Chatham-Southeast Citizen 2-27-2019

CELEBRATING BLACK HISTORY MONTH

Citizen Week of Feb. 27, 2019

| Vol. 54 | No. 48 | www.thechicagocitizen.com

CHATHAM SOUTHEAST

Mayoral Candidate, Lori Lightfoot. Photo Credit: Lori Lightfoot For Mayor Campaign

CHICAGO HAS VOTED, THERE WILL BE A RUNOFF

Since Rahm Emanuel announced that he wouldn’t be running for a third term as Mayor of Chicago there has been constant chatter surrounding the crowded mayoral election which ended up with 14 candidates appearing on the ballot yesterday. PAGE 2

BUSINESS Job Growth Slows for People with Disabilities PAGE 4

COMMENTARY Pritzker’s pot revenue depends on unfiled legislation: Senate sponsor hopes to introduce bill ‘in the next month or so’

FASHION

NEWS

Four Ways to Focus on Self-Care

Your Home is Your Castle: How to Protect it Through the Years

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2 | CITIZEN | Chatham Southeast | Week of Feb 27, 2019

NEWS briefly EDUCATION

LUTHERAN SEMINARIANS, COLLEGE STUDENTS INVITED TO APPLY FOR BETHESDA AUXILIARY SCHOLARSHIPS The Bethesda Auxiliary, in partnership with Bethesda Lutheran Communities, is offering $30,000 in student scholarships for the 2019-20 school year. The scholarships are for undergraduate- or graduate-level students, including seminarians.

“We’re excited to support youth who hope to put their talents and energy toward enhancing the lives of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities,” said Karen Carter, president of the Bethesda Auxiliary.

The deadline to apply is May 17, 2019, with results to be announced by July 1, 2019.

To download an application, go to https:// www.bethesdalc.org/get-involved/scholarships/.

HEALTH

NEW STUDY: INCIDENTS OF OBESITY-RELATED CANCERS ARE RISING FASTEST AMONG MILLENNIALS A new study by the American Cancer Society suggests cancers, thought to be driven at least in part by excess weight, are on the rise among people under age 50 - particularly millennials - considered to be between ages 20 and 37.

The news comes as no surprise to OSF HealthCare Saint Anthony Medical Center oncologist Dr. Ajaz Khan. “There’s been a significant rise in young patients having colorectal cancer,” says Dr. Khan. He added, “And also upper GI malignancies, such as esophagus or gastro cancer. We’ve noticed a continual rise in that over the last ten years.”

Dr. Khan says while it’s not entirely clear as to the risk factors causing the cancer spike, he suspects one is increased carcinogens from diet and food intake.

LAW & POLITICS

FORMER INMATES WOULDN’T BE CHARGED FOR PRISON STAY UNDER PROPOSAL BY PETERS Former inmates would no longer need to reimburse the Illinois Department of Corrections for the cost of their incarceration under a measure sponsored by State Senator Robert Peters (D – Chicago) which passed out of a Senate committee recently.

“It’s ridiculous that a provision like this even exists in the first place,” Peters said.

“These people already have a major burden placed on them by the criminal justice system. It’s unconscionable that there’s an additional financial burden placed on them once they’re finally released, and only makes a return to a life of crime more likely.”

Under current law, recently released persons are required to reimburse the DOC for any expenses incurred as a result of their incarceration. The measure, Senate Bill 1158, strikes this requirement from the statute.

The bill passed through the Senate Committee on Criminal law and will now proceed to the full Senate for consideration.

Chicago Has Voted, There Will Be A Runoff Continued from page 1

BY KATHERINE NEWMAN

Since Rahm Emanuel announced that he wouldn’t be running for a third term as Mayor of Chicago there has been constant chatter surrounding the crowded mayoral election which ended up with 14 candidates appearing on the ballot yesterday.

Although voter turnout was low on election day, with the Board of Election Commissioners for the City of Chicago reporting that less than 40 percent of Chicago’s 1,581,755 registered voters participated in the election, residents were able to narrow the race down to two candidates who will participate in a runoff election on April 2.

At press time, it appears that the two candidates who will continue to campaign for their chance at becoming the Mayor of Chicago and will appear in the runoff this spring are Lori Lightfoot and Toni Preckwinkle.

Along with voting for Mayor, Chicagoans were tasked with voting for alderman, city treasurer, and city clerk. Although three candidates appeared on the ballot for city clerk, two candidates were disqualified by the Chicago Board of Election Commissioners and any votes that they receive will not be counted meaning that the incumbent, Anna Valencia,

will retain her seat.

In every case where no candidate receives more than 50% of the votes, the top two candidates in that race will proceed to the runoff election in April.

Below are the voting results that were available by press time on election day.

