insert into `report_content` (date,headline,copy,section,pic,atf,feature)
values ('2011-02-09','Blizzard of 2011 brings avalanche of community
spirit','Dozens of kids—young and young at heart—gathered
on the front lawn of the McNamara residence in Beverly on Feb. 2 to build
a giant snowman for Patrick McNamara, a seventh-grade student at St.
Barnabas Elementary School who was in New Jersey to undergo surgery when
the blizzard hit. Although the cold weather meant snow conditions would
not cooperate for “Project Snowman,” the group built a giant
snow fort to welcome Patrick home.','Community','no','no','no');
insert into `report_content` (date,headline,copy,section,pic,atf,feature)
values ('2011-02-09','Storm brings controversy to forum','by
Caroline Connors\r\nCiting safety concerns that coincided
with a blizzard that hit Chicago on Feb. 1, four of the five candidates
on the ballot for the 19th Ward aldermanic race cancelled their
appearance at a forum held at the Beverly Arts Center.\r\nIn an e-
mail sent to Matt Walsh, executive director of the Beverly Area Planning
Association (BAPA), aldermanic candidate Anne Schaible said that she,
along with candidates Ray Coronado, George Newell and Phil Sherlock,
would not attend the forum in the interest of
safety.\r\n“The four of us are united in our belief that it
would be dangerous to proceed with tonight’s event in view of the
severity of the storm,” Schaible said in the e-mail. “Please
understand that we want BAPA to reschedule this event and will do
everything in our power to facilitate.”\r\nAldermanic
candidate Matt O’Shea and write-in candidate Diane Phillips were in
attendance at the forum, and they answered a series of questions prepared
in advance by BAPA, the League of Women Voters of Chicago and a number of
local civic associations. An audience of approximately 60 people was
present, BAPA officials said.\r\nAccording to Walsh, the forum was
a victim of the Chicago weather and its notorious unpredictability.
Administrators from BAPA were mindful of the impending blizzard when they
made the decision to proceed with the forum, but they said they were
following weather forecasts that suggested the bulk of the storm would
hit the area later in the evening.\r\nBy the time they realized
the storm was not going to temporarily subside, it was too late to
cancel, Walsh said. Complicating the decision to cancel the event was the
knowledge that, given the schedules of the six candidates and less than
three weeks left to campaign before the election, it would be next to
impossible to reschedule.\r\n“We wanted to have as many
candidates there as possible,” Walsh said. “It didn’t
work out the way we had hoped it would.”\r\nWalsh said the
arts center briefly lost electrical power twice during the 45-minute
program, but that it was “a pretty good exchange of ideas”
nonetheless.\r\nTwo days later, all six candidates participated in
a forum held at Smith Village, 2320 W. 113th Pl., where they were given
two minutes each to answer questions regarding the use of tax increment
financing district money and the revitalization of local business
districts, the aging infrastructure of the Chicago Public School system,
and public safety/crime prevention, especially as it relates to the
senior population.\r\nWhile the candidates reiterated the same
positions they have expressed at previous forums and in survey responses
in The Beverly Review, Sherlock introduced the issue of negative
campaigning when he announced his displeasure with campaign literature
that questions Schaible’s voting
history.\r\n“There’s a piece of literature put out
slandering Anne Schaible saying that she’s a Republican,”
Sherlock said. “It says— it’s hard to read, you almost
need a microscope— paid for by the 19th Ward Democratic
Organization. They’re saying that Anne is a Republican ‘all
wrong for our community’; she voted for ‘radical
Republicans’ … John McCain is a ‘radical
Republican’? I’m confused.”\r\nIn response,
O’Shea said that he was aware of the campaign flier and that it was
distributed with his approval.\r\n“Yes, I did put this piece
out; I put this piece out because the gentleman from the city of Chicago,
Sen. Barack Obama, was on the ballot to represent all of us in the White
House and serve as our president, and Anne Schaible chose not to support
him and support someone else, a Republican, Sarah Palin and John
McCain,” O’Shea said. “And in the last election when
Dan Hynes, a neighborhood resident, was on the ballot for governor, Anne
Schaible, who wants to serve as the next alderman, stayed home. She
didn’t vote. Critical election for where our state is right now;
she sat home. So yes, I take ownership; I sent the piece home to
Democratic voters throughout the ward.”\r\nSchaible said she
was offended by the piece because it was inflammatory. The flier,
Schaible said, was sent only to precincts in the ward that are
predominantly populated by blacks.\r\n“The whole purpose of
it was to slander me in the black community,” Schaible said.
“In the last 10 years I have voted in three primaries, two
Democratic and one Republican. He does not know who I voted for—he
assumed incorrectly—but it’s none of anyone’s
business.”\r\nAccording to Schaible, she requested a
Republican ballot for the presidential primary in 2008 because her son
was an intern for Mitt Romney at the time.\r\nAlthough
O’Shea said the fliers were sent to heavily Democratic precincts,
including Schaible’s, Schaible said that she talked to 15 people in
the 56th precinct, and none of them received the flier.\r\nIn a
prepared statement, Schaible said that she was “deeply
troubled” by the flier and its implications.\r\n“When
campaigns turn to negative and misleading tactics—especially those
designed to incite racial tensions—we are taking steps backwards,
not forwards.”\r\nO’Shea denied the allegations of
inciting racial tensions, and said that he stands by the information in
the literature as factual.','Community','no','no','no');
insert into `report_content` (date,headline,copy,section,pic,atf,feature)
values ('2011-02-09','Good news on development front','by
Patrick Thomas\r\nIn a possible sign of local economic
recovery and new investors willing to take a risk, two separate deals
were reportedly negotiated recently to revive a major Beverly development
and the site of a popular Mt. Greenwood dining spot.\r\nJay
Tarczon said he is hoping to open Joseph’s Restaurant and Bar by
March at 3123 W. 111th St., the former site of Richie’s, which
closed Oct. 30, 2010, after 11 years in business. Tarczon not only lives
about a half block from the','Community','no','no','no');
insert into `report_content` (date,headline,copy,section,pic,atf,feature)
values ('2011-02-09','North Beverly residents decry parking
Grinches','by Patrick Thomas\r\nIt was
Christmas afternoon. All the stockings in North Beverly had been hung
from the chimney with care, and hardly a creature was stirring when out
on the lawn arose a clatter.\r\nThe neighbors near the 95th Street
Metra train station sprung to their feet to see what was the
matter.\r\nIt was none other than parking attendants writing
tickets.\r\n“Everybody was really upset,” said Mary
Ellen Fahey, one of dozens of neighbors from the 9400 block of South
Winchester Avenue who was ticketed. According to Fahey, parking
attendants from a private company contracted by the city were strolling
through the neighborhood citing motorists for parking in designated
permit parking areas surrounding the 95th Street Metra station near the
Rock Island line. Fahey said she had parking permit stickers in her house
but chose not to use them thinking no one would get ticketed on a holiday
like Christmas.\r\nIt turned out that she and several neighbors
were wrong, and as a result, they and their guests were each hit with a
$60 ticket.\r\n“It was snowing out, and we probably had 25
to 30 people in our house. There was one car in the driveway, and there
are seven of us in our family with six cars. My siblings were ticketed,
including my oldest brother Tommy, who is a priest. He got a ticket,
too,” Fahey said. “We went out and begged these people to
stop, but they said, ‘We don’t have to.’ They were not
at all receptive.”\r\nPat Cullnan, of the 9400 block of
South Hoyne Avenue, said he heard his dog barking, and he raced out to
the street to plead with the parking attendants.\r\n“It got
ugly,” he said. “I told them, ‘You guys are ruining
Christmas. I know your company is telling you to do this, but as a human
being, do you really have to?’”\r\nWord of the mass
ticketing got back to 19th Ward Ald. Ginger Rugai, who said she was so
upset that she introduced an ordinance in City Council to modify the
parking permit code, making it legal to park in the designated areas
without a permit on holidays such as New Year’s Day, Memorial Day,
the Fourth of July, Labor Day, Thanksgiving and Christmas.\r\nThe
ordinance was being heard in City Council’s Committee on Traffic
Control and Safety on Feb. 8 and was expected to head to the full City
Council on Feb. 9. Rugai said she is confident it will
pass.\r\n“It was just appalling. No one would ever think to
hand out guest passes on Christmas Day,” Rugai said.\r\nShe
said that contractors from the city’s Department of Revenue have
ticketed drivers for the past three years, but this was the first time
they have been in the ward on Christmas Day. She identified the private
company as Circo, which the city pays a flat fee when city employees are
not working.\r\n“I’m infuriated by the
insensitivity,” Rugai said. “It’s the principle of the
matter.”\r\nBut some neighbors feel the ordinance does not
go far enough. Several neighbors interviewed for this report said they
would eliminate the parking permitting process altogether. One woman, who
declined to give her name, said Rock Island commuters are not a problem
and preferred having traffic on her street because it makes her feel
safe.\r\n“I don’t mind having people on our
block,” she said.\r\nThe permitting process went into effect
in the 1970s, neighbors said, because of parking problems associated with
a health club that was formerly located on 95th Street. It was not a
problem created by commuters, they said. Now with so many culs-de-sac in
that area, there is hardly any traffic to require further parking
restrictions, neighbors said.\r\nCullnan said he spends about $270
annually on parking permits and stickers for three cars for his family.
After more than 30 years living on the street, that’s thousands of
dollars just to park in front of his home, not to mention all the
headaches to apply for the permits and ensure that every guest gets
one.\r\n“I’d prefer getting rid of the permitting
altogether,” he said. “The train people don’t really
park here, and if that’s the case, just make it illegal to park
there for an hour in the morning.”\r\nTherese Coghlan, of
the 9400 block of South Hoyne Avenue, agreed, even though she and her
family don’t have to park in front of the house because of their
driveway and two-car garage. But last January, when they were helping
their son pack his car, they walked out to find $500 worth of tickets on
the family’s cars that had been temporarily moved to the
street.\r\n“I think they should get rid of the permitting
process,” Coghlan said. “No one comes down here anyway with
the culs-de-sac. There does not seem to be a reason for it. It just gives
the city of Chicago Department of Revenue an excuse to come over and
ticket us.”\r\nCaroline Connors contributed to this
report.','Community','no','no','no');
insert into `report_content` (date,headline,copy,section,pic,atf,feature)
values ('2011-02-09','Music, food, fun up for bids at BAC','The Smiley
Tillmon Band is part of the entertainment at the Beverly Arts Center for
its 40th Annual Auction on Feb. 12. The fundraising event features silent
and live auctions, food catered by Wishbone, and cocktails with a
Valentine’s Day theme. For more information, call (773) 445-
3838.','Community','no','no','no');
insert into `report_content` (date,headline,copy,section,pic,atf,feature)
values ('2011-02-09','Men take aim at bullying with event','by
Caroline Connors\r\nAn idea for a kinder, gentler
community began sprouting inside the confines of a local flower shop
about six months ago, and the concept is now taking root.\r\nSteve
English and Ryan Steinbach, co-owners of The Blossom Boys, 9911 S. Walden
Pkwy., have launched a campaign to help stop bullying, and they are
kicking off the crusade with an event at the Beverly Arts Center (BAC) on
Feb. 15.\r\nAnne Parry, from the city of Chicago’s Office of
Violence Prevention, will offer an evening of information and training
for Bully Free Beverly, a grassroots movement created to end bullying and
its harmful effects.\r\nParry, a nationally renowned researcher,
educator and author, said that the lion’s share of the evening will
be devoted to helping people develop a “response system” so
they know what to do when someone is being bullied.\r\n“My
goal for the evening is information and inspiration,” Parry said.
“When you combine information and inspiration, it equals
change.”\r\nAccording to Parry, current research on bullying
reveals that too much emphasis has been placed on the victims and the
people committing the bullying. Instead, the focus should be placed on
the bystanders and training them to actively strategize how to end a
bullying situation.\r\n“We’ve got to get people to
think about their own responses and build up protective factors,”
Parry said. “We want to teach our children to be selfdefensive and
self-protective but without hurting others.”\r\nThe
presentation is free and open to the community, including parents,
grandparents, educators, church representatives and business owners,
English said. Other speakers at the event will include a representative
from the state’s attorney’s office, who will speak on
Internet safety and cyberbullying, and Kortney Peagram from Bulldog
Solution, who is completing a doctorate in psychology on the effects on
the brain of bullying.\r\nFounded in 1994 in response to the
Surgeon General’s designation of violence as a public health issue
affecting every man, woman and child in the U.S., the Office of Violence
Prevention provides professional development training for educators and
parent groups on a variety of violence prevention topics, including the
effects of domestic abuse on children and bullying.\r\nThe BAC
event is open to children, and Parry may initiate a “family
café model” type of presentation where kids break off and do
activities apart from their parents.\r\n“I’m not the
traditional type of speaker,” Parry said.\r\nVictims of
childhood bullying themselves, English and Steinbach were inspired to
take action after tragedies resulting from bullying intensified last
year.\r\n“As we have heard and watched the numerous news
reports and Internet stories of children and teenagers bullied to the
point of death, we can only imagine how much more brutal and devastating
bullying is today with our high-tech society,” English said.
“Since we started talking about this project for a Bully Free
Beverly, I have been amazed by the stories parents from Beverly have
shared with us. … Every adult I have spoken to has a story of
childhood bullying or situations they have confronted with their own
children and not known how to handled it.”\r\nEnglish said
he hopes to begin an open discussion on bullying in Beverly so that
residents will learn about solutions and also the long-term effects of
the behavior.\r\n“I challenge Beverly as a community to
proudly become a Bully Free Beverly,” English said. “It will
take everyone’s education; there is no reason why every single
school and church cannot have training for their staffs and congregations
from the speakers [coming to the BAC on Feb. 15]. These are ‘our
children,’ and we are ‘the
village.’”\r\nIndeed, English’s dream could
easily become a reality, Parry said.\r\n“Beverly is a
manageable geographic area,” she said. “[Personnel from the
Office of Violence Prevention] provide the resource, and we could
saturate every school with an in-service at no cost. It could really take
hold.”\r\nFor more information on Bully Free Beverly,
contact The Blossom Boys at (773) 779-4400 or e-mail bullyfreebeverly@
yahoo.com.','Community','no','no','no');
insert into `report_content` (date,headline,copy,section,pic,atf,feature)
values ('2011-02-09','\'Sound\' echoes on tough issue','by
Caroline Connors\r\nA play that tackles the subject of
teen bullying is coming to Beverly/Morgan Park after a successful debut
at Mt. Carmel High School.\r\n“Sound,” an original
drama written and performed by students and staff from Mt. Carmel High
School, will hit the stage of the Beverly Arts Center for a two-day run,
Feb. 26- 27.\r\nThe third in a series of student- written plays
centered around the five senses, “Sound” tells the story of
Andrew, a student at a new school who, as the victim of rumors and
taunts, befriends three other bullying victims and devises a plan to seek
revenge.\r\nWhile the subject matter is difficult, it is one that
deserves attention, said Mt. Carmel Dean of Students the Rev.
“Padre” Benjamin Aguilar, O. Carm., who co-wrote the play
with a small group of students.\r\n“I wanted the audience to
see what we have at stake,” Aguilar said. “It’s a
matter of life and death.”\r\nAguilar said he was influenced
by the widely publicized suicides of several teens in late 2010, along
with personal episodes experienced by him and his co-writers, when he
began forming a story line for the school’s winter
drama.\r\n“It’s a fictional story peppered with actual
experiences,” he said.\r\nThe group used a number of
stereotypical situations to develop the characters, including a student
who suffers from dyslexia and stutters, a female student who experiences
early physical development, and a gay student.\r\nThankfully,
however, Aguilar said, student behavior at Mt. Carmel was not the
focus.\r\n“Bullying is not as prevalent here,” he
said. “There’s nothing violent or
traumatic.”\r\nAguilar, who has coordinated the drama
program at Mt. Carmel for the past 14 years, said he was impressed by the
sensitivity of the cast, which includes local students Connor Golden, of
Beverly, Joey Casasanto, of Mt. Greenwood, and Vince Morgan, of Calumet
Park, among others.\r\n“They were very empathetic,”
Aguilar said. “It was hard to get the bully characters to perform
at first because what they had to say and do goes against their
nature.”\r\nThey also had to use language that is not
typically used in a high school production.\r\n“The winter
play allows us to explore language a little more. The only word they
couldn’t use was the ‘f-word,’” Aguilar said.
