Chicago Sun-Times: All posts by Violet Miller

Chicago man sues former employer, union for denying gender-affirming care

2023-12-14T20:49:09.092-06:00

Morgan Mesi (right) a 34-year-old transgender Chicago man, with attorney Caryn Lederer at a news conference announcing his lawsuit against his former employer. The suit alleges that Breakthru Beverage Illinois denied him gender-affirming care.

Violet Miller/Sun-Times

A transgender Chicago man has filed a federal lawsuit against his former employer and union, alleging they denied him gender-affirming care.

Morgan Mesi, a 34-year-old lifelong Chicago resident, said his former employer, Breakthru Beverage Illinois — a liquor distribution company formerly co-chaired by Rocky Wirtz, the former Chicago Blackhawks co-chairman — denied coverage of a bilateral mastectomy, commonly known as “top surgery,” and hormone therapy, according to the complaint filed in federal court Thursday.

Local 3 Liquor and Allied Workers Union and its trustees were also named in the suit for their role in the alleged discrimination.

“This lawsuit is about my right to control my body free from discrimination,” Mesi said at a news conference. “A board of trustees who has never met me should not be the ones deciding if my gender-affirming health care is medically necessary. That decision should be between me and my doctors.”

Mesi started seeking gender-affirming mental health care in November 2016, about a year after he started at the company, according to the complaint. By the end of 2017, Mesi had started seeking hormone therapy and booked a consultation for the mastectomy.

In 2018, he received a “Plan Exclusion Notice,” and a representative for the insurance company later clarified that the company had received a document from the union directing them to deny Mesi’s request because the surgery was deemed “cosmetic.”

His appeal later that year was denied, with a letter from the union’s trustees stating the plan covered mastectomies only when people had cancer, a family history of cancer or similar disease, the complaint states. His attempts to get hormone therapy were also denied, with the union saying the care wasn’t covered by the union plan.

“Reading the letter, I wanted to die,” Mesi said. “I was shattered. I thought my union would protect me, I felt betrayed. Why did they go against the direction of my doctors?”

Chicago’s LGBTQ+ community ‘visible, vibrant’ — but concerned for transgender members’ ability to live freely

The complaint also said Mesi’s doctor visits had been covered by insurance until he requested the surgery, after which they were denied. He left the company in 2019.

Despite letters from Mesi’s doctors outlining the care as “medically necessary” and an Equal Employment Opportunity Commission investigation finding the company had “likely” acted illegally, Breakthru didn’t change its stance, the complaint states.

The suit claims the company violated Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Americans with Disabilities Act and the Illinois Human Rights Act in denying his care, in addition to forcing him to pay thousands out of pocket and his experiencing suicidal ideation.

Breakthru Beverage Illinois and Local 3 Liquor and Allied Workers Union didn’t respond to requests for comment.

Breakthru Beverage paid nearly $1 million in settlements to employees in 2019 after the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission found “reasonable cause to believe” it offered Illinois sales employees accounts and territory assignments that “resulted in national origin or race discrimination.”

The U.S. Supreme Court ruled in 2020 that discrimination against transgender people falls under sex-based discrimination, and a later federal case out of Georgia ruled that denying transgender people health care was also discriminatory.

Several recent cases and government rulings relating to Illinois and Illinois-based insurers have cemented protections for those seeking gender-affirming care.

Supreme Court ruling in web design case opens door to LGBTQ+ discrimination, Illinois advocates say

In a unanimous February 2022 decision, the Illinois Human Rights Commission found that excluding gender-affirming care from employee insurance plans was a violation of Illinois civil rights laws. The ruling came after a transgender woman working for the city of Springfield was denied care for hormone therapy when the same hormones were covered for other people who weren’t transgender.

Later that year, a Washington federal district court ruled that Blue Cross Blue Shield of Illinois violated the nondiscrimination section of the Affordable Care Act when it enacted bans on gender-affirming care on behalf of companies that paid for employee health care, including some care that was given to cisgender people. A class-action lawsuit against the insurance provider is ongoing.

The announcement also comes about a week after Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul signed a brief with 20 other state attorneys general supporting a challenge to Florida’s ban on gender-affirming health care through Medicaid.

Chicago celebrates Hanukkah, lighting 31-foot-tall Daley Plaza menorah

2023-12-11T21:47:17.164-06:00

The menorah in Daley Plaza in the Loop is 31 feet tall and 18 feet wide. Since 1987, the city has celebrated Hanukkah with a lighting ceremony.

Anthony Vazquez/Sun-Times

The Center for Jewish Life held its annual event lighting one of the city’s largest menorahs Monday night in Daley Plaza in honor of the fourth day of Hanukkah.