MAYOR Gerry Chico - 6.3% William Daley - 14.8% Amara Enyia - 7.9% Robert Fioretti - 0.8% La Shawn Ford - 0.9% Jerry Joyce - 7.8% John Kozlar - 0.4% Lori Lightfoot - 17.5% Garry McCarthy - 2.7% Susana Mendoza - 9.1% Toni Preckwinkle - 15.8% Neal Sales-Griffin - 0.3% Paul Vallas - 5.6% Willie Wilson - 10.2% 3RD WARD Pat Dowell (incumbent) - 68.7% Alexandria Willis - 31.3% 4TH WARD Sophia King (incumbent) - 66.2% Ebony Lucas - 33.8% 5TH WARD Leslie Hairston (incumbent) 48.5% William Calloway - 24.5%

Gabriel Piemonte - 27%

Raynetta Greenleaf - 32%

6TH WARD Roderick Sawyer (incumbent) 50.7% Deborah Foster-Bonner - 30.5% Richard A. Wooten - 18.8%

18TH WARD Derrick G. Curtis (incumbent) 66.8% Chuks Onyezia 33.2%

7TH WARD Greg Mitchell (incumbent) - 66% Jedidiah Brown - 21.7% Charles Kyle - 12.2% 8TH WARD Michelle Harris (incumbent) 65% Linda Hudson - 16.1% Faheem Shabazz - 10.6% Jewel Esterling-Smith - 8.3% 9TH WARD Anthony Beale (incumbent) 58.6% Paul Collins - 8.5% Essie Hall - 7.1% Cleopatra Watson 25.9% 16TH WARD Toni L. Foulkes (incumbent) 31% Stephanie Coleman - 44.3% Kenny C. Doss II - 6.3% Eddie Johnson III - 6.8% Jeffrey L. Lewis - 1.8% Latasha Sanders - 9.8% 17TH WARD David Moore (incumbent) - 68%

21ST WARD Howard Brookins (incumbent) - 45.1% Patricia A. Foster - 19.6% Marvin McNeial - 25.4% Joseph Ziegler - 9.9% 24TH WARD Michael Scott (incumbent) 60.9% Traci Treasure Johnson - 13.1% Toriano Canzone - 5.4% Creative Scott - 20.6% 27TH WARD Walter Burnett Jr. (incumbent) 71.7% Cynthia Bednarz - 28.3% 34TH WARD Carrie Austin (incumbent) 54.4% Preston Brown Jr. - 45.6% CITY CLERK Anna Valencia CITY TREASURER Melissa Conyears-Ervin - 43.8% Peter Gariepy - 14.3% Ameya Pawar - 41.9%

Award-Winning Violinist Releases Music By Black Composers Project

BY KATHERINE NEWMAN

Growing up in Chicago and studying violin, Rachel Barton Pine was surrounded by music that was created by black composers. She also knew more about black composers than kids her own age. Today, she is an award-winning violinist and able to travel the world to perform with top-notch orchestras.

“Chicago had, and still has, more performances of diverse repertoire than many other cities,” said Pine.

As a student, Pine said she was naive to her exposure to black classical music, but as an adult, she has realized that not everyone was given the privilege of experiencing music by black composers like she was. For this reason, she set out to create Music By Black Composers which elevates black classical music and composers.

Through Music by Black Composers (MBC), MBC Violin Volume I has already been released and is the first in a series of instructional books that exclusively showcases Black classical composers.

MBC also has published The Rachel Barton Pine Foundation Coloring Book of Black Composers and a timeline poster that features over 300 Black classical composers.

Lastly, Pine’s Blues Dialogues has also been released as part of the MBC collection and is an album of classical works written by 20th and 21st century composers of African descent.

“After a while, I realized that many individuals and institutions over the years have done a great job of collecting this music, but it really hasn’t been disseminated to the general public in a way that makes it easily obtainable.

“A lot of the music, because of historical discrimination, is long out of print or has existed in manuscripts only and has never been published and there aren’t necessarily children versions or simplified versions,” said Pine.

Music by Black Composers was a natural fit for Pine who had already been operating The Rachel Barton Pine Foundation which is a nonprofit organization that provides services and funding for classical music education,

CELEBRATING BLACK HISTORY MONTH

research, performances, and artists, to benefit listeners and learners.

“I had started my foundation in 2001 for the purpose of young artist support which is kind of a reflection of my own childhood and a way to give back,” said Pine.

“I realized that I had this nonprofit and there was a project that was just waiting to be done and maybe I should be the one to do it because it actually fit in with many of my passions.

“I love music research, I love music education, I love spreading classical music to everyone and so I just decided to do it.”

The MBC project has accomplished its goal of bringing attention to black classical composers and their previously overlooked music.

Furthermore, Pine hopes that this project will inspire black students to begin and advance their instrumental training and help change the face of classical music by making the music of black composers available to all people.

To learn more visit www.musicbyblackcomposers.org.

CITIZEN | Chatham Southeast | Week of Feb 27, 2019

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NEWS

App Aims to Connect College Students With Study Partners

BY KATHERINE NEWMAN

Oluwabusayo Adebayo (pictured) is an alumnus of the Gary Comer Youth Center and a sophomore at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. Adebayo is currently in the process of developing an app that he believes will make learning more accessible and fun for everyone. Photo Credit: Gary Comer Youth Center

Subawu is like Tinder for studying, according to Oluwabusayo Adebayo who is currently in the process of creating a revolutionary app called Subawu. Like Tinder, a well-known dating app that connects users with people nearby that are also on the platform, Subawu will connect students with suitable study partners thus making it easier to get help and be successful in college.

“The goal [of the app] is to be able to find a study partner on campus at any time and when you go on the platform you are guaranteed to be paired up with a study partner that meets your criteria,” said Adebayo.

Adebayo is from Chicago and a Gary Comer Youth Center alumnus. He is currently in his second year of studying technical systems management at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.

