chicagotribune--2020-01-06--Ask Amy: Shy guy wants to learn to connect

Dear Keeper : I agree that it is not your place to disclose this to your cousins .
However , @ @ @ @ @ these adults have the right to know that they have a biological sibling out there @ @ @ @ @ to do with this knowledge will be up to them .

Dear Amy: I am a painfully shy single young man. It takes every ounce of courage for me to make new friends and approach new people, especially girls who I am interested in. I am lonely, however, so I want to get this right.
I have purchased self-help books, and enrolled in a public speaking class to break through my shyness and learn how to start a conversation.
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Echoed again and again is the advice to "pay a compliment."
I read your column, so I know that unsolicited compliments don't seem to be the way to a woman's heart. That said, what am I missing?
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— Clueless
Dear Clueless: This is a really good question. You are correct that women (and men, too) appreciate some types of compliments, but not others.
Upon meeting a new person, you should not comment on their body, hair, eyes or face. Honestly, it's a mine field to compliment a person's appearance. Save the personal comments for when you know someone better.
It IS safe to compliment a woman on something she is wearing: "That's such a cool pin; is it old?" Or you can comment on (rather than compliment) something you notice about her: "I see you have the Samsung phone. Do you like it?" (People can spend a lot of time comparing their technology.)
Ideally, you would look for commonalities -- the little details that help people to connect. If you are at a party hosted by an individual, you can say, "How do you know Brett? Do you two work together?" Then you volunteer something about yourself.
The most important thing to do when meeting a new person is to listen to them, and then find a way to respond to what they say -- and to read their nonverbal cues.
I hope you will find ways to meet people around an activity -- whether it is a service project, sports, a hiking group, video or board gaming, or a cultural (musical, artistic) activity. Doing something in tandem with others will help you to cope with your shyness, as well as giving you something real to talk about. Good luck!
Dear Amy: I have four cousins that I grew up with. We are still fairly close as adults. Several years ago, my mom blurted out a family secret to me: that my uncle (her brother) had fathered a child, while he was in high school.
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I've always felt that my cousins had a right to know that they have a secret half-sibling out there somewhere.
On one level I know it's not my place to tell, but I still feel like someone should tell them.
I've thought about contacting my uncle to persuade him to tell them, himself.
What is best?
— Secret Keeper
Dear Keeper: I agree that it is not your place to disclose this to your cousins. However, I agree with you that these adults have the right to know that they have a biological sibling out there. What they might choose to do with this knowledge will be up to them.
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Given the ubiquity of DNA testing, there is a likelihood that they will be independently contacted at some point by this sibling (if the person is living).
You should talk to your mother. Tell her that this disclosure has become a burden for you -- as it no doubt is for her, given that she chose to blurt it out to you during an unguarded moment.
Urge your mother to speak to her brother about this. She should encourage him to find a way to disclose this to his family. Your mother should be brave enough to be honest with him -- and notify him that she has told you about this.
She should emphasize that it is only a matter of time before this becomes more widely known within the family, and that this disclosure is best coming from him.
Give this time to play out.
Dear Amy: "SQ" wanted to revert to her maiden name after her divorce, but one of her sons objected.
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I faced a similar dilemma years ago when I divorced, also with two sons living at home. I chose to transition to my maiden name slowly by adding it to the name I shared with my kids ... rather than Jane Doe, I became Jane Smith-Doe.
My kids became accustomed to my maiden name being part of my "Official" name. When I dropped my married name after the youngest left for college, they barely noticed.
— D
Dear D: Great solution.
Get the latest no-nonsense advice for better living delivered to your inbox every morning with our Ask Amy newsletter. Sign up here.
(You can email Amy Dickinson at askamy@amydickinson.com or send a letter to Ask Amy, P.O. Box 194, Freeville, NY 13068. You can also follow her on Twitter @askingamy or Facebook.)
Copyright 2019 by Amy Dickinson
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chicagotribune--2020-01-06--Wendell Carter Jr. injures his ankle as the Bulls lose 118-110 to the Mavericks

`` For me , all that matters is we got to win , '' Doncic said .
`` We needed @ @ @ @ @ loss ( in overtime to Charlotte on Saturday ) that we should have won .
@ @ @ @ @ lot .
We just played tough from the start to the end and that 's @ @ @ @ @ be . ''

Luka Doncic put a hurt on the Bulls they won’t soon forget in Monday’s 118-110 loss to the Mavericks in Dallas.
Doncic posted a triple-double and scored 21 of his game-high 38 points in the third quarter — when the Bulls typically retreat into their shell. This time it had more to do with Kris Dunn’s foul trouble.
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Lauri Markkanen toughed out an ankle injury and led the Bulls with 26 points in nearly 36 minutes.
“You’ve just got to fight through,” Markkanen said via NBC Sports Chicago. “I know it’s just how much pain I can tolerate. It was nothing really significant with that ankle. I was good to go.”
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Coach Jim Boylen praised Markkanen’s heart and looked for other silver linings in the Bulls’ fourth straight loss.
“I saw a lot of good things,” Boylen said via NBCSCH. “I like the way we ran. I think we had under 10 turnovers (they had nine) — we forced 15. We won the boards and a lot of good things.”
Here are three takeaways from the game.
1. Wendell Carter Jr.’s ankle injury puts the Bulls in a serious bind.
UPDATE: Wendell Carter Jr. sustained a right ankle sprain. X-rays were negative. He will not return tonight. pic.twitter.com/Sxay3rOknf — Chicago Bulls (@chicagobulls) January 7, 2020
Talk about bad luck with ankles.
Markkanen and Zach LaVine were game-time decisions with left ankle sprains and played through them.
And during the game, Daniel Gafford rolled his left ankle after landing on Tim Hardaway Jr.’s foot 40 seconds before halftime. Carter sprained his right ankle in a similar way while trying to defend Dwight Powell’s layup and was taken to the locker room in a wheelchair.
“X-rays were negative,” Boylen said after the game via NBCSCH’s broadcast. “So it’s an ankle sprain as of right now unless something else pops up.”
“While I was lying down on the ground, I’m like, ‘Man, this is the exact moment where I was hurt last year.' And it affected a lot of stuff for myself and my team,” Carter said via NBCSportsChicago.com, referring to the season-ending thumb injury he suffered almost a year ago. “I just pray to God I can come back sooner. My goal is to come back no later than the end of this month. That’s what I’m looking forward to right now.
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“But my mindset now is to come back by Wednesday (against the Pelicans in New Orleans). That’s just the kind of the person I am. I want to help my team, the sooner the better. But it hurts a lot. Do as much therapy as I possibly can. See if I can go Wednesday. That’s my mindset.”
He is scheduled to have an MRI on Tuesday.
The Bulls already have a paucity of frontcourt players with Otto Porter Jr. out with a broken foot and Chandler Hutchison playing Monday for the first time since Nov. 27. Hutchison had no points, rebounds or assists in six minutes.
Now, without Carter, they lose their best middle man on offense and defense.
Markkanen occasionally plays center, but he’s vulnerable as a rim protector and post-up defender. Gafford is a force as a shot blocker and rebounder, but his offensive game is limited.
Carter doesn’t have the all-around offensive game of some centers, but he’s the most versatile the Bulls have.
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Thaddeus Young could play center, but there are several reasons the Bulls might think better of starting him there if Carter misses extended time.
First, Carter has averaged 30 minutes, and Young, a 13-year veteran, has played 28 minutes or more only four times this season. It wouldn’t be wise to wear him out in an already arduous January.
Second, Young has been a revelation playing small forward — he had 11 points, nine rebounds and three steals Monday — and the Bulls might be reluctant to disrupt that newfound chemistry.
And third, the Bulls would be better served keeping Dunn’s defense with the first unit and Young’s offense and leadership with the bench. An already inconsistent second unit might struggle with a Coby White-Gafford-Hutchison lineup.
2. The Mavericks beat the Bulls with and without Luka Doncic.
Dunn picked up his fourth foul using his hands to get around a screen, and that forced the Bulls to replace him with Shaquille Harrison.
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It didn’t take long for Doncic to seize on the mismatch against the leaner Harrison, using his size and speed to beat him to the basket or daring him to come up to defend the 3 and punishing him with long bombs if he didn’t — such as the 29-footer Doncic launched over Harrison for his 14th point.
“When (Dunn) gets in foul trouble, we’re not as good defensively,” Boylen said via NBCSCH. “I thought Shaq played his heart out.”
On defending Doncic, Boylen said: “You’ve got to live with some of those shots. Some nights they go in and some nights they don’t. I don’t want us fouling him. I don’t want us side-saddling him (letting Doncic get level with his defender)."
The Bulls squandered perhaps their best opportunity with Doncic and the rest of the Mavericks first unit sitting to start the fourth quarter and the Bulls fielding Tomas Satoransky, Dunn (then LaVine after Dunn picked up a fifth foul), Young, White and Gafford.
Jalen Brunson, Delon Wright and Max Kleber all hit 3s, and Justin Jackson added six points to push the Mavericks’ lead from four to 11 — all with Doncic seated.
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3. What is Jim Boylen implying about the Bulls’ skill level?
Boylen made a telling admission while trying to explain why his players missed open 3-pointers while the Mavericks rebounded those misses and made well-defended 3s on the other end.
“Sometimes a player’s skill level is important,” he said during the postgame address on NBCSCH.
First, when isn’t skill level important? Second, that sounds like an admission that the Bulls don’t possess the same skill as better teams, at least when it comes to consistently making 3s (they shot 29%) or getting rebounds.
In one particularly bad sequence, the Bulls were down 95-90 with less than nine minutes left when they allowed the Mavericks to grab two straight long rebounds of missed 3-pointers and then Wright made them pay when he hit the third try.
“That was a big part of the game,” Boylen said. “It was disappointing.”
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chicagotribune--2020-01-06--Yosef Oliff exemplifies Niles North’s team-first approach at Wheeling Hardwood Classic

For Oliff , doing whatever was necessary included observing the Sabbath .
He practices Orthodox Judaism , so while his @ @ @ @ @ Glenbrook South loss , Oliff stayed behind .
He walked to a nearby residence not @ @ @ @ @ School and spent the night in a rented room .