Hanukkah, the Jewish Festival of Lights, is an eight-day celebration of the rededication of the Temple of Jerusalem after the Maccabees defeated the Syrians. The little oil left in the temple burned for eight days, which was considered a miracle, leading to the candle-lighting tradition that continues to this day.

Chicago’s menorah-lighting tradition, featuring the 31-foot tall, 18-foot wide menorah in Daley Plaza, started in 1987 when Rabbi Meir Chai Benhiyoun, the president and rabbi of the Center for Jewish Life, came to Chicago with his wife to establish a Jewish center in the city.

Every year since, Benhiyoun has led the celebration in the Loop and welcomed mayors, most of whom have yet to miss the event.

Mayor Brandon Johnson speaks to Rabbi Meir Chai Benhiyoun at the menorah-lighting ceremony in Daley Plaza. “The festival of lights reminds us that light triumphs over darkness, and unity will always prevail over division,” Johnson said.

Anthony Vazquez/Sun-Times

The first of the six candles — called the shamash, used to light the other candles each night — was lit by Mayor Brandon Johnson, who addressed the crowd before the festivities began.

“The soul of Chicago is rooted in the many diverse traditions and cultures that our city is home to,” Johnson told the crowd. “The festival of lights reminds us that light triumphs over darkness, and unity will always prevail over division.”

Johnson ended by wishing the crowd a happy Hanukkah in Hebrew.

After the menorah was lit, latkes and doughnuts were offered and people danced.

Attendees wore costumes and danced.

Anthony Vazquez/Sun-Times

Pam Scheinman, who moved to River North from Massachusetts almost three years ago, said she was glad to see the celebration continue because there was “nothing like it” back home.

Scheinman also said it was a moment of reprieve for the Jewish community, who she said has felt “under siege” since the Oct. 7 surprise attack by Hamas that killed about 1,200 people and led to 240 being kidnapped in southern Israel. Israel’s retaliatory attacks have killed more than 17,000 people in Gaza.

Benhiyoun called for the release of the hostages while addressing the crowd, and noted that Judith Ranaan — a Chicago-area woman who was taken hostage during the initial attack but has since been released — was supposed to be on hand to light a candle Monday but was unable to attend due to illness.

“It’s a fabulous service,” Scheinman said. “Even if you have one little candle, it’ll light up the darkness.”

Igor Scheinman, left, Pam Scheinman and Sallie Kraus enjoyed the warmth and festive spirit of Monday’s menorah lighting in Daley Plaza. Pam Scheinman moved to Chicago from Massachusetts three years ago. Kraus, also an East Coast transplant, has attended every lighting since she arrived in town, except one at the peak of COVID-19.

Anthony Vazquez/Sun-Times

Sallie Kraus, another East Coast transplant who has lived in the Gold Coast for seven years, said she had been to every one of the downtown lightings since she moved to town except for one when COVID-19 was at its peak.

Kraus said her favorite part of the event was how it put people in a good mood and united people from across the city in celebrating the holiday.

“Everyone should feel a part of the holiday,” Kraus said. “To get people up and dancing and being part of the community. … We should have this all the time. A little bit of happiness doesn’t hurt.”

Hanukkah celebrations continue around the city and surrounding suburbs until the final night of candle lighting on Thursday.

Correction: This story has been updated to correct the date of the final night of candle lighting.

Warm latkes and doughnuts were served after the menorah lighting.

Anthony Vazquez/Sun-Times

Kids get hands-on — even slimy — at Chicago Cultural Center open house

2023-12-09T19:24:34.646-06:00

Kids play with slime Saturday at the SLOOMOO exhibit during the Chicago Cultural Center’s Open House in the Loop.

Pat Nabong/Sun-Times

A special “family edition” open house Saturday at the Chicago Cultural Center gave kids an opportunity to get hands-on — and even slimy — with some fun arts and crafts.

The Sierra family, of Lincoln Square, said they are frequent museum attendees, but often are split over which they want to go to.

“I love art, I love culture, so I think it’s a great way to expose the kids to different things from around the city,” mom Agustina Sierra said.

Siblings Kai, 7, and Mia, 5, color on Saturday at Mobile Makers’ Learning Lab during Chicago Cultural Center’s Open House in the Loop.

Pat Nabong/Sun-Times

Her son, Kai, an engineering-inclined 7 year old, enjoys the Museum of Science and Industry, while her daughter, Mia, 5, prefers the Field Museum, particularly the artwork in the Egypt exhibit.

But at the open house, the kids got to combine art and engineering at the Learning Lab, run by Mobile Makers, a nonprofit that provides youth architecture and design programs.

While many of the artists and groups that participated Saturday are regulars at cultural center events, a few adapted their programs to be particularly family oriented this weekend. The Chicago Latino Theater Alliance, for example, led attendees in a puppet-making project, while the United Voices Choir offered caroling.