As a freshman, Adebayo was struggling in some of his classes and found that juggling school and work made it nearly impossible to attend tutoring sessions or his professor’s office hours to get the help he needed.

“I noticed that there was a gap between the students that are successful compared to the students that are not successful in terms of academics.

“I took it upon myself to start this project and I started doing research and I noticed that there are a lot of resources on campus, but those resources are only available at a certain time.

“Tutoring centers are only open at certain times

during the week and most of us college students have a lot going on during the week and can’t make it to those specific hours during the day to go sit with professors,” said Adebayo.

From there, Adebayo gathered a team of developers and began to create an algorithm that can match users with a suitable study partner based on what they label as their strengths and weaknesses.

For example, if a user sets chemistry as one of their strengths and psychology as one of their weaknesses, they will be matched with a user that sets psychology as their strength, but is looking for help in chemistry.

Adebayo thinks pairing students up like this makes them good study partners.

He added he sees Subawu as a way to make learning more accessible to everybody and to make studying more fun.

While this app will be a useful tool for all students, Adebayo said it will be especially important for minority students and students from poor backgrounds who hesitate to start college because of the fear of not being able to finish with a degree.

“I realized that a lot of people from poor backgrounds are going to college and then end up dropping out of school due to either financial situations or just academic rigor because it’s just too hard for them to do [it] all at once. With my platform my whole goal is to be able to alleviate the pains that people are currently having and provide a solution to the current difficulties,” he said.

Doctors, Lawyers with Monetary Motives Cause Painful Decisions in Women’s Health Care

BY GLENN ELLIS

TriceEdneyWire.com - Women, especially women of color and poor women, tend to suffer disproportionately in our healthcare system. The problem is growing worse now that there’s a group of trial lawyers eager to exploit female victims, under the guise of offering help.

Take for instance that roughly one-quarter of U.S. women suffer from pelvic floor disorders, and according to the Washington Post, about 3-4 million of them have been treated with transvaginal mesh. The vast majority of these women receive repairs using transvaginal mesh without complications, but a significant minority experienced serious problems.

After the publicity surrounding this issue hit the fan, the lawyers pounced.

It has come to light that a collaboration involving some law firms, doctors, and finance companies are pressuring women into unnecessary surgeries to remove the mesh. Giving new meaning to the term “insult to injury,” this phenomenon, according to the New York Times, is leading unsuspecting women to the operating table - even in

Glenn Ellis

cases when the removal could worsen the symptoms.

If that’s not enough, some unscrupulous hedge funds are financing companies connected with law firms specializing in suing manufacturers of the mesh. These law firms often use overseas telemarketing callers in countries such as India and the Philippines to contact women, known to have had the mesh surgery, with offers to join in

lawsuits to sue the mesh manufacturers.

The New York Times highlighted a growing problem that tends to target women: the industry grown out of medical device settlements. For example, a court-ordered, charitable fund, the Common Benefit Trust, established out of the Dow Corning breast implant settlement fund, which also resulted from a faulty medical device.

The Common Benefit Trust appears to have used some of this money to fund policy centers, advocacy groups, and a conference on litigation.

Pelvic organ prolapse, a medical issue sought to be treated by the transvaginal mesh, is one of the most common reasons for women to have surgery. It is ranked among the top three reasons that women have hysterectomies.

Then there are racial disparities.

Compared with African-American women, Latina and White women had four to five times higher risk of symptomatic prolapse, thought to be in large part due to the lower rates of African-American women reporting the condition as a problem to doctors.

Researchers see this pattern as part of a culture where African-American and/ or poor women will not typically see

the condition as a problem requiring them to consider surgery.

Issues like the transvaginal mesh that has revealed disparate treatment of women are not new. All patients - but especially women patients and minority patients that have traditionally been marginalized - deserve better than to be exploited in some of their most vulnerable times.

Those vulnerable times include childbirth and other areas of maternal health. Dr. Niva Lubin-Johnson, president of the National Medical Association, which represents more than 50,000 African-American physicians on issues of health disparities and justice, says, “There is a crisis for African-American women that is related to maternal mortality - and that’s across any economic level and educational level for African-American women.

We are losing in that area,” she says.

As for the transvaginal mesh, Lubin-Johnson says women must take extreme precaution when contacted by anyone about removals of that or any other device. “No, you go talk to your own physician about that and not to someone who is doing a cold call because of some possibility of joining

CELEBRATING BLACK HISTORY MONTH

a law suit...Talk to your own physician first; even if they were not the one who put the mesh in.”

Since The New York Times began shining a light on these bad behaviors, federal prosecutors from the Eastern District of New York have begun investigating the allegations of unnecessary and unneeded vaginal mesh removal surgeries. According to reports, doctors, lawyers, financiers and others who may have been involved in the sham have been subpoenaed.

So, if you’re considering medical treatment, be an informed consumer. Be sure to have your health care provider explain all of your options, as well as their possible risks and benefits.

Though if these risks are not avoided, by all means, beware of financial lures to have surgeries that you do not need and that could leave you in a condition far worse than before.

Glenn Ellis is a Research Bioethics Fellow at Harvard Medical School, and a health columnist and radio commentator who lectures, nationally and internationally on health-related topics. He is also the author of “Which Doctor?” and “Information is the Best Medicine”.