Niles North's Yosef Oliff, right, looks to get past Waukegan's Dominic Montalvo (15) at the Wheeling Hardwood Classic on Monday, Dec. 23, 2019. (Brian OMahoney / Pioneer Press)
On Dec. 28 at the Wheeling Hardwood Classic, the Niles North boys basketball team faced Maine West without its star player.
Vikings senior Aquan Smart, a 6-foot-3 guard, sprained his ankle the night before in a semifinal loss to Glenbrook South.
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“We run a ton through him,” Vikings coach Glenn Olson said of Smart. “We played with four-and-a-half players (against Glenbrook South). If he could have gone (against Maine West), he would have.”
When Smart was sidelined, sophomore guard Yosef “Yogi” Oliff filled the void. He handled the basketball more than he usually does. He took a few more shots. His stat line — 11 points, six rebounds, two assists — didn’t completely reflect how he stabilized the Vikings in a time of uncertainty.
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Niles North's Aquan Smart dunks against Waukegan on Monday, Dec. 23, 2019. (Brian OMahoney / Pioneer Press)
Niles North defeated Maine West 60-48 to claim third place in the Wheeling Hardwood Classic.
“If it wasn’t for him, we probably wouldn’t have won this game,” said Niles North senior forward Moses Akinboboye, who lives in Skokie. “He plays his hardest when he’s on the floor and does what he has to do.”
“(Maine West) was a must-win," Oliff added. “With Aquan out, we all had do whatever we needed to get the win.”
For Oliff, doing whatever was necessary included observing the Sabbath. He practices Orthodox Judaism, so while his teammates went home after the Glenbrook South loss, Oliff stayed behind. He walked to a nearby residence not that far from Wheeling High School and spent the night in a rented room.
“I can’t use electronics and I can’t drive,” said Oliff, who lives in Skokie. “It’s challenging during basketball season.”
Observing the Sabbath hasn’t forced him to miss a game this season, and he rarely has had to find a place to sleep as he did during the Wheeling tournament.
“When we play teams in the (Central Suburban League), I know a lot of people in the area. So on Friday nights, I stay at their houses and walk to the gym,” Oliff said. “My teammates are confused at times.”
From kindergarten through eighth grade, Oliff attended Hillel Torah North Suburban Day School. He said almost every one of his classmates enrolled at Ida Crown Jewish Academy for high school. But Oliff decided to attend Niles North.
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Oliff said he knew Olson from attending Vikings basketball camps. He made the varsity team as a freshman.
“It was pretty crazy. Some people said (enrolling at Niles North) wasn’t very good, but I feel I can still balance my religion in a public school atmosphere,” Oliff said.
“I’ve been fortunate to coach a few, but I’ve never met anyone who loves the game more than he does,” Olson said of Oliff. “He’s been blessed with some talent, but he believes in outworking people and does everything the right way.”
Niles North (12-2 as of Monday) should have Smart back in the lineup as the Central Suburban North schedule kicks into high gear.
“We played some really good teams and beat some really good teams," Olson said. “You don’t do that with one man. You do it with a team.”
Jon J. Kerr is a freelance reporter for Pioneer Press.
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Twitter @Pioneer_Press


chicagotribune--2020-01-06--‘Bachelor’ star, Chicago attorney met before the show, and the other contestants are not happy

“ You ’ re going to fall in love with my hairless ... pussy ... cat , ” Badowski said @ @ @ @ @ of her hairless cat Jasmine .
Badowski also shed tears after she was eliminated .
@ @ @ @ @ thought we were meant to be together .
I didn ’ t see this coming @ @ @ @ @ just didn ’ t like me .
I wish that I had been more aggressive @ @ @ @ @ Cho and Serrano were sent home too .

Chicago attorney Kelley Flanagan (left) reintroduces herself to pilot Peter Weber on the Season 24 premiere of "The Bachelor." (John Fleenor/ABC)
Warning: Spoilers ahead
Not only did Kelley Flanagan meet “The Bachelor” star Peter Weber about a month before filming began on Season 24, the Chicago attorney also was accused of cheating during a group date challenge to score one-on-one time with Weber on Monday’s three-hour premiere on ABC.
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“I don’t think I am the girls’ favorite right now,” Flanagan said on the episode. “A lot of them were upset that I ‘cheated’ and didn’t do the full course. Plus, a couple of the girls probably don’t like the fact that I’ve met Peter before, and so I feel like I have a bunch of targets on my back.”
The premiere — which was an hour longer than usual — followed Weber as he met the 30 contestants, including five from the Chicago area; hosted a group date that involved rudimentary flight school training; attended his parents’ vow-renewal ceremony with one of the women; and confronted his ex, former “Bachelorette” star Hannah Brown, about her unresolved feelings. The pilot also cut eight women, including three Chicago-area contestants, at the first rose ceremony.
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The Chicago competitors brought the drama, the tears and an emotional support cow named Ashley P. on the premiere. Here’s a rundown of the local moments.
Flanagan met Weber in August before filming of “The Bachelor” began in September.
Flanagan — who works for her dad’s property tax law firm, Flanagan, Bilton, in the Loop — said she was in Weber’s hometown of Westlake Village, Calif., for a wedding when she ran into Weber in the lobby of the Four Seasons Hotel Westlake Village in what Weber described as a “weird act of fate.”
[ From ‘The Bachelor’ to ‘Extreme Love,’ these upcoming reality TV shows have Chicago ties ]
“So I’m going to be honest with you. I didn’t really want to do this,” Flanagan told Weber about joining “The Bachelor” cast. “I kept saying there would be a sign from God that would tell me if I should do this. ... Meeting you there, I was like, I think this is a pretty obvious sign.”
Flanagan was in town for former Blackhawks forward and current NBC Sports Chicago analyst Adam Burish’s mid-August wedding to Jackie Dymora, according to social media posts. Weber was attending his 10-year high school reunion. Filming for Season 24 began in mid-September.
Weber remembered meeting Flanagan. “To be completely honest with you, I had not stopped thinking about you after that night that we met,” he told her.
“How are you on the market? I don’t get this. I’m serious, though. You are stunning. You are just the biggest sweetheart. I do not understand this.”
Two Chicago women were featured early on the premiere.
Flanagan, who attended the University of Alabama and Chicago-Kent College of Law, got a lot of screen time on the premiere. She and esthetician Alexa Caves were filmed in Chicago for a segment that introduced some of the contestants early on the episode.
Caves was shown waxing clients at her Lakeview salon, LexaRae Beauty. “Waxing is a lot like love,” said Caves, who grew up in downstate Springfield. “You have to bare it all, and I’m ready to bare it all to Peter. And I hope he’s ready to bare it all to me.”
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Flanagan was shown sharing office space with her father, Thomas Flanagan Sr. One of her brothers, who also work at the law firm, wondered aloud if Weber has joined the mile-high club. Flanagan’s other brothers and her dad did not want to know.
The local contestants who did not get featured in the introductory segment: Chicago medical sales rep and former Luvabull dancer Katrina Badowski; Chicago flight attendant Eunice Cho; and nursing student Jenna Serrano, of south suburban New Lenox.
Badowski had the worst opening line among the Chicago contestants and the most tearful exit.
Chicagoans don’t have a great track record when it comes to introducing themselves on these shows. Cho was the first Chicagoan up. “I figured I would just wing it,” she said as she wore angel wings on her back. Since filming “The Bachelor,” Cho has moved from Chicago to the San Francisco area for her airline job.
Serrano, who was a soccer standout at Lincoln-Way West High School, brought her emotional support cow, Ashley P. “I figured you would be a little nervous tonight, so you can hang on to her,” she told Weber, who later made a bunch of cow jokes with show host Chris Harrison. (Viewers saw more of Ashley P. than Serrano on the premiere.)
Flanagan recalled the hotel encounter with Weber, while Caves’ meet-and-greet was not really shown. Badowski, an alum of Loyola University and St. Charles East High School, probably had the most cringe-worthy introduction.
“You’re going to fall in love with my hairless ... pussy ... cat,” Badowski said before showing Weber a picture of her hairless cat Jasmine. Badowski also shed tears after she was eliminated. “You know, I thought we were meant to be together. I didn’t see this coming at all. Maybe he just didn’t like me. I wish that I had been more aggressive,” she said. Cho and Serrano were sent home too.
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Chicago medical sales representative Katrina Badowski (left) meets Peter Weber on the Season 24 premiere of "The Bachelor." (John Fleenor/ABC)
Flanagan was accused of cheating in a silly contest.
Flanagan was part of the group date that doubled as flight school. The contestants were tested on elementary math, flight terms and their ability to handle turbulence before competing in an obstacle course to win a sunset plane ride with Weber.
The final task was to ride a small bike that looked like a plane through a course marked by cones. Instead of following the curvy path, Flanagan went straight through the course and into the finish line.
The other women were not happy, but Flanagan brushed off their criticism. “I didn’t know that the rules were going to be like extremely strict,” she told them. The other contestants were even angrier that after Flanagan got her solo ride with Weber, she interrupted another contestant chatting with him.
As one woman put it: “You cheated to get your time, and now you want more time?”
The move worked out for Flanagan, who spent her one-on-one time kissing Weber. The kicker? Part of the group date was at the Four Seasons Hotel Westlake Village, where she initially met Weber. Flanagan got the group date rose, which keeps her around for another week.
Season 24 of “The Bachelor” airs at 7 p.m. Mondays on ABC.
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tswartz@tribpub.com


chicagotribune--2020-01-06--Masked thieves strike at Louis Vuitton on Magnificent Mile

About 6:50 p.m. , about five to six males wearing masks entered the business in the 900 block of North @ @ @ @ @ , according to Chicago police .

The Louis Vuitton store on the Magnificent Mile was targeted by a group of masked thieves Monday night, authorities said.
About 6:50 p.m., about five to six males wearing masks entered the business in the 900 block of North Michigan Avenue and stole property, according to Chicago police.
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They got into a black SUV that drove away north on Michigan, police said. No one is in custody.
Police did not state how much was stolen from the store. Area Central detectives were investigating.


chicagotribune--2020-01-06--A swim coach at Whitney Young in Chicago rented out school pool and pocketed $30,000, officials say.

A swim coach at Whitney Young in Chicago rented out school pool and pocketed $30,000, officials say. Now he’s charged with felony theft.