“The language is raw, but it’s the way kids talk to each
other. I wanted the audience to hear that.”\r\nAguilar said
he designed a special stage for the Mt. Carmel production so that the
audience could also feel the discomfort created by
bullying.\r\n“I wanted the audience to feel like they could
be sucked into the action but couldn’t get involved,” Aguilar
said. “Too often people don’t or can’t get involved,
and I wanted the audience to experience that.”\r\nWhile
disconcerting to some, the overall reaction to the play was positive,
cast members said.\r\n“The best part of the play was after
the performances, when you see the audience, young adults and teenagers,
and you know they can all relate to what they just saw,” Morgan
said.\r\nThough bullying is a complicated and emotional issue to
tackle, it is necessary for people to face the challenges in life that
are hardest to overcome, Aguilar said.\r\n“We are not
helpless; we need to put a stop to this victimization,” he said.
“Our own future as a civil society is at stake—cyber-bullying
is ubiquitous— and we need to make a point of seeing the scar that
is left by the digital tattoo, no matter how many times we try remove
it.”\r\n“Sound,” which is recommended for ages
13 and older, will be performed at the Beverly Arts Center, 2407 W. 111th
St., at 8 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 26, and 2 p.m. on Sunday, Feb. 27.
Tickets are $10 each or $5 with a student
I.D.','Community','no','no','no');
insert into `report_content` (date,headline,copy,section,pic,atf,feature)
values ('2011-02-09','\'Love of Art\' theme for BAC
auction','by Caroline Connors\r\nAt its
inception, the annual fundraising auction at the Beverly Arts Center
(BAC) was an all-day, flea markettype event held in May with mimeographed
catalogs of hundreds of antiques, collectables and knick-knacks that had
been cleared out from the attics of area homes.\r\nForty years
later, the event has evolved into a festive evening affair that includes
food, drinks, music, and live and silent auctions featuring original fine
art by Chicago artists Tim Anderson, John Colson and Brian Ritchard;
sports, travel and experience packages, such as a private tour of the Art
Institute Modern Wing and the opportunity to be chef for a day at
Café 103; and unique items, such as a custom-made hat from Optimo
and a signed Blackhawks jersey.\r\n“For the Love of
Art,” the BAC’s 40th annual benefit auction, will be held
Saturday, Feb. 12, at the arts center, 2407 W. 111th St., at 6 p.m.
Organized by the BAC Auxiliary, the Valentine’s Day-themed event
will include champagne, chocolates and a variety of romantic items, such
as diamond jewelry, a custom-made mattress and a lobster dinner, offered
in the live auction beginning at 8 p.m.\r\nWhile the format and
offerings have changed over the years, the level of enthusiasm and
creativity exhibited by the volunteers has not, said Edris Hoover, who
has worked on the auction each year since 1984.\r\n“The most
important element of pulling off a successful fundraising event remains a
constant over the years: the people involved are willing to entertain new
ideas,” Hoover said. “They are willing to respond to what
interests the audience and the community. Then the process always
constantly evolves, never stagnates.”\r\nHoover, who worked
behind the scenes collecting items for the auction and also on-stage as
an auctioneer, said that volunteers routinely stayed until midnight on
the eve of the event trying to figure out the right order and opening
bids. Some of her favorite memories include getting an
“outstandingly gorgeous deep royal blue and Chinese red Oriental
rug” at the eleventh hour from the penthouse of the Del Prado Hotel
in Hyde Park, and witnessing an enthusiastic winning bidder accidentally
collapse an antique bed on the stage before “leaping and
bounding” out of the auditorium with a newly acquired Turkish rug
flung over his shoulder.\r\nNow, a professional auctioneer
eliminates some of the guesswork and keeps the crowd entertained while
raising money for the community arts center. This year’s proceeds
will go toward sound and lighting upgrades for the BAC theater, which is
increasingly used as a venue for concert performances.\r\nWatching
the auction evolve over the years has been like watching a child grow,
said longtime BAC volunteer Pat McGrail.\r\nWhen many of the
original committee members lamented that many of the “cream of the
crop” items had been “cleaned out of Beverly’s
attics,” they responded with a willingness to hear new ideas from
“the younger crowd” that had become involved with the event.
As a result, the auction continues to be a work in
progress.\r\n“In 1989, the auxiliary board hired a
consultant who informed the auxiliary auction committee they had been
doing everything wrong,” McGrail said. “Henceforth, the
auction was moved to a February date, and a sitdown dinner was held in
the Morgan Park Academy dining hall. During the next few years, a heated
tent was erected on the MPA grounds, sometimes staked in snow banks, to
handle the capacity dining crowd. Later, the auction committee decided
the diners were spending too much time dining and not enough time at the
auction tables, so the menu was switched to finger foods that might be
portaged on plates throughout the auction hall.”\r\nThis
year’s auction will be catered by Wishbone restaurant and will
include a lineup of Southern favorites, including corn muffins, beef
brisket, shrimp and grits, and red velvet cake for dessert. In addition,
a “love potion cocktail” will be available at the cash bar,
and the Smiley Tillmon Band, featuring Beverly resident Tom Rezetko on
bass, will perform its danceable blues, soul and funk following the live
auction.\r\nThe 40th annual auction is a culmination of unique
items and ideas collected over the years, said auxiliary member Colleen
Doherty, of Beverly, but at its core it remains a great party for a great
cause.\r\nAuction tickets are $50 and available by calling (773)
445-3838 or online at beverlyartcenter.
org.','Community','no','no','no');
insert into `report_content` (date,headline,copy,section,pic,atf,feature)
values ('2011-02-09','Early Deadline','Due to the production of the
South Side Irish Family Fest Guide, the March 2 issue of The Beverly
Review will have an early deadline.\r\nThe deadline for editorial
copy and display and classified advertising will be Thursday, Feb. 24, at
4 p.m. For more information, call (773) 238-
3366.','Community','no','no','no');
insert into `report_content` (date,headline,copy,section,pic,atf,feature)
values ('2011-02-09','We got \'dibs\' on the South Side','Chicago is
known for many things, including its deep-dish pizza, beautiful lakefront
and machinedriven politics, but it’s also known for its
residents’ idiosyncratic obsession with reserving parking spaces
after big snowstorms.\r\nWhether in the form of orange traffic
cones, sawhorses, old dining room chairs or milk crates,
“dibs,” as they are called, inspire the same level of heated
discussion normally reserved for religion and politics.\r\nThose
on the righteous side of the aisle insist that whoever shovels a space
out of rock-hard snow compacted by the unforgiving blade of the snowplow
deserves to keep that space forever, or at least until spring. And once
it is cleared, the space had better be there when the person returns home
saddled with 17 bags of groceries after a trip to the store or following
a long day of work and an hour-and-a-half commute traveling in icy
conditions amongst other harried motorists.\r\nThose who take a
more egalitarian approach insist that the street is a public place and
that parking is on a first come, first served basis—no exceptions.
This theory is mainly supported in certain high-density neighborhoods on
the North Side where parking is at a premium even under the best weather
conditions and where it would be obnoxious to claim as one’s own a
parking space in front of an apartment building that houses dozens of
people.\r\nIn Beverly, Morgan Park and Mt. Greenwood, however,
where most of the housing is single-family and there is plentiful on-
street parking, taking a spot that someone else has cleared is tantamount
to thumbing one’s nose at the neighbor while gleefully mouthing
“Sucka!” It is a breach of etiquette that should not be
excused, no matter what the reason is for the infraction.\r\nWhile
the sight of pothole-laden streets studded with makeshift space
savers—an old broom leaning forlornly on an aged wicker chair, for
instance—on a bleak February day does nothing to lift one’s
spirits, it can help prevent neighbors coming to blows over who is
entitled to the parking space that took three hours of back-breaking
labor to clear.\r\nOf course, the real crux of the problem is not
the snow or the parking, but the inconsideration of some people who
haven’t quite figured out that the world doesn’t owe them a
free ride or, in this case, a free and clear parking space. It’s
high time for those folks to grab a shovel and get a clue.','Our
Opinion','no','no','no');
insert into `report_content` (date,headline,copy,section,pic,atf,feature)
values ('2011-02-09','Off The Record','The recent announcement made by
mayoral candidates Gery Chico and Rahm Emanuel that, if elected mayor,
they would consider abolishing residency requirements for city employees
has me a little worried.\r\nI don’t know if many of the
people affected would use the opportunity to flee to the suburbs but, if
they did, it would definitely upset the proverbial apple cart in
neighborhoods such as ours that have a heavy presence of police,
firefighters, teachers and other city employees.\r\nMy husband is
a Chicago firefighter, and we are proud citizens of the city of Chicago.
Many of my husband’s co-workers live in Beverly, Morgan Park or Mt.
Greenwood, and it is both convenient and comforting for us to live a
stone’s throw away from so many friends and
acquaintances.\r\nFor instance, there is an unspoken bond between
the families of people who work irregular hours, a secret language
involving shifts, “Daley days” and a shared knowledge in the
fact that the stomach flu and all other crises seem to occur on those
days when a spouse is gone for 24 hours at a stretch.\r\nLiving in
the city, especially in a workingclass neighborhood, gives you a sense of
community. You see the worst the city has to offer— the blight, the
despair, the crime—but you also see the best in people when they
come together to help each other during a snowstorm, celebrate at a block
party or cheer on a winning elementary school team.\r\nPractically
speaking, I don’t know of a comparable suburban location that would
offer the same architecturally rich housing, mature trees and convenient
transportation options that we have on the Southwest Side at a similar
cost. No doubt about it, there are beautiful suburbs with incredible
parks, charming downtown shopping districts and every other imaginable
amenity, but are the homes and property taxes even affordable on a city
worker’s paycheck?\r\nI am not anti-choice, but I do think
that having restrictions can sometimes make the world a little easier to
navigate. Like the boundaries imposed by religious beliefs, marriage,
children and work, a residency requirement gives city employees
parameters to work with instead of endless options. And, with more than
70 diverse neighborhoods throughout the city of Chicago that range from
urban to almost bucolic, city residency is not restrictive at
all.\r\nI can readily understand the frustration people feel over
the taxes that they pay and the lack of options available to them, such
as quality public education, especially for children with special needs,
but I also feel at times that people don’t give the city a fair
shake. Many suburbs are also experiencing budget crises, service cutbacks
and crumbling infrastructures—it’s not exclusive to Chicago.
Instead of running away from the city in search of the elusive greener
pastures, city residents should take a good look around and count their
blessings. It’s not perfect; but it’s ours, and we need to
protect it and nourish it.\r\nI will always think of Chicago as
the City of Big Shoulders, one that can carry a burden without wimping
out. City employees fall into the same category for me—solid, sure
of themselves and ready to take on any challenge. Whether these
politicians are pandering to votes or serious about lifting the residency
requirements, let’s stand firm and show them what city workers are
made of.\r\nTax base or not, the city just wouldn’t be the
same without ’em.','Commentary','no','no','no');
insert into `report_content` (date,headline,copy,section,pic,atf,feature)
values ('2011-02-09','Residents thank neighbors for help during
storm','This “thank you” is for the neighbors and friends
who live between 99th and 100th streets on Winchester
Avenue.\r\nDuring this past snowstorm, our neighbors took their
snow blowers and shovels and cleared our driveway, sidewalk and steps.
Another neighbor used his truck to plow and clear our street. None would
accept money for this effort.\r\nWe are blessed to have such
wonderful neighbors and friends.\r\nMelva and Forrest
Hazard','Letters to the Editor','no','no','no');
insert into `report_content` (date,headline,copy,section,pic,atf,feature)
values ('2011-02-09','Talley\'s Corner great place to be in Blizzard of
\'11','For the last nine years, I have been fortunate to call
Talley’s Corner in Mt. Greenwood my home. My friends who live in
the suburbs are amazed that I even know my neighbors’ names
… but we wouldn’t have it any other way.\r\nOn
Wednesday morning (Feb. 2) as the blizzard wound down, 7 a.m. brought the
sounds of snow blowers and shovels. Every able-bodied person around 101st
Street and Springfield Avenue was pitching in to clear driveways,
sidewalks and the street.\r\nBy 11 a.m., everyone on the block had
access to their cars and their homes. Someone made a pot of chicken soup.
One of the neighbors lit his fire pit, and while the kids played in the
snow, the adults kept warm around the fire. We talked and laughed and
made memories that will last a lifetime.\r\nI looked around and
saw not only my community in action but also friends helping each other.
There is no way to put an accurate “price” on the value of a
home in a neighborhood like ours because along with the bricks and mortar
comes an entire support system of wonderful people.\r\nThanks to
all my neighbors who make me happy on a daily basis that I live in
Talley’s Corner. You’re the best!\r\nEve M.
Gushes','Letters to the Editor','no','no','no');
insert into `report_content` (date,headline,copy,section,pic,atf,feature)
values ('2011-02-09','Holding forum on day of blizzard a
disservice','The Beverly Area Planning Association (BAPA) did a
tremendous disservice to residents of the 19th Ward on Feb. 1 by
proceeding with the 7:30 p.m. aldermanic candidates forum at the Beverly
Arts Center as scheduled.\r\nWas it civic-minded and responsible
of BAPA to organize and publicize the forum to allow residents of our
community to learn more about the various aldermanic candidates, raise
their questions and concerns, and become as educated as possible before
casting their ballots on Feb. 22? Absolutely. And did the residents of
the 19th Ward derive the intended benefit from this event? Most assuredly
not.\r\nThe city was in the midst of a dangerously fierce and
muchanticipated blizzard in the evening hours of Feb. 1. Businesses and
schools throughout the city closed early that day; the entire Streets and
Sanitation fleet, as well as numerous private- firm snowplows and salt
trucks, were dispatched but could not even begin to keep pace with the
snow, which was falling at the rate of 2 to 3 inches per hour. Lake Shore
Drive was shut down, with hundreds of motorists stranded. Roads
throughout the city, especially side streets, were rapidly becoming
impassable. And Mayor Daley forcefully urged Chicagoans to avoid travel
unless absolutely necessary.\r\nBAPA’s decision not to
postpone the candidate forum to another date left 19th Ward residents
with the unfortunate choice of foregoing such an important event or
risking the hazards associated with being on the roads in the heart of
such a dangerous blizzard. Not surprisingly, only a small handful of
people were able to attend the forum. Given the tremendous safety
concerns, all of the candidates, with the exception of Matt O’Shea,
agreed that it was in everyone’s best interest to postpone the
event and worked cooperatively with one another in contacting BAPA to
request that the forum be rescheduled.\r\nWhat a shame that
BAPA’s decision to proceed in the face of all this deprived those
of us who truly care about our local leadership of an opportunity to
learn more about the people who are asking us to elect them as our
alderman for the next four years.\r\nName withheld by
request','Letters to the Editor','no','no','no');
insert into `report_content` (date,headline,copy,section,pic,atf,feature)
values ('2011-02-09','Poor decisions by motorists put system in
havoc','At 2 p.m. on Feb. 1, the Blizzard of 2011 began.\r\nBy
2:30 p.m., the roads were slick and dangerous. It took me almost 45
minutes to get to the 911 Call Center from 1338 S. Clinton St. Because I
am detailed to training and work 40 hours, I was unable to work the
“street” with my fellow paramedics and firefighters. I was
more than happy to work at the 911 Center because this gave me some
connection to my peers, who I knew would give nothing short of 110
percent on this historical and dangerous day.\r\nPrior to closing
down Lake Shore Drive, the system was not very taxed. Yes, that’s
right; the system was working. When countless people decided not to heed
the warnings of the Chicago Office of Emergency Communications, when
countless people decided they were going to ignore all commonsense and
when countless people decided they were going to inadvertently put a
“working system” to a screeching halt, that is when the
system quit.\r\nEverything changed as a result of the poor
decision- making capacities of countless people. The system didn’t
quit because Ray Orozco made an executive decision to shut down the
Drive. The system didn’t quit because the paramedics and firemen
couldn’t get to these people stranded on the Drive. The system quit
when these people got into their vehicles, ignored all warnings and
attempted to selfishly drive home.\r\nI say selfishly because they
didn’t think about the ramifications of their decision. Their
decision put my peers at risk. Their decision added extra undue stress to
a fire commissioner who already buried four of his men since August.
