Chatham-Southeast Citizen 3-27-2019

Citizen

Chicago Citizen Newspaper endorsement for Mayor of the City of Chicago — Page 3 Week of March 27, 2019

| Vol. 54 | No. 52 | www.thechicagocitizen.com

CHATHAM SOUTHEAST

SOUTH SIDE RESIDENT CREATES NATURAL COSMETIC LINE AFTER STRUGGLING WITH SENSITIVE SKIN

For years, Tracy Allen, founder and chief executive officer of Freedom Naturally Beautiful Cosmetics, struggled with her sensitive skin and was unable to find a makeup line that didn’t cause breakouts and inflammation on her face.

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Tracy Allen (pictured), founder and CEO of Freedom Naturally Beautiful Cosmetics, recently launched a makeup line that is free of synthetic chemicals. Photo Credit: Freedom Naturally Beautiful Cosmetics

Freedom Naturally Beautiful Cosmetics are made of mostly natural ingredients. Photo Credit: Freedom Naturally Beautiful Cosmetics

BUSINESS

FASHION

Synchrony Car Care Credit Card Expands Acceptance Categories to Cover Even More AutoRelated Needs

Outerknown Launches Women’s Collection PAGE 6

Illinois Medicaid officials vow to improve services

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

NEWS briefly EDUCATION

HBCU STUDENT INTERNSHIPS AVAILABLE Students at the state’s Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and Minority Institutions of Higher Education can apply to participate in a 10-week paid summer internship within the N.C. Department of Natural and Cultural Resources.

The internships may be at one of the state historic sites, N.C. Symphony, N.C. Art Museum, State Park, N.C. Aquarium, State Capitol, N.C. Zoo, or another state attraction. Essential components include professional development, leadership training and networking opportunities. The program is a partnership with the state’s HBCUs and the Minority Institution of Higher Education.

Rising juniors, seniors and graduate students may apply. Interested candidates should submit an application, resume, cover letter and transcript to employment@ncdcr.gov. Applications must be received by Mar. 30.

For additional information contact Internship Program Coordinator Charles Graves at Charles.

Graves@ncdcr.gov or visit https://www.ncdcr.gov/ hbcumihe-summer-internship-program.

HEALTH

ILLINOIS DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS BREAKS GROUND ON $150 MILLION MENTAL HEALTH TREATMENT CENTER The Illinois Department of Corrections (IDOC) is constructing a 200-bed mental health and general medicine treatment center in Joliet. This facility will provide the most intensive level of care for incarcerated men and women with mental illness or who require long-term skilled nursing care.

The 180,000-square foot Inpatient Treatment Center will be located in Joliet, Illinois on the same grounds as the existing Joliet Treatment Center. The $150 million facility will provide services to both male and female patients. More than 400 people will work at the facility including physicians, nurse practitioners, licensed psychologists, and correctional treatment officers.

This new Inpatient Treatment Center will ensure IDOC meets its obligation to provide inpatient beds and programming space for seriously mentally ill offenders, as outlined in the Rasho v Baldwin settlement agreement.

Construction of the Joliet Inpatient Treatment Center is expected to be completed in 2021.

LAW & POLITICS

HAHN LOESER & PARKS ANNOUNCES LAUNCH OF BIOMETRIC PRIVACY PRACTICE GROUP IN CHICAGO Hahn Loeser & Parks LLP recently announced it has established a new practice group—the Biometric Privacy Practice Group—to better support clients’ needs in the areas of privacy and data protection.

The new group will focus on claims relating to the Illinois Biometric Information Privacy Act (BIPA) and the emergence of biometric privacy issues across the country. Fisher and Gillian G. Lindsay will represent employers, timekeeping technology companies, and other clients using and implementing biometric data with BIPA and privacy compliance and class-action defense.

Hahn Loeser provides the full spectrum of legal services in one firm. With six offices and more than 115 attorneys, the firm represents large corporations, privately-held businesses, non-profit institutions, governmental entities and individuals across the country and around the world.

South Side Resident Creates Natural Cosmetic Line After Struggling With Sensitive Skin Continued from page 1

BY KATHERINE NEWMAN

For years, Tracy Allen, founder and chief executive officer of Freedom Naturally Beautiful Cosmetics, struggled with her sensitive skin and was unable to find a makeup line that didn’t cause breakouts and inflammation on her face.

After becoming frustrated with the products that were available, she finally gave up and started her own makeup line that is completely free of synthetic chemicals.