“ I would never have approved this type of transaction , ” said Kenner , who is not named in @ @ @ @ @ Should I have known yes as the principal of the school .
Did I know @ @ @ @ @ been principal here for 25 years .
Why would I jeopardize my job ?
This @ @ @ @ @ .
”

As a high school athlete at Whitney Young, Andrew Parro earned multiple Chicago Public League titles in swimming, also lettering in water polo.
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As a swim coach at the same school, Parro committed felony theft and official misconduct, Cook County prosecutors allege, through a scheme by which he rented out the school pool and pocketed the payments.
Parro allegedly deposited nearly $30,000 into his bank account that he gained from “multiple improper side deals to lease the school pool to outside groups” between 2013 and 2016, according to a report released Monday by Chicago Public Schools Inspector General Nick Schuler.
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In some cases, the coach allegedly sublet pool time he’d leased for much less money for his own private club, according to the inspector general’s report.
“For other side agreements, his conduct was even more egregious, as he simply rented out pool time that he was not entitled to at all,” the report states. “Each of his rental agreements with the outside groups was off-the-books, violating CPS rules governing the rental of CPS property.”
The report does not name Parro or Whitney Young, but court records confirm those details.
Chicago police said Parro, 31, of Chicago, was charged in August with felony theft and felony official misconduct.
The grand jury indictment against Parro alleges that he “knowingly obtained by deception” and “knowingly obtained or exerted unauthorized control” over government property. He obtained $10,000 to $100,000 through pool rentals on Chicago Board of Education property and knew his actions deprived the board of the property’s use or benefit, according to the indictment.
Parro and his lawyer could not immediately be reached Monday. He has been released from custody on a signature bond, with bail set at $10,000. A judge granted Parro permission to travel to and from Miami this week “for employment purposes” and previously allowed him to visit family in Texas, according to court orders.
Parro is currently employed as a swim coach at the Illinois Institute of Technology, where a university official said Monday that the school only learned of the charges against Parro with the release of the inspector general’s report.
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He was named aquatics director and head coach of IIT’s swimming and diving teams in April, according to the university’s blog.
He also swam for the University of Illinois at Chicago, and was aquatics director and head swimming and diving coach at Whitney Young from 2009 to 2018, according to the university announcement, which says that teams he coached at Whitney Young won six Chicago Public League conference championships and that he was IHSA’s Sectional Coach of the Year in 2017.
After an earlier inspector general investigation revealed Parro had allegedly been renting the school pool for his private swim club at the “steeply discounted” rate of $1.20 per hour — adding up to about half a million dollars in free rent, the report states — CPS moved to bar him and his club from doing any business with the district.
“Although he stopped using the pool pursuant to his notice of debarment, he nevertheless attempted to merge his club with a competing club while simultaneously attempting to secure the school pool for that new club," the report states. "Essentially, he sought to circumvent the debarment of his club by continuing to use the pool under a different name.”
The OIG’s office determined the school principal and an assistant principal “either knew or should have known about the coach’s informal school rental agreements with outside groups,” the report states. “... At a minimum, the OIG recommended serious discipline — such as an appropriate suspension — up to and including termination.” The board gave the principal a five-day suspension.
In response to questions from the Tribune, Whitney Young Principal Joyce Kenner said in an email that she “had no knowledge" of Parro allegedly "renting out the pool to a third party.”
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“I would never have approved this type of transaction,” said Kenner, who is not named in the OIG report. “Should I have known yes as the principal of the school. Did I know absolutely not. I have been principal here for 25 years. Why would I jeopardize my job? This would not have benefited me.”
Kenner said she thinks the five-day suspension “was punishment enough for something I did not do.”
Parro eventually was fired from his coaching job at CPS, the report states.
Whitney Young, which also has a selective enrollment academic center for grades seven and eight, has been ranked among the top 100 high schools in the U.S. and has one of Illinois’ biggest Advanced Placement programs, according to CPS.
hleone@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-01-06--Army specialist from south suburban Hazel Crest among three Americans killed in Kenyan attack

Al-Shabab , based in neighboring Somalia , claimed responsibility for the assault , in which they overran a key military @ @ @ @ @ forces , killing three and destroying several U.S. aircraft and vehicles .
It was the @ @ @ @ @ attack against U.S. forces in the East African country , and the military called the @ @ @ @ @ several hours after the assault , which also left five of the attackers dead .

Henry Mayfield holds a picture of his son, Army Spc. Henry Mayfield Jr., at home in Hazel Crest on Jan. 6, 2019. The 23-year-old was killed in an attack on a military base in Kenya, his mother said. (Zbigniew Bzdak / Chicago Tribune)
Unable to afford the cost of college, Henry “Mitch” Mayfield Jr. left Northern Illinois University after a year and joined the Army hoping to jump-start his future, his father said.
He quickly came to enjoy serving and, as Henry Mayfield Sr. tells it, might even have made a career of it. Alternatively, he could have fulfilled his initial commitment and returned home to launch his own trucking business and follow in his father’s footsteps.
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Following a deadly attack Sunday at the military base in Kenya where Mayfield Jr. was stationed, however, he’ll no longer get to choose his path.
Mayfield Jr., a 23-year-old Army specialist from Hazel Crest, and two other Americans, both contractors with the U.S. Department of Defense, were killed at Manda Bay Airfield by al-Shabab extremists, who claimed responsibility for the attack.
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Army Spc. Henry Mayfield Jr., 23, of Hazel Crest, with his mother, Carmoneta Horton-Mayfield. (Mayfield family)
Mayfield Jr. attended Hillcrest High School in Country Club Hills before enrolling at Northern Illinois University in DeKalb, his father said. He said his son spent one year at NIU studying business before running short on funding for his education and enlisting in the Army.
“He couldn’t really afford college, so he figured that the Army would help him through that,” Mayfield Sr. said.
He said his son’s decision to join the Army in August 2017 at age 20 was informed both by a desire to build a better future for himself and a sense of duty to serve others.
Army Spc. Henry Mayfield Jr., 23, of Hazel Crest with his father, Henry Mayfield Sr. (HANDOUT)
“He was looking for better opportunities, but also he enjoyed serving,” Mayfield Sr. said. “He was that kind of kid. He would help. It fit him. It was good for him. He enjoyed being in the Army.”
In a post on Facebook, Mayfield Jr.’s mother addressed those who had reached out to the family, thanking them for their “touching words regarding the loss of our son.”
“We feel the love and we appreciate you all. Please keep our family in prayer,” Carmoneta Horton-Mayfield wrote.
Mayfield Jr. had been in Kenya since October, where he worked installing, maintaining and repairing heating and cooling systems, his father said.
Before that, Mayfield Jr. had been stationed at Fort Rucker in Alabama, where he served as an air traffic services mechanic with the 164th Theater Airfield Operations Group of the Army’s 1st Battalion, 58th Aviation Regiment, said Jimmie Cummings, the public affairs director at Fort Rucker, in an email.
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William Garber, commander of the Air Traffic Services Command and 164th Theater Airfield Operations Group, said in an emailed statement thoughts and prayers go out to Mayfield’s family, friends and loved ones.
“Specialist Mayfield was a dynamic Soldier who inspired those he served with to excel both on and off duty," Garber said. "The 164th Theater Airfield Operations Group will miss his leadership and camaraderie.”
Henry Mayfield Sr. said his son remained in frequent contact with his family throughout his first Army deployment, speaking with them over FaceTime two or three times each week to catch up on developments at home.
When they last spoke Friday, Mayfield Sr. said his son told them he felt safe.
“It was a real nice conversation,” he said. “ He wasn’t scared, nervous, upset. He felt good.”
Mayfield Sr. said he’s now clinging to that final conversation with his son as he grieves his loss.
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“I’m holding on to all of (it),” he said. “Just everything I can remember. Just hold on to him.”
Mayfield Sr. described his son as “bubbly” and “the life of a party,” who enjoyed playing sports, especially basketball, and spending time with family. A LeBron James fan, Mayfield Jr. eschewed the hometown Bulls in favor of “rolling with the Lakers” since the future Hall of Famer signed with Los Angeles in 2018, his father said.
His son’s post-service plans weren’t entirely clear, Mayfield Sr. said, although he had mentioned wanting to invest in a few trucks and start his own trucking business at some point.
“I didn’t think he was going to get out of the service any time soon,” said Mayfield Sr., who works as a truck driver. “He seemed like he was going to do the 20 years.”
Al-Shabab, based in neighboring Somalia, claimed responsibility for the assault, in which they overran a key military base used by U.S. counterterror forces, killing three and destroying several U.S. aircraft and vehicles. It was the al-Qaida-linked group’s first attack against U.S. forces in the East African country, and the military called the security situation “fluid” several hours after the assault, which also left five of the attackers dead.
The latest attack comes just over a week after an al-Shabab truck bomb in Somalia’s capital killed at least 79 people and U.S. airstrikes killed seven al-Shabab fighters in response. Last year, al-Shabab attacked a U.S. military base inside Somalia, Baledogle, that is used to launch drone strikes but reportedly failed to make their way inside.
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The extremist group also has carried out multiple attacks against Kenyan troops in the past in retaliation for Kenya sending troops to Somalia to fight it.
This attack marks a significant escalation of al-Shabab’s campaign of attacks inside Kenya, said analyst Andrew Franklin, a former U.S. Marine and longtime Kenya resident.
“Launching a deliberate assault of this type against a well-defended permanent base occupied by (Kenya Defence Forces), contractors and U.S. military personnel required a great deal of planning, rehearsals, logistics and operational capability,” he said.
Army Spc. Henry Mayfield Jr., 23, of Hazel Crest, back left, with his family in an undated photo. (Mayfield family)
The village of Hazel Crest lowered all its flags to half-staff upon learning of Mayfield Jr.'s death Monday morning and was in the process of putting together plans to honor the fallen soldier, Mayor Vernard Alsberry said.
“Everybody is kind of thrown for a loop, you hate this kind of stuff happening,” said Alsberry, who served in the Air Force from 1977 to 1987, retiring as a staff sergeant.
“Being a veteran myself, you have another comrade who goes down, it’s just hard.”
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Both Alsberry, whose grandson plays football with Mayfield Jr.’s younger brother, and Village Clerk Isaac Wiseman, who lives on the Mayfields’ block, spoke highly of the young soldier and his family.
Wiseman, who said he has grown close to Mayfield Sr. in the year or so since they moved to the street, said he returned home from an appointment Monday morning to find his block overrun with television news trucks.
Wiseman said he’d heard a local soldier had been killed, but hadn’t realized it was his friend’s son.
“My wife informed me it was his son and my heart just dropped at that point,” said Wiseman, who briefly met him over the summer when he was back home readying for his deployment. He said he got “good vibes” from the soldier.
“(Henry Sr.) was very proud of him,” Wiseman said. “Just a really good kid, just a really good young man.”
The Associated Press contributed.
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zkoeske@tribpub.com
Twitter @ZakKoeske


chicagotribune--2020-01-06--Elvis Garcia died fending off attack against him and his neighbors on their Southeast Side block. ‘H

Elvis Garcia died fending off attack against him and his neighbors on their Southeast Side block. ‘He struggled to get back up and they kept shooting at him’

The 39-year-old father of two had lived in the East Side neighborhood for the past 20 years , where he @ @ @ @ @ known as a protector and one of the most helpful men you ’ d ever @ @ @ @ @ his sister-in-law , Mayra Rocha .
Around 3:45 p.m. Sunday , when he saw some @ @ @ @ @ the 10000 block of Avenue M , it only made sense that he ’ d @ @ @ @ @

