Issuu

Citizen Week of July 18, 2018

| Vol. 1 | No. 49 | www.thechicagocitizen.com

SUBURBAN TIMES WEEKLY

MAYOR OF MATTESON HOSTS INAUGURAL GOLF OUTING

Art Scene: Manual Cinema to self-present Chicago premiere of The End of TV â€” Page 2 Politiscope: Is gang activity on the rise? A movement to abolish gang databases makes it hard to tell â€” Page 3 |

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2 | CITIZEN | Suburban Times Weekly | Week of July 18, 2018

ART SCENE

Manual Cinema to self-present Chicago premiere of The End of TV Manual Cinema has announced a three-week summer run of The End of TV, July 19- August 5 at the Chopin Theatre, 1543 W. Division, in Chicago’s Wicker Park neighborhood. The End of TV – an art pop song cycle with live visuals in post-industrial Rust Belt America - is a multimedia, theatrical meditation on late 20th century advertising, TV culture and the pre-internet American imagination, about two women who become unlikely friends as one approaches the end of her life, while the other is about to reinvent a new one. A critical and box office hit when it debuted last summer at The International Festival of Arts and Ideas in New Haven, CT, Manual Cinema’s summer run at Chopin marks the Chicago premiere of The End of TV. The End of TV has one preview, Thursday, July 19 at 7 p.m. Performances continue

through August 5: Thursday, Friday and Saturday at 7 p.m., and Sunday at 3 p.m. Run time is 70 minutes. Tickets are $30; $20 for students and seniors. Tickets are on sale now and can be purchased at manualcinema.com/cal. Manual Cinema was founded in 2010 by Drew Dir, Sarah Fornace, Ben Kauffman, Julia Miller, and Kyle Vegter, all close collaborators on The End of TV. Manual Cinema has turned heads in Chicago ever since, combining handmade shadow puppetry, cinematic techniques, and innovative sound and music to create

ensemble, Manual Cinema transforms the experience of attending the cinema and imbues it with liveness, ingenuity, and theatricality. The End of TV is a Manual Cinema production. Credits are: screenplay by Kyle Vegter and Ben Kauffman; direction and storyboards by Julia Miller; adapted for the screen by Lizi Breit, Drew Dir, Sarah Fornace, Julia Miller, Ben Kauffman and Kyle Vegter; music by Ben Kauffman and Kyle Vegter; sound design by Kyle Vegter; puppet design by Lizi Breit; associate puppet designer and storyboard artist Drew

Manual Cinema is self-presenting the Chicago debut of The End of TV for a three-week summer run July 19-August 5 at Chopin Theatre in Wicker Park.

immersive visual stories for stage and screen. Using vintage overhead projectors, multiple screens, puppets, actors, live feed cameras, multi-channel sound design, and a live music

Dir; assistant director Sarah Fornace; costumes by Mieka van der Ploeg; lighting design by Claire Chrzan; lighting associate Shelbi Arndt; masks by Julia Miller; stage manager Shelby

Glasgow; production manager Mike Usrey; puppet build interns Zofia Lu Ya Zhang and Kathryn Ann Shivak. The cast is Kara Davidson (Flo/puppeteer), Aneisa Hicks (Louise/puppeteer), Jeffrey Paschal (ensemble/ puppeteer), Vanessa Valliere (ensemble/puppeteer), Shalynn Brown aka RED (drums), Maren Celest (vocals, live sound FX, live video mixing), Deidre Huckabay (flutes, vocals), Ben Kauffman (vocals, guitar, keyboard), Lia Kohl (cello, vocals), Marques Toliver (vocals, violin) and Kyle Vegter (bass). The End of TV was co-commissioned by The International Festival of Arts & Ideas, New Haven, CT, and made possible in part with funding by the New England Foundation for the Arts’ National Theater Project, with lead funding from The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation.