Freedom Naturally Beautiful Cosmetics is a full makeup line which includes eye, lip, and face products that are all made up of mostly natural ingredients.

“This makeup brand that is free of synthetic chemicals,” said Allen. “It’s talc free, it’s gluten free, it’s corn free, it’s cruelty-free, there is not much in it. There are nut based things like shea butter and coconut oil so unless someone has a nut-based allergy, it should be pretty safe for most peoples skin.”

It was her own personal struggle with the harsh chemicals used in most beauty products that led Allen to create Freedom Naturally Beautiful Cosmetics which she operates out of her home in South Shore.

“I have terribly sensitive skin and I love makeup but it used to irritate my skin. As much as I loved it, I would wake up covered in pimples and then I would spend the rest of the week trying to conceal them with makeup and it became a really vicious cycle,” said Allen.

After searching for products that were more gentle, Allen realized that it is almost impossible to know exactly what chemical your skin is reacting to and that even the beauty brands that claim to be more natural still use chemical preservatives.

“Most of the chemicals that are used as preservatives for a lot of makeup brands are petrolatum related and those are the chemicals that tend to irritate people skins.

Because there are so many variations of these chemicals, it is hard to know which

one is irritating you so the best thing I could do was just to eliminate them all,” said Allen.

About 10 years ago, Allen began making beauty products for herself at home from hair gels to deodorant, to toothpaste. One thing she could never seem to get a good recipe for was makeup. It was at this point that she decided to become a beauty entrepreneur and started looking for a manufacturer that could help her create a full makeup line.

“Finding a manufacturer was imperative because I certainly cannot make foundation in my kitchen. If I could, I promise you I would,” said Allen.

Freedom Naturally Beautiful Cosmetics is just the beginning for Allen who said she plans to eventually expand her brand to include even more natural products, like the ones that she has been making for herself at home over the last decade.

“This journey isn’t just about makeup, I want to do everything,” said Allen.

Genomic Testing Associated with Significantly Lower Health Care Costs in High-Risk Breast Cancer Patients New research from Duke University, published in the March 2019 issue of JNCCN—Journal of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network, provides evidence that genomic recurrence score (RS) testing using the 21-gene assay is associated with decreased cancer care costs in real-world practice among certain patients with breast cancer who would otherwise receive standard chemotherapy.

The RS test helps to predict whether or not an individual woman with non-metastatic breast cancer is likely to benefit from adjuvant chemotherapy.

According to these findings, patients identified as clinically high-risk who underwent RS assessment had costs that were roughly $6,600 lower than those who went untested, $3,600 of which was attributable to lower direct chemotherapy costs.

The researchers also found that while RS testing was associated with higher overall costs for patients in the clinically intermediate- and low-risk categories, there were no differences in average chemotherapy costs for these subsets. The increased costs were almost entirely due to higher non-cancer costs.

“This study demonstrates that RS testing provides the greatest reduction in costs among patients who, prior to the test, had the highest likelihood of receiving chemotherapy to begin with,” said Michaela A. Dinan, PhD, Duke University. “In the big picture, the ability for RS testing to reduce either the cost of chemotherapy or total health costs may depend on the general distribution of patients who are clinically considered to be high-, intermediate-,

or low-risk. This knowledge should help inform a provider’s decision about when RS testing may be most likely to influence treatment choices.”

Dr. Dinan continued, “Our research indicates that selective use of RS testing, particularly for people with clinically-determined high-risk, non-metastatic breast cancer, provides treatment benefit and cost savings.”

The study was conducted on data from 30,058 Medicare beneficiaries aged 66–75, diagnosed with ER-positive, non-metastatic, invasive breast cancer between 2005 and 2011. 17.5% overall received RS testing as part of their initial workup; within that group, 13.3% were initially clinically classified as low-risk, 69.5% as intermediate-risk, and 17.2% as high-risk. The data came from a Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) and Medicare linked data set, and costs were calculated by summing Medicare payments from all patient claims and adjusting them to 2013 U.S. dollars.

The team had previously conducted research showing that the RS test leads to a reduction in chemotherapy in women with high-risk disease—suggesting that the test has helped women to opt out of chemotherapy in circumstances where they would have otherwise received it without benefit.