“It reminds people that this place is always vibrant and alive,” said Zhen Hienemann, the director of visitor experience with the city’s Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events. “We want everyone to feel like they’re welcome here and that they belong here and that the art and activities that happen in the cultural center are for them.”

Rebecca Memoli (right), a teaching artist at Creative Chicago Reuse Exchange, guides Joffy Antony Saturday as she makes a paper ornament.

Pat Nabong/Sun-Times

Kristen Dowell, of Oak Park, said she enjoys the sculpture on display on the building’s upper levels and was particularly drawn this weekend to the “Freedom Square: Black Girlhood Altar” exhibit.

The show features a mix of artistic styles, ranging from lockets honoring Black women and girls who have been killed, to the re-creation of a schoolyard in Trinidad and Tobago where one of the artists grew up.

“I like how the exhibits speak on deeper topics in a meaningful way,” Dowell said. “A lot of reflection, sadness… but hope as well.”

Dowell said she enjoys that the cultural center feels very accessible.

“This feels more chill than a traditional art museum,” she said. “Just the way it’s set up feels a lot more relaxed.”

Visitors on Saturday take in“Rest and Recess: The Courtyard” part of the exhibit “Freedom Square: The Black Girlhood Altar” by artists Scheherazade Tillet and Robert Narciso.

Pat Nabong/Sun-Times

Of course, one of the most popular features this weekend was the SLOOMOO slime exhibit, where Sherry Willis, of Crown Point, Indiana, and Cassandra Simpson, of the south suburbs, brought their 7-year-old daughters, Melody and Nora, after taking them ice skating in Millennium Park.

The slime was particularly enticing for the two girls because it had been outlawed in both of their homes due to still-present stains on their couches from well-intentioned gifts last Christmas.

“Oops,” young Melody said.

But this slime was a bit different, the girl noted, because it was gingerbread-scented and wasn’t sticky: “If I had to rate it on an app or anything, I would definitely rate it five stars.”

New naturalized U.S. citizens take oath at Museum of Science and Industry

2023-12-08T18:48:20.8-06:00

New citizens listen to the national anthem during a naturalization ceremony for new citizens at the Museum of Science and Industry on Friday.

Pat Nabong/Sun-Times

Milena Pagano said she gained a second birthday Friday morning.

The former Italian citizen held back tears as she and 149 others became naturalized U.S. citizens at the Museum of Science and Industry.

It was four months to the day from her actual birthday.

“It was so special. I understood that I wasn’t alone. I checked behind me and saw a lot of people and said, ‘Oh my gosh, everyone is like me today,’” said Pagano, 45.

“There’s a lot of feelings I can’t explain, it’s just so wonderful.”

Pagano said she was excited to join her husband as a citizen after she followed him here in 2013 because of a job opportunity.

“After almost 11 years, both of us are citizens finally,” Pagano said. “This is my Christmas present this year.”

Milena Pagano became a citizen on Friday in a naturalization ceremony at the Museum of Science and Industry.

Pat Nabong/Sun-Times

The special court session was the first held at the museum, packing the lower level of the auditorium with new citizens and their loved ones.

In addition to citizenship papers and voter registration, those participating in the ceremony were given an annual membership to the museum.

Deon’te Goodman, who portrays Aaron Burr in the current production of “Hamilton” at the Nederlander Theatre, kicked off the ceremony by singing the national anthem.

Deon’te Goodman, who portrays Aaron Burr in “Hamilton” at the Nederlander Theatre, sings the national anthem during a naturalization ceremony at the Museum of Science and Industry on Friday.

Pat Nabong/Sun-Times

The event took six months to plan but was years in the making, said Anne Rashford, vice president of government relations at the museum. Officials at the museum had wanted to host a naturalization ceremony in December for a while because it would mesh well with “Christmas Around the World,” an annual museum display featuring more than 60 trees decorated for different countries.

On Friday, 19 of those trees represented the countries some of the new citizens had left to come to the United States.

Rashford said it was “perfect synergy.”

“We really want to make sure people feel at home here,” Rashford said with misty eyes. “It was just the perfect opportunity.”

As the new citizens filed out, they picked up paperwork and reunited with loved ones eagerly waiting in a room nearby.

Jovo Djokanovski, who became a U.S. citizen on Friday, holds his 2-year-old son, Aidan, after the naturalization ceremony, held at the Museum of Science and Industry.

Pat Nabong/Sun-Times

Also becoming a citizen Friday was Amrinder Dhindsa. He came to the United States in 2015 and met his wife here.

“After my wedding, this has to be the next best day of my life,” said Dhindsa.