Their decision lacked concern for the well-being of the emergency service
workers who would have to put their lives at risk because others made a
bad choice.\r\nTo those reporters who sat behind the protection of
glass and had the privilege to view this blizzard while drinking a hot
cup of coffee, shame on your judgment, shame on your inability to see the
big picture, shame on your lack of concern for the people who would walk
through 50 mph winds to save your life, and shame on your crucifixion of
the man who stands behind his convictions. This is the same man who is
respected by every member of the Chicago Fire Department, now and when he
was our commissioner.\r\nRay Orozco didn’t just take the
“blame” for the Lake Shore Drive incident; he owned it. He
stood there and owned the fact that he made a decision, and he stood by
it. This is called a leader, not a scapegoat.\r\nTo the men and
women I am so proud to call my peers, I am constantly impressed by your
selfless actions. You all worked so hard on those two days, and I am in
awe of your mental and physical strength. If you could have been witness
to the onslaught of calls, blinking red lights, alarms sounding due to
volume of calls exceeding the number of call takers— it was crazy.
Of course I’m preaching to the choir; nobody knows busy better than
you do!\r\nTo Commissioner Robert Hoff, Ray Orozco and all of my
Chicago Fire Department family, be proud of yourself and each other. It
is impossible for a layperson to fathom our job and why we do it. We
know, which is enough.\r\nWe know integrity, and we value life. We
push ourselves past the finish line because sometimes stopping is not a
choice. The Lake Shore Drive incident does not define you, the Chicago
Fire Department or any other city service. The only things that matter
are what we take home with us in the morning, like our integrity and our
commitment to family and each other.\r\nI’m very proud to be
a part of this family, a concept few people have the honor and privilege
to experience.\r\nPattie Wood\r\n Paramedic\r\nChicago
Fire Department','Letters to the Editor','no','no','no');
insert into `report_content` (date,headline,copy,section,pic,atf,feature)
values ('2011-02-09','Community Briefs','Blue Island’s
Mutual UFO Network Chapter will hold a meeting in the
Blue Island Public Library, 2433 York St., at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 22.
For more information, call Sam Maranto, Mufon state director, (708) 460-
7606 or e-mail mufonsam@comcast.net.\r\nThe Chicago Public
Library and the Chicago Bar Association partner to present
“Law at the Library,” a free monthly lecture series focusing
on legal topics. “Law at the Library” invites participants to
listen to an experienced legal professional, ask general questions and
check out materials on a variety of legal topics at no charge. “Law
at the Library” programs are open to the public. Registration is
not required. “Changes In Tax Law” will be the topic on
Saturday, Feb. 12, at 2 p.m., at the Woodson Regional Library, 9525 S.
Halsted St., (312) 747-6921, and on Monday, Feb. 28, at 12:15 p.m., at
the Harold Washington Library Center. 400 S. State St., (312) 747-
4300.\r\nDuring February on Sundays from 2 to 5:30 p.m.,
St. Barnabas Roman Catholic Church, 10134 S. Longwood
Drive, will host a warming shelter in the church basement for those in
need. Food and refreshments will be served. For more information or to
volunteer, call (773) 779-1166.\r\nSouth Suburban
PADS is experiencing a severe shortage of linens, especially
single sheets, towels and wash cloths. New and gently used
items can be brought to Oak Lawn Community Church, 9000 S.
Ridgeland Ave., on Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. They are also
looking for volunteers to explore grant opportunities for the
organization. For more information, call Dawn Thrasher, (708) 754-4357,
or e-mail dawn@sspads.org.\r\nLakeshore Ski and Sports
Club will hold its next meeting on Wednesday,
Feb. 16, at Goose Island Brew Pub, 1800 N. Clybourn St., at 7 p.m. Guests
will have the opportunity to sign up for ski trips and activities. For
more informatin, call (708) 786-3992 or e-mail
lakeshoreskiandsportsclub@yahoo.com.\r\nMany Boys and
Girls Clubs are running a car campaign. Donated
cars are sold at auction and the funds generated help support
their many programs. For more information, call (800) 246-
0493.\r\nThe Frank Lloyd Wright Preservation Trust
is seeking volunteers to assist at the Frank Lloyd Wright Home
and Studio, in Oak Park. A two-week spring volunteer training
course at the home and studio will begin in March. Interested
parties are encouraged to contact the Preservation Trust before Tuesday,
Feb. 15. Volunteers can enjoy benefits such as invitations to exclusive
excursions, educational opportunities, access to online learning
resources and discounts in the museum shops. Volunteers help keep the
legacy of Frank Lloyd Wright alive by leading tours. For more
information, call (312) 994-4046, e-mail volunteer@gowright.org or visit
gowright.org.\r\nState’s Attorney Anita
Alvarez recently announced that her office his now accepting
submissions for the Cook County State’s Attorney’s annual
Anti-Drug Poster Contest. Sixth-, seventh- and eighth-
grade students from across Cook County are encouraged to submit their
drawings presenting positive ways for students to avoid experimenting
with illegal drugs. Winning entries will be selected by a blue-ribbon
panel of judges and will be featured in a calendar distributed to schools
countywide as an anti-drug awareness tool. Entries must be submitted by
Thursday, March 31. For more information, call the community outreach
unit, (312) 603-8710 or visit statesattorney.org.\r\nA fundraiser
has been organized by the members of the Orland Hills Police Department
to help the family of Orland Hills Police Officer Ronald
Krainik. His 13-year-old daughter, Samantha, was diagnosed with
stage 4 angio invasive follicular thyroid cancer more than a year ago.
Her case is quite rare due to the fact that the cancer has traveled to
her bone, and until now, doctors had never seen this type of cancer
spread to the bone of a child. A benefit has been
organized to honor Samantha and to help raise money in support of her
treatment. She and her family will receive 100 percent of the
contributions from this event to alleviate the burdensome cost of her
care. The committee is requesting a donation from organizations, which
can be used either for raffle prizes or for an auction prize. Any
donations would be greatly appreciated. The event, “Something
Special for Samantha,” is planned for Sunday, Feb. 27, at 115
Bourbon Street, 3359 W. 115th St., in Merrionette Park. The donation can
be mailed to Officer John M. McHale, 16039 S. 94th Ave., Orland Hills, IL
60487. For more information about the fundraiser, visit
helpsamanthak.com.\r\nAskia Abdullah, an official
for Eugene Moore, Cook County Recorder of Deeds, will speak before the
Phoebe’s Place Seniors on Wednesday, Feb. 16, at
12:15 p.m., at Maple Park United Methodist Church, 1225 W. 117th St.
Abdullah will talk about home repair fraud, what to look for, what to
avoid. He will also speak before the Beverly Ridge Lions
Club on Thursday, Feb. 17, following a noon lunch at the Beverly
Woods Restaurant, 11532 S. Western Ave. Abdullah will explain the
workings of the recorder of deeds office including repair fraud and
reverse mortgages. In his position, Abdullah is responsible for marketing
the office to the general public and professional market sector. He
circulates press releases concerning issues and accomplishments of the
office and represents the office and recorder of deeds at public forums.
He received his Jurist Doctor Jurisprudence from Thomas M. Cooley Law
School, in Lansing, Mich.\r\nThe Oak Lawn Rotary Club has been
actively doing service in Oak Lawn for 50 years. They have recently
decided to charter an Interact Club at the Children’s
Museum, in Oak Lawn. An Interact Club is a form of Rotary for
high school students. Interact Clubs allow high school students to
strengthen their leadership skills, give back to the community and
connect with people on both a local and international basis. Along with
the Interact Club, Rotary has two other youth programs. The first is
RYLA, Rotary Youth Leadership Awards, which is a leadership conference
where high school students can hone and develop their leadership skills.
The other program is Rotary Youth Exchange, which allows students to
study abroad for one year. This is a great cultural and once-in-a-
lifetime experience. If interested there will be an informational meeting
on Friday, Feb. 18, from 6 to 7 p.m., at the Children’s Museum,
5100 Museum Drive. For more information and reservations, call Tracey
Barattia, (708) 423-6709, ext. 206.\r\nThe Beverly Hills
Embroiderers Guild will hold its regular monthly
meetings on Tuesday, Feb. 15, at the Oak View Center, 4625 W.
110th St., in Oak Lawn. The day meeting, at 9 a.m., will feature a
program by Dee Brown on Tvitsom, a long arm cross-stitch. The evening
meeting, Ukrainian Whitework, Buttonhole Eyelet and Satin Stitch Borders,
will be held at 7 p.m. For more information, call (773) 586-
1925.\r\nSouthsiders for Peace and Unity
in Diversity will sponsor a forum, “The New Jim Crow:
Racism and the Criminal Justice System,” on Sunday, Feb. 13, from 4
to 6 p.m., at the Beverly Union Church, 103rd Street and Longwood Drive.
Featured speakers are Kevin Tyson, chairperson of the justice watch team
from Trinity United Church of Christ, and Daryle Brown, chairperson of
the prison ministry from Trinity United Church of Christ. For more
information, call the church office, (773) 233-7080.\r\nAn
instructor from Moraine Valley Community College Workforce Development
Center will be at the Evergreen Park Public Library,
9400 S. Troy Ave., on Wednesday, Feb. 16, from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. to offer
job search techniques. Registration is required. For
more information, call (708) 422-8522.\r\nThe Calumet
Township Community Center, 12633 S. Ashland Ave., in Calumet
Park, will offer country western line dancing on Fridays
from 9 to 10 a.m., and sewing classes on Fridays from 1 to 4 p.m. All
supplies are included except for fabric. The cost is $5 per class. For
more information, call Annie West, (708) 388-
6606.','Community','no','no','no');
insert into `report_content` (date,headline,copy,section,pic,atf,feature)
values ('2011-02-09','\'Piano Men\' to play MVCC','“The Piano
Men,” starring Jim Witter, will be performed at Moraine Valley
Community College, 9000 W. College Pkwy., in Palos Hills, on Saturday,
Feb. 19, at 7:30 p.m., in the Dorothy Menker Theater in the Fine and
Performing Arts Center. Recording artist Witter and his band will lead
the audience on a tour of an entire decade of classic hits featuring the
songs of Billy Joel and Elton John. Using rearscreen projection, images
of newspaper headlines, automobiles, people, events, toys, and even TV
shows that shaped the ’70s will appear on the backdrop. Witter is a
country music and contemporary Christian recording artist in Ontario,
Canada, where he lives, and Nashville, Tenn. Tickets, $25 for the general
public, $20 for seniors and $15 for students, can be purchased at
morainevalley.edu/ fpac or by calling (708) 974-
5500.','Community','no','no','no');
insert into `report_content` (date,headline,copy,section,pic,atf,feature)
values ('2011-02-09','Chicago Alive','by Kathleen
Tobin\r\nChicago offers Viennese
romance\r\nLooking for a romantic interlude to celebrate
Valentine’s Day? There’s nothing more appropriate than a dose
of Viennese music complete with the beauty and grace of
dance!\r\nNo need to hop a plane to find it! Chicago is dishing up
some pretty impressive Viennese musical impressions this February. In the
offing is the Joffrey Ballet’s beautiful adaptation of Franz
Lehar’s romantic operetta, “The Merry Widow,” with its
fluff and nonsense melodious tunes. It plays Feb. 16-27 at the Auditorium
Theatre, 50 E. Congress Parkway.\r\nIn addition, the
internationally recognized Avalon String Quartet is presenting a program
called “Viennese Song” in which examples of two contrasting
schools of Viennese composition will be explored on Feb. 10 at the Merit
School of Music, 38 S. Peoria St.\r\nLehar’s “The
Merry Widow” has been a staple of the operetta repertoire since it
was introduced in 1905, and it has made significant inroads in the major
opera houses of the world, including Lyric Opera of
Chicago.\r\nNot many may realize, however, that the renowned,
English-born contemporary choreographer Ronald Hynd created a three-act
story ballet adaptation from a scenario created by Sir Robert Helpmann
for the Australian Ballet in 1975.\r\nThe Lehar score, adapted by
John Lanchbery and Alan Abbott, retains the composer’s style and
includes the wellknown tunes of the operetta and is played live by the
Chicago Sinfonietta. This lovely adaptation has become popular with major
international companies including American Ballet Theatre, where it was
staged in 2001.\r\nThis Joffrey winter program is both a company
and a Midwest premiere. Exquisite sets and sumptuous costumes by Italian
designer Roberta Guidi di Bagno (from the 2007 Houston Ballet
performances) complete the romantic aura of the
ballet.\r\n“This is an opportunity for the Joffrey and the
city of Chicago to become familiar with the work of this master
choreographer,” said Ashley C. Wheater, Joffrey artistic director.
“It is also an exciting opportunity to celebrate the 80th birthday
of Hynd, who gave me my first full-length ballet work when he staged
‘The Nutcracker’ for the Royal Ballet.”\r\nThis
ballet is a showcase for richly developed leading characters, especially
the role of Hanna, “The Merry Widow,” danced alternately by
Victoria Jaiani, Valerie Robin and Christine Rocas, top soloists with the
Joffrey.\r\nIt’s rare in a ballet that there is a powerful
woman completely in command of her destiny, one who is able to define the
terms of her relationship with the man she loves.\r\nThe year is
1905, and the fate of the proud, but impoverished, Balkan principality of
Pontevedro hangs perilously on the marriage plans of Hanna, a rich and
beautiful widow. If she weds a foreigner, it could spell financial ruin
for her homeland; therefore, she must be coaxed into marrying a fellow
Pontevedrian.\r\nThis musical feast aptly captures the contrasting
passion of the Balkan Pontevedrians and the elegant residents of Paris,
where this story of love and intrigue takes place. Hynd’s
choreography has been described as “humorous with comic timing and
a great sense of subtlety … His gestures and pantomime carry a
great deal of nuance.”\r\nFor tickets, call (800) 982- 2787
or visit the Web site at ticketmaster.com.\r\n“Viennese
Song”\r\nThe Avalon String Quartet, now in its 16th
anniversary season, is known for its bold musicality and passionate
intensity, and it has established an international reputation as an
exciting and dramatic quartet of young musicians.\r\nThe Feb. 10
“Viennese Song” program at 7:30 p.m. in Gottlieb Hall at the
Merit School of Music is part of the ensemble’s 2010/11 concert
season presented by the School of Music at Northern Illinois University,
where the quartet has maintained a residency since
2007.\r\nJoining string players Cheng Hou-Lee (cello,) Blaise
Magniere (violin), Marie Wang (violin) and Anthony Devroye (viola) as
guest artist is mezzo-soprano Julia Bentley. A former apprentice with the
Santa Fe Opera and the Lyric Opera of Chicago, Bentley has performed
operatic roles from Anchorage to New York and is a respected soloist with
some of the world’s major orchestras.\r\nThe program
highlights works from two contrasting schools of Viennese composition,
the early (late 18th/early 19th century) Viennese represented by the
lyrical style of Franz Schubert in “Death and the Maiden,”
arranged for vocalist and string quartet, a meditation on a tale of death
with a maiden pleading with Death to pass her by, and Anton
Webern’s “Langsamer Satz” (Slow Movement), a piece with
soaring melodies and rich string harmony.\r\nAlban Berg, a star
pupil of the Second Viennese School, is represented by his “Lyric
Suite,” an intricate, multi-layered work of six movements, with
Bentley joining in on the final movement. The piece is derived from the
12-tone techniques of Arnold Schoenberg, patriarch of the Second Viennese
School.\r\nFor tickets, call (800) 838- 3006 or visit the Web site
at brownpapertickets.com.','Entertainment','no','no','no');
insert into `report_content` (date,headline,copy,section,pic,atf,feature)
values ('2011-02-09','Beverly Theatre Guild to put \'Cadillac\' on
display','The Beverly Theatre Guild, a member of the League of Chicago
Theatres, will present \"Cadillac,\" by Bill Jepsen, on Friday, Feb. 18,
at 8 p.m.; Saturday, Feb. 19, at 8 p.m.; and Sunday, Feb. 20, at 2 p.m.