TRAVEL Alaska Airlines launches nonstop service between San Jose, California, and New York’s John F. Kennedy Airport Alaska Airlines has begun nonstop service between Mineta San Jose International Airport and John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York City. With the addition of the new service, Alaska now operates 15 flights a day to JFK from six West Coast gateways including Las Vegas; Los Angeles; Portland, Oregon; San Francisco; San Jose; and Seattle. The new route builds on Alaska Airlines’ largest network growth in the company’s 85-year history and solidifies Alaska as the leading airline of nonstop flights from the West Coast. “Through the power of our network, Bay Area flyers now have convenient, nonstop coast-to-coast flights, connecting guests between two of the largest business economies in the country and to Europe on our Global Partner airlines,” said Annabel Chang, Alaska Airlines’ vice president of the Bay Area. With the addition of this new and expanded JFK service, Alaska provides 38 daily flights to 19 nonstop destinations from San Jose. “We mark a significant milestone with Alaska Airlines today by offering new daytime, nonstop service to New York’s JFK airport,” said San Jose Director of Aviation John Aitken. “New York is the No. 1 requested U.S. destination by business and leisure travelers departing

The new Alaska Lounge includes Starbucks-trained baristas who will create custom handcrafted espresso beverages and full-leaf tea beverages for guests.

from Silicon Valley’s airport. This new flight complements our existing airline service to the New York area, and gives our customers more airline and flight schedule options to best meet their travel needs.” Timed with the flight expansion, Alaska’s newest Lounge is now open on the mezzanine level of Terminal 7 at JFK, offering multiple seating areas, handcrafted espresso, full-leaf tea beverages, a wide-selection of microbrews, complimentary fresh foods, West Coast wines and signa-

Alaska’s newest lounge features a living room-esque design with multiple seating areas designed with business and leisure travelers in mind.

ture cocktails. Alaska is the only domestic carrier to offer all paid First Class guests complimentary access to the lounge, and the first domestic lounge to introduce a full menu of barista-pulled handcrafted espresso beverages. “I’m excited to join Alaska Airlines in welcoming their new, direct daytime service out of San Jose, to New York-JFK,” said San Jose Mayor www.thechicagocitizen.com

Sam Liccardo. “I’m grateful to CEO Brad Tilden and his entire Alaska team for their continued investment in destinations that are high priority for Silicon Valley’s business and leisure travelers.” Alaska gates and the Alaska Lounge are located in the same terminal as Global Partners British Airways and Icelandair, providing guests traveling through JFK with convenient access to a combined 10

daily flights to top global destinations across Europe. Members of Alaska Mileage Plan can travel and earn miles to more than 900 destinations around the globe through a unique network of international partners, with many flying out of JFK. To purchase tickets, visit alaskaair.com or call 1-800-ALASKAAIR (800-252-7522 for Hearing & Speech Impaired (TTY): Dial 711 for Relay Services).

CITIZEN | Suburban Times Weekly | Week of July 18, 2018

COMMUNITY

Mayor of Matteson Hosts Inaugural Golf Outing Continued from page 1 BY KATHERINE NEWMAN

The inaugural Friends of Sheila Chalmers-Currin Golf Outing will take place on July 19 at the Glenwoodie Golf Club in Glenwood, IL. The event is a fundraiser for the Village of Matteson and offers golf, breakfast, lunch, and dinner along with an opportunity to network with elected officials from Matteson, surrounding communities, and the Southland region as a whole. “Our golf outing is something different. I could have just had an event where people get together and eat and drink but here they get together in foursomes and they are actually out there communicating and talking and being a part of what we do in the Southland. I think it’s a good opportunity to network with individuals that have like-minded interests.,” said Sheila Chalmers-Currin, mayor of the Village of Matteson. There are several different options to participate through golfing with buy-in pricing ranging from $125 for an individual golfer to $3,000 for two foursome groups, hole sponsor-