“The NCCN Guidelines recommend strong consideration for the 21-gene assay in patients with ER+, node-negative, pT1b– pT3 tumors, in order to help decide whether

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or not to add chemotherapy prior to endocrine therapy,” commented Ingrid A. Mayer, MD, MSCI, of Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center, and Member of the NCCN Clinical Practice Guidelines in Oncology (NCCN Guidelines®) Panel for Breast Cancer. “Despite several limitations and confounding biases for this currently published study, its results are consistent with other studies in the U.S. and around the world. However, the clinical high-risk group—which is most affected by RS testing in this study—represents a minority of patients in that age group. Therefore, it is likely that the larger financial impact of RS would be seen in a younger patient population; which is more likely to present with clinically higher-risk cancers. Ultimately, reducing chemotherapy for that group would not only reduce overall treatment costs, but also spare these patients from being absent from the work force, which could have a huge impact on individual household finances.”

The study’s authors also noted that because of the older population in this study, chemotherapy rates were significantly lower than previously reported rates. They agreed that RS testing would likely result in an even more dramatic reduction in costs among younger, higher-risk patient populations with higher baseline rates of chemotherapy use.

Complimentary access to the full study, “Chemotherapy Costs and 21-Gene Recurrence Score Genomic Testing Among Medicare Beneficiaries With Early-Stage Breast Cancer, 2005 to 2011” is available until June 10, 2019.

The entire March issue can be found on JNCCN.org.

CITIZEN | Chatham Southeast | Week of March 27, 2019

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COMMENTARY

Black Fraternities and Sororities Have the Economic Clout to Power the Next Black Renaissance

BY JAMES CLINGMAN NNPA Newswire Columnist

Remember the scene from “New Jack City” when Nino Brown (Wesley Snipes) told Scotty (Ice-T), “This ain’t personal; this is business?”

And at the end of the movie, Scotty said to Nino, “This is personal,” as he proceeded to give him a beatdown. Well, this article is both personal and business. It’s a call to the Alphas, Omegas, Kappas, Sigmas, Deltas, AKAs, Zetas, Thetas, Iotas, known as the “Divine Nine,” and the fraternity I was apart of back in the 1960’s at North Carolina College at Durham (now North Carolina Central University), “Groove Phi Groove.”

The latent collective power within these organizations is mind-boggling. Their members are conscientious, which is demonstrated by their friendship and loyalty to one another. They rally around their members during crises; they support one another when they get married and have children;

Jim Clingman is calling on the presidents of the Divine Nine to spread the word about Sweet Unity Farms Tanzanian Gourmet Coffee to their members to take a simple action step toward economic empowerment.

they work together, locally and nationally, on community projects across this country.

They even formed a national collective organization, The National Pan-Hellenic Council, Inc.; the group’s stated purpose and mission is “Unanimity of thought and action as far as possible in the conduct of Greek letter collegiate fraternities and sororities, and to consider problems of mutual interest to its member organizations.”

I especially like the part about “mutual interests.” I know

it’s a hard question to answer, based on our individualistic and proprietary approach to solving many of our problems, but what are the mutual interests among not only sororities and fraternities, but all Black organizations? Is there one thing that all of us can and should do together without compromising our various missions and such?

I believe there are several things we can do together, but reality tells me that all Black people will never do any one thing together. So in light of that reality, we must come up with something that is simple yet powerful and will demonstrate our collective resolve, not just to the world, but to ourselves and our children. Keep in mind I said, “Simple.”

On the business side of things, this is a call—a challenge—to each member of the abovementioned Black, proud, historic, and venerable organizations to purchase at least one bag of Sweet Unity Farms Tanzanian Gourmet Coffee. The coffee is grown by family co-ops founded by Jackie

Robinson’s son, David, twenty years ago. April 15, 2017 was the 70th anniversary of Jackie Robinson breaking the color barrier in major league baseball; we can break the economic barrier by collectively propelling his son’s company to unimagined heights by purchasing his coffee. In case you didn’t know, Jackie Robinson went to work for a coffee company when he left baseball.

On the personal side, Black folks are taking an Ice T beatdown like Wesley Snipes received, only ours is an economic beatdown, much of which we are doing to ourselves by not supporting one another more than we do presently. What could be more personal than family? Again, one simple solution is for our Black sororities and fraternities, comprising millions of members around the world, to take this challenge personally and buy at least one bag of David Robinson’s coffee, a fitting tribute to his father’s legacy. By doing so, the world would witness a Black- owned

Citizen Newspaper Endorses Toni Preckwinkle For Mayor Of Chicago The next Mayor of Chicago will make history as the first African American woman to hold the office, that much we know. After watching the pool of candidates dwindle from roughly 20 to now just two highly qualified women, we at the Chicago Citizen Newspaper are endorsing Toni Preckwinkle for Mayor of the City of Chicago.