Performances will be held at The Baer Theater at Morgan Park Academy Arts
Center, 2153 W. 111th St. Howard Austin treats every customer at Lindy
Motors like they\'re special-not at all the stereotypical used car
salesman. Valuing loyalty and service, he has built his career on ethics
in an industry mired with shady characters and hustlers. But as the hours
tick away on the last selling day of the month, Howard\'s principles are
challenged, past mistakes are brought to light, and he must decide the
fate of his mentor\'s legacy, his own career, and a customer\'s life-long
dream. Jepsen lives in Beverly with his wife, Jennifer, and his two
children, Rosemary and Marty. Wayne Wendell, of Beverly, is the producer.
Local cast member includes John A. Neumann (James), of Beverly. For more
information and tickets, call (773) 284-8497, e-mail
beverlytheatreguild@juno.com or visit
beverlytheatreguild.org.','Entertainment','no','no','no');
insert into `report_content` (date,headline,copy,section,pic,atf,feature)
values ('2011-02-09','Arts center to host Plioplys
exhibit','by Pat Somers Cronin\r\nObviously,
spring is not just around the corner, but something colorful, springlike
and also near at hand certainly is!\r\n\"Thought Fragments,\" an
exhibit created by Audrius V. (call me Andy) Plioplys, will open at the
Beverly Arts Center, 2407 W. 111th St., on Friday, Feb. 11, with a
reception in the gallery from 6 to 9 p.m., and the exhibit will continue
through Sunday, March 20.\r\nTo quote the artist, \"The Thought
Fragments series is my first attempt at bridging our own consciousness to
that of galactic-scale existence. Perhaps it is not a coincidence that in
our own central nervous system we have 100 billion neurons, that in our
Milky Way galaxy there are 100 billion stars, and with Hubble Space
Telescope results, there are 100 billion galaxies.\" (Please note that
Edwin Hubble is also a University of Chicago alumnus, class of
1910.)\r\nThe exhibit includes four wall-mounted pieces, each 8 by
9 feet in size and much too large for most homes. However, there are some
1,100 fascinating fragments and thoughts from previous artworks,
approximately 4 by 5 inches, that are irregular in size and shape and
would make an attractive collection near the entrance of a home or tucked
away in a library. There would be no lack of conversation, and the owners
would have the fun of explaining what they were part of-not to overlook
the bright primary and secondary colors involved. These pieces are
available for purchase.\r\nAnd, incidentally, Plioplys just had a
successful exhibit at a downtown gallery despite our famous Chicago
weather.\r\nIt might make his exhibit even more rewarding if you
knew that, after graduating from the University of Chicago Medical
School, Plioplys was torn between his artwork and his medical skills; he
loved both worlds. So it is incredible that he has been able to merge his
two special talents into a third artistic outlet. And there is also his
fascination with the way the brain is formed and how it functions,
particularly in cognitive disorders, from learning disabilities and
autism in children to Alzheimer\'s disease in the elderly. Who can guess
what future cures Plioplys\' insatiable curiosity may
develop?\r\nOne of my favorite Plioplys exhibits a few years back
featured the work of Santiago Ramon y Cajal, a Spanish neuroanatomist
whose discovery of the neuronal nature of the brain won him the 1906
Nobel Prize in physiology and medicine, so you can see that Plioplys
builds on and also continues the work of others, always giving them
credit.\r\nBut it is his personal determination and fascination
with the brain that will bring you back to the exhibit again and again.
You will not be able to resist his
enthusiasm.','Entertainment','no','no','no');
insert into `report_content` (date,headline,copy,section,pic,atf,feature)
values ('2011-02-09','Calendar of Events','Field
Museum\r\nThe Field Museum, 1400 S. Lake Shore Drive,
will feature a new exhibit, “The Horse,” from Feb. 16 to Aug.
14. Guests can learn almost every facet of human civilization’s
relationship with the horse, explore the more than 200 different breeds
of horses and investigate the qualities that have made them so
significant and useful.\r\nFor costs and more information, call
(312) 922-9410 or visit fieldmuseum.org.\r\nAnti-Bullying
Theater Performance\r\n“Sounds,” an original
play written and performed by students from Mt. Carmel High School, will
be performed on Saturday, Feb. 26, at 8 p.m., and Sunday, Feb. 27, at 2
p.m., at the Beverly Arts Center, 2407 W. 111th St. In the show, four
students who are deemed “abnormal” by their classmates and
bullied incessantly band together to teach their bullies a lesson. The
production dramatizes the extreme effects of bullying. Tickets are $10
general admission and $5 for students with ID.\r\nFor more
information, call (773) 445-3838 or visit
beverlyartcenter.org.\r\nFamily Ice-Skating
Party\r\nThe 19th Ward Youth Foundation invites families
to enjoy the winter weather with an afternoon of ice skating at the Mt.
Greenwood Park ice rink, 3721 W. 111th St., on Saturday, Feb. 12, from 2
to 5 p.m. All ages are welcome. Admission is $1 per person and includes
skate rental, hot chocolate and refreshments.\r\nFor more
information and reservations, e-mail mattoshea@the19thward. com or visit
the19thward. com.\r\nBAC
Movies\r\n“Race to Nowhere,” rated PG-13,
will be shown on Sunday, Feb. 20, at 2 p.m., at the Beverly Arts Center
(BAC), 2407 W. 111th St. Children’s lives aren’t what they
used to be, at least not in communities where they are set on the path of
high level achievement in academics, athletics, community service, the
arts and everything else. The compelling documentary “Race to
Nowhere” examines “the dark side of America’s
achievement culture” and how it affects children whose lives are so
structured and focused on success, they have little time to be children
or learn some of life’s most basic lessons on how to succeed, such
as creative thinking and working together. A discussion will follow the
screening.\r\n“Made in Dagenham,” rated R, will be
shown on Wednesday, Feb. 23, at 7:30 p.m. In 1968, female workers walked
out of the Ford Dagenham car plant to protest sexual discrimination. This
dramatization of the events stars Sally Hawkins, Bob Hoskins and Miranda
Richardson.\r\nAdmission is $7.50, $5.50 for BAC members and $3
for students.\r\nFor more information, call (773) 445-3838 or
visit beverlyartcenter.org.\r\nDerek Warfield & The Young
Wolfe Tones\r\nGaelic Park, 6119 W. 147th St., in Oak
Forest, will welcome Derek Warfield & The Young Wolfe Tones in concert on
Saturday, Feb. 19. After many years of success as a founding member of
The Wolfe Tones, Warfield has also performed as a solo artist presenting
his style of music and song to audiences all over Ireland and North
America. After assembling a group of Ireland’s finest young
musicians, The Young Wolfe Tones were formed. Derek Warfield & The Young
Wolfe Tones are known throughout the world for their quality musical
presentation of Irish patriotic rebel songs and traditional Irish music.
The doors will open at 7 p.m. with the concert starting at 8 p.m.
Admission is $25. There will be a cash bar.\r\nFor more
information and tickets, call Gaelic Park at (708) 687-9323 or visit
chicagogaelicpark. org.\r\nFamily
Ceili\r\nThe Irish Music Association (IMA) will host a
Family Ceili on Sunday, Feb. 13, from 3 to 8 p.m., at Gaelic Park, 6119
W. 147th St., in Oak Forest. The IMA is a group of Chicagoans who are
affiliated with traditional Irish music, organized more than thirty years
ago to support the learning and sharing of traditional Irish music and
culture. Kathleen O’Carroll, director of The Cross Keys Irish
Dancing School, is a big part of the IMA and one of the organizers of the
ceili. Other members include Michelle Dinneen-White, of Beverly, and Jim
Thorton, of Mt. Greenwood.\r\nIrish musicians will play in a
session, providing the music for the dance, and anyone who comes, young
or old, is invited and encouraged to dance. There will be experienced
ceili dancers at the event to teach and guide the dancing. Ceili dances
are group dances that are easy to pick up, and they usually involve
simple steps and lots of swing type dancing.\r\nFor more
information, call Gaelic Park at (708) 687-
9323.\r\nLibrary Events\r\nEvergreen Park
Public Library, 9400 S. Troy Ave., will host a Valentine’s Day
Cartoon Festival on Sunday, Feb. 13, at 2 p.m. All ages are invited to
watch a variety of short Valentine’s Day cartoons followed by a
craft and snack.\r\nTeens in grades six to 12 are invited to a
“Codes and Ciphers” program on Tuesday, Feb. 15, at 7 p.m.
Teens will learn how seemingly random arrangements of letters and numbers
transform into messages. Registration is required.\r\nFor more
information, call (708) 422-
8522.\r\n“Antigone”\r\n“
Antigone,” by Jean Anouilh (translated by Jeremy Sams), will be
performed by the Hyde Park Community Players on Friday, Feb. 11, and
Saturday, Feb. 12, at 7:30 p.m., and Sunday, Feb. 13, at 2:30 p.m., at
Experimental Station, 6100 S. Blackstone Ave. There will be a reception
following the Friday performance. Following the Sunday performance,
audience members are invited to stay after the show for a discussion with
the cast. Tickets are $8 in advance and $10 at the door. Advance tickets
are available at 57th Street Books, 1301 E. 57th St.\r\nFor more
information, call Paul Baker at (773) 319-9249, e-mail
plsbkr@netscape.net or visit hydeparkcommunityplayers.
org.','Entertainment','no','no','no');
insert into `report_content` (date,headline,copy,section,pic,atf,feature)
values ('2011-02-09','St. Cajetan NJHS members help Ronald
McDonald','St. Cajetan Elementary School’s National Junior Honor
Society members helped out at the Ronald McDonald House. Students cooked
and served a taco dinner for the families of patients being treated for
cancer at Hope Children’s Hospital, in Oak
Lawn.','School','no','no','no');
insert into `report_content` (date,headline,copy,section,pic,atf,feature)
values ('2011-02-09','Chinese lessons not lost on Queen of Peace
students','With Chinese President Hu Jintao’s recent visit to
Chicago, the idea of teaching Chinese in American schools has been
brought to the forefront. Queen of Peace High School has featured
Mandarin Chinese as part of its curriculum for the past two
years.\r\nCourse instructor Yanfei Hu, an MBA candidate at
Dominican University, teaches first- and second-year Chinese in
Peace’s media center to more than 50 students. Consistent with the
school’s commitment to seamless integration of advanced
instructional methods and technologies, the Mandarin Chinese classes are
offered to Maria via Peace’s videoconferencing capabilities. This
allows both schools’ students to learn simultaneously and discover
opportunities for global collaboration and immersion.\r\nBefore Hu
came to study in America she majored in Chinese literature at Lanzhou
University, in Gansu Province, taught English to Chinese businessmen and
served as a state licensed tour guide.\r\nHu is planning to bring
representatives from the Chinese Consulate in Chicago to Queen of Peace
to speak with students about their growing interest in China and to
explain customs surrounding the Chinese New Year, which started Feb.
3.','School','no','no','no');
insert into `report_content` (date,headline,copy,section,pic,atf,feature)
values ('2011-02-09','Clerk to offer free service on FAFSA
completion','Every year millions of dollars in college financial aid
goes unclaimed as students eligible for aid simply fail to complete the
FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid).\r\nTo help
students navigate the complex financial aid process and receive the
maximum amount of aid for which they are eligible, City Clerk Miguel del
Valle and Ladder Up are partnering to provide a free FAFSA completion
assistance on Tuesday evenings through April 12. The program is in room
107 of City Hall, 121 N. LaSalle St., from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. This is a
free service provided by del Valle to anyone, regardless of income; no
appointment is necessary.\r\nThe FAFSA is required for all
students seeking grants, work-study opportunities or student loans.
Students interested in attending a university, community college or
technical program may be eligible to receive more than $10,000 in grants
and other aid for their higher education. Submitting the FAFSA is the
first step in applying for financial aid for higher
education.\r\n“At a time when critical college aid is needed
more than ever, it is a shame that students are missing out on this
valuable financial aid to help them complete college,” said del
Valle. “It is vital that students and their parents complete the
FAFSA form as soon as possible.”\r\nStudents completing the
FAFSA could be eligible for the Pell grant, Stafford loans and campus-
backed programs, among other things. Information for the College
Ililnois! 529 Tuition Program is also available at the Tuesday evening
sessions.\r\nWhen attending the Tuesday evening assistance
session, students should bring their identification number or Social
Security number, the most recent copy of their tax return, preferably
from 2010 although a 2009 return is acceptable, and any asset information
they may have. If a student is supported by his or her parents, the
student should also bring his or her parents’ tax return, Social
Security numbers, if applicable, and birthdates. It is recommended that
parents accompany students to the financial aid assistance
session.\r\n“We often hear that students are intimidated by
the financial aid application process or feel they won’t be
eligible for financial aid,” said Robert Burke, founder of Ladder
Up. “The reality is that many students are eligible for some
financial aid and our volunteers and staff will provide one-on-one
assistance to help them receive it.”\r\nFor more
information, call Ladder Up at (312) 458-9105 or visit goladderup.org or
chicityclerk.com/fafsa.php.','School','no','no','no');
insert into `report_content` (date,headline,copy,section,pic,atf,feature)
values ('2011-02-09','Bulletin Board','St.
Laurence\r\nAs part of the school’s annual
Leadership Week, noted professional motivational speaker Eddie
Slowikowski recently addressed the entire student body of St. Laurence
High School in an all-school assembly. Slowikowski related some personal
life stories. He challenged each student to set goals for themselves, and
to use their unique skills in a positive way for the betterment of the
school. He also asked that the students live their lives with kindness
and gratitude.\r\nQueen of Peace\r\nQueen
of Peace High School will hold its second Harmony Day of the school year,
“Finding Our Voices... Sharing Our Stories... Dreaming Our Legacy
and Taking a Stand,” on Thursday, Feb. 10, at the school. The day
will feature a number of storytelling workshops facilitated by Susan
O’Halloran, one of America’s top diversity speakers and
storytellers.\r\nThe storytelling workshops include:
“Dreaming Our Family Legacy,” with Anne Shimojima;
“Dreaming Our Country’s Legacy,” with Antonio Sacre;
“Dreaming Our Generation’s Legacy,” with Susan
O’Halloran; and “Dreaming an Inclusive Racial Legacy,”
with Michael McCarty.\r\nThe purpose of this Harmony Day is to
improve awareness and understanding of issues related to truth and
justice at Peace, in the local community and the greater global
community. Through the storytelling of professional storytellers,
students will also have the opportunity to share their own stories and to
discover more about where they come from, who they are and the dreams
they wish to achieve.\r\nSt. Xavier\r\nThe
Lilly Fellows Program in Humanities and Arts recently awarded St. Xavier
University (SXU) a $12,000 grant to support a campus mentoring
program.\r\nMentoring for a Mission: The Mercy Scholars Program
invites a select group of faculty to deepen their understandings of their
own faith and religious traditions, to consider how each is connected to
their academic lives, and to engage students in Catholic questions of
self, purpose, God, meaning and social responsibility.\r\nThe
program was launched in 2003 with the aid of a previous Lilly Fellows
grant. The program has been offered every year since and alternates
between faculty and staff mentoring groups. The funding will help SXU
deepen its mentoring focus by reengaging senior faculty members, many of
whom have already participated as mentors.\r\nDepartment of
Religious Studies Associate Professor Michael O’Keeffe, Ph.D., and
Sr. Susan Sanders, RSM, Ph.D., will direct the
program.\r\nMarist\r\nMarist High School,
4200 W. 115th St., will host its second year of the free Little Red- Hawk
Reading Club. This year, children in kindergarten, first-, second- or
third-grade will have the opportunity to come to Marist to improve
reading skills and comprehension with Marist students as
mentors.\r\nThe Little RedHawk Reading Club will take place in the
Marist Academic Resource Center from 6 to 7 p.m. Dates for the reading
club are Feb. 24, March 10, March 31, April 14 and April
28.\r\nMarist will accept the first 50 applicants. For more
information, call Adam Wouk at (773) 881-5359 or e-mail redhawkreading@
gmail.com.\r\nSt. Paul Lutheran\r\nSt.