ship, name recognition on a banner, and promotional recognition. There is also the options of just attending the dinner at the end of the day for $70 per person. Mayor Chalmers-Currin made it very clear that you don’t have to golf to enjoy this event by saying that many people will just be mingling throughout the day and attending the dinner in the evening. “Someone that doesn’t golf that would want to come out to the event could come out to talk with several individuals like Senator Hastings who will be there and other individuals that are elected officials and be able to network with them in a more informal environment. I think it’s a good opportunity to just have fun. We are hoping for a beautiful day and we are looking forward to mingling and just being out there having a great time,” said Chalmers-Currin. Another exciting feature of the fundraising event is the hole-inone competition that will result in someone winning a new car. Chalmers-Currin said she is lucky to have so many thriving car dealerships in the Village of Matteson and even more lucky that they were al interested in getting involved in the

Golf Outing. “In the Southland, the village of Matteson has more car dealerships than any others so of course they want to be good partners in reference to promoting the idea that we have several car dealerships right here in the Village,” said Chalm-

ers-Currin. “The Village always wants to invite all businesses to be involved and most businesses are supportive of what I’ve been doing in reference in trying to move the village forward.” This event is a way to have fun while still keeping the conversation

focused on the Village of Matteson and the Chicago Southland region as a whole. Chalmers-Currin said this is not an event about individuals working and solving serious issues as they golf, it is more of a time for informal networking and she believes it will be fun for all.

POLITISCOPE

Is gang activity on the rise? A movement to abolish gang databases makes it hard to tell BY DAVID PYROOZ AND JAMES DENSLEY President Donald Trump has frequently spoken about dangerous gang members from MS-13 “infesting” the United States. It’s important to be able to confirm or debunk those statements. But a movement among criminal justice reformers may make that more difficult. Some are calling to abolish databases containing the identities of hundreds of thousands of people believed to be affiliated with gangs. Claims that gang data are invalid and unreliable only embolden critics. However, eliminating gang databases could make it even more difficult to understand and respond to violence in communities. The current state of gang databases In 2017, the city of Portland purged their gang database and

David Pyrooz

James Densley

halted the further collection of data on individual gang members. Other cities, from California to Illinois to New York, are facing calls to follow suit. Law enforcement agencies throughout the United States maintain databases on gangs and gang members. At least 12 states have passed legislation pertaining to the development and use of gang databases, including how data should be

gathered, stored and shared. In 2012, the Department of Justice ended funding for the only validated national data source on gang activity, the National Youth Gang Survey. Between the pullout of federal support for gang data and the growing movement to eliminate stateand city-level data, researchers and law enforcement now have less data on gangs. That makes it difficult to www.thechicagocitizen.com

fact-check politicians who claim gang violence is rising, and who want to advance harsh immigration and crime control policies. What are gang databases used for? Gang data is important public safety information. Far more Americans die at the hands of gang members than in acts of terror or mass shootings. Gang members account for a disproportionate share of crime and violence. There are around 2,000 gang-related homicides every year, or 13 percent of all homicides in the U.S. The gang-related homicide rate alone in the U.S. (about 2 per 100,000 persons) exceeds the total homicide rate in nearly every European Union country. In New York City, police report that 50 percent of all shootings in 2017 involved a gang member as Continued on page 4

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4 | CITIZEN | Suburban Times Weekly | Week of July 18, 2018

FOOD Perfect Pops for Every Occasion Family Features - No matter what kind of events you have on your social calendar, you can pop up delicious treats that are sure to be a hit. Whether hosting a get-together for the guys and tuning into the game or having a night in with the girls, freshly popped popcorn, which is naturally low in fat and calories, non-GMO and gluten free, can help you please every palate.

Sweet, spicy, salty or served in more non-traditional ways, the possibilities are endless, and perfect for everything from date night to a family movie night or even a sleepover or kids’ party. And since it’s healthy and whole grain, popcorn is a satisfying snack suitable for every occasion that you can feel good about serving. Find more versatile, nutritious recipes for your next event at popcorn.org.