If you have ever heard Preckwinkle speak, you know that she is proud to have begun her career as a high school history teacher where she was able to impact the lives of countless young people.

She also served as Alderman of the 4th Ward for two decades before being elected to serve as the Cook County Board President in 2010. It is her life-long commitment to public service that motivates us to endorse Preckwinkle for Mayor.

As a result of Preckwinkle’s

time as Cook County Board President, an office that she still holds today, over 350,000 more residents have access to healthcare through a local Medicaid expansion known as CountyCare.

Additionally, under Preckwinkle’s leadership as Board President, the daily population of inmates at the Cook County Jail has decreased by 30 percent. If elected as Mayor, Preckwinkle has said that she will continue to fight for the rights of the city’s most vulnerable residents across the city and continue to be a champion for improved access to healthcare and criminal justice reform.

At the Citizen we are endorsing Toni Preckwinkle as the best candidate to be the next Mayor of Chicago but more than that we encourage everyone, no matter who you favor, to vote on April 2nd and have your voices be heard in this historic election.

Toni Preckwinkle

www.thechicagocitizen.com

company, operating in Africa and the U.S., become a billion dollar firm virtually overnight, all because a group of conscientious Black folks individually spent a very small amount of money on a Black owned product. A veritable, Black economic renaissance.

After accomplishing that simple goal, we could repeat it hundreds of times with other Black companies, thus, creating larger firms that have so much business they would have to hire more employees.

In the words of the soul singing group, Atlantic Star, “Am I dreaming?” Maybe I am, but it’s a great dream, and I pray it will come true.

From what I observe among our social organizations, members of sororities and fraternities are the most conscientious; therefore, I am calling on the Presidents of the Divine Nine to spread the word to their members to take this simple action step toward economic empowerment. In addition, I want all HBCU student associations, Greek Letter

organizations, and individual students to insist that their cafeterias serve Sweet Unity Farms Coffee. Now that’s really a no-brainer, isn’t it?

As I said, this is both personal and business, and I truly believe that our Black sororities and fraternities can make it happen. With a little bit of money from a lot of people, we can accomplish a very personal and business milestone, one that our youth can look upon as an example of Blacks utilizing our latent power rather allowing it to sit on the shelf and eventually expire. Order your coffee at www.iamoneofthemillion.com (Click on the products tab.) No excuses, y’all.

If you don’t drink coffee, give it as a gift to someone who does.

C’mon, let’s do this.

James Clingman is the nation’s most prolific writer on economic empowerment for Black people. His latest book, “Black Dollars Matter! Teach Your Dollars How to Make More Sense,” is available on his website, Blackonomics.com.

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

BUSINESS Synchrony Car Care Credit Card Expands Acceptance Categories to Cover Even More Auto-Related Needs Synchrony (NYSE: SYF), a consumer financial services company, recently announced that Synchrony Car CareTM has increased its acceptance network of merchants more than tenfold to include more auto-related categories and locations. Cardholders will now have the ability to use this all-inone solution at more than 500,000 locations across 25 categories including gas, auto parts and service, car washes, parking, ride sharing and more.

Introduced in 2017, Synchrony Car Care is a no annual-fee credit card that meets the needs of drivers by offering a dedicated payment solution for both planned and unexpected car expenses. In addition to greater acceptance, the card now offers six-months promotional financing on purchases of $199 or more at more than 500,000 automotive service and parts locations across the country.

Gas station purchases are not eligible for promotional financing.

“Synchrony Car Care continues to be a financial resource for consumers who want to manage their family’s

Photo credit: Synchrony

auto spending needs with one convenient payment method.

With this expansion in acceptance and financing opportunities, our cardholders have security in knowing the card is there for them when they need it,” said Neeraj Mehta, chief executive officer, Payment Solutions, Synchrony. “The new enhancements are part of our ongoing commitment to help our cardholders reach every destination.”

Synchrony is partnering with Discover® Global Network®. For cardholders, this means increased nationwide acceptance in more locations outside Synchrony Car Care’s

Photo credit: Synchrony

traditional parts and service categories.

Synchrony is constantly innovating to enhance digital customer experiences, according to a press release. Synchrony Car Care delivers with a dedicated mobile app, available for free for iOS devices and Android devices.