Paul Lutheran School, 4660 W. 94th St., in Oak Lawn will host an early
childhood open house and pre-registration on Sunday, Feb. 13. For more
information, call (708) 423-1058 or visit stpoaklawn.
com.\r\nJackson State University\r\nHarvey
Burton, Carolyn Curry, Roy Curry and Carolyn Palmer, graduates of Jackson
State University (JSU), in Jackson, Miss., will be saluted at “For
the Love of Blue,” a Valentine’s brunch on Saturday, Feb. 12,
at noon, at Harambee House, 119th Street and Loomis Avenue.\r\nThe
fundraiser is being sponsored by the university’s Chicago Alumni
Chapter. Proceeds from the benefit will provide scholarships for Chicago
area students who are currently enrolled at JSU.\r\nThe Celestials
and George Cooper Jr. will provide blues and jazz entertainment. Allison
Payne, Channel 9 news anchor, will serve as emcee.\r\nTickets are
$50. For more information, call (773) 268-7727.\r\nChicago
Christian\r\nOn Jan. 29, the Chicago Christian High
School (CCHS) varsity cheerleading team took home a first place finish at
the IHSA Sectional Tournament qualifying them for the IHSA State
Finals.\r\nAfter four early season tournaments to sharpen their
skills, CCHS hosted the Suburban Christian Conference Cheerleading
Championships on Jan. 22. Out of an 11-team field, CCHS finished in first
place, becoming league champions for the second straight year in the
conference’s two year history. Following this win, the Knights
entered the IHSA sectional finals as one of eleven high quality teams.
Once again the Knights finished in first place, becoming IHSA sectional
champions for the first time in school
history.\r\nMaria\r\nFour Maria High
School juniors are involved in Peace- Builders Program projects at the
all-girls school. The students who took on the Peace- Builders’
challenge are Ashanti McCall, Brianna Terrell, Julie Pater and Eleanore
Bacani.\r\nDuring Breast Cancer Awareness Month, McCall spread
awareness about the disease and worked to fundraise for breast cancer
research. By sponsoring “Maria Goes Pink,” T-shirts were
sold, and “Volley for a Cure” at a home volleyball game,
McCall raised more than $600.\r\nMcCall will solicit Maria High
School students, staff and faculty to join her on Mother’s Day as
she walks in the Beverly Walk for Breast Cancer, sponsored by Little
Company of Mary Hospital\r\nTerrell joined with campus ministry
and the guidance department during Violence Awareness Month at Maria.
Every week that month, Terrell brought the topics of antidrug and alcohol
awareness, domestic/teen dating violence, and gun violence to
students’ attention.\r\nTerrell also helped organize a
school-wide collection to benefit homeless women and their children who
reside at the transitional facility The Institute of Women
Today.\r\nPater’s PeaceBuilders project was to start a
service club, called SOS—Service on Site— to go along with
chartering the American Red Cross Club. So far, Pater has organized a
school blood drive and has recruited students to volunteer weekly at the
Sisters of St. Casimir Food Pantry and Holy Cross Hospital. Bacani is
focusing on music awareness for her PeaceBuilders project. She plans to
host a school event to raise awareness about how playing an instrument or
being involved in band or chorus helps reduce addictions among students.
Bacani also plans to raise money for music programs at Maria High School
and has joined with music teacher Michelle Avila to sponsor a Maria Music
Fest on March 11.\r\nCampus Minister Judy Bumbul is supervising
these four students with their projects.','School','no','no','no');
insert into `report_content` (date,headline,copy,section,pic,atf,feature)
values ('2011-02-09','McAuley stars celebrate Catholic Schools
Week','To celebrate Catholic Schools Week, students at Mother McAuley
High School created a distinct visual piece that serves as a reminder of
how people touch the lives of others. The students each took a star and
decorated it with how they are making a difference in the lives of others
through service to their home, school and community. McAuley’s red,
white and blue stars correspond with the theme of National Catholic
Schools Week, “A+ for America,” as well as McAuley’s
school year theme of “Go Make a Difference.” McAuley’s
stairways and hallways are lined with stars showcasing the numerous
methods of service students provide to others. A few of the many ways
McAuley students help others include planning food drives, volunteering
at Special Olympics and Ronald McDonald House, working with younger
students in their parishes and elementary schools, and helping at
shelters and soup kitchens. Service is an essential component to learning
at McAuley, and each student is expected to respond compassionately to
the needs of their community.','School','no','no','no');
insert into `report_content` (date,headline,copy,section,pic,atf,feature)
values ('2011-02-09','Expert warns against crash diets','The New Year
is well under way but you may still carry those stubborn pounds you piled
on during the holiday season. They are a constant reminder of all the
caloric excesses you indulged in, while healthy eating habits and regular
exercise temporarily flew out the window.\r\n“It happens
every year— many people gain weight in just the few weeks between
Thanksgiving and the New Year,” said Craig Kastning, a personal
trainer at Premier Fitness Solutions, in Algonquin. “Now they are
trying to slim down, but the question is, are they doing it
right?”\r\nIf you want to lose weight fast, you may be
tempted to try one of those “secret” or
“revolutionary” diet pills or other gimmicks you see
advertised on TV. They promise a “quick” and
“easy” weight loss while you eat all your favorite foods and
don’t spend even a minute exercising.\r\nKastning urges
consumers to be cautious about crash diets that are promoted as
miraculous.\r\n“If it sounds too good to be true, it
probably is. If these products were so wonderful, nobody would be
overweight,” he said. “In fact, some of the pills and other
products that curb your appetite can have serious side effects, so never
take any diet supplements without speaking to your doctor
first.”\r\nHow can you shed those extra pounds safely and
effectively, and maintain the weight loss long-
term?\r\n“Only sensible eating habits along with regular
exercise can accomplish that,” Kastning said. “It all comes
down to reducing the amount of calories you eat while increasing your
levels of activity.”\r\nHis recommendations for a healthy,
permanent weight loss:\r\nMake smart food choices: “Replace
sodas (even diet ones) with water—and drink lots of it. Reduce your
sugar and salt intake, and eliminate junk foods that are full of artery-
clogging saturated fats. Go for whole grains, low-fat protein and dairy,
fruits and vegetables. And remember to practice portion
control.”\r\nAllow yourself an occasional treat:
“Dieting is not about starvation or excluding all the foods you
like. It’s all a matter of quantity. One cookie or a sliver of cake
once in a while won’t hurt you— as long as you count these
splurges in your total calorie allowance and don’t get into the
habit of constant snacking.”\r\nSet a target that’s
realistic. “Eating 300 to 500 calories less per day while
increasing your activity level should lead to a loss of between one and
two pounds per week.”\r\nDon’t forget to exercise:
“For the most effective weight loss, you need a regular workout
that will burn calories and stimulate your metabolism— for example
cardio and strength training. Ask your fitness professional to create a
routine that meets your personal needs—whether your goal is overall
weight loss or a specific spot reduction, such as belly
fat.”','Health & Fitness','no','no','no');
insert into `report_content` (date,headline,copy,section,pic,atf,feature)
values ('2011-02-09','McCartin completes training in oral
sedation','Dr. Joe McCartin\r\nAccording to
national healthcare experts, 90 million people in the U.S. don’t
see a dentist regularly because of fear.\r\nBut according to a
local dentist, more than 1 million people have now conquered that same
fear with the help of a safe and effective treatment called oral sedation
dentistry. Patients who were once anxious and fearful—and put off
having their dental work completed—can receive their dental care
while they are totally relaxed and comfortable.\r\nAccording to
Dr. Joe McCartin, a dentist in Mt. Greenwood for more than 25 years, oral
sedation dentistry is not just a trend; it’s a new level of dental
care.\r\nSedation dentistry has drawn the attention of the Wall
Street Journal, the New York Times, and it has even been featured on the
“Good Morning America” TV program.\r\nChicago is one
of the growing areas to have a trained sedation dentist available
locally. McCartin and his team have completed a comprehensive and
rigorous training program in sedation dentistry through DOCS Education
(DOCS).\r\nAccording to McCartin, his office is proud to offer the
service with the goal being better dental health for local
residents.\r\n“We’re honored to have the opportunity
to help the people in our community with this beneficial
treatment,” McCartin said. “Patients no longer have to be
afraid of the dentist.”\r\nDOCS, which was founded by Dr.
Michael D. Silverman and Dr. Anthony S. Feck, has successfully trained
more than 12,000 dental professionals in the United States and
Canada.\r\nMcCartin said the process for patients is simple. After
a careful review of the patient’s medical history, a qualified
sedation dentist will choose the appropriate medication(s) and level of
sedation to best meet the patient’s needs. Driven to their
appointment by a companion, the patient will most likely take a single
pill before arriving at the office on the day of their treatment. More
medication may be given depending on the type of procedure being
performed and the duration of the appointment, McCartin
said.\r\nWhen treatment is completed and the patient is ready to
go home, the companion drives him or her home and stays with the patient
until he or she is fully recovered (about four to 10 hours). According to
McCartin, due to the amnesic properties of many of the medications, by
the next day patients have little to no memory of their time in the
dental chair.\r\nMcCartin received his Bachelor of Science degree
and Doctor of Dental Surgery degree at Marquette University. He earned
membership in Omicron Kappa Upsilon– National Dental Honor Society
(top 10 percent of Dental School Graduates). He has also trained at the
Dawson Center of Advanced Dental Studies.\r\nFor more information
about oral sedation dentistry, people can visit the consumer Web site at
sedationcare.com, call McCartin’s office, 10401 S. Kedzie Ave., at
(773) 238- 2906, or visit the Web site at
drjoethedentist.com.','Health & Fitness','no','no','no');
insert into `report_content` (date,headline,copy,section,pic,atf,feature)
values ('2011-02-09','Life Line to hold screening at Smith','Residents
living in and around the community can be screened to reduce their risk
of having a stroke or bone fracture. Smith Village, 2320 W. 113th St.,
will host Life Line Screening on Friday, Feb. 18. Appointments will begin
at 9 a.m.\r\nFour key points every person needs to
know:\r\n\r\n Stroke is the third leading cause of death and
a leading cause of permanent disability; • 80 percent of stroke
vic\r\n 80 percent of stroke victims had no apparent warning
signs prior to their stroke;\r\n Preventive ultrasound
screenings can help you avoid a stroke; and\r\n Screenings are
fast, noninvasive, painless, affordable and
convenient.\r\n\r\nScreenings identify potential
cardiovascular conditions such as blocked arteries and irregular heart
rhythm, abdominal aortic aneurysms and hardening of the arteries in the
legs, which is a strong predictor of heart disease. A bone density
screening to assess osteoporosis risk is also offered and is appropriate
for both men and women.\r\nPackages start at $139. All five
screenings take 60 to 90 minutes to complete. For more information
regarding the screenings or to schedule an appointment, call (877) 237-
1287 or visit lifelinescreening. com. Pre-registration is
required.','Community','no','no','no');
insert into `report_content` (date,headline,copy,section,pic,atf,feature)
values ('2011-02-09','MetroSouth to start heart campaign','In an
effort to help prevent heart disease, MetroSouth Medical Center (MSMC) is
kicking-off a February heart awareness campaign encouraging Chicago and
south side residents to love their hearts.\r\nThe “Know Your
Numbers by Heart” 2011 campaign will kick-off with a heart-healthy
celebration from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 12, in the lobby of
MetroSouth Medical Center, 12935 S. Gregory St., in Blue Island. TV
personalities Dick Johnson and LeeAnn Trotter, of NBC5 Chicago, will meet
and greet attendees and share their own heart-healthy numbers. This event
is free and open to the public.\r\nThe heart-healthy celebration
will include complimentary heart screenings (cholesterol, blood pressure,
blood sugar and body mass index), refreshments, Zumba by Curves, raffle
prizes and healthy food and recipes from local restaurants including
Tenochtitlan’s, Allgauer’s, Maple Tree Inn, Metro
Café, Island Café and
Bartolini’s.\r\nMetroSouth urges area residents to get
serious about heart care. Nationwide, more than 2,500 Americans die from
heart disease each day. And, it is the number 1 killer in women over age
25, yet most women don’t view it as a health
threat.\r\nMSMC, which provides advanced cardiac interventional
procedures and offers a stateof- the-art heart catheterization lab, is
recognized for outstanding cardiac care. Thirty years ago, the hospital
was among the first in the Chicago, and the nation, to offer angioplasty,
a procedure used to unblock narrowed arteries. Since that time, more than
15,000 angioplasties and more than 12,000 open heart surgeries have been
performed at MSMC.\r\nTo register for the “Know Your Numbers
By Heart” celebration, call MetroSouth Medical Center at (708) 489-
7927. For more information, visit metrosouthmedicalcenter.
com.','Community','no','no','no');
insert into `report_content` (date,headline,copy,section,pic,atf,feature)
values ('2011-02-09','MetroSouth to offer screenings','Those who
can’t afford preventative check-ups because of the high cost of
health care, or would like the convenience of a heart-focused single-
visit exam, can take advantage of an extensive heart and circulation
screening offered by MetroSouth Medical Center for $40. The Healthy Heart
& Circulation Exam is discounted from its original value of more than
$250.\r\nThe heart check-ups will include a series of tests,
including an electrocardiogram (EKG)- monitored exercise test, blood
pressure test and blood work to measure cholesterol, triglycerides and
glucose levels. In addition, all participants will have their body fat
measured and receive an ankle brachial index test to identify circulation
issues, which can lead to heart attack, stroke and death. Circulation
problems in the legs, also referred to as peripheral artery disease
(PAD), affect one in 20 Americans over the age of 50. Patients with PAD
are at a significantly increased risk for heart attack, stroke and
death.\r\nEveryone who is tested will receive a comprehensive 12-
page report including an analysis of their cardiac risk factors. All
participants are asked to fast for at least 10 hours prior to the
exam.\r\n“The Healthy Heart & Circulation Exam will offer
people an important view of their heart function and analysis of their
risk factors. This year we will also calculate vascular age for each
participant, which is a new way for patients to think about their heart
health. This could be surprising for many participants,” said Dr.
Robert Iaffaldano, MetroSouth Medical Center interventional cardiologist.
“A person who is quite young may have the arteries of someone much
older because of several risk factors, including smoking, high
cholesterol and diabetes status.”\r\nIn addition to a $40
Healthy Heart & Circulation Exam, those who sign up during February can
join MetroSouth’s Fitness and Lifestyle Center for $25 a month and
a reduced initiation fee. To make an appointment for a Healthy Heart &
Circulation Exam, call (708) 597-2000, option 4, ext.