4 | CITIZEN | Chatham Southeast | Week of Feb 27, 2019

BUSINESS

Job Growth Slows for People with Disabilities New statistics released recently show that Americans with disabilities saw a slowdown in job gains compared to those of the previous year. The Disability Statistics Compendium, released by Institute on Disability at the University of New Hampshire, shows that the employment rate for people with disabilities has risen to 37 percent. The Compendium also shows that geography has an impact on employment outcomes for Americans with disabilities. People with disabilities in North Dakota are twice as likely to have jobs as West Virginians with disabilities.

The newly published 2018 Annual Disability Statistics Compendium compiles data collected by the Census Bureau. The Compendium is intended to equip policy-makers, self-advocates and others with clear statistics on disability in America today. Out of more than 20 million working-age people with disabilities, 7.5 million have jobs. This data also shows the serious gaps that remain between disabled and non-disabled Americans. 37 percent of U.S. civilians with disabilities ages 18-64 living in the community had a job, compared

Further analysis by the nonpartisan advocacy group RespectAbility shows that 111,804 people with disabilities entered the workforce in 2017. That number is down from the previous year's increase of more than 343,000 new jobs for people with disabilities.

to 77.2 percent for people without disabilities.

"Our nation was founded on the principle that anyone who works hard should be able to get ahead in life," said Hon. Steve Bartlett, current chairman of RespectAbility, who co-authored the Americans with Disabilities Act when he was in Congress. "People with disabilities deserve the opportunity to earn an income and achieve independence, just like anyone else."

Further analysis by the nonpartisan advocacy group RespectAbility shows that 111,804 people with disabilities entered the workforce in 2017. That number is down from the previous year's increase of more than 343,000 new jobs for people with disabilities.

Different factors explain the slower pace of job growth. A slowing economy is one factor, as is changing patterns of growth in different sectors of the economy. One lesson is clear to

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Andrew Houtenville, PhD, of UNH's Institute on Disability: "There is still a long way to go toward closing the gap between people with and without disabilities."

"Employment rates only tell part of the story," added Policy and Practices Director at RespectAbility Philip Kahn-Pauli. “When you look across the intersection of disability and race, you find serious gaps in outcomes." Only 28.6 percent of African Americans with disabilities have jobs compared to the 38.6 percent of Hispanics with disabilities and 41.2 percent of Asian Americans with disabilities who have jobs.

Some states have higher employment rates for people with disabilities than others. North Dakota leads the nation with 56.3 percent of its citizens with disabilities employed and is closely followed by South Dakota with a 51.3 percent disability employment rate. One of the biggest surprises in this year's data is Vermont.

Under Gov. Phil Scott, Vermonters with disabilities have seen a 5.7 percent increase in jobs, bumping their employment rate to 47.2 percent. l Only 111,804 people with disabilities entered the workforce in 2017, down from the previous year's increase of more than 343,000 new jobs for people with disabilities. l Florida experienced the biggest growth in job numbers with over 23,000 people with disabilities entering the workforce. Of the 50 states, 29 states saw job gains for Americans with disabilities. l Vermont, under Gov. Phil Scott, becomes one of the top 10 states with the best employment rates, and Rhode Island, under Gov. Gina Raimondo, jumps from 47th in the nation to 19th.

Of the 50 states, 29 states saw job gains among the disability community, while people with disabilities lost economic ground in 21 states. Census Bureau data shows an astounding 23,953 Floridians with disabilities gained new jobs. Illinois saw the second biggest job gains for people with disabilities with over 20,000 new jobs even as 50,000 people without disabilities left Illinois' workforce.

Rhode Island deserves credit for seeing a major turnaround. As reported by RespectAbility, Rhode Island under Gov. Gina Raimondo ranked 47th in the nation last year with an abysmal 30 percent disability employment rate. As a result of a settlement agreement with the Department of Justice, Rhode Island began to close shelter workshops where people with disabilities had been paid subminimum wages.

Through sustained efforts to promote competitive, integrated employment, Rhode Islanders with disabilities are now experiencing new success. Over

7,000 people with disabilities entered the workforce in 2017, pushing Rhode Island to stand 19th in the nation. As bipartisan consensus grows around ending subminimum wages, Rhode Island shows that transformative success is possible.

What is the story behind the numbers? What is driving these changes? The answer is simple.

According to Vincenzo Piscopo of the Coca-Cola Company: "People with disabilities bring a unique skill set that it is very valuable for companies."

He went on to add, "As it relates to employment and competitiveness in the workplace, we have to stop thinking of disability as a liability and start thinking of it as an asset."

Brand name companies such as JP Morgan Chase, Coca-Cola, Ernst & Young, IBM, Walgreen's, Starbucks, CVS and Microsoft show people with disabilities are successful employees.

These companies also know that these workers improve the bottom line.

"People with disabilities bring unique characteristics and talents to the workplace," said RespectAbility President Jennifer Laszlo Mizrahi.

"There are no limits to what they can do when given the chance."

As more companies hire employees with disabilities, conversations are shifting to focus on inclusion.

"Disability inclusion is no longer about automatic doors, curb cuts, ramps, and legislation," says Head of the Office of Disability Inclusion at JP Morgan Chase Jim Sinocchi. “Today, the new era of disability inclusion is about "assimilation" – hiring professionals with disabilities into the robust culture of the firm."

According to the Census Bureau, there are more than 56 million Americans living with a disability.