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Technology is Changing the Way Female Advisors Serve Clients, According to Edward Jones Survey A recent survey of female financial advisors taken at Edward Jones’ Annual Women’s Conference shows that, rather than looking at new disruptive technology as a challenge to their practice, financial advisors are increasingly embracing technology to better serve clients and scale their businesses.

Only 1 in 10 (11%) of polled financial advisors cited disruptive technologies—which include advances in artificial intelligence and roboadvisors—as the biggest challenge to the financial advisory industry in 2019.

This is despite the substantiated growth in assets under management for robo-advisors which is expected to reach between $2.2 trillion to $3.7 trillion by 2020 according to many analysts.

On the contrary, financial advisors are using technology as a way to complement and enhance the services they offer to the clients they already serve. When asked how they see their practice changing in the next five years, over half (57%) responded that they will offer a broader range of services to fewer clients, while 60% stated that technology will enable them to have more data and tools available to personalize advice based on their clients’ life goals.

“While new and disruptive technology has put pressure on the financial services industry, it has also enabled financial advisors to better determine appropriate solutions for clients’ increasingly complex needs,” said Katherine Mauzy, principal of financial advisor talent acquisition at Edward Jones. “Financial Advisors are able to speed up cumbersome and tedious processes while creating a clearer path for more personalized, goals-based planning.”

Financial Advisors are using a multitude of technological advances to enhance the way they interact with their clients. Over two-thirds (66%) of respondents say they now employ client relationship management (CRM) software to keep track of leads, prospects and clients.

Another 60% also use web-based meeting tools to hold client meetings.

In this new digital age, online resources and even social media are increasingly becoming popular ways for financial advisors to interface with clients. 38% of respondents said they are increasingly using online resources to educate clients on investment offerings and strategies.

Another 28% are utilizing social media to interact with clients, signaling their willingness to attract and retain a younger generation of investors who are increasingly more internet-savvy.

“As a firm, we are seeing on a daily basis how financial advisors are leveraging new tools to anticipate

clients’ current and future needs, making client-centricity a reality,” said Ken Cella, principal of the client strategies group at Edward Jones.

“This client centricity allows advisors to deeply understand the clients they serve and empowers clients to engage on their own terms, enabling both parties to make better decisions and to operate with more ease and speed.”

Ongoing training and coaching required to keep up with needs To keep up with constant changes in technology and client needs, financial advisors benefit from constant training and coaching. Eight in ten (80%) of the women advisors polled believed that ongoing training and coaching is the most important thing their firm can provide to help financial advisors grow their practice and almost half (43%) say the biggest piece of advice for women looking to find success in the financial services industry is through mentoring and coaching.

Another 42% think that support designed for women financial advisors is essential, while 45% agree that opportunities to grow through leadership skills are important.

They’re not alone. According to the World Economic Forum, while 35% of the skills demanded for jobs across industries will change by 2020, at least 1 in 4 workers are already reporting a skills mismatch with regards to the skills demanded by their current jobs.

Thus, enabling and empowering financial advisors to transform and update their skills through tailored training, coaching and leadership opportunities will better prepare them to meet the needs of more demanding clients and ever-evolving technology.

“It is important that the financial services industry as a whole continues to invest in programs and opportunities that build and support the development of female financial advisors,” added Mauzy. “At Edward Jones we take a vested interest in building the careers of our financial advisors from day one through best-inclass training, technological support, and programs like WINGS, our firmwide network for female advisors.”

Methodology: The survey of 107 top-earning financial advisors was conducted on the grounds of Edward Jones’ 2019 annual Women’s Conference, which took place at the firm’s St. Louis headquarters from February 21-22, 2019.

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CITIZEN | Chatham Southeast | Week of March 27, 2019

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NEWS

Illinois Medicaid officials vow to improve services Governor’s budget request depends on new tobacco and other taxes

BY PETER HANCOCK Capitol News Illinois phancock@capitolnewsillinois.com

SPRINGFIELD – Officials in charge of managing the Illinois Medicaid program told state lawmakers they are focused on improving services and reducing the program’s cost to taxpayers, but that will depend on whether lawmakers are willing to impose a new tax on insurance companies.

“This budget proposal has been referred to technically as a maintenance budget, but to us that means far from business as usual,” Theresa Eagleson, the new director at the Department of Healthcare and Family Services, told a Senate appropriations committee Tuesday. “The governor has vowed to preserve Medicaid funding, and under this budget not a single person will see their health coverage or their child support assistance reduced in any way.”

Gov. J.B. Pritzker is proposing a total operating budget for DHFS of $25.1 billion, or about $900 million more than the current year’s budget.