Flowers and a candle are seen in the 10,000 block of South Avenue M in Chicago on Jan. 6, 2020, near the spot where a concealed carry permit holder tried to fend off a gun attack a day earlier but was himself fatally shot. (Terrence Antonio James / Chicago Tribune)
Much like the singer whose name he shared, everyone knew Elvis Garcia.
The 39-year-old father of two had lived in the East Side neighborhood for the past 20 years, where he’d come to be known as a protector and one of the most helpful men you’d ever want to meet, said his sister-in-law, Mayra Rocha. Around 3:45 p.m. Sunday, when he saw some neighbors outside his home in the 10000 block of Avenue M, it only made sense that he’d strike up a conversation.
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A short time later, Chicago police said, two gunmen drove up and started shooting at the three men who’d gathered in the street. The other men, ages 20 and 27, also were shot, but Rocha says home surveillance video shows the attackers kept firing at Garcia.
Shot at least twice, Garcia, a concealed carry license holder, had one final act in him — both protective and helpful.
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“He had already gotten shot when he managed to get up and shoot back at them. He struggled to get back up and they kept shooting at him,” Rocha said Monday. “He tried to fight at the end.”
Garcia drew his concealed weapon and fired at least once, hitting and killing 17-year-old Michael Portis, of the 7400 block of South Crandon Avenue, according to information released by the Cook County medical examiner’s office.
The other gunman retreated to a vehicle and drove away. Police spokeswoman Sally Bown said he later was arrested. No charges had been filed as of Monday night.
It’s likely Garcia’s return fire stopped the seemingly random shooting from getting worse, Rocha said. He was taken to the University of Chicago Medical Center in critical condition and he died at the hospital.
The 20- and 27-year-olds were expected to survive the single gunshot each received to one arm, officials said.
Elvis Garcia, 39. (Family photo)
The Tribune tracks shootings by concealed carry license holders, including whether it was determined they fired in self-defense or if charges are brought against them. Police deemed the shots Garcia fired as justified self-defense.
"The 39-year-old is classified as a victim who shot in self-defense,” Bown said.
Rocha said Garcia has been a member of her family as long as she can remember, having met Rocha’s sister at Morgan Park High School. (Rocha did not want to name her sister out of fear for the family’s safety). The pair attended prom together, and when Garcia decided to propose marriage years later, he did it at their old high school, Rocha said.
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“In our family, it’s three girls and our parents. My parents welcomed him with open arms. They considered him their own child. For my dad, Elvis was like the son he didn’t have. That was his son as far as he’s concerned. It was just devastating to him,” Rocha said. “To all of us.”
Garcia leaves behind a teenage daughter and a son in elementary school, his sister-in-law said. He was an attentive and loving father, always happy to attend his son’s baseball games or to chauffeur his daughter wherever she needed to go.
“He was a brother, a son, a husband, an uncle and also a godfather," Rocha said. “He was just super friendly, a really great guy who was sociable and outgoing. He was involved in his kids’ schools and was part of the church community also.”
Garcia was a manager with Peoples Gas who enjoyed attending craft beer festivals, collecting old and antique furniture, and traveling with his family. He didn’t mind being the driver on long road trips to Disney World or shorter ones to the Wisconsin Dells, Rocha said. He and his wife had also traveled to Italy and Mexico, and they wanted to plan another overseas trip to take the kids and let them experience other cultures and foods.
He had helped Rocha move, and she lived with the couple for a time, lending a hand by babysitting the Garcias’ daughter when she was younger.
“We’re all a very close-knit family, involved and always supporting each other. He was a family man,” she said.
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Rocha said Garcia took seriously the educational requirements to obtain his concealed carry license and he became knowledgeable about guns.
“I think it was for protection of the family, that’s why he wanted it, because of just the state of how society is right now,” she said.
She said Garcia had never been involved in “street life,” nor had he been in trouble with the law. She said the fact that the shooting appeared to be entirely random has made trying to understand Garcia’s death even more difficult.
“He was a victim of a senseless crime right in front of his home in the neighborhood he’d lived in for decades, in broad daylight, on a Sunday, while having a conversation with his neighbor,” Rocha said.
Monday afternoon, there were three candles and a bouquet of flowers on the grass in front of the home, not far from the location where the three neighbors were shot.
“It’s just crazy. I don’t think we’ll ever understand,” Rocha said.
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Chicago Tribune’s Javonte Anderson contributed.
kdouglas@chicagotribune.com
Twitter @312BreakingNews
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chicagotribune--2020-01-06--$300,000 bond set for Rosemont man charged in strangulation death of woman found in Des Plaines park

$300,000 bond set for Rosemont man charged in strangulation death of woman found in Des Plaines parking lot

“ They were totally unwitting participants , ” he said .
“ [ Calderon ] borrowed his friend ’ s @ @ @ @ @ the friend wasn ’ t in the car with him .
Another guy helped him @ @ @ @ @ Rivera ’ s body ] into the car , but he didn ’ t know @ @ @ @ @ was told it was a dining room set .
We are confident their stories are @ @ @

Bond was set at $300,000 for a Rosemont man accused of strangling a Rockford woman to death and leaving her body in a Des Plaines parking lot.
Gerard Merced Delgado Calderon, 31, of the 9400 block of Maple Avenue, was charged with first degree murder and concealment of a homicide on Jan. 3 in connection with the death of 24-year-old Myra Rivera of Rockford, Des Plaines police said.
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Gerard Merced Delgado Calderon was charged with first-degree murder on Jan. 3, 2020, in connection with the death of 24-year-old Myra Rivera of Rockford. (Des Plaines Police Dept. / HANDOUT)
Calderon was being held in Cook County Jail this week, said Matthew Walberg, spokesman for the Cook County Sheriff’s Department. His bond hearing was held Saturday, according to the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office.
Des Plaines Police Cmdr. Christopher Mierzwa said Calderon confessed to killing Rivera, whom he met on Dec. 28 after contacting her through an escort service-type website. Mierzwa said the two became involved in some kind of argument inside Calderon’s apartment and he used his hands to strangle Rivera. Details of the alleged argument were not provided by police.
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A garbage picker discovered Rivera’s body on the afternoon of Dec. 31 inside a cardboard box that had been left next to a dumpster in the parking lot of a medical office on the 1500 block of S. Maple Street, just north of Oakton, police said.
Investigators believe Rivera’s body had been in the parking lot for two days, Mierzwa said. The Cook County Medical Examiner’s Office ruled her death a homicide by strangulation.
In a press release, police said evidence recovered from the scene identified Calderon as a suspect and a search warrant was executed on his apartment where additional evidence was collected. He was taken into custody on Jan. 2.
Mierzwa said Calderon recruited two friends to help dispose of Rivera’s body, but that neither person knew a crime had been committed.
“They were totally unwitting participants,” he said. “[Calderon] borrowed his friend’s car to move her and the friend wasn’t in the car with him. Another guy helped him load the box [containing Rivera’s body] into the car, but he didn’t know what it was. He was told it was a dining room set. We are confident their stories are correct.”
Neither man has been charged with a crime, Mierzwa said.
The parking lot where Rivera’s body was dumped was chosen randomly after Calderon visited a nearby Walgreens, Mierzwa said.
Rivera’s mother had reported her missing to Rockford police a day or two before her body was found, the police commander said. Rivera had traveled from Rockford to Rosemont using a ride-sharing app, he said.
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Visitation for Rivera is scheduled for Jan. 9 from 5 to 7 p.m. at Sunset Funeral Home in Machesney Park. A funeral mass is scheduled for Jan. 10 at St. Edward’s Catholic Church in Rockford.
The investigation was conducted by Des Plaines police with the Major Crimes Task Force Investigation Team and Forensics Team.
jjohnson@chicagotribune.com
Twitter @Jen_Tribune


chicagotribune--2020-01-06--Woodfield Mall replacing Rainforest Cafe with Peppa Pig

Woodfield Mall ’ s Rainforest Café closed Jan. 1 when its lease expired , according to parent company Landry ’ @ @ @ @ @ said it was working to relocate employees to other restaurants in the area including Rainforest @ @ @ @ @ , Morton ’ s The Steakhouse , McCormick and Schmick ’ s , Bill ’ @ @ @ @ @ and Bubba Gump Shrimp Co .

The Rainforest Cafe on Thursday, Dec. 19, 2019 at Woodfield Mall in Schaumburg. The restaurant, which closed Jan. 1, will be replaced with Peppa Pig's World of Play, an indoor play center for preschool-age children. (Brian Cassella / Chicago Tribune)
Rainforest Cafe’s red-eyed tree frog and gorilla are out at Woodfield Mall. Now, it’s Peppa Pig’s turn.
Peppa Pig’s World of Play, based on the hit kids’ animated television show, is moving into Rainforest Cafe’s old space at the Schaumburg mall this summer.
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The 15,000-square-foot space, designed for preschool-age children, will have 14 play areas based on the show, which follows the adventures of a 4-year-old British pig, her family and friends with names like Suzy Sheep and Rebecca Rabbit.
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Woodfield Mall will be the third Peppa Pig-themed play center in the U.S., operated by U.K.-based Merlin, which runs theme parks and attractions in 25 countries, including Legoland Discovery Center, which also has a Schaumburg location.
“By giving fans a unique opportunity to step into the incredible world of this hugely popular little piggy and encouraging them to discover, explore and play together, we are confident that Peppa Pig World of Play will become a popular destination for families in the Chicago area," Ben Brinded, group development director at Merlin Entertainments, said in a news release.
Peppa Pig is coming to Woodfield Mall in Schaumburg. (Associated Press)
Prices have not been finalized but will be similar to those at locations in Texas and Michigan, where tickets for an adult and child under 8 years old start at $22.50 for a two-hour visit. The Woodfield Mall location will also have a cafe and Peppa Pig-themed store.
Woodfield Mall’s Rainforest Cafe closed Jan. 1 when its lease expired, according to parent company Landry’s Restaurants. The company said it was working to relocate employees to other restaurants in the area including Rainforest Cafes in Chicago and Gurnee, Morton’s The Steakhouse, McCormick and Schmick’s, Bill’s Bar and Burger, and Bubba Gump Shrimp Co.
Rainforest Cafe opened at Woodfield in 1995. The chain also has locations in Gurnee and downtown Chicago.
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lzumbach@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-01-06--White Sox sign TV analyst Steve Stone to new multiyear deal: ‘I’m aboard for the great years ahead’