Disabilities include visible conditions such as spinal cord injuries, visual impairments or hearing loss and invisible disabilities such as learning disabilities, mental health or Autism.

Voter research, done by RespectAbility, shows how disability issues connect to all aspects of American life. "Fully three-quarters of likely voters either have a disability themselves or have a family member or a close friend with disabilities," said former Representative and Dallas Mayor Steve Bartlett. "People with disabilities are a politically active, swing vote, and candidates should take note of important issues they care about."

As 2019 moves into 2020 and the political campaign season heats up, continuing job growth for people with disabilities will be a crucial indicator of the health of the American economy.

For more statistics related to jobs for people with disabilities, please visit www.RespectAbility.org/Statistics.

CELEBRATING BLACK HISTORY MONTH

CITIZEN | Chatham Southeast | Week of Feb 27, 2019

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NEWS

Pritzker’s pot revenue depends on unfiled legalization legislation Senate sponsor hopes to introduce bill ‘in the next month or so,’ with aim for passage by May 31

BY JERRY NOWICKI Capitol News Illinoist jnowicki@capitolnewsillinois.com

Springfield – Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s proposed budget for the 2020 fiscal year includes $170 million in new revenue from licensing fees for legalized recreational marijuana, but the details of such legislation are not yet finalized.

State Sen. Heather Steans and state Rep. Kelly Cassidy, both Chicago Democrats who have been working on marijuana legislation for two years, said they wouldn’t rush the process on behalf of revenue.

“Assuming that we want to have some revenue, I think we’d like to pass it by the end of May,” Steans said. “But I think both Representative Cassidy and I have been very clear that the revenue is not what is motivating or should drive this legislation, but obviously it’s a side benefit piece that can also come.”

Cassidy and Steans both said they are waiting for information from a demand study before moving legislation forward. They also want to ensure minority inclusion for vendors and social justice for persons incarcerated for cannabis crimes which no longer would be illegal under the bill.

“We’re still trying to find the best path forward for equity and inclusion, still looking at what’s worked and not worked in other states and trying to put together a combination of solutions on that front,” Cassidy said. “We want to do this not by guess but by fact. That is why

we’ve commissioned the study. We expect the results very, very shortly and that will inform how we grow the program.”

Steans said she would hope to have language filed for a Senate bill “in the next month or so,” and both said they would like to see it passed

by May 31, provided they can iron out the final details. Neither would speak to the governor’s $170 million revenue projection for the fiscal year.

“I haven’t gotten the details behind (the governor’s $170 million projection). So I really can’t comment on that yet,” Steans said.

“It seems like a reasonable approach. All the revenue estimates we’ve had so far, when you have a fully mature program in place, have been around $500 million. So this is clearly well below that and based much more on up-front licensing fees, not from receipts based on sales tax.”

The licensing fee structures for recreational marijuana are not yet clear. But for medicinal marijuana cultivation centers, a permit costs $200,000 up front with a $100,000 annual renewal fee and a $25,000 nonrefundable

application fee, according to the Department of Agriculture.

Illinois allows 22 cultivation center licenses – one in each state police district. Steans said the legislation could add other licensing for smaller craft cultivators, and for the processing and transportation of cannabis products.

She said she would like the location and placement of craft cultivators to be up to local zoning boards and municipalities, rather than being subject to the same strict regulations as existing medicinal cultivation centers.

“Right now the cultivation centers really are all pretty rural and have very big footprints,” she said. “Craft growers could maybe be located in a manufacturing district if a local municipality wants it there.”

While the Department of Agriculture regulates cultivation centers, the Department of Financial and Professional Regulation is in charge of the state’s 60 dispensary licenses, five of which are unused, and fees are much lower.

Dispensary licenses cost $30,000 initially with a $25,000 annual renewal fee and a $5,000 nonrefundable application fee.

Cassidy said she expects the state to need “more dispensaries very quickly” to meet recreational demand, but exact figures will not be available until the demand study is released.

Both senators also emphasized bipartisan support for the legislation, and newly-seated Democratic Attorney General Kwame Raoul has voiced his conditional support for legalization.

CELEBRATING BLACK HISTORY MONTH

“I’m a proponent generally, but the devil is in the details,” Raoul said. “I’m particularly concerned about anything that’s done to target cannabis and legalization to children through flavoring or production of candies or products aimed toward kids.”

Cassidy said gummies and flavored products are already on the medicinal market, but there are regulations on packaging, dosage, shapes and coloring of such items.

She also said Illinois’ medicinal program is one of the best tracked and regulated in the country, and black market leakage of Illinois cannabis to other states is minimal to non-existent. There are slightly less than 30,000 active medical marijuana cardholders, she said.

“We have one of the smallest covered conditions lists in country, so it really limits who can get access,” she said, adding that separate legislation from Rep. Bob Morgan (D-Deerfield) could increase the reach of the medicinal conditions list as the pilot program sunsets.

Steans said her pending legislation could also mandate more transparency for marijuana facilities.

“We can’t even use (the Freedom of Information Act) to find out who actually owns the cultivations or dispensaries, so we want to fix that,” she said.

With all the moving parts, Cassidy said the earliest possible implementation would be Jan. 1, 2020, but that could be pushing it.

“That’s a goal, but that involves everything going right,” she said.