The Batavia resident hadn’t been to the museum before but hoped to enjoy it Friday with his wife and their 4-year-old daughter — after he registered to vote at a table set up by the League of Women Voters.

“It’s a way for me to contribute to the country,” Dhindsa said. “And it’s my right now.”

New citizen Amrinder Dhindsa, originally from India, registers to vote after a naturalization ceremony for new citizens at the Museum of Science and Industry on Friday.

Pat Nabong/Sun-Times

Yucheen Chang, who came to the U.S. from Taiwan about 10 years ago, said she also looked forward to voting in 2024, and hoped she would be able to help better the lives of her now-fellow citizens by casting her first ballot.

“I can vote,” Chang said. “You can change something, so not just for me, but for everybody. We can do something better for America.”

She said while the process of earning her citizenship was difficult, particularly the test, which covers civics and English, the day celebrated so much more than just her journey.

“It is not just passing a test,” Chang said, standing next to her husband, Daniel Wang. “I want to stay here. I want to be a part of here.”

Daniel Wang and his wife, Yucheen Chang, look at Chang’s certificate after she and 149 others became U.S. citizens during a naturalization ceremony at the Museum of Science and Industry on Friday. Chang arrived in the U.S. about 10 years ago from Taiwan.

Pat Nabong/Sun-Times

New citizen Tatiana Maximciuc, originally from Moldova, holds an American flag during a naturalization ceremony at the Museum of Science and Industry on Friday.

Pat Nabong/Sun-Times

Eugenia Ciungu, originally from Romania, recites the Pledge of Allegiance as she holds her daughter during a naturalization ceremony at the Museum of Science and Industry on Friday.

Pat Nabong/Sun-Times

On Friday at the Museum of Science and Industry, 150 people became U.S. citizens. It was the first naturalization ceremony held at the museum.

Pat Nabong/Sun-Times

Nearly 2,000 granted U.S. citizenship in largest Chicago ceremony ever: ‘I consider this my home’

Migrant shelter at closed Chicago St. Bartholomew school expected to open next year

2023-12-07T21:24:39.089-06:00

The now-closed St. Bartholomew School, at 4941 W. Patterson Ave. in Portage Park, will soon serve as a migrant shelter, hosting up to 350 asylum-seekers.

Violet Miller/Sun-Times

The former St. Bartholomew School could be the first of many empty Archdiocese of Chicago properties to be converted into new arrival shelters in the coming weeks, city and church officials said.

The school at 4941 W. Patterson Ave. in the Portage Park community closed this year. The city says it could hold between 300 and 350 asylum-seekers.

In a letter to constituents last week, Ald. Ruth Cruz (30th) said an informational session for the community to learn more specific details would be scheduled in the “upcoming weeks.”

A projected move-in date wasn’t given by the city or the archdiocese, though the alderperson’s letter said the building could take in migrants as early as mid-January.

The shelter is slated to have 24/7 security, in addition to entry and re-entry screenings, “frequent” building checkups and an 11 p.m. curfew, according to a Dec. 1 news release from the city. The site also won’t permit visitors, walk-ins or alcohol, and violators of these rules could be discharged from the shelter.

In a statement released last week, the city said the shelter will also have on-site case managers to help new arrivals connect with resources.

The city of Chicago currently houses more than 13,500 asylum-seekers in 26 active shelters, with about 580 of them awaiting shelter in Chicago Police Department stations and at O’Hare and Midway airports, according to the city’s latest figures.

With construction halted on a Brighton Park tent site — which had been expected to house 2,000 asylum-seekers — because of “environmental concerns,” the city is now looking for alternatives for housing as temperatures drop.

Amid city delays, state pitching in additional $2M to feed migrants

Questions about the role of religious institutions in assisting new arrivals have been raised since buses began arriving in the city last year. But the church’s role is becoming more defined as the city works with the archdiocese to set up temporary lease agreements at empty church and school buildings.

The Our Lady of Rosary Parish pastor, the Rev. Mike O’Connell, who oversees St. Bartholomew, said the school was the first site chosen under the new agreement.

“I fully support this endeavor to save lives and to ease suffering of the refugee families who are facing the harshness of a Chicago winter,” O’Connell wrote in a message to parishioners. “In faith, hope and charity, I ask you to also support this response to the emergency we face.”

Loyda Paredes, a 40-year Chicago resident who lives down the street from the future shelter, said she worried there would be a lack of support for migrants because she had heard complaints from neighbors, but she was hopeful they would find a home in the Northwest Side community.

“We should try to accommodate people as best we can,” Paredes said. “Portage Park is a great neighborhood, it’s quiet, it’s beautiful, it’s well-maintained — why shouldn’t they be here?”

She also said she hoped the archdiocese would lease the buildings to the city for a reasonable price.

“This should not be a profit-making opportunity,” Paredes said.