5615.\r\nMetroSouth Medical Center is nationally recognized for
outstanding cardiac care with state-of-the-art cardiac catheterization
and electrophysiology labs that feature advanced technology for all
interventional procedures. The medical staff is experienced in all
cardiac procedures including open-heart surgery and coronary and
peripheral stenting.','Community','no','no','no');
insert into `report_content` (date,headline,copy,section,pic,atf,feature)
values ('2011-02-09','Health Briefs','Museum Doctor
Program\r\nDr. Kent Nelson and Advocate Hope
Children’s Hospital staff are partnering with The Children’s
Museum, 5100 Museum Drive, in Oak Lawn, to present a series of
educational topics that teach children about their bodies and promote
wellness. A visiting senior pediatric resident doctor leads these
activities, called “The Museum Doctor Is In,” and gives
children an opportunity to learn from and interact with a pediatrician in
a welcoming and positive, non-medical and non-intimidating environment on
Wednesday, Feb. 9, at 11:30 a.m. No registration is necessary. The
subject for the month of February will be oral health. For more
information, call (708) 423-6709, ext. 206.\r\nHospice
Program\r\nThe Little Company of Mary hospice department
will host a special program, “The Chrysalis Room: Creating a Sacred
Space for the Dying,” on Wednesday, Feb. 23, from 10 to 11 a.m., in
the Mart Potter Physicians Pavilion, 2850 W. 95th St., in Evergreen Park,
lower level, rooms A and B. Keynote speaker Loretta Downs, MA, is an
inspirational speaker and writer on the subject of supporting positive
experiences at the end of life. The event will cover how to recognize
turning points in the end-of-life process; how hospice care improves
quality of life; the meaning of keeping vigil, from near or far away; how
to create a sacred space for hospice patients; and the importance of
being present for loved ones at the end of their lives. For more
information or reservations, call Little Company of Mary hospice at (708)
229-6901.\r\nMake-A-Wish
Foundation\r\nLast year, more than 755 Illinois children
with lifethreatening medical conditions realized a dream come true
through the Make- A-Wish Foundation. The majority of those wishes
involved travel or to meet someone famous. The Make- A-Wish Foundation is
asking frequent travelers across the state to contribute airline miles to
help make wishes come true for children with life-threatening medical
conditions. It’s easy to make a donation online at wishes. org. For
companies looking to start a frequent flier mile drive with their
employees, call (800) 978-9474 to find out how to get
started.','Community','no','no','no');
insert into `report_content` (date,headline,copy,section,pic,atf,feature)
values ('2011-02-09','Sensible weight loss goal of TOPS','Beginning a
new fitness program can be tough—but studies show that
participating in a program with a friend or loved one can lead to a more
successful outcome. As Valentine’s Day approaches, consider how
inviting your special someone(s) to participate with you on a wellness
journey could improve your health and your
relationship.\r\nMembers of TOPS Club, Inc. (Take Off Pounds
Sensibly), the nonprofit weightloss support organization, have
experienced success in reaching their fitness goals by partnering with
loved ones and friends to get moving. No matter your goal, losing weight
with a friend can be easier than going it alone. In fact, according to a
study from the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor, people who work out
with friends spend an average of 40 percent more time exercising than
those who exercise alone.\r\nTOPS members belong to local
chapters, where group support provides positive reinforcement for
followthrough on nutrition and exercise programs. Weekly weigh-ins and
meetings provide accountability and camaraderie. And when members achieve
a goal, they are recognized and celebrate together.\r\nCouples who
may be looking for a new way to express their love for each other should
remember to keep it positive and enjoy time together in their new
endeavor towards wellness. Consider these tips for fitness
success:\r\n\r\n Be open to trying an activity that is
different or completely new for both of you, like salsa classes or indoor
rock-climbing. Incorporating new activities adds to your shared interests
and helps keep things fresh.\r\n Try activities you can do
side-by-side but at different paces. It’s okay to work out on
adjoining machines and pick your own level of intensity.\r\n Do
assisted stretches together to increase both of your
flexibility.\r\n Challenge yourself, but don’t do too
much too soon. The purpose of working out together is getting motivated
to go farther than you think you can while spending time
together.\r\n Be supportive, kind, and encouraging. Don’t
criticize each other.\r\n Bring the kids, too. Research
indicates that family lifestyle influences children’s weight.
Family walks and pickup games, like basketball and soccer, are good
exercise.\r\n\r\nTOPS Club Inc., the original, nonprofit
weight-loss support and wellness education organization, was established
more than 63 years ago to champion weightloss support and success.
Founded and headquartered in Milwaukee, Wisc., TOPS promotes successful,
affordable weight management with a philosophy that combines healthy
eating, regular exercise, wellness information and support from others at
weekly chapter meetings. TOPS has about 170,000 members in nearly 10,000
chapters throughout the United States and Canada.\r\nVisitors are
welcome to attend their first TOPS meeting free of charge. To find a
local chapter, call (800) 932- 8677 or visit
tops.org.','Community','no','no','no');
insert into `report_content` (date,headline,copy,section,pic,atf,feature)
values ('2011-02-09','There\'s snow other way after Blizzard of
2011','A blizzard combined with lake-effect snow resulted in 20.9
inches of snowfall in 22 hours over the Chicago area on Feb. 1-2. While
emergency crews cleared arterial roads and responded to stranded
motorists, residents of Beverly/Morgan Park and Mt. Greenwood took to
local streets and sidewalks to dig their way out of the snow, some in the
wee hours of the morning. Residents from many blocks, including 110th
Street between Rockwell and Campbell avenues, joined forces with shovels
and snow blowers to clear snow from sidewalks and curbside parking
spaces. While some cars sat buried in snow, a fleet of snowmobiles made
its way easily down the 10100 block of Hoyne Avenue on the afternoon of
Feb. 2. Once the snow was cleared, some residents saved the area in front
of their homes with a variety of objects, including orange traffic cones,
to reserve personal parking spaces. The three Tonner boys, Mike, 17; Joe,
13; and Paul, 11; of North Beverly, all Boy Scouts in Troop 608, planted
an American flag in a mound as snow
Marines.','Community','no','no','no');
insert into `report_content` (date,headline,copy,section,pic,atf,feature)
values ('2011-02-09','St. Rita football players ink letters of
intent','by Scott Fredericks\r\nNot even 20
inches of snow could derail five St. Rita High School football players
from sending their National Letters of Intent to five different colleges
on time on National Signing Day on Feb. 2.\r\nWhile the decisions
were already official, those five standouts got an opportunity to enjoy
the moment a little more with parents, Coach Todd Kuska and St. Rita
officials at a ceremony at the school on Feb. 4.\r\nThe ceremony
was delayed because of the blizzard that closed St. Rita for two
days.\r\n“It’s a great day for all of these kids and
their parents to make the commitment to move on to the next academic and
athletic challenge,” said Kuska. “These guys were a special
group. They’ve won several championships and had a ton of
postseason success. We will have five or six more guys from this class
join this group in the near future with their choices. It’s fitting
that a large number of these guys will continue to play
football.”\r\nTight end Tim Gorski, running back/defensive
back Travis Starks, offensive guard Jack Sheahan, offensive lineman Tom
Hitz and offensive lineman Brian Lurquin all made their decisions
official on National Signing Day.\r\nThe five players helped the
Mustangs compile a 22-5 record the last two seasons. St. Rita won a
Catholic League- Blue championship, Prep Bowl title and advanced to the
Class 7A semifinals this season.\r\nGorski will play Division- One
football at Western Kentucky. The 6’7” tight end selected the
Hilltoppers over offers from Northern Illinois, Toledo and Western
Michigan.\r\nGorski went down to the wire before deciding on
Western Kentucky just a week before Signing Day.\r\n“It
really felt like it was home down there. I got pretty close with the
players and coaches on my visit,” said Gorski. “I had some
pretty late nights sitting up and thinking about it. I decided at about 1
a.m. It was a decision that was weighing on my mind all the
time.”\r\nSheahan’s decision wasn’t as difficult
as Gorski’s. He knew the minute he stepped foot on the Yale campus
that it was the place for him.\r\n“It was a no-brainer for
me,” said Sheahan. “It’s a high-level of football, and
the academics speak for itself. Yale is always one of the top-ranked
schools in the world. I’m thankful that I’ll be able to
compete at a program that’s at a high level and also get an
education that’s second to none.”\r\nSheahan also
considered Cornell, Brown and Drake.\r\nLurquin will play
relatively close to home at the University of Wisconsin-
Platteville.\r\n“I went to three different schools, and it
turned out the last one was the best fit for me,” said Lurquin.
“I never want to stop playing football, so getting four more years
will be awesome. This group has been together for four years, and even
though we aren’t going to the same schools, it’s great to be
here with all these other guys who are moving on to the next
level.”\r\nHitz will stay close to home and likely get a
chance to compete for a national championship at St. Xavier University
(SXU). He said that was a huge factor in his decision.\r\n“I
wanted to go to a winning program. I didn’t want to be a part of a
rebuilding team. I wanted to be on a team that could win conference
championships and compete for national titles,” said Hitz, who will
join several other former St. Rita standouts. “My former teammate
Tim Ladd went there and started as a freshman, and I wanted to go
somewhere I had a chance to play early. I’m going to work hard in
the offseason and hopefully get a chance to help the team
out.”\r\nSXU is coming off a second consecutive appearance
in the National Association of intercollegiate Athletics
semifinals.\r\nThe versatile Starks will take his talents to Terre
Haute, Ind., to play for Indiana State, a program on a rapid
rise.\r\nAfter winning just two games in the previous five
seasons, the Sycamores finished 6-5 last year and have parlayed that
strong season into a successful year on the recruiting trail. Indiana
State picked up several commitments from Illinois prep
standouts.\r\n“It was a mind-boggling process, and I’m
glad it’s over. Now I can focus on the school and help them
continue to get better,” said Starks. “They told me they want
me to play running back, but I will also return punts and kicks and play
a little cornerback.”\r\nStarks also considered Central
Michigan, Eastern Michigan and Illinois
State.','Sports','no','no','no');
insert into `report_content` (date,headline,copy,section,pic,atf,feature)
values ('2011-02-09','Girls hoops teams set for regional
play','by Scott Fredericks\r\nOnly four girls
basketball teams will reach the Class 4A state tournament at Illinois
State University’s Redbird Arena in early March.\r\nBut
there’s a good chance one of those squads will be from the Beverly
area.\r\nMarist is seeded second in the Lincoln-Way North
sectional, while the top three seeded teams in the Lyons sectional,
Whitney Young, St. Ignatius and Mother McAuley, are all top area
squads.\r\nThe winners from those two sectionals will meet for a
berth at state on the line in the St. Xavier University supersectional on
Feb. 28 at 7:30 p.m.\r\nMarist will open state tournament play on
Feb. 16 against the winner of Shepard/ Eisenhower at Shepard at 6 p.m.
The RedHawks’ main competition in the sectional is East Suburban
Catholic Conference rival Marian Catholic. The Spartans won the regular-
season matchup between the two talented squads.\r\nAt Lyons,
Whitney Young, ranked second in the state, has a relatively easy path to
the sectional championship game. The Dolphins will have a tough match-up
against Girls Catholic Athletic Conference (GCAC)- White champion De La
Salle in the De La Salle regional on Feb. 17 at 7:30 p.m.\r\nSt.
Ignatius, seeded second, and Mother McAuley, seeded third, are on a
collision course to meet for a third time this season in the sectional
semifinal at Lyons on Feb. 22 at 8:10 p.m.\r\nThe Wolfpack won the
first meeting with the Mighty Macs, with McAuley evening the score in the
recently completed GCAC-red tournament.\r\nLocal teams also have
legitimate chances to reach the respective state semifinals in both Class
3A and Class 1A.\r\nMorgan Park High School (MPHS) is seeded
second in the Rich East sectional where the Mustangs will likely meet
Hillcrest for the championship on Feb. 24 at 7:30 p.m. MPHS fell to the
Hawks in the Hillcrest Holiday Tournament in December.\r\nThe
other local 3A entrant, Queen of Peace, has a chance to do something it
hasn’t in more than a decade. The Pride, seeded fourth in the
Riverside-Brookfield sectional, has not won a regional championship since
1998. Queen of Peace has a chance to do so on its own home floor with a
potential regional matchup against fifth-seeded CICS-Ellison on Feb. 17
at 7:30 p.m.\r\nOne area team that has not had a problem winning
regional championships in recent years is Morgan Park Academy (MPA). The
Warriors are the overwhelming favorite to capture their own regional
crown for the fourth consecutive season.\r\nMPA opens regional
play on Feb. 9 at 6 p.m., and with a win, it will play for the crown the
next night at 7:30 p.m.','Sports','no','no','no');
insert into `report_content` (date,headline,copy,section,pic,atf,feature)
values ('2011-02-09','De La Salle reaches goal with GCAC-White
crown','by Scott Fredericks\r\nThe team took
everyone’s best shot during the regular season, and that was also
the case in the Girls Catholic Athletic Conference (GCAC)- White
tournament.\r\nBut as it did throughout the regular season, the De
La Salle girls basketball team withstood every challenge and reached one
of its goals with a hard-fought 47-40 triumph over St. Benedict in the
tournament championship at Mt. Assisi Academy on Feb.
6.\r\n“Everyone was out for blood against us because we
finished 6-0 in the regular season. We wanted to prove it wasn’t a
fluke. It was a good win for the girls, and they definitely deserved
this,” said De La Salle Coach Jenna Markoff. “This was one of
the things we set out to accomplish at the start of the season. Are we
going to be the state champions? No, but winning the GCAC-White was
definitely something we thought we could do.”\r\nThe Meteors
(16-6) overcame foul trouble for several top players early in the game to
capture the crown.\r\nJunior guard JaVonna Smith (11 points, seven
rebounds, three steals), junior guard Brandy Lewis (10 points, eight
rebounds, four steals), sophomore guard Kiara Carter (nine points),
senior guard Natalie Williams (six points, six rebounds), junior forward
Renee Jones (four points, 12 rebounds) and junior forward Kelly Crowley
(three points, eight rebounds) all turned in big performances for the
victors.\r\nDe La Salle finished with 12 steals and limited the
Bengals to few second-chance opportunities.\r\n“The defense
is how we get our offense for the most part,” said Markoff.
“We pride ourselves on frustrating the other team and making it
difficult on them. St. Ben’s is a great team, and this is the third
time we’ve played them. We’ve been able to rely on our
defense against them.”\r\nSmith did all of her damage in the
second half after picking up two early fouls. Her strong play helped the
Meteors battle back from a 30-25 deficit midway through the third
quarter.\r\nSmith scored on consecutive possessions to cut the
lead to one before finding Lewis open for a short jumper that gave De La
Salle the lead back. The Meteors also got a pair of clutch baskets from
Carter in the third quarter. She missed all but the first 1:45 of the
opening half because of two fouls.\r\nLater, Smith hit a pair of
contested shots in the lane early in the fourth quarter to keep her team
in the lead. St. Benedict had trimmed the advantage to two on both
occasions.\r\n“I had to give my teammates a boost after the
half because I was in foul trouble and wasn’t able to do anything
in the first half,” said Smith. “Everybody always tells me
that I have to make good choices on the floor. The middle of the floor
was open all game, so I just penetrated and made the
shots.\r\n“We worked so hard this season and were so focused
on winning this.”\r\nSmith hit a pair of free throws with
1:19 remaining to put the game out of
reach.','Sports','no','no','no');
insert into `report_content` (date,headline,copy,section,pic,atf,feature)
values ('2011-02-09','Extra effort lifts Marist to OT win','by
Scott Fredericks\r\nThe effort wasn’t where Marist
needed it to be in the first half of its East Suburban Catholic
Conference showdown against Marian Catholic at home on Feb. 4. The
RedHawks allowed 12 offensive rebounds and turned the ball over 13
times.\r\nBut Marist made the key effort plays for much of the
second half, and that was the difference in a hard-fought 67-60 overtime
triumph over a gritty Spartans squad. Marian had only two offensive
boards in the second half and overtime combined.\r\n“The
first half was very disappointing on our end. We weren’t sharp and
were fortunate to be in the game at halftime,” said Marist Coach
Gene Nolan. “The effort was much better in the second half and
definitely where we needed it in overtime. We made plays when we had to
and finished opportunities late in the game.\r\n“In order
for us to be the type of team we want to be, we have to play full games.