The vast majority of that is for the state Medicaid program, which is jointly funded with state and federal money to provide health coverage to more than 3 million low- and moderate-income people in Illinois.

However, under Pritzker’s proposal, the cost to Illinois taxpayers would actually be about $700 million less than it is this year. That’s because within the Medicaid program, Pritzker is proposing to levy a host of new taxes that would go into a special fund used to reimburse health care providers while at the same time drawing down additional federal matching funds.

Those new taxes include an assessment on certain insurance companies known as managed care organizations, or MCOs, which are the type of companies that now ad-

minister most of the state’s Medicaid program. Pritzker is also seeking a 32-cent per-pack increase in the state’s cigarette tax as well as new taxes on e-cigarettes.

Among the things the new money would pay for would be the hiring of 59 additional staff members to coordinate physical and behavioral health care for Medicaid patients.

That new “managed care” system, however, has been the subject of intense criticism since it was implemented statewide in 2015. Known as “Health Choice Illinois,” it was intended to improve health outcomes and bring down costs by coordinating each individual’s care between their primary care provider and various therapists and specialists.

Sen. Heather Steans, a Chicago Democrat who chairs the committee, was among the group of lawmakers who pushed for shifting to a managed-care model for Medicaid. But she said Tuesday that there have been signs the new model isn’t working as planned, and that the MCOs have actually been controlling costs by denying claims.

“The history we’ve had with the MCOs has been much more (about) denials, not providing care,” she said.

Eagleson, a former executive director of the Office of Medicaid Innovation at the University of Illinois system, acknowledged earlier in her testimony the agency was “deeply aware” of concerns about denial rates, late payments and other issues in the program. But she also said there are indications managed care is achieving some of its goals.

A photo of the front door to the Department of Healthcare and Family Services building in Springfield.

Capitol News Illinois photo by Peter Hancock

“… We’re seeing anecdotally things like increased assessments of behavioral health needs, decreased hospital admissions, decreased (emergency room) utilization,” she said. “So we do think that the statistics are going in the right direction in most cases, but we’d like to bring more transparency to you around those issues as well.”

Sen. Laura Murphy, a Democrat from Des Plaines, meanwhile, said there were concerns that go beyond the managed care system, and that’s the difficulty people have getting recertified for Medicaid in order to continue their benefits after their initial period of approval expires.

“I’m sure my office is not unlike most other districts’ offices, where 90 percent of my staff ’s time is spent on

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trying to get people recertified,” she said, calling the process “the most consumer-unfriendly thing we could possibly do.”

“And the amount of frustration that my constituents, and I’m sure everyone’s experienced, it is beyond unacceptable,” Murphy said.

Eagleson said the agency was working “across the board” to find solutions to that problem, including hiring and training new staff at local offices where Medicaid applications are processed. She said the agency was also looking into a more streamlined process for the frail elderly and people with chronic disabilities whose medical conditions that qualify them for Medicaid are unlikely to change.

Sen. Dale Righter, a Republican

from Mattoon, said his major concern about the budget request was the reliance on new taxes, which the General Assembly has not yet approved. He asked how the agency would make up the difference if lawmakers decline to enact those new taxes.

“We would have to explore other funding options for the budget, senator, whether that would be (general revenue funds) or other resources,” said Mike Casey, DHFS finance director. “We would have an issue of funding our budget, to the tune of approximately $400 million, net.”

The committee took no action Tuesday, but will continue discussing the proposed Medicaid budget as lawmakers work toward passing a final budget later in the session.

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

FASHION Adore Me Featured In The Final Season Of Project Runway: All Stars Adore Me, a disruptive e-commerce lingerie startup ranked #36 on Crain’s 2018 Fast 50 list of fastest-growing companies in NYC, recently announced its participation in the seventh season of Project Runway: All Stars.

Adore Me was featured on Project Runway: All Star’s fourth episode of season 7. The challenge, introduced

Outerknown, the sustainable lifestyle brand, moves into spring 2019 with the launch of its first-ever women’s collection. (L to R) Raychel Roberts, Candace Reels, Lauren Singer

Outerknown Launches Women’s Collection

O

uterknown, the sustainable lifestyle brand founded by Kelly Slater and John Moore, moves into spring 2019 with the launch of its first-ever women’s collection.

In 2015, professional surfer Kelly Slater and creative director John Moore set out to create a brand that would disrupt the fashion landscape by making a true connection between sustainability and style.