Angelica Burns, who has lived down the block from the school for a few years, said that in addition to her concerns about safety, she was worried about littering in the neighborhood because she had heard it had become an issue near other city shelters.

Other than that, she said she was glad the church was stepping up to help people.

“It’s a delicate situation,” said Burns, a former West Rogers Park resident. “There’s so many people, and too many people together in one place — that’s when it creates a little bit of a problem. But hopefully things will go smoothly.”

Shedd Aquarium welcomes orphaned 8-week-old sea otter pup to Chicago

2023-12-07T12:58:30.079-06:00

The Shedd aquarium’s newest arrival, temporarily named Pup EL2306, plays with a toy during his first week at his new home in Chicago.

Shedd Aquarium

A 10-pound sea otter pup has found his new home at the Shedd Aquarium after being rescued by Alaskan wildlife officials.

The pup — which is being temporarily referred to as Pup EL2306 while a proper name can be determined — will stay behind closed doors as staff help raise him and get him acclimated to his new environment, Shedd officials said in a news release.

He was saved by the Alaska SeaLife Center on Oct. 31 near the town of Seldovia, which is 250 miles south of Anchorage. The center said the pup had been “vocalizing in distress” and was dehydrated, malnourished and injured when he was rescued.

“With this newest addition to our rescued population of sea otters, we’re committed to his long-term care and continuing to create connections for Chicagoans to this important keystone species,” Peggy Sloan, chief animal conservation officer at the Shedd, said in the release.

Shedd staff members traveled to Alaska to bring back the otter. He arrived Nov. 29 and is being bottle fed while eating small portions of clam a few times throughout the day.

A Shedd Aquarium staff member bottle feeds the aquarium’s newest arrival, an 8-week-old sea otter pup.

Shedd Aquarium

Shedd officials said otters this young require “intensive care” — between feeding, grooming and checking the pup’s health — and cannot be released back into the wild because they need their mothers for care as well as an education in how to hunt and forage.

One of the most important parts of what they need to learn is how to groom themselves, as otters rely on dense fur rather than blubber to stay warm in cold waters.

Eventually, the pup will join the Shedd’s other five otters — Luna, Cooper, Watson, Suri and Willow — who are also rescues. The Shedd is one of 11 institutions in the country caring for rescued otters.

An orphaned northern sea otter, temporarily named Pup EL2306, swims in a pool during his first week at the Shedd Aquarium.

Shedd Aquarium

The northern sea otter is considered “threatened” by the International Union for Conservation of Nature, though the northern sea otter populations have started to recover.

“We are thankful to partners like Shedd Aquarium that can support this effort for otters that need a relocation and cannot survive in the wild, and we’re excited to continue to follow his journey at his new home,” said Jane Belovarac, wildlife response curator at the Alaska SeaLife Center, said in the release.

The otter is the third animal to come to the Chicago area from Alaska in recent months after the Brookfield Zoo took in two 10-month-old Alaskan coastal brown bears who had been orphaned.

An 8-week-old northern sea otter rescued in Alaska has moved to the Shedd Aquarium.

Shedd Aquarium

An 8-week-old northern sea otter orphaned in Alaska eventually will join the Shedd’s other five otters.

Shedd Aquarium

Hanukkah celebrations begin as Chicago area prepares for 8 days of lights

2023-12-05T17:11:57.403-06:00

The first candle of the Grand Menorah in Daley Plaza will be lit Thursday night.

Ashlee Rezin/Sun-Times file

Hanukkah celebrations in the Chicago area begin this week, with most of the themed activities planned for Sunday.

Hanukkah, the Jewish Festival of Lights, is an eight-day commemoration of the rededication of the Temple of Jerusalem by the Maccabees after their victory over the Syrians. The small amount of oil left in the temple burned for eight days and was considered a miracle, leading to the candle-lighting custom.

Chicago menorah lightings

The Loop: The Center for Jewish Life will hold its annual lighting of one of the city’s largest menorahs — a 30-foot-tall candelabra — in Daley Plaza with Mayor Brandon Johnson at 5:30 p.m. Monday.

Roscoe Village: The Lakeview Roscoe Village Chamber of Commerce will hold its annual menorah lighting at 6 p.m. Thursday near the intersection of North Lincoln and Marshfield Avenues.

Wrigleyville: A DJ, live entertainment and candle-lighting will help kick off Wrigleyville’s Hanukkah with “4th Night, 4th Light” on Sunday, one of several JCC Chicago events bringing the eight-day holiday to the city and northern suburbs. The free event at Gallagher Way, 3635 N. Clark St., will run 3-5 p.m.