The great thing as a coach is I’ve seen that improvement from the
beginning of the year. We just didn’t have it early
tonight.”\r\nSophomore L.J. McIntosh led the RedHawks (16-9,
5-4) with 26 points and eight rebounds. Freshman forward Nic Weishar (13
points, 15 rebounds), senior guard Geoff Godwin (11 points), junior guard
Tyler Oden (eight points) and sophomore guard Lexus Williams (six points)
also contributed.\r\nBrian Gates (14 points), Tyler Ulis (11
points), John Rhode (11 points) and DiAndre Bellamy (10 points) all had
big offensive games for Marian Catholic (9-14, 4-
5).\r\nBellamy’s runner in the lane with five seconds left
sent the game into overtime.\r\nMarist quickly jumped in front
during the extra session with a long three by McIntosh, but the Spartans
answered with five straight to take the lead with 3:03
remaining.\r\nMoments later, McIntosh dished the ball inside to
Weishar for an easy two to knot the score before Godwin connected on a
pair of free throws to make it 58-56 with 1:48 remaining.\r\nOn
the ensuing possession, Bellamy drained two charity tosses to tie it at
58, but it was all Marist in the final 1:20.\r\nWeishar’s
free throw made it 59-58 with 1:09 left. After a Marian turnover, Weishar
scored and was fouled on a baseline out of bounds play to push the lead
to 61-58. He missed the free throw, but senior guard Paul Simmons got his
hands on the offensive rebound and found McIntosh open for an easy lay-in
to increase the cushion to five with 30 seconds
remaining.\r\n“I had a really bad game but found a way to
make a big play when we needed it,” said Simmons, who finished with
only two points. “They came at me, and I was able to find the open
man. We are resilient and have a lot of character. We gut it out to get
wins.”\r\nThe Spartans trimmed the lead to three with a
bucket by Ulis with 19 seconds remaining, but McIntosh and Williams each
made a pair of free throws to seal the win.\r\n“My teammates
fed me the ball, and I was able to knock down shots,” said
McIntosh. “Marian fought hard, so we had to lock down and play hard
on defense. The defense was the whole key in overtime. We had to get out
on their shooters and box out.”','Sports','no','no','no');
insert into `report_content` (date,headline,copy,section,pic,atf,feature)
values ('2011-02-09','Buckeyes win McAuley tournament','The St.
Barnabas fifth-grade girls volleyball team won the Silver Division
championship of the Mother McAuley Challenge on Jan. 28. Team members of
the Buckeyes are Casey Macander, Adrian Drayton, Margaret Millerick, Lily
Ryan, Allison Keller, Cate Paulsen, Molly Nagle, Shannon Burke, Kaitlin
Sweeney and Nora McIntosh. The team is coached by Cammy Paulsen and Maura
Macander.','Sports','no','no','no');
insert into `report_content` (date,headline,copy,section,pic,atf,feature)
values ('2011-02-09','Br. Rice\'s Ickes adds IHSVCA presidency to crowded
resume','by Scott Fredericks\r\nAs if he
wasn’t busy enough with duties at Br. Rice High School, Br. Paul
Ickes’ workload recently got even bigger.\r\nIckes, the
longtime volleyball coach at Br. Rice, was named the new president of the
Illinois High School Volleyball Coaches Association
(IHSVCA).\r\n“I was originally supposed to serve a four-year
term as vice president, but when the president had to step down after six
months, I was next in line,” said Ickes, who currently is the
campus minister at Br. Rice and is responsible for the school’s
spiritual programs along with teaching and directing the senior peer
ministry classes and program. “Things are already going quite well.
I’m working with some really good people who are all very
successful names in the high school volleyball circuit. It’s a good
amount of work, but I believe our current officers will serve the kids
and the sport very well.”\r\nVice President Joann Holverson
(Lincoln-Way Central), Treasurer Bill Schreier (Wheaton-Warrenville
South) and Secretary Chris Scheibe (Joliet Catholic) will serve on the
board with Ickes.\r\nAll of those coaches have had a wealth of
success in the coaching circles. Schreier’s squads have won six
state championships.\r\n“I am honored to be working with
these three coaches who have not only won numerous Illinois High School
Association [IHSA] state titles but who are also fantastic, hard-working
coaches who are willing to serve the larger Illinois volleyball
community,” said Ickes. “We hope to provide other
opportunities for our coaches and players such as sponsoring state-wide
polls and all-star games beginning with the boys this
spring.”\r\nIt didn’t take long for Ickes and his
fellow officers to make an impact.\r\nThe IHSVCA sponsored a
statewide volleyball coaches clinic at Lewis University on Feb. 5 in
conjunction with the Lewis/Stanford men’s volleyball match the
night before. Stanford is the reigning NCAA national champion, and Coach
John Kosty was one of the lead coaches participating in the
clinic.\r\nOne idea Ickes has had for years is to change the
location of the boys state tournament.\r\nThe sport, which is
celebrating its 20th anniversary this spring, has called Hoffman Estates
High School home for the state finals since its
inception.\r\nIckes hopes that will change in the near
future.\r\n“That is one of the main issues on our meeting
agenda with IHSA Administrator Stacey Lambert,” said Ickes.
“At 20 years old, the boys state tournament is now an adult, and we
need to treat it that way. The championship site tells you a lot about
the level of the importance of the sport to not only the kids but also to
parents. Moving the tournament to a collegiate facility like St. Xavier
would be a win-win for everybody.”\r\nIckes founded the Br.
Rice volleyball program in 1993 and has been the coach since. He has also
had coaching stints at Robert Morris College and Queen of Peace High
School.\r\nIn addition to his duties with the IHSVCA and at Br.
Rice, Ickes also serves as the volleyball moderator for both the Chicago
Catholic League and South Side Boys Volleyball League, is the secretary
and beach volleyball chairman for the Great Lakes Region of USA
Volleyball and is the director of the Illinois High School Summer Sand
Volleyball League and tournament which started last
year.','Sports','no','no','no');
insert into `report_content` (date,headline,copy,section,pic,atf,feature)
values ('2011-02-09','Question for the Candidates: Ray
Coronado','The South Side Irish St. Patrick’s Day Parade had
a long history of putting the 19th Ward on the national map for one day
of the year. For many local residents, the parade was viewed as a
welcomed celebration of family heritage and an important part of the
local economy. For others, it was viewed as a drain on city resources and
an unwanted inconvenience. Should the parade be
reestablished?\r\nRay Coronado, 55\r\n
28-year ward resident
Accountant\r\ncoronado4alderman.com\r\nFirst, let me say what
we should not do to the South Side Irish St. Patrick’s Day Parade.
We should not sell it in the way that we sold the Skyway, the parking
meters or so many political seats.\r\nThe South Side Irish Parade
belongs to all residents who appreciate Irish heritage—this
cultural gem should not be sold and should not be squandered. For many
years we have shared the parade with friends and relatives from nearby
suburbs, faraway cities and even other countries. Yes, we should invite
our friends and families, and we have the right to an incredibly fun
time.\r\nHowever, somewhere along the way things went too far. The
thousands of families who have attended the parade in the past deserve a
safe and enjoyable event. Any amount of underage drinking, street
violence, public intoxication or public urination poses undue risk to the
community.\r\nWe cannot afford the risk of an immediate full-scale
resumption of the parade—there is simply too much pent up demand
that could easily go out of control. However, we can begin a gradual
return to the festivities. Perhaps the parade should only be allowed when
the entire Chicago Police Department is at a full enough strength to
commit the necessary officers. Perhaps some commonsense regulations on
the sale of alcohol during the day of the parade can reduce both underage
drinking and over consumption. These are a few possible straightforward
solutions, but to fully address the issue, we need to open a community
discussion on the topic.\r\nThe parade can be a boost to the local
economy, but it can also be the bane of mothers of teenagers. No force
should be greater than that of local mothers in deciding how to
responsibly bring back the South Side Irish Parade. The problems with the
parade need to be addressed in a loving and caring, but firm,
way—no one is better qualified for that task than are the mothers
of Beverly, Mt. Greenwood and Morgan Park.\r\nNonetheless, the
alderman’s office can be a part of the solution by helping to
organize the community. The alderman’s office can be the voice that
puts suggested regulations, police force levels and any number of
innovative ideas into action.\r\nWe need to acknowledge that,
while many of us miss the parade and many others say good riddance, both
parties have valid points. The South Side Irish Parade will not be
successful if it does not garner the support of the entire community.
Chicago boasts numerous free events and festivals, most of which remain
free, safe and family-friendly; the South Side Irish Parade once fit this
description and hopefully will again. While we must refuse to surrender
control of the parade, we should be open to suggestions from the planning
committees of similar events.\r\nThe simple fact is that this
community deserves a way to celebrate its heritage; the format may
change, but the spirit must stay the
same.','Community','no','no','no');
insert into `report_content` (date,headline,copy,section,pic,atf,feature)
values ('2011-02-09','Question for the Candidates: George
Newell','The South Side Irish St. Patrick’s Day Parade had a
long history of putting the 19th Ward on the national map for one day of
the year. For many local residents, the parade was viewed as a welcomed
celebration of family heritage and an important part of the local
economy. For others, it was viewed as a drain on city resources and an
unwanted inconvenience. Should the parade be
reestablished?\r\nGeorge Newell, 45\r\n
15-year ward resident\r\n Chicago Police Officer,\r\n22nd
District\r\nI would defer the decision of reviving the South Side
Irish St. Patrick’s Day Parade to the command of the Chicago Police
Department’s 22nd District and the parade committee who has years
of knowledge gained through volunteer experience on that festive
day.\r\nHowever, as a law enforcement officer who has worked the
parade, I can tell you that, like all parades, there is enormous strain
on the police, and not all of the publicity of the parade is positive to
our community. During the last edition of the parade, there were more
than 50 arrests for violations including public intoxication, underage
drinking, indecent exposure, criminal damage to property, driving under
the influence, and assault and battery to the police.\r\nIf the
parade were to be resumed, it would require major input and involvement
from the command of the 22nd District, community residents and
businesses. I would be very much interested in hosting scaled-down
versions of cultural community pride fests highlighting our great and
diverse ward similar to the Irish-style fest hosted at the Beverly Arts
Center last year.','Community','no','no','no');
insert into `report_content` (date,headline,copy,section,pic,atf,feature)
values ('2011-02-09','Question for the Candidates: Matt
O\'Shea','The South Side Irish St. Patrick’s Day Parade had
a long history of putting the 19th Ward on the national map for one day
of the year. For many local residents, the parade was viewed as a
welcomed celebration of family heritage and an important part of the
local economy. For others, it was viewed as a drain on city resources and
an unwanted inconvenience. Should the parade be
reestablished?\r\nMatt O’Shea,
41\r\n 41-year ward resident\r\n Administrative aide
to Ald. Ginger Rugai\r\nmattoshea.net\r\nI served on the South
Side Irish St. Patrick’s Day Parade Committee for 13 years. I was a
member of a group of 25 dedicated men and women who poured their heart
and soul into an event that showcased this great community we all call
“home.”\r\nUnfortunately, the South Side Irish St.
Patrick’s Day Parade was a victim of its own success. Over the
years, the crowd grew to unmanageable levels; public intoxication and
inappropriate behavior were widespread; and the parade became unsafe for
local families. In 2009 the perfect storm erupted with 300,000 in
attendance and unseasonably warm temperatures. The crowd at several
locations was unruly; several large fights broke out; and Chicago police
officers were injured trying to maintain order.\r\nEnding the
parade was the right decision. It is a decision I
supported.\r\nSince then, the South Side Irish Parade Committee
has created the South Side Irish Family Fest. This year’s event
will be held on Friday, March 11, from 5 to 11 p.m. (21 and over) and
Saturday, March 12, from noon to 11 p.m., at the Beverly Arts Center.
Activities include traditional Irish music, children’s theater,
arts and crafts, an Irish soda bread contest, live music and a grand
prize raffle. This is a wonderful family-themed event that truly
celebrates faith, family and heritage in our community. For more
information, contact the Beverly Arts Center at (773) 445-3838 or visit
the Web site at beverlyartcenter.org.\r\nMany alternative ideas
have been discussed to complement the existing family fest. I am
particularly interested in exploring the committee’s idea for a 5K
community race on parade weekend. There is also constant discussion of
bringing the South Side Irish Parade back to Western Avenue.\r\nI
welcome the opportunity to discuss this idea, if and when a plan is
presented that ensures public safety in our community and is one the
Chicago Police Department supports. I have not yet seen that
plan.','Community','no','no','no');
insert into `report_content` (date,headline,copy,section,pic,atf,feature)
values ('2011-02-09','Question for the Candidates: Diane Phillips,
58','The South Side Irish St. Patrick’s Day Parade had a
long history of putting the 19th Ward on the national map for one day of
the year. For many local residents, the parade was viewed as a welcomed
celebration of family heritage and an important part of the local
economy. For others, it was viewed as a drain on city resources and an
unwanted inconvenience. Should the parade be
reestablished?\r\nDiane Phillips, 58\r\n
28-year ward resident\r\nPresident and CEO, Elite Human Service
Systems, Inc.\r\nFor generations, the South Side Irish St.
Patrick’s Day Parade has inspired persons from all racial and
ethnic groups to join in a celebration of the strong Irish heritage that
permeates not only the 19th Ward but throughout the great city of
Chicago, the state of Illinois and the United States of America, as well
as throughout the world. Families frequently use the parade weekend as a
traditional family reunion weekend where family members, relatives,
friends and neighbors who have moved away get together with 19th Ward
residents who have remained in the community to celebrate the
accomplishments from the previous year achieved by their family members,
relatives, friends and neighbors.\r\nThe South Side Irish Parade
weekend is also a good time to check on persons who are homebound due to
illness and the elderly because these individuals always seem to have and
want to share their vivid memories of past parades. Teachers and
community youth organizers also incorporate the South Side Irish Parade
into their lesson plans to encourage elementary and high school students
to conduct research and community service projects, which often involves
participating in a band or dance or acrobatics group as star participants
in the parade. Most importantly, this involvement clearly enhances the
understanding and interest of children and youths in an enduring
tradition that celebrates the families who live, work and pray within the
19th Ward.\r\nIn addition to promoting strong family values and
sustaining interest in the legacy of a phenomenal Irish cultural event,
the South Side Irish Parade weekend also generates much needed revenue
for the 19th Ward that the small, medium and even large corporate
business owners seem to appreciate. Also, Metra, PACE and the CTA all
receive increased proceeds because people frequently use public
transportation to travel to and from the 19th Ward to attend the
parade.\r\nDespite the anti-social behavior (e.g. open alcohol
usage, illegal drug usage, domestic violence, burglaries, thefts,
assaults, etc.) exhibited by some individuals before, during and after
the parade, I think the economic benefits outweighs the costs for
increased police protection, and therefore, it is my humble
recommendation that the South Side Irish St. Patrick’s Day Parade
be reinstated. Therefore, if elected alderman of the 19th Ward, I will
uphold a long-standing tradition and enact legislation in the Chicago
City Council that will reinstate the South Side Irish St. Patrick’s
Day Parade.\r\nConsequently, if you want a legislator who
subscribes to strong family values, economic sustainability and the
enlightenment of others about the resilient Irish culture that permeates
the world, let us continue to highlight the 19th Ward for one weekend a
year by reestablishing the South Side Irish St. Patrick’s Day
Parade. Moreover, your choice for a passionate, family-focused leader
could be realized if you simply elect “Write-In Candidate for
Alderman of the 19th Ward, Diane M.