POPCORN PARTY PIZZA Yield: 8 slices

POPCORN AND PEANUT TRUFFLES Yield: About 30 pieces

6 ups popped popcorn 1 cup roasted and salted peanuts 1 package (12 ounces) semisweet chocolate chips 1/2 cup honey

COOKIES ‘N CREAM POPCORN Yield: 12 cups

In large bowl, stir popcorn and peanuts together; set aside. In microwave-safe bowl, heat chocolate chips 10 seconds. Stir chips and repeat, stirring after each 10 seconds, until chips are melted. Warm honey in microwave 10 seconds and stir into chocolate until well blended. Pour chocolate mixture over popcorn mixture and stir until popcorn is evenly coated. With small ice cream scoop, push popcorn mixture into scoop and release onto wax paper to form truffles. Refrigerate until firm. Note: Truffles can be stored in an airtight container up to 5 days. Source: Popcorn Board

12 cups popped popcorn 1package (11 ounces) white chocolate chips 2 teaspoons coconut oil 15 Oreo cookies, coarsely chopped Place popcorn in large bowl; set aside. In medium saucepan on low heat, melt chocolate chips and coconut oil; stir until blended. Pour melted chocolate over popcorn, stirring until well-coated. Stir in chopped Oreos. Spread mixture on baking sheet and chill until chocolate has set. Break into pieces to serve.

3 tablespoons butter 1 bag (10.5 ounces) mini marshmallows 2 quarts popped popcorn 1 tube (.68 ounces) red piping gel 1 package red raspberry fruit roll-ups green jelly beans coconut candy-coated chocolate pieces Spray 12-inch pizza pan with cooking spray; set aside. In large saucepan over medium heat, heat butter. Stir in marshmallows until melted. Stir in popcorn until well coated. Spread mixture evenly onto prepared pizza pan. Drizzle red piping gel over “pizza” to make “sauce.” Cut small circles (about 1 1/4 inches in diameter) from fruit roll-up and place on pizza for “pepperoni” slices. Decorate as desired with jelly beans, coconut and candies. Allow to cool completely before cutting into wedges to serve.

POLITISCOPE Is gang activity on the rise? A movement to abolish gang databases makes it hard to tell Continued from page 3 either perpetrator or victim. Amid a rise in gang violence in the mid 1980s, police began collecting data on gang members. Computerized gang databases were commonplace in large cities by the early 2000s. Today, gang databases contain information on individuals and groups. Individual details include a person’s name and other identifying information (e.g., tattoos), known associates, vehicles used or places frequented and criminal history. Group details include the evolution of gang symbols, the location of gang turf, and a gang’s alliances and rivalries. These data help the police solve gang-related crimes and flag gang members who might benefit from social services. They even help identify individuals who might leave gang life, if given the right nudge, such as an offer of employment. In Boston and Cincinnati, a strategy to reduce violence called “Focused Deterrence” relies on such data to audit the gang landscape of cities and target offenders with deterrence messaging, which in turn has been shown to significantly reduce violence. What’s wrong with gang databases? There are four main arguments against gang databases. First, opponents of data-gathering say that gang membership is not measured accurately. Social media and hanging out with gang

members can create guilt by association. As activist Tamar Manasseh has argued, to the police, any black kid is in a gang. Because of this, police overcount gang members. For example, a 2016 audit of California’s gang database, CalGang, infamously revealed that babies and ex-gang members were listed as active gang members. Second, people of color – particularly blacks and Latinos – are overrepresented in gang lists and this gives the perception of discrimination. Racial disparities were the primary driver behind the abolition of Portland, Oregon’s gang database. In New York, less than 1 percent of the 17,441 people in the gang database were white. Critics say these numbers reflect an entrenched policing philosophy that has always criminalized the most vulnerable and marginalized people. Third, gang databases are often kept secret, and as a consequence, there are potential due process problems. People listed in gang databases are rarely made aware of the designation and have little to no recourse to challenge it. Finally, the consequences of being named in a gang database can be serious. Police stops involving “flagged” gang members are tense, and scrutiny can far outlast actual affiliation with a gang. In an era of data-driven policing, these concerns are important. Critics also point to the potential loss of employment and public housing, as well as criminal convictions and sentencing enhancements. In Chicago, one young man was inappropriately entered