Lincoln Square: Lincoln Square’s “Grand Community Menorah Lighting” is slated to feature live music, treats and a candle-lighting beginning at 4 p.m. Sunday. The celebration in Giddings Plaza, 4733 N. Lincoln Ave., will also feature a gelt drop — gold-wrapped chocolate coins — by the Chicago Fire Department.

Lincoln Park: Lincoln Park’s “Menorah Lighting Extravaganza” is a free event set to feature a DJ, crafts, treats like latkes and jelly doughnuts, adult beverages and a menorah lighting at 5:30 p.m. Sunday, in the New City entertainment district at 1457 N. Halsted St.

Chicago Holiday Guide 2023

Chicago Hanukkah celebrations and events

See ‘Hershel and the Hanukkah Goblins’: Already underway, the Chicago Loop Synagogue’s musical production of the book “Hershel and the Hanukkah Goblins” began its nearly monthlong run Sunday. While admission is free, registration is required for the shows at 7 p.m. Thursdays and Saturdays and at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. Sundays.

Hanukkah-themed drag queen storytime: The Andersonville Chamber of Commerce will host a free, Hanukkah-themed drag queen storytime led by “drag bubbie” Merriam Levkowitz at 4 p.m. Sunday at Understudy Coffee and Books, 5531 N. Clark St. The Andersonville menorah lighting will take place immediately after, outside the shop at the corner of Clark Street and Catalpa Avenue.

Hanukkah-themed pop-up bar: The 8 Crazy Nights Hanukkah pop-up bar has returned to Lake View at 3441 N. Sheffield Ave. with events planned through Jan. 7.

Hanukkah celebrations in the Chicago suburbs

Evanston: The city of Evanston plans to light a 10-foot menorah at 5:30 p.m. Thursday in Fountain Square, along with other themed activities and treats.

Skokie: The Skokie Park District is planning to host “8 Nights, 8 Lights” at the Devonshire Cultural Center, 4400 Greenwood St. The event offers education on the history of Hanukkah, treats and activities starting at 5 p.m. Sunday. Tickets cost $7 for residents and $9 for nonresidents.

Deerfield: Kol Hadash Sunday School’s Hanukkah event at Deerfield High School is scheduled to have a menorah show-and-tell, dreidel tournament, candle- and menorah-making crafts along with a holiday meal starting at 10:30 a.m. Sunday. Tickets are $10.

Bolingbrook: Fountaindale Public Library in Bolingbrook is set to host a special edition of its usual storytime events next Tuesday, with free holiday story readings 10:45 a.m. to 11:15 a.m. in its Children’s Storytime Room.

Oak Park: “Chanukah With Candycopia” is a free event geared toward young families and hosted at the Oak Park candy store Candycopia, 717 Lake St., at 2 p.m. Sunday. It’s slated to have a Hanukkah storytime, candle lighting and candy. Registration is required.

Chicago woman charged in DUI hit-and-run death of Edgewater cyclist

2023-12-03T18:16:37.667-06:00

The scene in the 5100 block of North Damen Avenue where 59-year-old bicyclist Donald Heggemann was struck and killed.

Ashlee Rezin/Sun-Times (file)

A Chicago woman faces charges in the death of a bicyclist killed in October in Lincoln Square, according to police.

Kali Rynearson, a 30-year-old North Center resident, is facing a felony count of aggravated DUI leading to death along with six traffic citations — including failing to stop at three stop signs — and a local ordinance violation of driving in a bike lane, police said.

Donald Heggemann, a 59-year-old ceramicist who lived in Edgewater, was riding about 8 p.m. Oct. 23 in a bike lane in the 5100 block of North Damen Avenue when he was hit by a Volvo sedan, according to police.

Witnesses waved down a passing police car and officers were able to pull over the car that had driven away, according to a police report. Rynearson “failed to come to a complete stop” at three stop signs while police attempted to pull her over with lights and sirens.

Once stopped, she consented to a Breathalyzer test. The results showed Rynearson had a 0.20% blood-alcohol content — more than twice the legal limit of 0.08% — according to the police report. Police searched her vehicle and found a half-empty, 750-milliliter plastic bottle of whiskey in her purse.

Footage pulled from a nearby camera showed Rynearson driving in the bike lane before the crash.

Rynearson could face three to 14 years in prison if convicted of the charges. She was released from custody Saturday and is set to appear in court again Tuesday.

Heggemann’s colleague and friend Dubhe Carreno — a ceramics instructor at Northeastern Illinois University, where he was an administrative assistant — said there’s “absolutely” a sense of justice in the charges.

“This person was driving while drinking and killed an innocent person,” Carreno said. “Of course, it doesn’t change anything, but I think people need to be aware that that’s not OK.”

The city has averaged about five cyclist-involved crashes per day, with more than 1,800 occurring since the start of the year — more than 500 of which were hit-and-runs, according to city data. Heggemann is one of at least four cyclists killed in Chicago this year.