Since then, Outerknown has succeeded in building brand affinity within the conscious lifestyle and menswear markets by offering quality products, made with the best partners, and most importantly, with the highest regard for People and Planet.

“We started Outerknown to prove that we could make great clothes using fair labor practices and materials that are not harmful to the environment,” says Slater. “Our growing business shows us that people want to make conscious choices about their clothes—you don’t have to harm people or the planet for the sake of fashion.”

Inspired by and designed for the women who

are making change – in their respective fields and in their communities all over the world – Outerknown women’s seeks to reach those whose style is led by their intelligence.

The debut collection of 17 styles includes a variation of tops, dresses and bottoms in various color ways that all work together to create a versatile wardrobe of effortless, everyday essentials that come with a clean conscience. Incredibly, the entire collection is made of 100% benefit fibers (organic, recycled, and/or regenerated) with prices ranging from $48 - $268.

John Moore adds that over the years, they noticed that Outerknown’s customer base was growing beyond just men. “Women were always ‘borrowing from the boys’ and have continuously showed their support of our ethos, quality and style. We thought it was time to give them pieces they could call their own.”

Some of these pieces include the Canyon Dress, Bee Shirt, Sunrose Top and Pacific Kimono, all made of 100% Organic Cotton and

produced in collaboration with Piece & Co, an organization working to empower women around the world through textile manufacturing.

It is an organization that is near to Outerknown as it parallels the brand’s commitment to social and environmental responsibility.

Outerknown women’s debut campaign features environmental activist and Trash is for Tossers blogger Lauren Singer, activist and founder of Female Collective, Candace Reels, and model and founder of Chasseresse, Raychel Roberts. “It was important for us to look to women with an authentic connection to People and Planet,” says Moore. “Lauren, Candace and Raychel each embody the intelligence, enthusiasm, and drive to leave this planet better than they entered it, and more importantly, are sharing their knowledge to inspire change.”

Outerknown launched in 2015 and is sold at outerknown.com and at select premium retailers worldwide. For more information about Outerknown, its products, and sustainability efforts, please visit www.Outerknown.com.

BRIEFLY

Women Grow Strong and Black PR Wire host a Fashion Webinar with I Am CHIC Women Grow Strong and Black PR Wire recently encouraged women to stay in style during Women’s History Month and all year round! The organizations partnered up with Christie Grays,

the Commander-In-Chic of I Am Chic, and held a fashion forward webinar on March 26, 2019 from 2:00 – 3:30 PM (ET). The webinar, entitled “Be CHIC on Purpose: Style Tips and Spring Trends” was

presented by Grays.

During the webinar, Grays discussed: l How to dress for success, finding your style while being authentically you www.thechicagocitizen.com

l How to add flair to your basic wardrobe l Hot fashion tips and spring trends found on the runway that can translate into your wardrobe, among other topics.

by Adore Me’s head designer, Helen Mears, was for the designers to create a fashion corset that can be worn as an outfit.

The winning designer would win $1,000 and the winning design would be available to purchase on AdoreMe. com. Christina Exie, former winner of Project Runway Australia, won the challenge with her white, structured corset and dress.

Adore Me’s corset challenge episode of Project Runway: All Stars aired January 23, 2019. The winning Project Runway corset is now available on AdoreMe.com.

Christina Exie, winner of the Project Runway: All Stars, Adore Me Corset Challenge said, “My thought process behind the design was based purely around the corset being the female armour. Since our challenge was to make the corset as outerwear, I decided to create a dress where the entire garment is the corset. As the true corset uses many techniques and materials in its internal construction, I thought it would be interesting to use some of these elements, such as the boning channels and interlinings as external design features. Without making the garment too avant-garde through the deconstructed concept, I made this design completely in ivory to give it a feminine and luxurious appeal that looks sexy and almost like a second skin.”

About Adore Me Adore Me is a lingerie e-commerce company based in NYC with over 200 employees across the U.S. and Europe. The company was started

by Morgan Hermand-Waiche in his days as an MBA student at Harvard Business School. Adore Me offers designer, fast-fashion, affordable and inclusive intimates. The company has established a strong customer base of over 11M women, predominately urban millennials, and 80% of its traffic comes from mobile.