into a database for “loitering” in a neighborhood with high gang activity. He was living in the U.S. illegally and wound up in deportation proceedings. What does the scientific evidence say? There is merit to all of these criticisms, but a review of the evidence shows the issues are more complex. For example, a study found that twice as many juveniles report that they are gang members than are recorded in police records. The police are likely undercounting gang members just like they undercount crime, not overcounting. The overrepresentation of people of color in gang databases is not solely an artifact of how the police collect information. Studies show that when people self-report that they are gang members, blacks and Latinos are twice as likely as whites to be gang members in adolescence and three to four times more likely in adulthood. Since gang databases like the NYPD’s are overwhelmingly populated with adults, the research indicates that racial and ethnic disparities should be expected. Police data on gang homicides fluctuate yearly with newspaper articles on gang violence and are reported consistently, especially in agencies with specialized police gang units. There is also high, but not perfect, correspondence between self-reports of gang membership and the names found in gang databases. Finally, the criteria for inclusion in gang databases have been approved by the courts. Keep the baby, drain the bathwater

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Eliminating gang databases altogether risks leaving law enforcement hamstrung in their efforts to reduce violence in communities. The opposite of bad data is not no data, but good data. In the 1980s and 1990s, gangs proliferated outside of the urban core of U.S. cities. At the same time, officials denied their existence. For example, it took gang-related assaults on the mayor’s son and governor’s daughter in Columbus, Ohio, for that city to recognize its gang problems. Improving data could be done with stricter, more consistent rules for who is a gang member and who isn’t. The reports should undergo regular audits. Databases could also better reflect the fact that gang membership is a temporary status and even the “worst of the worst” are not beyond redemption. States like California are showing how to improve information gathering on gang members. An audit of its database, CalGang, led Gov. Jerry Brown to sign legislation requiring law enforcement to notify individuals when they are entered into a gang database and allowing purported gang members the opportunity to challenge the designation. If used correctly, gang databases can be part of the solution to violent crime. David Pyrooz is an Assistant Professor at the University of Colorado. James Densley is an Associate Professor of Criminal Justice at Metropolitan State University.

CITIZEN | Suburban Times Weekly | Week of July 18, 2018

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6 | CITIZEN | Suburban Times Weekly | Week of July 18, 2018

NEWS

A Village of Dolton Board Meeting Raises Concerns About Lack of Police BY KATHERINE NEWMAN

The Village of Dolton recently held a Committee of The Whole meeting where they discussed several current projects, programs, and concerns within the community. One woman, who identified herself as Beth, raised the questions of why three retired police officers have not been replaced in the Village. “I am very concerned about the policing of the Village of Dolton with the number of police officers that we have,” said Beth. “I’m not saying that the police aren’t doing their jobs, I’m just saying that we need more police officers.” The Village of Dolton Resident, Beth, continued with her public comment and became very upset as she called for immediate action from the board saying, “if you can’t get us more police, resign right now, you are not doing your job.” A Village of Dolton Trustee, Robert Pierson Jr., immediately responded to the resident's outcry for more police officers in the community. “Anybody can stand up and say that we can hire police but this budget don’t have money in it for police. I want more police, this board wants more police but we can’t spend what we don’t have,” said Pierson. The Mayor of Dolton, Riley Rogers, interrupted Pierson to say that his statement was not true. “We have to redo the budget. We tabled [hiring police officers] so we could see, after the budget, if we are going to have enough money to hire one or two police officers. Right now, we have to look at the whole budget simply because we cannot do what prior administrations did,” said Pierson. Trustee Pierson later made it clear that what he was alluding to when he said, “

