potential food pairings, both starters and main courses.
Once Ahn has come up with the pairings, Carroll and his Band of Bohemia co-founder, Craig Sindelar, begin a very hands-on approach. They taste Ahn’s proposed dishes alongside the new beer, usually while standing at Band of Bohemia’s coffee station. They sip, they taste, they take notes, they compare thoughts. They sip and taste more, then offer Ahn feedback, often in the form of a suggested tweak or two.
The typical conversation, Sindelar said, is along the lines of, “You’re close, but adjust the sauce, or increase the acid, or there’s a hollow spot that needs to be filled.” Every decision is made with the beer in mind.
Band of Bohemia has gone through four chefs during its five years, and Sindelar said they need to be “willing to change anything.”
“Our chef works more collaboratively than the typical chef,” Carroll said. “We’re an owner-run restaurant. We’re here all the time and we have the responsibility to make sure anything that goes to a table, we like.”
Advertisement
An acute interplay between food and beer was the goal from the start, all the way back to when Band of Bohemia existed only as Carroll’s two-page business plan. The trained chef and longtime home brewer had just left his job baking for Alinea when he wrote the business plan in 2009. He envisioned a top-flight kitchen in a “soft industrial” ambiance to raise the stakes on a brewpub motif that was, to that point, mostly wedded to burgers and fries.
Carroll took a job that year at the then-fledgling Half Acre Beer Co., where he worked for three years, learning the beer business and trying to raise money to launch Band of Bohemia with Sindelar (whom Carroll met at Alinea, where Sindelar was a sommelier for 10 years).
Michael Carroll, left, and Matt Gallagher empty spent grain from a batch of Daisy Cutter Pale Ale at Half Acre Beer Co. in 2012. Carroll used his first professional brewing job to help launch Band of Bohemia. (Brian Cassella / Chicago Tribune)
Band of Bohemia became more ambitious than Carroll or Sindelar expected. The restaurant was intended to be “the next step past gastropub,” Carroll said.
“But we took one more step than we thought,” Sindelar said.
For the first year, Band of Bohemia did just OK, catering to an audience mostly curious about the former Alinea guys attempting a high-end brewpub. But Band of Bohemia’s high-minded approach in a deliberately dated dining room — there’s a bit of an assembled-by-your-eccentric-great-aunt vibe to it — generated little buzz.
Going out of business seemed increasingly realistic until Nov. 2, 2016 — the day the Chicago Cubs won the World Series and Band of Bohemia was awarded its first Michelin star. The restaurant went from empty to full overnight.
Advertisement
That first star, and its distinction as Michelin’s first starred brewery, quite likely saved the restaurant. It also affirmed Carroll’s vision.
“Being the first Michelin-starred brewpub means something to me because it means we hopefully pushed the industry forward,” he said.
Band of Bohemia co-owners, Michael Carroll, left, and Craig Sindelar, have a very hands-on approach in advising executive chef Soo Ahn on how his proposed dishes go with a new beer. (Kristen Norman/ for the Chicago Tribune)
Band of Bohemia is reliably popular these days — four consecutive years of a Michelin star will do that — but there’s an irony: the Michelin curious tend to be wine drinkers. (Band of Bohemia sells roughly the same amount of wine and beer.) Carroll and Sindelar said they aim to get at least one beer in front of those diners, to make them aware that beer can pair with food as well, or better, than wine.
“If you miss the beer, you miss the why we got the Michelin star,” Carroll said.
The menu turns over regularly, and every dish gets a recommended beer pairing; Sindelar maintains an up-to-the-minute spreadsheet on his phone. The most effective way to understand the food, the beer and the interplay between the two is simply to trust the restaurant: Order whatever food sounds good as well as its 4-ounce beer pairing, which is served tableside from a ceramic pitcher.
Band of Bohemia brewer Brian Schnell cleans the tanks in the brewery at the restaurant Oct. 7, 2019. (Kristen Norman/ for the Chicago Tribune)
There’s a lot going on in the pairings. But never too much.
Advertisement
Some of them act as useful counterpoints: For instance, the octopus on the menu last fall (creamy, rich, salty, crunchy) and Sliced Bread wheat ale (orange-floral-nutty notes and light spiciness) worked well against each other. The beer wiped the palate clean and prepared it for each bite.