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CLASSIFIEDS SERVICE

SERVICE

Get More Bang for Your Buck With These Spring Home Improvements (StatePoint) The warmer weather means it’s time to start thinking about home improvement projects. Whether you’re getting your home in tip-top shape for your own enjoyment, or getting it ready to put on the market, not all home improvement projects are created equal when it comes to return on investment (ROI). Here are top areas on which to focus:

Interiors The kitchen is the heart of the home and it’s one of the best areas to renovate in terms of ROI, according to Remodeling magazine’s annual Cost vs. Value Report, which puts the price tag of the average minor kitchen remodel at $22,507, with 80.5 percent of the cost recouped upon resale.

To give the kitchen an updated appearance, replace the flooring, countertops, sink and faucet. A fresh coat of paint in a trendy shade, such as Living Coral, Pantone’s Color of the Year, can add a vibrant pop of color to energize any kitchen. Not looking to go that bold?

Consider an accent wall, or stick to a classic palate of gray and white in terms of cabinets and countertops. White on white is also a popular new style for kitchens and bathrooms.

Other features home buyers are paying close attention to are laundry rooms and such energy-saving elements as Energy Star appliances and windows, according to the survey “What Home Buyers Want in 2019” by the National Association of Home Builders.

Curb Appeal

The popularity of outdoor projects remains strong and it’s for a good reason. According to the Cost vs. Value Report, the biggest bang for your buck in 2019 will come from replacing a garage door. The report says the average price is $3,611, and 97.5 percent of it is recouped when the house is sold. ______________________________________

Darrell Garth

President /Publisher

Janice Garth

Sales Manager General Manager

Editorial

Send news tips, press releases, calendar listing etc to: editorial@thechicagocitizen.com

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Display Advertising advertising@thechicagocitizen.com or jgarth@thechicagocitizen.com

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Display Advertising call us at

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Chatham, Avalon Park, Park Manor, Greater Grand Crossing, Burnside, Chesterfield, West Chersterfield, South Shore,and Calumet Heitghts.

SOUTH END

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SOUTH SUBURBAN Serves communities in Harvey, Markham, Phoenix, Robbins, Dixmoor, Calumet Park, Blue Island, South Holland, and Dolton. Shopping- their favorite pastime!

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CHICAGO WEEKEND

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SUBURBAN TIMES WEEKLY

EMPLOYMENT - DRIVERS CLASS A CDL! Daily Runs starting in Carol Stream, IL. 53' Vans no-touch, FlatBed work available. Mon-Fri starting @ $20. Full Benefit Package 920-231-1677 Valley Express.net __________________________________

AUCTION AUCTION ENDS April 17th. Bishops Hall, Luxury Residence / Premier B&B in Historic Oak Park, IL. www.TargetAuction.com Shannon Mays AU#441002293 BR#471016744. 10% buyer's premium. __________________________________

FINANCIAL Financial Benefits for those facing serious illness. You may qualify for a Living Benefit Loan today (up to 50 percent of your Life Insurance Policy Death Benefit.) Free Information. CALL 1-855-837-9896 ___________________________________

HEALTH Stay in your home longer with an American Standard Walk-In Bathtub. Receive up to $1,500 off, including a free toilet, and a lifetime warranty on the tub and installation! Call us at 1-844-903-1192 __________________________________

INTERNET Earthlink High Speed Internet. As Low As $14.95/month (for the first 3 months.)

Reliable High Speed Fiber Optic Technology. Stream Videos, Music and More! Call Earthlink Today 1-877-366-1349 __________________________________

This space can be yours.

Place your ad today. Call us at (773) 783-1251.

Bloom Township, Chicago Heights, Flossmoor, Ford Heights, Glenwood, Homewood, Lansing ,Lynwood, Olympia Fileds, Park Forest, Sauk Village, South Chicago and Steger

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 https://www.isba.org/public/ illinoislawyerfinder __________________________________

TV/INTERNET Spectrum Triple Play! TV, Internet & Voice for $29.99 ea. 60 MB per second speed No contract or commitment. More Channels.

Faster Internet. Unlimited Voice. Call 1-855383-6517 _____________________________________ JOE MOORE, MASTER PLUMBER All work guaranteed. Over 35 years experience.

773-995-5172 _____________________________________

HOME

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Here’s where you can sell your professional services, your home, used auto, gently used appearel, rent a apartment or sell your used house hold goods. You can place your ad for a reasonable price. Call for a quote today: (773) 783-1251.

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.

Send to: editorial@thechicagocitizen.com. For more information on subscriptions or advertising, call us at (773) 783-1251 or fax (872) 208-8793. Our offices are located at 8741 South Greenwood Suite# 107, Chicago, Illinois 60619.

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