Stone , who broke in with the Giants and won the 1980 American League Cy Young Award winner with the @ @ @ @ @ Chicago ballclubs — 1973 and 1977-78 for the Sox and 1974-76 for the Cubs — @ @ @ @ @ player for both teams also to have called both teams ’ games on radio and @ @

White Sox TV analyst Steve Stone, who has broadcast Chicago baseball for more than 30 seasons, announced his own contract renewal Monday via Twitter.
“The Sox signed a minor free agent just now,” Stone, 72, tweeted. "He won’t help the pennant chase and he can’t hit or even pitch anymore.
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“It makes me very happy to announce that Jason (Benetti) has a partner for multiple years and our twitter war can continue unabated. I’m aboard for the great years ahead.”
The Sox signed a minor free agent just now. He won’t help the pennant chase and he can’t hit or even pitch anymore. It makes me very happy to announce that Jason has a partner for multiple years and our twitter war can continue unabated. I’m aboard for the great years ahead — Steve Stone (@stevestone) January 6, 2020
Stone, who broke in with the Giants and won the 1980 American League Cy Young Award winner with the Orioles, played for both Chicago ballclubs — 1973 and 1977-78 for the Sox and 1974-76 for the Cubs — but he is the only player for both teams also to have called both teams’ games on radio and television.
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To celebrate this momentous occasion I’ll take Jason out to the best and most expensive lobster dinner. There will be wall to wall shellfish as much as the little guy can eat. Of course it will send him into anaphylactic shock but I’ll have multiple epipens. Great fun — Steve Stone (@stevestone) January 6, 2020
Stone broke into broadcasting alongside Al Michaels on ABC’s “Monday Night Baseball," just days after retiring as a player in 1982, and was first paired with Harry Caray on Cubs broadcasts in 1983. He has been a full-time White Sox announcer since 2008 yet remained unsigned at the end of the 2019 season.
“They’ve given me every indication that things will continue, but the fact is that I don’t have a contract,” Stone told the Tribune in October. "I’m not too concerned about it. I’m hoping it continues. I really enjoy being there.”
Stone joked: “Worse comes to worst, I stand on a street corner with a sign saying, ‘Will broadcast for food.’ ”


chicagotribune--2020-01-06--Elmwood Park marijuana dispensary to reopen Tuesday; Oak Park, Evanston dispensaries still selling

“ The dispensaries still have product available in every category , [ including ] flower , vape , concentrates , @ @ @ @ @ and will reopen at 9 a.m. Jan. 7 , ” Erkes said .
“ The @ @ @ @ @ of supply shortages , just a shortage of state-approved employees to help efficiently service the @ @ @ @ @ been showing up every day to make their first legal cannabis purchase in Illinois .
@

Customers line up inside Sunnyside Dispensary in Elmwood Park to purchase legal marijuana. Sunnyside Dispensary began selling legal cannabis for personal use at 6 a.m. Jan. 1. (Jon Langham / Pioneer Press)
Sunnyside marijuana dispensaries has closed four of its Illinois stores Monday to give its employees a one-day break. The stores will reopen Tuesday.
A spokesman for Cresco Labs said it closed the Sunnyside locations on Jan. 6 to give staff members a rest after serving thousands of customers since recreational marijuana sales became legal in Illinois at the start of the new year.
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“After a busy week of serving over 10,000 customers, Sunnyside will close its dual-purpose dispensaries [medical and adult use] for one day on Jan. 6 to reset and give the staff that has worked five 14-hour days straight a break,” said Jason Erkes, chief communications officer at Cresco Labs.
Customers wait to purchase recreational marijuana at the MedMen dispensary in Oak Park on the morning of Jan. 1. (Kevin Tanaka / Pioneer Press)
Sunnyside’s four dispensaries closed Monday include locations in Lakeview, Elmwood Park, Rockford and Champaign. The Buffalo Grove store remained open Monday.
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“The dispensaries still have product available in every category, [including] flower, vape, concentrates, edibles and infused products, and will reopen at 9 a.m. Jan. 7,” Erkes said. “The dispensary is not closed because of supply shortages, just a shortage of state-approved employees to help efficiently service the hundreds of people that have been showing up every day to make their first legal cannabis purchase in Illinois.”
In Oak Park and Evanston, the two MedMen dispensaries remain open, but at limited hours for recreational customers.
MedMen spokesman Christian Langbein confirmed both dispensaries, located at 1132 Lake St. in Oak Park and 1804 Maple Ave. in Evanston, will continue to serve customers as planned.
The Oak Park location allows recreational sales from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m., while recreational customers can purchase marijuana products from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in Evanston.
sschering@pioneerlocal.com
Twitter: @steveschering


chicagotribune--2020-01-06--Bail denied for woman accused in Northbrook hit-and-run; gun, fake IDs found in rental car, prosecut

Bail denied for woman accused in Northbrook hit-and-run; gun, fake IDs found in rental car, prosecutors say

“ But she ain ’ t been in trouble , ” a female relative shouted from the gallery before deputies @ @ @ @ @ supporters from the crowded courtroom at the Leighton Criminal Court Building at 26th Street and @ @ @ @ @ her face with her hands as she slowly walked back to the courthouse lockup at @ @ @ @ @ .

A judge’s ruling denying bail for a 27-year-old Dolton mother accused of fleeing north suburban police at high speeds and crashing into another driver in Northbrook last week sparked a loud response from her family in a Cook County courtroom.
Mytesha White, 27, is charged with unlawful use of a weapon by a felon, leaving the scene of an accident resulting in injury/death and unlawful possession of a fraudulent driver's license related to a hit-and-run. (Cook County sheriff's office)
But in denying bail on Sunday to Mytesha K. White, Circuit Judge David R. Navarro offered a lengthy explanation as to why White’s long criminal background, along with damning new accusations by prosecutors, worked against her receiving cash bail or house arrest.
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“But she ain’t been in trouble,” a female relative shouted from the gallery before deputies cleared her and several other supporters from the crowded courtroom at the Leighton Criminal Court Building at 26th Street and California Avenue. White covered her face with her hands as she slowly walked back to the courthouse lockup at the end of her hearing.
White, of the 1400 block of South Berg Drive in Dolton, faces a number of felonies and traffic citations related to Friday’s chase that involved Deerfield and Northbrook police departments. The charges include unlawful use of a weapon by a felon, leaving the scene of an accident resulting in injury/death and unlawful possession of a fraudulent driver’s license.
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The pursuit, which exceeded the speed limit by 35 mph and veered into oncoming lanes, ended when the Dodge Challenger driven by White collided with another vehicle near the Tri-State Tollway’s on-ramp on Lake Cook Road, leaving a 42-year-old woman injured with a brain hemorrhage, Assistant State’s Attorney Kim Pressling said in court. White fled the damaged Challenger but passed out in a grassy area nearby.
Inside the Challenger, police recovered two fraudulent identification cards — one that she used to rent the Challenger — and a Glock 23 handgun with a 22-round extended magazine, according to prosecutors.
White, a mother of two small children, has prior convictions for felony gun possession, fleeing and eluding police and possessing fraudulent bank cards. Authorities also found that White’s driver’s license had been revoked due to a prior DUI case.
As of Sunday, the crash victim remained hospitalized, but her condition had stabilized, Pressling told the court.
White is scheduled to appear at the Skokie courthouse Tuesday for a preliminary hearing.
Northbrook police couldn’t be reached for comment Monday.
wlee@chicagotribune.com
Twitter @MidNoirCowboy


chicagotribune--2020-01-06--2 charged after concealed carry shooter scares off would-be carjackers, cops say

The concealed carry license holder opened fire on Dec. 30 when two men tried to steal a vehicle from the @ @ @ @ @ Avenue in Jefferson Park , Chicago police said .
The men were trying to steal @ @ @ @ @ 25-year-old woman when a friend of hers , a 26-year-old man with a concealed carry @ @ @ @ @ the two men appear to reach into his waistband .

A man who was shot at by a concealed carry license holder while police say he was trying to steal a car last week appeared in court Monday requesting a bail reduction, which was denied.
The concealed carry license holder opened fire on Dec. 30 when two men tried to steal a vehicle from the 4800 block of North Moody Avenue in Jefferson Park, Chicago police said. The men were trying to steal a vehicle belonging to a 25-year-old woman when a friend of hers, a 26-year-old man with a concealed carry license, saw one of the two men appear to reach into his waistband.
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The 26-year-old fired shots toward the men but didn’t hit either of them, according to police.
Arrested were Phillip Roloson, 20, in connection with multiple misdemeanors and one felony and Shane Diehl-Bremer, 22, in connection with criminal trespass to vehicles, a misdemeanor, according to Kellie Bartoli, a police spokeswoman.
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Roloson was charged with felony possession of a stolen vehicle and misdemeanor aggravated assault and he appeared in bond court Dec. 31, where he was held in lieu of $3,000, according to Tandra Simonton, a spokeswoman for the state’s attorney’s office. He appeared in court again Monday and asked for a bail reduction that was denied, she said.
kdouglas@chicagotribune.com
Twitter @312BreakingNews


chicagotribune--2020-01-06--Adam Boqvist’s big goal — and even better decision — shows the Blackhawks rookie is starting to get

Adam Boqvist’s big goal — and even better decision — shows the Blackhawks rookie is starting to get a jump on the competition

“ You can ’ t just join the rush for no reason , ” Boqvist said after practice Monday at @ @ @ @ @ You have to find the right moment to do it .
If it ’ s @ @ @ @ @ like that , you have to read it and then when you get more confident @ @ @ @ @ able to join the rush and want to have the puck .