6 | CITIZEN | Chatham Southeast | Week of Feb 27, 2019

FASHION Cosmetic Executive Women Partners with Preen.Me to Celebrate Rising Influencers of 2019

African Pride Launches Black Castor Miracle Collection to Improve How Protective Style Wearers Care for Their Hair African Pride, a hair care manufacturer with more than 30 years of experience creating quality, affordable products, introduces its Black Castor Miracle collection. The eight-product range provides women with a simplified regimen to change the way they care for their hair before, during and after wearing protective styles; which include braids, locs, weaves, wigs or any other hairstyle that tucks the ends of your hair away from constant manipulation.

Each product in the Black Castor Miracle line was specifically formulated with black castor oil; the number one ingredient associated with hair growth and other premium, all-natural ingredients like coconut water, jojoba, tea tree, peppermint, coconut and soybean oils, coconut milk and shea butter, according to a press release.

"Through our research, we know that within the past 12 months, more than 65 percent of African American women have worn their hair in a protective style," said Director of Marketing Kendria Strong.

“We also know that consumers experience breakage and damage while wearing these styles due to lack of knowledge around proper hair care so we made sure that Black Castor Miracle products were simple, multifunctional and created with the highest quality ingredients to help them protect what's theirs."

The simplified Black Castor Miracle regimen covers the key phases or steps in the life cycle of a protective style: (Step 1) moisturize and prep, (Step 2) style and protect, (Step 3) refresh and seal and (Step 4) takedown and detangle, all while nourishing the hair and scalp, sealing in moisture and protecting against styling damage that may cause breakage; helping to retain length while promoting healthy hair growth.

According to a press release, the eightpiece Black Castor Miracle collection includes: • Prep & Leave-In Moisture Butter (8oz) – Moisturize and prep hair before braided, weaved or protective styles with this specially crafted blend of black castor oil, shea butter and jojoba oil which penetrates hair strands, providing long-lasting hydration and protection against breakage during styling.

• Anti-Humidity Heat Protectant Spray (4oz) – Provides 400°F heat protection and

guards against heat damage when blow drying, flat-ironing or straightening leave out, weaves and edges. Specially crafted with a keratin complex, this light-weight formula blocks humidity, seals in shine and keeps hair straight for up to 2 weeks or until your next wash day.

• Braid, Loc & Twist Gel (8oz) – Smooths frizz and fly-aways while boosting shine, for longer lasting styles. Leaves braids, locs and twists neat and smooth and can be used to slick edges or finish desired styles.

• Hold & Cover Black Edge Gel (2.25oz) Slicks stubborn edges, temporarily covers gray hair and fills in thinning edges or part lines.

• Braid & Scalp Cleansing Rinse (12oz) – Uses a special blend of micellar water, black castor, coconut and peppermint oils to gently cleanse and condition hair, edges and scalp during braided styles and under weaves without causing frizz. Soothes scalp and calms itching; leaving hair refreshed and styles lasting longer.

• Hair & Scalp Sealing Oil (6oz) - Locks moisture into hair strands and improves moisture retention, while helping to condition hair, soothe scalp, calm itching and prevent dryness. Great for braids, crochet styles, edges, under weave care and protective styles.

• Moisture & Detangling Masque (8oz) – Softens, conditions and removes knots or buildup from dry, tangled hair after braided, weaved and protective styles. Helps to prevent excessive breakage and shedding.

• Moisture Restore Treatment (2oz) – Deep conditioning treatment infused with coconut milk and shea butter that hydrates and restores moisture to extremely dry, damaged hair.

Each item in the Black Castor Miracle collection is priced between $4.49 - $4.99 and is available now at beauty supply stores nationwide.

For more information about the brand, visit AfricanPrideHair.com. You can also join the African Pride conversation on Facebook (@MyAfricanPrideHair), YouTube (@AfricanPride), and on Instagram and Twitter (@MyAfricanPride).

To start your own conversation about the brand, use its official hashtag #FeelingMyPride and for Black Castor Miracle specifically, #ProtectWhatsYours.

Cosmetic Executive Women (CEW), the leading organization for beauty industry professionals, recently announced a partnership with Preen.Me to create a new influencer award category for its 2019 Beauty Awards.

The CEW x Preen.Me Rising Influencer of the Year Award will be awarded to one winner in the 'makeup' category and one winner in the 'skincare' category.

The 100 nominated influencers were narrowed down from an original pool of 50,000 US-based online influencers ranging in follower count from 25K - 500K. Using Preen.Me's proprietary multifactor algorithm methodology to assess effective social influence, the nominees were selected based on their audience engagement, the impact of their video posts and overall performance of branded content.

"Influencers have always played an integral role in CEW's organization, but the question we keep hearing is 'who's next?'. As an organization committed to propelling the beauty industry forward, we are so excited to announce the newest category for our 2019 Beauty Awards: Rising Influencers," says CEW President,

Carlotta Jacobson. "Using Preen.Me's proprietary methodology, coupled with our reach and authority in the beauty industry, we have an opportunity to acknowledge the next generation of influencers and help our members be more thoughtful about their future partnerships."

"Influencer marketing has reached a mature stage where brands must look beyond follower size and focus on the effective social impact the influencer has on their target customer," explains Preen.Me VP Brand Relations, Danya Klein. Whether the goal is identification of upstream trends, ambassador program creation or product launch campaigns, Preen.Me's proprietary methodology enhances the brand to influencer match to translate into actual influence. We are delighted to partner with CEW to bring this strategic approach to the beauty industry."