Eat. Watch. Do. Weekly What to eat. What to watch. What you need to live your best life ... now. By submitting your email to receive this newsletter, you agree to our Subscriber Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy >
Others pairings complemented each other brilliantly. The rich, creamy pasta spiked with bright pickled celery put Jasmine Rice in a fresh context, and made the beer far more effective than on its own: savory pasta meeting crisp, lightly bitter ale.
The real eye-opener involved another beer on draft last fall, Dark Helmet, which I had struggled to understand on its own. The black ale made with tart cherries and black pepper was an odd combination of roasty, tart and spicy. It was interesting, but one of those beers you’d never reach for after work.
However, alongside Band of Bohemia’s wagyu steak (served in a mushroom consomme, accented with bok choy and rice cracker strips), all the pieces pulled together. Each wrinkle in the beer — the tart, the peppery, the roast — tucked itself into the flavors of the savory meat and rich consomme. It was a blissful pairing. It was that push-pull personified.
Is Dark Helmet one of the best beers I’ve ever had? No. Was it a part of one of the most interesting food and beer pairings I’ve ever had? Absolutely.
Last November, Band of Bohemia tried to raise $50,000 through a Kickstarter campaign to finance “a space to allow beer drinkers to socialize within the dimensions of a Michelin-starred brewpub.” The effort raised $5,537, then fizzled away. Though Carroll and Sindelar still hope to open a taproom, the outcome of the fundraising campaign was telling; Band of Bohemia is the world’s first Michelin-starred brewpub, but it’s not classically the kind of place to sit around drinking beer on a Saturday afternoon.
Advertisement
Instead, Band of Bohemia offers fantastic moments of eating and drinking revelation, moments you’ll be hard pressed to find at any other brewery. You don’t go to the world’s first Michelin-starred brewpub for the beer. You go for the essential beer experience.
jbnoel@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-01-23--Judge allows R. Kelly girlfriend to retrieve belongings from Trump Tower weeks after fight

Kelly is scheduled to go on trial in April in Chicago on federal charges alleging he conspired with two former @ @ @ @ @ child pornography trial in Cook County by paying off witnesses and victims to change their @ @

R. Kelly's live-in girlfriends Azriel Clary, right, and Joycelyn Savage leave the Dirksen Federal Courthouse minutes after Kelly was denied bail on July 16, 2019. (Abel Uribe / Chicago Tribune)
A girlfriend of R. Kelly’s will be allowed to return to Trump Tower to retrieve her belongings weeks after she was accused of attacking another girlfriend at the singer’s residence in the downtown skyscraper, a Cook County judge ruled Thursday.
Joycelyn Savage, 24, faces a misdemeanor count of domestic battery for allegedly becoming irate on Jan. 8 after entering Kelly’s condo at 401 N. Wabash Ave., where she previously lived with Kelly’s other girlfriend, Azriel Clary, 22.
Advertisement
In an attack streamed on Instagram Live, prosecutors said, Savage hit and kicked Clary, struck her with a cellphone and yelled, “I can’t stand you. I hate you." Clary was treated at Northwestern Memorial Hospital for injuries to her face.
At Thursday’s hearing at the county’s domestic violence courthouse at 555 W. Harrison St., Judge Megan Goldish continued the case to next month because Clary wasn’t able to attend.
Advertisement
Savage’s attorney, Lori Levin, asked that her client be allowed to return to Kelly’s condo to retrieve belongings she still has there.
Goldish signed off on the request after confirming that Clary does not currently reside there.
Savage is free on a personal recognizance bond.
At the request of the defense, Assistant State’s Attorney Erin Cooper agreed to turn over body-worn camera footage from responding police officers.
Last year, both women disputed allegations that the 53-year-old singer has been holding them against their will and brainwashing them.
Kelly is being held without bond in a federal jail in downtown Chicago while awaiting trial on sexual misconduct charges in federal courts in Chicago and New York as well as in Cook County criminal court.
Kelly is scheduled to go on trial in April in Chicago on federal charges alleging he conspired with two former employees to rig his 2008 child pornography trial in Cook County by paying off witnesses and victims to change their stories.
Kelly, 53, whose legal name is Robert Sylvester Kelly, also faces four separate indictments accusing him of sexually abusing or assaulting four women — three underage at the time — over more than a decade.
Advertisement
On Wednesday, a Cook County judge decided he will go to trial in September on charges alleging he sexually abused his then 24-year-old hairdresser in 2003.
mabuckley@chicagotribune.com