The decision to make a move came so quickly for Adam Boqvist, it was as much instinct as conscious choice.
When Red Wings forward Darren Helm attacked him at the blue line in the third period Sunday, Boqvist used his soft hands and quick feet to step around Helm and into the open slot, where he buried a wrist shot past goalie Jimmy Howard.
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Boqvist’s second goal of the season was a huge one for the Hawks, who took their first lead and added an empty-netter for a 4-2 win. It was nearly as big for Boqvist as he seeks a comfort level in his rookie season.
Jumping into the play might have been an easy decision when Boqvist was playing in Sweden or in juniors in Canada, but the 19-year-old defenseman knows things are different in the NHL.
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“You can’t just join the rush for no reason,” Boqvist said after practice Monday at Fifth Third Arena. “You have to find the right moment to do it. If it’s 2-2 or 4-1 or something like that, you have to read it and then when you get more confident, you’re more able to join the rush and want to have the puck.
“Every game I feel like I want to have the puck more. (Playing) a little more minutes now as well, so I’m glad they believe in me.”
Expand Autoplay Image 1 of 11 Blackhawks right wing Dylan Sikura, right, celebrates with teammates after scoring his first NHL goal in the second period against the Red Wings. (Chris Sweda / Chicago Tribune)
That the Hawks do. Since missing a game Dec. 27 because of a minor right shoulder issue, Boqvist has played the most minutes of his brief career and appears to be a staple on the power play.
He played 20 minutes, 32 seconds against the Red Wings, just three seconds off the career high he set in the previous game, and led the Hawks with 5:44 of power-play time.
“He gets better and better,” coach Jeremy Colliton said. “Being very clean with the puck, he adds a different dimension to our (defenseman) group with how mobile he is, and he can escape on retrievals and make plays and helps us break out cleaner. And obviously on the offensive blue line, he’s dynamic. So he adds a lot to our team and he’s only going to improve.”
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During preseason games and an earlier six-game stint with the Hawks, Boqvist was much likelier to take chances offensively. But since getting called up in early December, he has been cautious enough with the puck that when he made his move around Helm, it came as a bit of a surprise.
It wasn’t something Boqvist had been doing lately, but it’s what Colliton wants to see out of him.
“He just needs to know that we believe in him and we trust him and we’re not telling him to jump every time,” Colliton said. “We’re not telling him to score every shift. But when he sees the opportunity, take advantage of it because he has those skills.”
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Boqvist wasn’t the only young player to have an impact Sunday. Dylan Sikura, who doesn’t have rookie eligibility but was playing in only his 44th NHL game, scored the first goal of his career to tie the game before Boqvist’s winner.
Rookie Dominik Kubalik added an empty-netter for his 12th goal of the season to close out the win. Including backup goalie Kevin Lankinen, the Hawks had eight players in the lineup who began the game with 43 or fewer NHL games.
“We need those guys to come through and add depth to our team and help us win,” Colliton said. “That’s part of why we’re having a little bit more success lately is because the young players are taking more responsibility. We still have the veterans who come through for us a lot of times, but they need help. So that’s going to be important for us going forward.”
One-timers
Goaltender Robin Lehner sat out practice and remains day to day with the right knee injury he suffered last week against the Canucks. ... The timetable for Brandon Saad’s return from a right ankle injury hasn’t changed, according to coach Jeremy Colliton. Saad was injured Dec. 19, and the Hawks set his likely return for mid-January. ... The Hawks gave Rockford defenseman Philip Holm, 28, his unconditional release despite leading the IceHogs in points (four goals, 11 assists). “There were other guys we liked better and they got the opportunity and they’ve been good,” Colliton said. “At some point, when you’re that age, he probably felt like he wanted to make the jump back overseas, and that’s fine.”


chicagotribune--2020-01-07--Chicago man held without bail, charged with armed robberies of doughnut and pizza shops in DuPage Co

Chicago man held without bail, charged with armed robberies of doughnut and pizza shops in DuPage County

About 10 minutes later , police say , two men entered a Domino ’ s pizza in the 5500 block @ @ @ @ @ Grove .
It is alleged that Johnson pointed a gun at the cashier , and @ @ @ @ @ took money from both the cash register and from a safe .

A Chicago man charged in the weekend armed robberies of a pizza shop and a doughnut store was ordered held in lieu of bail following a hearing Tuesday in DuPage County court.
Judge Liam Brennan ordered Devonte Johnson, 20, of the 7800 block of South Carpenter Street, held without bond on two counts of armed robbery with a firearm.
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Johnson and another man are suspected of committing two holdups Saturday afternoon in the Downers Grove area and in Lisle, according to DuPage prosecutors.
Devonte Johnson. (DuPage County State's Attorney)
The Lisle holdup happened about 1:20 p.m. when two armed men robbed a Dunkin’ Donuts store at 4300 Lincoln Ave.
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About 10 minutes later, police say, two men entered a Domino’s pizza in the 5500 block of Belmont Road near Downers Grove. It is alleged that Johnson pointed a gun at the cashier, and he and the other man took money from both the cash register and from a safe.
The pair fled in a Mercedes-Benz that had been reported stolen earlier that day from a Bolingbrook location, prosecutors said.
Johnson was taken into custody Saturday night by Oak Park police. Authorities have not identified the second man.
Johnson is due back in court Jan. 20 for arraignment.
Clifford Ward is a freelance reporter.


chicagotribune--2020-01-07--Reckless homicide trial begins for man accused of going over 100 mph in Wheeling crash that killed H

Reckless homicide trial begins for man accused of going over 100 mph in Wheeling crash that killed Hersey High School student, injured family members

Adam Grunin , center , walks through the lobby of the Rolling Meadows Courthouse following the first day of his @ @ @ @ @ 2020 .
Grunin is charged with reckless homicide after striking the car belonging to the @ @ @ @ @ The crash killed 16-year-old Alyssa Lendino and injured three other family members .
Authorities believe @ @ @ @ @ mph .
( Stacey Wescott / Chicago Tribune )

Adam Grunin, center, walks through the lobby of the Rolling Meadows Courthouse following the first day of his trial on Jan. 7, 2020. Grunin is charged with reckless homicide after striking the car belonging to the Lendino family in 2018. The crash killed 16-year-old Alyssa Lendino and injured three other family members. Authorities believe Grunin was driving over 100 mph. (Stacey Wescott / Chicago Tribune)
It was a busy but fun Saturday for Michele Lendino and her two daughters as they drove to a sporting goods store to buy swimsuits and then on to lunch at a well-known hot dog stand in Wheeling.
They would stop and pick up Tony Lendino, her husband and father of Alyssa and Amanda, and go on to the Superdawg drive-in on Milwaukee Avenue. It was July 21, 2018, and the Mount Prospect family was enjoying a warm summer day, according to testimony Tuesday in Cook County Circuit Court.
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A year and a half later, Michele Lendino took the witness stand in the trial of the driver accused of smashing into the family vehicle as it was stopped for a light at Milwaukee and Hintz Road in Wheeling. Alyssa was killed. Twelve-year-old Amanda and Tony Lendino were seriously injured. Michele, who was driving, received a facial laceration.
Adam Grunin, 32, of Wheeling, who is charged with reckless homicide, was driving over 100 mph when he hit the Lendino’s Chevy Equinox, prosecutors said. His jury trial began Tuesday in Rolling Meadows branch court.
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Michele Lendino began weeping softly as Assistant State’s Attorney Shilpa Patel asked her to identify photos of Alyssa, a popular 16-year-old Hersey High School student who was on the swim, track and bowling teams.
Lendino described the awful sound of the crash and how her vehicle spun around from the impact.
“The car stopped,” Michele Lendino. “I looked around and thought I had lost my whole family. I started screaming.”
The force of the impact shoved the Lendino vehicle into the intersection where it struck a pickup truck making a left turn. Michele Lendino said she was able to kick open the driver’s side door and get out of the car.
“I kept screaming,” she testified.
In opening statements, Assistant State’s Attorney Mike Clarke said Grunin was fleeing from another crash that occurred seconds before he struck the Lendino vehicle. In that collision, Grunin’s car struck a vehicle driven by a young mother with her two young children in rear child seats and sped off, Clarke said.
“Alyssa died because of this man’s actions,” Clarke told the jury.
Defense attorney Steven Weinberg argued that Grunin suffers from epilepsy and had a seizure as he was driving. He said there was no drug or alcohol involvement in the case and that his client was undergoing evaluation for abnormal brain waves detected six days before the crash.
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“He had a seizure,” Weinberg said. “Counsel (prosecutors) says he was fleeing an accident, but he wasn’t able to stop.”
Grunin was on anti-seizure medication at the time but had no driving restrictions, authorities said. He worked as a third-shift accounting clerk at a hotel, Weinberg said.
Other witnesses said they saw Grunin’s car traveling south on Milwaukee Avenue “extremely fast” until it struck the rear of the Lendino vehicle. One witness, a truck driver for an appliance store, had dash-cam video of the crash that was played for jurors.
The trial will continue Wednesday before Judge Joseph Cataldo. Grunin faces up to five years in prison and $25,000 in fines if convicted of reckless homicide.
George Houde is a freelance reporter.


chicagotribune--2020-01-07--Column: Cubs fans need to be patient. Once the Kris Bryant grievance is finally resolved, the team w

Column: Cubs fans need to be patient. Once the Kris Bryant grievance is finally resolved, the team will make its moves.

If Bryant indeed loves Chicago and wishes to spend his entire career with the Cubs , now would be the @ @ @ @ @ Boras that the agent works for the player — before it ’ s too late @ @ @ @ @ .
Consider that the Cubs also could keep Bryant regardless of any ruling and re-evaluate @ @ @ @ @ , when teams in the trade market often show more desperation for impact players .