Christina Whitehouse, founder of Bike Lane Uprising, said that although she “welcomed” the charges, a life was still lost.

“This doesn’t bring Don back,” Whitehouse said. “Going after the problem after someone is killed is never gonna solve the problem.”

Whitehouse said the stretch of Damen Avenue where Heggemann was killed is notorious for being unsafe for bicyclists. But she also said it was “better than the alternative” — the large number of city streets without bike lanes.

Less than 9% of the city’s bike lanes will have a concrete protective barrier by the end of the year despite efforts by the Chicago Department of Transportation to add more, according to a WBEZ report.

Whitehouse said she hoped to see more infrastructure protecting cyclists as well as better record keeping from the city on crashes. The latter may be coming soon: Ald. Debra Silverstein’s (50th) Fatal Crash Legacy Ordinance, which takes effect Jan. 1, will require the city’s transportation department to conduct detailed post-crash investigations as well as come up with safety recommendations for the area.

“It’s not like people didn’t know this was a problem,” Whitehouse said. “We need people to be driving like lives depend on it.”

On Chicago’s South Side, volunteers decorate homes for the holidays, aim to help others, build community

2023-12-02T16:42:51.739-06:00

James Webb, 39, of Homewood, volunteers Saturday with friends to decorate homes for Christmas during the annual My Block, My Hood, My City event Be A Part of the Light on South King Drive near East 83rd Street on the South Side.

Ashlee Rezin/Sun-Times

For a sixth year, the community group My Block, My Hood, My City decorated homes on the South Side Saturday for the holiday season.

Dozens of volunteers brightened more than eight miles of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Drive — as well as other South Side stretches — with lights, inflatables, ornaments and wreaths.

The “Be A Part of the Light” effort began in 2017. Five blocks were decorated that year, according to Jahmal Cole, the group’s founder, who said doing this adds beauty, improves safety, “inspires hope and interrupts trauma.”

“When you go downtown, you feel good because someone designed downtown to be inspirational,” Cole said. “We have to intentionally design this community to inspire hope in youth. You can add police officers, cameras to the CTA. There’s more technology on the light poles than in our classrooms right now. That’s reactive, but you can be proactive and put up some lights or plant some seeds.”

Jahmal Cole, founder of My Block, My Hood, My City, speaks with volunteers preparing to decorate homes for Christmas during the annual Be A Part of the Light event Saturday on South King Drive near East 83rd Street on the South Side.

Ashlee Rezin/Sun-Times

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Leon Peatry, the organization’s program manager, compared the effort to the Magnificent Mile Lights Festival that illuminates Michigan Avenue every year.

“We want to have that same vibe on the South Side,” Peatry said. “It just brings the whole area to life.”

The volunteers gathered at Park Manor Christian Church, where they picked up 250 boxes filled with decorations.

Volunteers dance to a DJ playing music as they prepare to decorate homes for Christmas during the annual My Block, My Hood, My City event Be A Part of the Light on Saturday on the South Side.

Ashlee Rezin/Sun-Times

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University of Chicago law student Brianna Johnson was among them. She said the event wasn’t just important for those on the city’s South Side and also for people elsewhere who have a negative view of the area.

“I feel like the reputation people have of the South Side is that maybe it’s not the nicest part of Chicago,” the Woodlawn resident said. “There’s a lot of wonderful people here. And, if we can make the community look as nice as the people that are here, we might be able to help people get rid of that stigma.”

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Gloria McDaniel, a National Louis University professor and first-time volunteer, said she wanted to leave her “bubble” to help people, especially after hearing Cole speak at her school.

The former Chicago Public Schools teacher said people deserve to have beautiful decorations no matter their income and that this was one step in bringing Chicagoans together.

“We have to do more to embrace everybody in Chicago,” said McDaniel, who lives in Hyde Park. “So often it feels like we’re so segregated. Until we do more to help one another, it’s not gonna change.”

Volunteers decorate homes for Christmas during the annual My Block, My Hood, My City event Be A Part of the Light on Saturday on South King Drive near East 83rd Street on the South Side.

Ashlee Rezin/Sun-Times

Cliftena Kirkling, a 50-year Chicago resident, was one of the 500 people who signed up to have their homes decorated. It was the second time she’s gotten assistance since learning about the program from neighbors. The retired teacher said she and her husband used to be big on decorating for the holidays. But they got older, and their kids grew up.

“I’m getting older, and I can’t do as much as I used to,” Kirkling said.

Grace Gordon pretends to be a Christmas tree with a red bow on her head Saturday as she and her friends and family volunteer to decorate homes for Christmas during the annual My Block, My Hood, My City event Be A Part of the Light on the South Side.