Preen.Me will announce the two award winners at CEW's Beauty Award Luncheon on Friday, May 17. The list of 100 Influencer Nominees is available on cew.org/PM100. Stay up to speed on the nominations by following #2019RisingInfluencer. All nominated influencers will be invited to CEW's product demo on Feb. 28

4 Ways to Focus on Self-Care StatePoint - It’s no surprise that the concept of self-care is getting a lot of traction in many health and wellness circles. Selfcare can improve your mental and physical health and help you be more productive. Unfortunately, many people don’t prioritize it.

Whether you are a careerfocused professional or a stay-athome parent, it’s likely you have a tendency to put other people’s needs – those of your children, colleagues, friends or family -ahead of your own.

Here are four ways to focus on making time for essential self-care activities.

1. Make over your morning: Rise an hour before everyone else in your household. Use the time to meditate, stretch, write in a gratitude journal or visualize a successful day ahead.

2. Make a list of your favorite things: Write down things that truly bring you joy and fill you with a sense of purpose. To ensure you’re finding time to do them, schedule them in your calendar.

Some ideas could be going for a run, buying fresh flowers or tackling an arts and crafts project.

3. Invest in new gear: Sometimes the best motivator for getting active is a new piece of clothing or accessory you feel confident wearing.

“New footwear is a great way to support health and wellness goals, while helping you stay motivated to invest in self-care activities,” says Randy

CELEBRATING BLACK HISTORY MONTH

Sometimes the best motivator for getting active is a new piece of gear.

Woodworth, women’s athletic buyer for Rack Room Shoes.

To help you on your healthy self-care path, invest in something that is comfortable and can easily transition between activities. For one-stop shopping for footwear and other accessories to help you reach your self-care goals, visit the Athletic Shop at Rack Room Shoes in stores or online at

rackroomshoes.com.

4. Take regular walks outside: Never underestimate the power of exercise and fresh air. Find the time that is most convenient for you, whether that’s first thing in the morning, during a lunch break or after dinner.

Once you’ve got the plan in place, get into a self-care routine that works for you and stick with it.

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NEWS

Your Home is Your Castle: How to Protect it Through the Years StatePoint - For many people, owning a home is the American dream, and the single biggest financial investment they will ever make. With the stakes so high, in addition to picking out the perfect property, it’s critical to have the right insurance. While homeowners may start out with the right amount when they first purchase their home, over time, their policy can become outdated.

Why? One big reason is inflation.

“Labor and building material costs go up over time, which means that if your home were destroyed by a fire or natural disaster, for example, and you had to rebuild it in today’s dollars, it would very likely cost much more,” said Bob Buckel, vice president and product manager, Erie Insurance. “That’s why we recommend that all homeowners get ‘guaranteed replacement cost’ coverage.”

In addition to making sure your insurance keeps up with inflation, experts also recommend homeowners reach out to their insurance agent when: •You remodel: 2019 is expected to be a popular year for remodeling, according to the Leading Indicator of Remodeling Activity. Whether it’s putting on an addition or finishing the basement, be sure the extra square footage and finishes are listed on your policy.

Why? If something were to happen (think:

Owning a home is part of the American dream. With the stakes so high, it’s critical to have the right insurance.

fire, water damage, etc.), you’ll want your insurance policy to provide enough funds for everything to be repaired or replaced.

•You make changes to outdoor space: The same is true with any remodeling to your outdoor space. The addition of an in-ground

pool or fence can add value to your home.

There are also liability concerns associated with certain equipment, such as a swimming pool or trampoline. Unfortunately, at least 148 children drowned in swimming pools last summer and many more were injured,

CELEBRATING BLACK HISTORY MONTH

according to the Consumer Product Safety Commission. You’ll want to make sure you’re properly covered in the event of an accident.

•You install a security system: You may qualify for a discount on your insurance if you’ve recently installed a security system. One study by the Electronic Security Association (ESA) looked at the 10 largest insurance companies and found many offer worthwhile premium discounts.

•You start a home-based business: Whether you have a side hustle or draw a full-time income from a home-based business, you may not have the right coverage in place. For example, if you’re selling LuLaRoe clothing and there’s a fire, your merchandise might not be covered since typical policies don’t always cover home-based businesses. You’ll most likely need an incidental business endorsement. Coverage from Erie Insurance could cost about $30 to $70 per year.

• You acquire valuables: Homeowners insurance covers your belongings, but generally only up to a certain dollar amount per item. So, if you acquire an expensive item, such as an engagement ring, a fur or a valuable artwork, you should talk to your insurance agent about adding special coverage. You may also need to provide a receipt or appraisal.

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CLASSIFIEDS SERVICE

remain their chief financial concern for decades.

What’s more, the expanding student loan bubble could rattle the entire American economy in similar ways to the 2008 housing crisis, if borrowers default on loans in large numbers.

SERVICE

year—or more if recommended by your eye care professional.

AmeriHealth Caritas is part of the Independence Health Group in partnership with Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan and one of the nation’s leaders in health care solutions for those most in need.

The Hidden Cost The direct costs of student loan debt are obvious, but hidden costs often prevent lower-income students from pursuing the highest-value degrees.