Phillips.”','Community','no','no','no');
insert into `report_content` (date,headline,copy,section,pic,atf,feature)
values ('2011-02-09','Question for the Candidates: Dr. Anne Schaible,
50','The South Side Irish St. Patrick’s Day Parade had a
long history of putting the 19th Ward on the national map for one day of
the year. For many local residents, the parade was viewed as a welcomed
celebration of family heritage and an important part of the local
economy. For others, it was viewed as a drain on city resources and an
unwanted inconvenience. Should the parade be
reestablished?\r\nDr. Anne Schaible,
50\r\n 50-year ward
residentPhysician\r\nelectanne.com\r\nThe South Side Irish St.
Patrick’s Day Parade has long been a celebration of the beautiful
wealth of Irish heritage we are lucky to have in our
community.\r\nThe parade was once a family event, but over time,
it devolved into an excuse for outsiders to come into our neighborhood
and act inappropriately.\r\nI believe the 19th Ward needs to have
a celebration in honor of St. Patrick’s Day; however, we need to
focus on returning it to a familycentered
event.','Community','no','no','no');
insert into `report_content` (date,headline,copy,section,pic,atf,feature)
values ('2011-02-09','Question for the Candidates: Phil Sherlock,
47','The South Side Irish St. Patrick’s Day Parade had a
long history of putting the 19th Ward on the national map for one day of
the year. For many local residents, the parade was viewed as a welcomed
celebration of family heritage and an important part of the local
economy. For others, it was viewed as a drain on city resources and an
unwanted inconvenience. Should the parade be
reestablished?\r\nPhil Sherlock, 47\r\n
30-year ward resident\r\n Teamster Local
700\r\nphilsherlock.com\r\nOur neighborhood, the 19th Ward, is
steeped in tradition. We love our churches, schools, sports teams and our
heritage. The South Side Irish St. Patrick’s Day Parade was part of
our heritage.\r\nDuring the first week in March, my parents,
relatives and friends would start gearing up for that big Sunday. My son
attended his first parade in his mother’s arms. At the annual
parade Mass at St. John Fisher Roman Catholic Church, the priest would
always grant a special dispensation for that day if people cared to
partake in the Guinness and not violate their Lenten promise. School was
always closed the day after the parade, and it never hurt to use a
vacation day. Monsignor Francis McElligott stopped by for a corned beef
sandwich and congratulated us on our new home. We would switch from year
to year with the corned beef purchased from Calabria Imports or County
Fair (both always exceptional).\r\nSo why shouldn’t our
neighborhood have the resources applied to celebrate our heritage? Cinco
de Mayo, Gay Pride, Puerto Rican and Bud Billiken parades all showcase
neighborhood, tradition and heritage. Who pays for these other parades?
Why should we be cheated?\r\nI will make it work. I will demand
that we have the same resources applied to our neighborhood (our fair
share). As I knocked on doors, residents expressed their concerns and
interest in bringing back the parade. I will have a referendum placed on
the ballot in the next election and let voters decide.\r\nI will
also encourage more local events. I would like to start a Celtic Fest in
Mt. Greenwood Park that would call for a summer festival with Irish music
and food vendors.\r\nBoys Town has rainbows, and Humboldt Park has
the Puerto Rican flag permanently erected in its commercial districts. I
would like to see some shamrocks on Western Avenue and 111th
Street.\r\nWe need to rebuild commerce and pride. As the next
alderman of the 19th Ward, that is what I plan to
do.','Community','no','no','no');
insert into `report_content` (date,headline,copy,section,pic,atf,feature)
values ('2011-02-09','Well Fargo donation aids PADS','Jan Beutler
(from left), first vice president investments for Wells Fargo Advisors;
Mike Wasserberg, executive director for South Suburban PADS; John Yagla,
senior vice president, Wells Fargo Advisors; and Linda Streeter, senior
client associate, Wells Fargo Advisors, pose for a photo during a
presentation where Wells Fargo Advisors donated a $2,000 grant to South
Suburban PADS. The grant will help South Suburban PADS with emergency
overnight shelters and the Adopt a Room program. South Suburban PADS is
an emergency shelter program that has been operating in the south suburbs
since December 1990.','Community','no','no','no');
insert into `report_content` (date,headline,copy,section,pic,atf,feature)
values ('2011-02-09','Names in the
News','Smagur\r\nMarge Smagur, of Beverly, has
been selected as the October MVP Excellence Award winner. Smagur
represents the best of the faith-based, values-driven tradition at
Advocate Health Care and exemplifies the characteristics of the
Excellence Award. Smagur will be recognized with a certificate and gift
at a MVP Awards Recognition
Celebration.\r\nGorney\r\nCity Colleges of
Chicago (CCC) Board of Trustees, under the leadership of CCC Chairman
Martin Cabrera Jr., approved the appointment of Debra Ann Gurney, RN,
BSN, MS, EdD, as executive director of nursing programs. The new
executive director plans a five-step evidence based assessment of all the
CCC nursing programs to determine strengths and weaknesses. Gurney was
most recently medical-surgical clinical unit director at Rush Oak Park
Hospital. Prior to that, she was the chairperson and assistant professor
in the department of nursing, Rockford College, in Rockford. She holds a
doctorate in adult education and a master’s of science from
Northern Illinois University, in DeKalb, and a bachelor of science in
nursing from Rockford College.\r\nLittle Company of
Mary\r\nLittle Company of Mary Hospital and Health Care
Centers recently announced that physicians on staff at the hospital were
honored in the Chicago Magazine’s “Top Doctors” issue.
They are Steven Ambrose, MD, maternal and fetal medicine; Howard O.
Grundy, MD, maternal and fetal medicine; Jacob Rotmensch, MD, gynecologic
oncology; Thomas Quinn, cardiology; and Daniel A. Rowan, MD, medical
staff president, cardiology. The list of the area’s top doctors was
compiled by Castle Connolly Medical Ltd., which publishes a number of
guides to the country’s outstanding physicians. Castle
Connolly’s physician-led team of researchers follows a rigorous
screening process to select top doctors on both the national and regional
levels.','Community','no','no','no');
insert into `report_content` (date,headline,copy,section,pic,atf,feature)
values ('2011-02-09','Daly','Ellen M. Daly, 93, of Beverly, died Feb.
1.\r\nFuneral services were held Feb. 7 from Beverly Ridge Funeral
Home to St. John Fisher Roman Catholic Church. Interment followed at Holy
Sepulchre Cemetery.\r\nShe is survived by her daughters, Eileen
(Tom) Ryan and Catherine; her son, John M. (Mary) Daly; her
grandchildren, John Bartholomew, Michael Thomas and Daniel Brendan Daly;
and many nieces, nephews and cousins.\r\nIn lieu of flowers,
memorials may be made to Elim Christian School, 13020 S. Central Ave.,
Palos Heights, IL 60463.','Obituaries','no','no','no');
insert into `report_content` (date,headline,copy,section,pic,atf,feature)
values ('2011-02-09','Flood','Rita F. Flood, 91, formerly of Beverly,
died Feb. 3.\r\nFuneral services were held Feb. 7 at Holy Family
Villa in Palos Park. Interment followed at Holy Sepulchre
Cemetery.\r\nShe is survived by her daughters, Rita Peterson,
Darlyne Heilig and Katharine McCarthy; her sons, Lawrence and Eugene; her
sisters, Patricia Feggestead and Carole (Richard) Bonarek; eight
grandchildren; eight great-grandchildren, and many nieces and
nephews.\r\nIn lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Holy
Family Villa, 12220 S. Will Cook Road, Palos Park, IL 60464 or Blue Cap,
2155 Broadway, Blue Island, IL 60406.','Obituaries','no','no','no');
insert into `report_content` (date,headline,copy,section,pic,atf,feature)
values ('2011-02-09','Gasper','Jane. C. Gasper, 88, of Beverly, died
Feb. 2.\r\nFuneral services were held Feb. 5 at Beverly Ridge
Funeral Home. Interment followed at Oak Hill Cemetery.\r\nShe is
survived by her nieces, Blanche Sikes and Rita (Donald) Pasternak; her
nephew, Louis (Beverly); and many great-nieces and -
nephews.\r\nGasper was a member of Beverly Covenant Church,
Beverly Christian Woman’s Club and the Southwest Shrine
Club.\r\nIn lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Beverly
Covenant Church, 10545 S. Claremont Ave., Chicago, IL
60643.','Obituaries','no','no','no');
insert into `report_content` (date,headline,copy,section,pic,atf,feature)
values ('2011-02-09','Beverly Unitarian Church','The Beverly Unitarian
Church (BUC) will sponsor a free film series for the community. BUC will
explore moral and religious themes presented in film from the silent era
to the present. All films will be shown on the third Friday of the month.
The February film, “The Pawnbroker,” will be shown on Feb.
18, from 7 to 9:30 p.m. Refreshments and a discussion about alienation
and sin of despair will follow the movie.\r\nAdmission is free and
all are welcome. For more information, call (773) 233-
7080.','Church','no','no','no');
insert into `report_content` (date,headline,copy,section,pic,atf,feature)
values ('2011-02-09','Association of Chicago Priests','The Association
of Chicago Priests will host their annual Mardi Gras celebration and
ministry award ceremony on Sunday, March 6, at St. Giles McDonough Hall,
1101 N. Columbian, in Oak Park. The event will feature a social hour,
buffet supper, entertainment and raffles. Check-in will begin at 5 p.m.,
prayer service and award ceremony at 5:30 p.m., social hour at 6 p.m. and
buffet supper at 7 p.m. Through Friday, Feb. 25, advance reservations at
$50 can be mailed to PO Box 3584, Oak Park, IL 60303 or by calling (312)
226-7222. Tickets at the door will cost $55.\r\nThe following
awards will be presented: Blessed John XXIII: the Rev. Ron Kalas; Joseph
Cardinal Bernardin Common Ground Award: Sr. Mary Paul McCaughey; and
Coordinating Board Awards: Gamaliel Foundation, CeaseFire/Tio Hardiman,
St. Rose Center, Inner- City Teaching Corps, The Port Ministries, and the
Rev. Terry Deffenbaugh, OSA.','Church','no','no','no');
insert into `report_content` (date,headline,copy,section,pic,atf,feature)
values ('2011-02-09','Live community forum planned for \'Race to City
Hall\'','Mayoral Forum 2011: The Race To City Hall, a live, community
forum presented by FOX Chicago, the Chicago Urban League and
Harriet’s Daughters, will be held on Thursday, Feb. 10, at Kennedy-
King College. The community forum will serve as one of the last Chicago
mayoral debates prior to the election on Feb. 22.\r\nBroadcast
live on FOX Chicago at 9:30 p.m., the forum, hosted by FOX Chicago
anchors Robin Robinson and Bob Sirott, will follow a special half-hour
edition of “FOX Chicago News at 9 p.m.” The one-hour forum
will feature the city’s leading mayoral candidates, invited to
participate based on their standing in polls of the
electorate.\r\nPanelists for the mayoral forum will be Mike
Flannery, political editor at FOX Chicago News, Cliff Kelley, host of
“The Cliff Kelley Show” on WVON (1690 AM) and Natalie Moore,
a reporter for the South Side Bureau of WBEZ (91.5 FM). WVAZ
“V103” (102.7 FM) personality Kris Kelley will also be a
contributor to the program.\r\nWVON (1690 AM) and WVAZ
“V103” (102.7 FM) are additional media partners in the forum
and will simulcast the event live on their stations.\r\nViewers
are invited to engage in the debate before and during the event via FOX
Chicago’s Facebook and Twitter pages. For more information on the
live broadcast of Mayoral Forum 2011, visit the Web sites at
myfoxchicago.com or at
thechicagourbanleague.org.','Community','no','no','no');
insert into `report_content` (date,headline,copy,section,pic,atf,feature)
values ('2011-02-09','Police announce make-up exams','The Chicago
Police Department and the Chicago Department of Human Resources announced
make-up exams for the 2010 Chicago Police Officer examination. The makeup
examinations are offered to military personnel who were on active duty
during the original application period (10/28/10 to 11/26/10) or
examination (12/11/10), as well as candidates who applied during the
original application period but could not attend the original examination
due to religious restrictions or medical/personal
emergency.\r\nAll candidates wishing to participate in the make-up
exam must meet the minimum qualifications of the position including age,
education and/ or military experience, and possess a valid driver’s
license as outlined in the original announcement.\r\nThe
examinations are scheduled to take place on Saturday, March 12, and
Sunday, March 13. The application period is effective now, and closes
Sunday, Feb. 13, at 11:59 p.m.\r\nThree categories of authorized
applicants exist. Full details of the application process can be found
online at chicagopolice. org and click on the City of Chicago Make-Up
Examination link on the left side of the screen.\r\n\r\n
Category 1—Individuals who already requested to be considered
for the make-up exam;\r\n Category 2—Individuals who
applied during the open application period but did not take the exam on
Dec. 11, 2010; and\r\n Category 3—New Applicants—
Active Military Personnel only\r\n\r\nAll military and non-
military applicants must have reached their 21st birthday by the last day
of the original application period, which was Nov. 26, 2010. Non-military
applicants will not be eligible to be hired until their 25th birthday.
Proof of age must be provided at time of application to your general
profile. Pursuant to the Municipal Code of Chicago, no person will be
eligible to enter the Police Training Academy after his/her 40th
birthday.\r\nApplicants must attach a copy of a current, valid
driver’s license at the time of application to his/her general
profile. Failure to attach a copy of your current, valid driver’s
license will result in an incomplete application and you will not be
considered for this position. You are not required to have a State of
Illinois driver’s license to apply; however, if you are offered the
police officer position, you must have a current, valid driver’s
license issued by the State of Illinois at the time of
hire.\r\nApplicants must have completed at least 60 semester (or
90 quarter) hours of credit by the last day of the original application
period which is Nov. 26, 2010, from a college or university or three
years (36 months) of continuous active duty in the Armed Forces of the
United States or completed at least 30 semester (or 45 quarter) hours of
credit by the last day of the original application period which is Nov.
26, 2010 and one year of continuous active duty in the Armed Forces of
the United States. Academic credit hours must be granted by an accredited
educational institution.','Police','no','no','no');
insert into `report_content` (date,headline,copy,section,pic,atf,feature)
values ('2011-02-09','Police Blotter','Jan. 28—An unknown man
stole cosmetic products from a business on the 1600 block of West 95th
Street at 12:10 a.m., police said.\r\n* *
*\r\nJan. 29—An unknown offender attempted to break into a
garage on the 9900 block of South Washtenaw Avenue at 10:30 p.m., police
said.\r\n* * *\r\nJan. 31—An unknown
offender stole a computer, Mp3 player and fire safe from a home on the
1900 block of West 101st Street at 8:30 a.m., police said.\r\n* * *\r\nFeb. 2—Joseph Bavaro, 31, of the
10900 block of South Troy Street, was arrested and charged with battery
during a dispute on the 10900 block of South Troy at 4 p.m., police said.
No court information was provided.\r\n* *
*\r\nFeb. 5—An unknown offender stole a laptop computer from
a vehicle on the 9900 block of South Western Avenue between 2:15 and 2:30
p.m., police said.\r\n* * *\r\nFeb.
6—A known man swerved at a victim who was shoveling snow on the
2100 block of West 115th Street at 3:20 p.m., police said. No arrests
were made as of press time.\r\n* *
*\r\nFeb. 6—An unknown offender stole a laptop computer from
a car on the 11600 block of South Western Avenue between 5 and 10 p.m.,
police said.','Police','no','no','no');