It seems inconceivable that a grievance over a 2015 dispute remains unresolved, but here are the Cubs and Kris Bryant, nearly five years later, waiting and wondering.
Talk about the need for increased pace of play.
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The Bryant service time issue drags on, leaving the Cubs in limbo as they await an outcome that will inform their short- and long-term future.
This was supposed to be the offseason of seismic change with a no-holds-barred approach to trades. Instead, the cost-conscious Cubs’ most significant addition has been manager David Ross, a cheaper but not necessarily better version of Joe Maddon.
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When ESPN’s Jeff Passan reminded everyone with a tweet Monday how little the front office has done this winter — Passan correctly labeled the Cubs as a “free agent straggler” that had spent $0 — the hand-wringing resumed.
Free agent spending* stragglers this winter:
Cubs: $0
Pirates: $0
Rockies: $0
Mariners: $2.95M
Orioles: $3M
Royals: $3.6M
Indians: $6.25M
A's: $7.5M
Giants: $9M
Red Sox: $9M
Dodgers: $10M
Rays: $12M
Cardinals: $13M
Astros: $15M
* Counts major league contracts, not split deals — Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) January 6, 2020
Relax, Wrigleyville.
If opening day were next week instead of March 26, Cubs fans could justify storming the gates of Gallagher Way. But patience is advised. Changes still could be in the offing.
Not until the Cubs get a Bryant decision can they consider any major moves. The Cubs expect news within the next week or so but privately have acknowledged frustration with the drawn-out process.
If an arbitrator rules in favor of Bryant and declares him a free agent at the end of 2020, he would, in theory, become harder to trade with free agency looming next winter. If the ruling sides with the Cubs, Bryant’s contract would continue to run through 2021 — an attractive two seasons of control for potential trade partners.
For those of us who believe the Cubs would be making a mistake trading Bryant — still among baseball’s top 25 players in my book — the team could win by losing the grievance. Forfeiting an extra year of control would sting Cubs President Theo Epstein but also would make teams more unwilling to give up top prospects for a lone season of Bryant.
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The best possible outcome for a Cubs team serious about contending involves them striking a long-term contract extension with Bryant that’s back-loaded with big money. Alas, that also appears the most remote result. Too much contentious history exists between the team and agent Scott Boras, who represents Bryant, to stake much hope on that possibility.
If Bryant indeed loves Chicago and wishes to spend his entire career with the Cubs, now would be the time for him to remind Boras that the agent works for the player — before it’s too late and Bryant becomes an ex-Cub. Consider that the Cubs also could keep Bryant regardless of any ruling and re-evaluate everything around the All-Star break, when teams in the trade market often show more desperation for impact players.
Whenever the Bryant domino falls, it could trigger a series of moves within a payroll the Cubs will try to keep under the luxury-tax threshold of $206 million. With baseball’s third-highest payroll in 2019, according to Spotrac.com, the Cubs paid a $7.6 million penalty for exceeding the limit.
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As a result, they strive to avoid becoming a repeat offender that carries heavier penalties — and the threat of penalizing the Cubs through the amateur draft always looms. In a detailed analysis of the Cubs’ luxury-tax dilemma, Brett Taylor of Bleacher Nation estimated that the team could face as much $25 million in additional cost if it goes over the luxury-tax threshold again in 2020. That’s not a number easily dismissed.
That said, it won’t be easy for Epstein to avoid going over the tax threshold in 2020 even after shedding as much as $60 million in contractual commitments to Cole Hamels ($20 million), Ben Zobrist ($14 million) and others. At some point, Epstein figures to approach Chairman Tom Ricketts for funds necessary to fill pressing needs — outfielder Nick Castellanos? — but the Cubs will be more frugal than many expected for the second straight winter.
Arbitration awards means raises for players such as Bryant — who’s expected to make $18.5 million — Javier Baez and Willson Contreras. Pitchers Yu Darvish ($22 million), Jon Lester ($20 million), Craig Kimbrel ($16 million) and Tyler Chatwood ($13 million) are expensive. So is outfielder Jason Heyward ($23 million), the ultimate albatross.
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This is what happens when teams fail to draft and develop their own starting pitchers, the biggest blot on Epstein’s Cubs resume. Having to buy starting pitching during Maddon’s tenure has caught up to the Cubs. It’s like an NFL team forced to make tough roster choices once its franchise quarterback’s rookie contract expires. Not everybody can get paid, not every hole can be filled.
Everything hinges on a grievance that has taken far too long to settle.
David Haugh is a special contributor to the Chicago Tribune and co-host of the “Mully and Haugh Show” weekdays from 5-9 a.m. on WSCR-AM-670.


chicagotribune--2020-01-07--Reliever Steve Cishek signs a 1-year, $6 million deal with the White Sox, report says

“ We made it clear going into this offseason that adding a couple of starters was important , improving right @ @ @ @ @ situation and our left-handed/right-handed balance in the lineup were our main priorities , and we @ @ @ @ @ we ’ ve made along all those fronts , ” Hahn said Dec. 30 .

The back end of the bullpen was a strength for the White Sox in 2019.
They added another piece Tuesday, reportedly signing reliever Steve Cishek to a one-year, $6 million deal. The contract, according to ESPN’s Jeff Passan, includes an option for a second season.
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Cishek, 33, makes the short move from Wrigley Field to Guaranteed Rate Field. He spent the last two seasons with the Cubs, for whom he went 8-9 with a 2.55 ERA in 150 outings.
He was 4-6 with a 2.95 ERA in 70 appearances in 2019. He had 57 strikeouts and 29 walks in 64 innings.
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Overall, Cishek is 32-37 with a 2.69 ERA in 572 career outings — all in relief — with the Marlins (2010-15), Cardinals (‘15), Mariners (’16-17), Rays (‘17) and Cubs (’18-19).
Cishek’s deal is the latest in a long list of offseason moves by the Sox. They signed starting pitchers Dallas Keuchel and Gio Gonzalez and the top free-agent catcher in Yasmani Grandal, traded for right fielder Nomar Mazara and reportedly have a deal with designated hitter Edwin Encarnacion.
Sox general manager Rick Hahn recently discussed the desire for more bullpen help.
“We made it clear going into this offseason that adding a couple of starters was important, improving right field, improving our DH situation and our left-handed/right-handed balance in the lineup were our main priorities, and we feel good about the progress we’ve made along all those fronts,” Hahn said Dec. 30.
“A couple times I alluded to, like all 29 other clubs, improving our bullpen would certainly be of interest to us this offseason. ... That would likely be a focus going into the new year.”
The Cishek deal addresses that.
He joins a group of returning relievers that includes closer Alex Colome and setup men Aaron Bummer and Evan Marshall.
Colome tied for fourth in the American League with 30 saves in 2019 and went 4-5 with a 2.80 ERA in 62 appearances. He had 55 strikeouts and 23 walks in 61 innings and held batters to a .191 average, although that mark was .265 after the All-Star break.
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Bummer had a 2.13 ERA and one save in 58 outings. He struck out 60 and walked 24 in 67⅔ innings.
Marshall went 4-2 with a 2.49 ERA and 19 holds in 55 appearances. He had 41 strikeouts and 24 walks in 50⅔ innings.
The Sox tendered contracts to the arbitration-eligible Colome and Marshall on Dec. 2. Colome is projected by mlbtraderumors.com to earn $10.3 million in arbitration, and Marshall is projected to earn $1.3 million.


chicagotribune--2020-01-07--Strawdog Theatre, kicked out of its home, has a last play and a new plan

“ I am excited , ” she said , “ about leaning into spaces that really fit the shows we @ @ @ @ @ theater has helped us think about how we surround an audience with a play — @ @ @ @ @ a whole list of plays and a whole list of spaces and I want to @ @ @ @ @ speak to each other .
That is how we ’ re going to look at @ @ @ @ @ are freed from having to do every play in the same space .
We always @ @ @ @ @ ‘ whole wide world in a little black box , ’ but what if we @ @ @ @ @ world somewhere other than a little black box ? ''

One year ago this week, Chicago’s Strawdog Theatre Company hired a new artistic director, Leda Hoffmann, who’d served for several years on the artistic staff of the Milwaukee Repertory Theatre.
Not only is the Milwaukee Rep the flagship theater in its city, but it has an impressive venue in downtown Milwaukee, with multiple theaters and cool public spaces. If you say “Milwaukee Rep” to any arts lover in Milwaukee, they can tell you the address. The identity of the theater is bifurcated, and successfully so, between the fine work done there and the space itself. You cannot separate the one from the other.
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Hoffmann, 32, knew that she was not swapping one like building for another when she moved to take artistic charge of Strawdog, a 33-year-old Chicago company that has remained non-Equity all of these years and that has an annual budget of only about $250,000. But she did think that she was going to get a building to call home — specifically, the ground floor of a warehouse-like space located at 1802 W. Berenice Ave. in Chicago’s North Center neighborhood.
The building on Berenice had only recently become Strawdog’s home. For almost all of its history, Strawdog was located on the second floor of a building a few blocks to the east and south, at 3829 N. Broadway. The theater there had notoriously terrible sightlines, thanks to some massive columns that managed to make virtually every seat a partial view, and its accessibility was, to say the least, limited. But its challenges had, over the years, become part of Strawdog’s aesthetic.
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I saw most of the shows they did there, including scores of world premieres. I never could keep track, though, of just who was or was not an ensemble member. In its history, Strawdog has had well over 100 ensemble members, coming and going. If you ran into a Chicago actor on the street, the odds were close to even they had started out their career at Strawdog.
The theater never was in anyone’s top tier, but it was widely appreciated and, now and again, it would knock a wacky show out of the park — or, rather, close to the park, since Wrigley Field was just across the way. And it always lived up to its own slogan: “the whole wide world in a little black box.” At no time did Strawdog want for ambition.
Non-Equity companies in Chicago tend to have defined shelf lives, often linked to a founding someone’s career aspirations. Strawdog, by comparison, seemed to be freeze-dried.
But stasis was not the state of real-estate development in Lakeview East, and the Broadway building was lost to gentrification. Hence the 2017 move to Berenice, a 99-seat theater with a long history, including stints by both the now-defunct Oracle Theatre and the Signal Ensemble Theatre, which called it quits in 2015 after some 13 years in the trenches. It seemed a good fit for Strawdog.
Not so. Developers came knocking once again, and the ownership of the building decided to sell. Precisely what will happen on that site has yet to be determined but residential redevelopment would make sense, given the composition and convenience of the neighborhood. Hoffmann had expected to be working there for years; in fact, the Strawdog show opening on Monday, the dystopian drama “Thirst” by C.A. Johnson, will be the last Strawdog show in that space.
Hoffmann is having to face a kind of artistic homelessness. This is not usually good news — history suggests that Chicago theaters without spaces, even if shared, do not survive in the long term. Hoffmann acknowledged that reality. But she also said she has decided to embrace and foreground that challenge, at least in the short term.
“I am excited,” she said, “about leaning into spaces that really fit the shows we are doing. Losing our theater has helped us think about how we surround an audience with a play — right now, I have a whole list of plays and a whole list of spaces and I want to find plays and spaces that speak to each other. That is how we’re going to look at Season 33. We now are freed from having to do every play in the same space. We always have said we offer a ‘whole wide world in a little black box,’ but what if we can offer that whole wide world somewhere other than a little black box?"
Especially one with intrusive columns?
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“Right.”
Space-specific theater is in vogue — it just is logistically difficult to match shows and rooms, although other companies have tried. Does Hoffmann think the loyal Strawdog audience will be ready to travel?"
“They followed us from our old space into this new one before we lost that one,” she said. “So, yes, I think they will.”
Strawdog, after all, is a survivor. Its “Thirst” is in previews this weekend.
Chris Jones is a Tribune critic.
cjones5@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-01-07--More changes coming to downtown Libertyville after Starbucks announces plan to close store following

More changes coming to downtown Libertyville after Starbucks announces plan to close store following 25 years of business

“ They ’ re saying this particular store does not do enough business and they want to move on , @ @ @ @ @ We ’ re actually one of the original stores when they opened as cafes .
@ @ @ @ @ This was what Starbucks was .
Obviously , Starbucks thinks the old model doesn ’ @ @ @ @ @