Because the most selective, prestigious institutions are also the most expensive, those institutions are disproportionately populated by students from affluent families able to afford the burden of early-career debt. And the recent trend of “differential pricing,” in which tuition costs are dictated by a student’s field of study, has had an effect on enrollment in high-employment fields, potentially scaring off the students who could benefit the most from an indemand degree.

Easing the Crisis Organizations such as Scholarship America are working to alleviate the crisis.

As the nation’s largest provider of privatesector scholarships, they deliver their most direct impact by giving students funding for higher education -- $264 million last year, and more than $4 billion over its history.

The organization is also lending support to nationwide efforts to reduce dependence on student loans. They’ve mobilized a network of postsecondary institutions, or Collegiate Partners, that agree to not punish scholarship recipients with reductions in financial aid; and their Dreamkeepers Emergency Financial Assistance program gives students facing unexpected expenses an alternative to loans. President and CEO Robert C. Ballard sits on the National Advisory Board of the College Promise Campaign, which is developing innovative public-private partnerships to help students earn their associate degrees tuition-free.

“We work with partners to incorporate mentoring, tutoring and financial literacy education into scholarship awards in an effort to help students persist and graduate rather than drop out with debt or get stuck short of a degree,” said Ballard.

No single funder, college or organization will solve the student loan bubble crisis, and it won’t happen overnight. But by working together, the public, private and higher education sectors can continue to reduce student loan debt. __________________________________

HEALTH AWARENESS Protecting Your Vision From Diabetes

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Reliable High Speed Fiber Optic Technology. Stream Videos, Music and More! Call Earthlink Today 1-877-366-1349 __________________________________ LEGAL SERVICES NEED LEGAL HELP? Get a FREE referral to an attorney! Call the Illinois State Bar Association Illinois Lawyer Finder The advice you need 877-270-3855 or h t t ps : / / w w w. i s b a . o r g / p u b l i c / i l l i n o i s lawyerfinder __________________________________

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EDUCATION Tackling the High Cost of Student Loan Debt (StatePoint) There’s no way around it: Americans are drowning in student loan debt, collectively owing $1.5 trillion. Rising college costs mean that number isn’t likely to drop much in the next few decades.

The average student borrower takes out around $26,000 in loans over the course of a bachelor’s degree -- debt that’s impossible to discharge in bankruptcy, difficult to have forgiven and increasingly unlikely to be fully repaid on schedule.

Here’s a look at the costs of that debt and what’s being done to lessen the crisis.

The Direct Cost New research shows that student debt load is making Americans less likely to buy homes or start families, and more likely to live at home and take jobs just to make ends meet, instead of the more lucrative positions for which their degrees prepared them.

Short-term solutions include deferring loans by returning to school, or consolidating or borrowing from private lenders, which ends up making the problem worse.

For students graduating into a tight job market whose credit ratings are impacted by the amounts they owe, loan debt can

(NAPSI)—Diabetes kills more Americans each year than AIDS and breast cancer combined—and can cause serious problems throughout the body. According to the National Eye Institute, eye health, for example, can become critically compromised.

Around 30.3 million Americans, or 9.4 percent of the population, are living with diabetes, with about 1.5 million more being diagnosed every year. The longer someone has diabetes, the greater his or her chances are of developing diabetic retinopathy, or damage to the blood vessels in the retina. According to the National Eye Institute, between 40 and 45 percent of people diagnosed with diabetes have some degree of diabetic retinopathy.

While being overweight and leading a sedentary lifestyle are certainly linked to diabetes, social and environmental factors such as poverty, stress, and lack of safe housing and access to a healthy diet can also compromise your health and ultimately contribute to the development of type 2 diabetes. According to America’s Health Insurance Plans, addressing these social determinants of health has become a top priority for Medicaid programs.

“We encourage our members with diabetes to have regular eye exams to rule out complications,” said Dr. Andrea Gelzer, senior vice president of medical affairs at AmeriHealth Caritas, a national leader in Medicaid managed care and other health care solutions for those most in need. “We educate our members so they understand that living a healthy lifestyle, controlling their blood sugar and having regular eye exams can help save their vision.”

Simple steps can help mitigate the effects of diabetes and may potentially delay complications from diabetic eye disease, including controlling your blood sugar and blood pressure, monitoring your cholesterol, seeing your doctor regularly, and having a dilated eye exam at least once per

Darrell Garth

President /Publisher

Janice Garth

Sales Manager General Manager

Editorial

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Citizen Newspaper Group Inc., (CNGI), Publisher of the Chatham-Southeast, South End, Chicago Weekend, South Suburban and Hyde Park Citizen and Citizen Suburban Times Weekly. Our weekly publications are published on Wednesday’s (publishing 52 issues annually). Written permission is required to reproduce contents in whole or in part from the publisher. Citizen Newspaper Group, Inc. does not assume the responsibility for nor are we able to return unsolicited materials, therefore they become property of the newspaper and can or will be discarded or used at the newspapers disgratation. Deadlines for advertising is every Friday at noon. Deadlines for press releases are Thursdays at 10 am prior to the next week’s edition. Please send information for the calendar at least three weeks prior to the event.

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COKE ORANGE VANILLA_ZERO_CHERRY - 10"w x 13”h - Chicago Citizen Watts Times - Twist On Delicious

Job No: 401272525_05a Client Name: Coca-Cola Description: Coke Orange/Vanilla Publication: Multiple

Trim: 10" x 13" Line Screen: 133