Ashlee Rezin/Sun-Times

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“It gives you a sense of pride,” Kirkling said. “You feel good about your neighbors. You feel good about your neighborhood and the fact that other people are helping each other.”

Trish Gordon, a volunteer from Beverly, brought her daughter out to help decorate Kirkling’s home. Gordon said the happiness brought by the lights fall in line with other communal efforts, such as helping to feed and clothe people, and can have just as much of an impact.

Volunteer Trish Gordon wraps a banister with ribbon while decorating a home for Christmas during the annual My Block, My Hood, My City event Be A Part of the Light on Saturday on the South Side.

Ashlee Rezin/Sun-Times

“People are so impacted by the places they live,” Gordon said. “A lot of formally redlined areas have been disinvested in and cast to the side. It’s important that they see something nice.”

As for her own home’s decorations, Gordon said she “still has some work to do” once she got back home.

Chris Griffin, 40, of Homewood, lifts up his 6-year-old cousin to hang a bulb Saturday as he volunteers with family and friends to decorate homes for Christmas during the annual My Block, My Hood, My City event Be A Part of the Light on South King Drive near East 83rd Street on the South Side

Ashlee Rezin/Sun-Times

Volunteers decorate homes for Christmas during the annual My Block, My Hood, My City event Be A Part of the Light on Saturday on South King Drive near East 83rd Street on the South Side.

Ashlee Rezin/Sun-Times

Volunteers decorate homes for Christmas during the annual My Block, My Hood, My City event Be A Part of the Light on Saturday on South King Drive near East 83rd Street on the South Side.

Ashlee Rezin/Sun-Times

Riley Walton volunteers with her family and friends to decorate homes for Christmas during the annual My Block, My Hood, My City event Be A Part of the Light on Saturday on South King Drive near East 83rd Street on the South Side.

Ashlee Rezin/Sun-Times

Mayor Brandon Johnson, CPS honor high-achieving students as first ‘CPS Champions’

2023-11-27T21:16:08.399-06:00

Chicago Vocational Career Academy teacher Heather Williams with Leroy Moore, Deshawn Threadgill, Antonio Carter and Jaylen Lee. The team of app developers was awarded a $10,000 grant this year for their work to ease college and career searches.

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Chicago Public Schools honored more than a dozen students Monday night during the inaugural CPS Champions celebration, which recognizes students outside the usual bounds of athletic and academic honors.

Mayor Brandon Johnson addressed the crowd at Truman College’s O’Rourke Theatre, lauding the “best part of who we are as a city” — young people.

“You are part of the change and transformation the city of Chicago is waiting for,” Johnson said. “You will help us all build a better, stronger and much-safer Chicago.”

Those being recognized were chosen by the CPS offices of Teaching and Learning, College and Career Success and Network Support.

Four of the honorees — Jaylen Lee, Leroy Moore, Antonio Carter and Deshawn Threadgill — are Chicago Vocational Career Academy seniors. They are developing an app to help students fine-tune their college and career search.

They came in first in an app development competition this year and received a $10,000 grant. They’re using different tools to build their own AI from the ground up so the app can better match users with potential educational and job paths.

The four aspire to pursue higher education in some form — with several of them hoping to keep part of the team going at Illinois State University, where Threadgill has already been accepted — but they realize “college isn’t for everybody.”

Antonio said the amount of information students take in as they look to the future can be overwhelming, which is why the team is building a “one-stop shop.”

“We want to help other students and other people like us,” Leroy said.

“If this can help my sister or my cousins, I’ll be satisfied,” Antonio added.

Additionally, the quartet of coders said they hope the app can help reduce crime by removing obstacles that might keep students from pursuing further education or career opportunities and just give up.

The team also got some help in looking sharp for the Monday night occasion from Chicago Bulls player Coby White, who paid for the boys to get new suits and met with them before the big night.

Chicago Vocational Career Academy seniors Deshawn Threadgill, Jaylen Lee, Antonio Carter and Leroy Moore stand with Chicago Bulls player Coby White (center). White bought the team new suits and gave them moral support.

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Also honored at the event was 9th grader Aisling Panjwani, a Walter Payton College Prep student who took first place at several varsity policy debate competitions last year.

Aisling said many debaters get too focused on loading speeches with facts. Aisling, a self-described fast talker, can do the same, but they said they prefer to find the human element in the arguments — which they attributed to their parents telling them to “look for the good in things.”

“Being a lawyer and being a debater isn’t just presenting facts,” Aisling said. “What is that one little kid who could be affected? You always have to look for the people aspect.”

Their advice to others hoping to stand in their place on stage next year: “Focus on what you’re really good at, not just what most people do. ... A little bit of effort will go a lot further.”