Starbucks plans to close its downtown Libertyville store, 542 N. Milwaukee Ave., later this summer after roughly 25 years in business. (Phil Rockrohr / Pioneer Press)
Starbucks’ recent decision to close its longtime storefront in Libertyville marks the latest change in a series of different developments to affect the village’s bustling downtown.
But many Libertyville residents and merchants say that even though they were surprised to hear Starbucks was planning to close the popular store, they don’t believe the decision reflects a larger problem for the village, pointing out how downtown vacancies don’t seem to last long when they do happen.
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Village President Terry Weppler said he is always disappointed to see any store close in Libertyville, but he noted the closing of the downtown Starbucks shouldn’t make the village a “coffee desert."
“We do have local businesses that are coffee shops. There is another opening in a week or two," Weppler said. "We will not be a coffee desert, but Starbucks has been a longtime staple in downtown and will be missed by residents.”
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Weppler said he spoke with a Starbucks vice president who told him that the company is shifting many of its stores to include drive-throughs, which the downtown Libertyville location doesn’t have. The store at 542 N. Milwaukee Ave., which has been open for 25 years, also doesn’t have the capacity to add a drive-through, he said.
For that reason and because of a drop in sales at the store, Starbucks chose not to renew its lease and will close the store on June 30, according to Weppler.
“They’re saying this particular store does not do enough business and they want to move on,” he said. “We’re actually one of the original stores when they opened as cafes. We were store 267. This was what Starbucks was. Obviously, Starbucks thinks the old model doesn’t work anymore.”
Representatives with Starbucks could not be reached for comment.
But Claudia Bugarin, a barista trainer at the downtown location, disputed the claim that the storefront is doing less business nowadays than other locations in the Chicago area, noting how the Libertyville location is “a pretty busy store.”
She said the closing is happening because Starbucks can’t install nitro brewing machines and other equipment that is needed to modernize the location.
“The building is old,” Bugarin said. “Because it used to be a bank, there are four pillars in the middle of the floor. We can’t knock them down without the whole building coming down.”
All of the employees at the downtown location have been reassigned to other stores and will relocate after the store closes later this summer, Bugarin said.
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Libertyville residents and merchants say the state of downtown Libertyville is strong and remains attractive to interested developers despite recent vacancies. (Phil Rockrohr / Pioneer Press)
Along with Weppler, several area residents and two local business owners say the forthcoming Starbucks closing is not symbolic of a bigger issue.
The downtown business landscape has experienced a variety of changes recently, including the closing of a popular dance studio and bakery and a proposal to demolish the Liberty Theater.
Weppler pointed out how Conscious Cup Coffee Roasters, a regional coffehouse, announced plans to open a location at the former Lovin’ Oven Cakery, 355 N. Milwaukee Ave., not too long after the popular bakery closed.
Conscious Cup should be open for business in the coming weeks, he said.
“I don’t think these are more than typical closings,” he said. “When one business closes, another one opens up right away. It’s still an attractive downtown. People are constantly contacting our community development director looking for locations downtown.”
Carol Fanuda, who operates Village Jewelers, 618 N. Milwaukee Ave., said she was surprised to hear the nearby Starbucks was closing because it’s “doing very good business.”
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But Fanuda said the closing doesn’t reflect upon the entire downtown.
“I’m not worried,” Fanuda said. “I wouldn’t say it’s bad. It will get filled up pretty quickly.”
Fanuda’s son, Steve, who owns MobileTech consultants on the same stretch of property, said the decision is more a reflection of Starbucks’ decision to move toward drive-throughs than on the state of downtown Libertyville.
Although at least four or five businesses are vacant in the downtown area, the closings have not affected other businesses, including both of his family’s businesses, Steve Fanuda said.
“It just looks bad to have an empty spot,” he said. “It doesn’t affect us one bit, but a town doing well is based on aesthetics and having a vacant spot doesn’t look good.”
Phil Rockrohr is a freelance reporter for Pioneer Press.


chicagotribune--2020-01-07--The Blackhawks are ‘a little bit behind the pack’ — but GM Stan Bowman says they’re not close to mak

The Blackhawks are ‘a little bit behind the pack’ — but GM Stan Bowman says they’re not close to making a trade despite having millions in salary-cap space

“ We ’ ll just assess that as we go , ” Bowman said .
“ I don ’ t @ @ @ @ @ one approach .
Part of my job is to look at all the different options @ @ @ @ @ to add a player for adding assets , we ’ ll look at that .
@ @ @ @ @ looking at the team on the ice .
It ’ s been nice to see @ @ @ @ @ come up from Rockford and fill in .
The last couple weeks , Saad ’ @ @ @ @ @ Haan and Seabrook , Shaw , Caggiula — there ’ s five experienced NHL players @ @ @ @ @ ’ ve found a way with other players .
Sometimes it works that way and @ @ @ @ @ continues .
”

Blackhawks general manager Stan Bowman praised Jeremy Colliton’s coaching performance, said the team isn’t close to making a trade despite having millions in salary-cap space and stopped short of calling the Hawks a playoff contender in a wide-ranging news conference Tuesday at the United Center.
The Hawks have been beset by injuries all season but were still within six points of the final Western Conference wild-card spot entering Tuesday’s game against the Flames. Defensemen Brent Seabrook and Calvin de Haan are out for the season, Andrew Shaw and Drake Caggiula have been out since November with concussions and Duncan Keith, Connor Murphy and Brandon Saad have all missed significant time.
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“We’re right there,” Bowman said. "We’re a little bit behind the pack — a couple points. But it’s a pretty tight pack that are fighting to get into that (last) spot. It’s been basically half a season. We’ve got a lot of hockey left, so at this point I think the biggest excitement is just the fact that even though we’ve had five veterans out of the lineup, we’ve had some young players step up.
“In particular, (Kirby) Dach and (Adam) Boqvist have taken a step forward and they’ve shown that they can help our team win. ... I think they’re starting to take a step forward. And that’s really the biggest way our team’s going to improve is for those players to continue to progress and help the veterans because the veterans know what it takes to get into the playoffs and make a push because they’ve done it before. The young guys don’t, but if they keep on their path forward, it bodes well for the team.”
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Blackhawks defenseman Adam Boqvist looks to score against the Maple Leafs on Nov. 10, 2019. (Brian Cassella / Chicago Tribune)
Seabrook and de Haan’s season-ending injuries have given Bowman a little over $11 million in salary-cap space to play with that otherwise wouldn’t have been available. But in order to bring in new players — salary-cap flexibility or not — the Hawks would need to give up assets.
“We have the flexibility to do it,” Bowman said. “Right now we’re not chasing down any trades. Part of this time of the year is to have some conversations with other general managers to see where they’re at. Everyone’s trying to assess their team ... financially, we can fit some other players in. Whether we’re going to make moves or not, we’ll just have to see what comes down the pipe. We don’t have anything we’re close to right now.”
With the Hawks closer to a full rebuild than to being a Stanley Cup contender, Bowman is unlikely to give up draft picks or top prospects to try to improve a questionable bid for the playoffs.
But they likely wouldn’t need to give up more than a late-round pick if they acquired players from non-contending teams who are on expiring contracts. Bowman didn’t dismiss any possibility even as he pointed to how young players have ably filled in despite all the injuries.
“We’ll just assess that as we go,” Bowman said. “I don’t think you can have just one approach. Part of my job is to look at all the different options. If it makes sense to add a player for adding assets, we’ll look at that. But we’re also looking at the team on the ice. It’s been nice to see some of the younger players come up from Rockford and fill in. The last couple weeks, Saad’s been missing and De Haan and Seabrook, Shaw, Caggiula — there’s five experienced NHL players that are out and we’ve found a way with other players. Sometimes it works that way and we’re hoping it continues.”
Blackhawks coach Jeremy Colliton yells to his players during a game against Islanders on Dec. 27, 2019. (John J. Kim / Chicago Tribune)
With six NHL coaches already fired this season — for on-ice and off-ice reasons — Bowman doesn’t appear remotely close to making it a seventh. Colliton, who turns 35 next week, is 49-46-15 since taking over for Joel Quenneville last season.
A promising second half last season when the Hawks came within a few points of making the playoffs, plus a series of offseason acquisitions raised expectations that the Hawks could return to the postseason after a two-year absence. But through the injuries, the distraction of assistant coach Marc Crawford’s monthlong suspension plus down seasons by Jonathan Toews and Alex DeBrincat have hurt their chances.
Through it all, Bowman has come away impressed with Colliton’s positivity.
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“Jeremy’s had a great approach to things,” he said. "Even when things were frustrating where we weren’t getting the results early on, he stuck with it. Positive demeanor, communicates really well with the players — that’s the one thing, when you have a young team, you need to have a lot of information flow back and forth (with) the coaching staff. He’s done a great job of incorporating all of his coaches into the mix and making sure that our players are getting the information they need.
"He’s certainly settled into his role right now. It’s been a little bit over a year that he’s been behind the bench with us, and certainly his knowledge of the league, it’s one thing (to) study it from a distance, but now that he’s been through over a year and he knows the league better, that’s one thing that has helped him understand the different coaches you’re going against.
“You can study it from afar, but until you’re coaching against someone, you don’t really know their tendencies and adjustments in-game, and Jeremy’s done a very good job this year of making little changes to help our team win.”
Bowman declined to comment on whether contract talks had started with Robin Lehner, Dylan Strome, Erik Gustafsson or any of the Hawks who will be restricted or unrestricted free agents after the season.
Blackhawks winger Alex Nylander battles Wild defenseman Carson Soucy on Dec. 15, 2019. (Brian Cassella / Chicago Tribune)
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He did discuss the performance of rookie Alex Nylander, who has had a disappointing season while the player Bowman traded for him — Henri Jokiharju — has turned into a dependable third-pairing defenseman for the Sabres.
Jokiharju, who won’t turn 21 until next summer, hasn’t missed a game. On the other hand, Nylander has been a healthy scratch four times, including three straight entering Tuesday’s game.
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Nylander, who turns 22 in March, was expected to return to the lineup Tuesday. He has 14 points (five goals, nine assists) in 39 games.
“Alex had flashes where he was really effective and sometimes he needs to just gain more reliability both ways,” Bowman said. “But (I’m) still encouraged by what he’s shown, and if we can get his best game, it can really impact us in a positive way. So if we can bring that out on a regular basis that will help the team.”
The team taking the ice every night is far different than the one Bowman envisioned when he was making his summer moves. But he professed faith in the organizational depth during an interview with the Tribune in October when he said, “I think we are deeper than we’ve been and we’ve got some players in Rockford who we think can help us here as well.”
Since then, Boqvist, Dennis Gilbert and Dylan Sikura, among others, have helped stabilize a teetering team and provided hope it can still make a playoff run.
“When there’s a player who goes down or multiple guys get injured, you have to have guys step up, and I think we’ve seen that over the past couple weeks,” he said. “Now we need that to continue ... because the team’s looking to build on something. And right now we’ve found a nice mixture of guys buying into their roles. When that happens, your team has a good chance to win.”