The Village of Dolton recently held a Committee of The Whole meeting where they discussed several current projects, programs, and concerns within the community.

we cannot do what prior administration did,” was that in past years, the Village of Dolton had been transferring money from the water fund to the general fund to balance their budget. Mayor Rogers stepped in to ask a few questions of his own. He called on the Village of Dolton Police Chief, Robert Collins Jr., to verify how many officers the department is currently down. Collins confirmed that there were three police

officers that retired last year. “We had three that retired that we were budgeted for so in that budget, of the three that retired in the budget that was approved by this board, how come we couldn’t replace those three?” Rogers asked. Trustee Pierson shouted out to say that the Village of Dolton was “$2 million over in that budget.” The Mayor made one final statement

before moving on to the next subject. “We need police officers, and I’ve asked for police officers several times and [the Board of Trustees] has said no, we are not going to hire them,” said Rogers. “If the people don’t feel safe in this community, they are going to leave. If the business people don’t feel safe in this community, they are going to leave.” For a list of upcoming board meetings in the Village of Dolton, visit vodolton.org.

COMMENTARY

Scotus Is Not Shifting To The Right — It’s Shifting To The Wrong BY REV. JESSE L. JACKSON, SR.

President Donald Trump recently nominated his second conservative Supreme Court Associate Justice, Judge Brett Kavanaugh, vetted and selected by the Heritage Foundation and the Federalist Society. Because of this nominee, most are suggesting that the Court will shift even more to the right. But I think it’s more accurate to say that this Court will shift to the wrong. There has been a lot of focus on this Court possibly overturning Roe v. Wade, and that’s a legitimate and deeply troubling concern, but not the only one.

Jesse Jackson Credit: AFGE

This is a Court that could wrongly return to states’ rights rulings. We should prepare ourselves for wrong interpretations

of the 14th Amendment’s equal protection clause and a narrow interpretation of the15th Amendment’s outlawing of racial discrimination in voting. This is a Court that will likely wrongly interpret and decide cases involving not only women’s rights and women’s health care issues, but civil rights (affirmative action, economic set-asides, LGBTQ rights), the death penalty, common sense gun regulation, voting rights and gerrymandering, labor rights, environmental regulations, health care, consumer protections, the separation of church and state, and checks and balances on corporations, financial institutions www.thechicagocitizen.com

and the government generally. The first period of Reconstruction lasted a mere 12 years, 1865-1877. A Republican president removed federal troops from the South in the Tilden-Hayes Compromise and the KKK, White Citizens Councils and Black Codes were the result. Laws similar to the 1964 Civil Rights Act and 1965 Voting Rights Act were passed during the First Reconstruction but overturned by a “wrong” Supreme Court in the Cruikshank and Slaughterhouse cases. Change doesn’t happen overnight and 31 years after these “wrong” politics, the First Reconstruction Period eventually

ended with the Plessy v. Ferguson decision in 1896 establishing apartheid in the U.S. for the next 58 years. We are potentially facing the end of the Second Reconstruction begun with the Brown decision in 1954 and possibly now to be eroded by this “wrong” Supreme Court. Again, this SCOTUS will not be moving to the right. It will be moving to the wrong and away from the moral center! It will be moving away from the current understanding and interpretation of the 14th and 15th amendments. It will be moving away from the American people.

CITIZEN | Suburban Times Weekly | Week of July 18, 2018

NEWS

Get Ready to Break in to the Old Joliet Prison The Great Joliet Prison Break-In fundraiser will be taking place on Saturday, August 25 from 5:00pm to 11:00pm. Ticket holders will be able to step onto the historic prison yard and listen to the music of The Blooze Brothers, M&R Rush, Petty Cash and Hot Mess. while enjoying the tastes of various options from food trucks and beer vendors. The event is the grand opening and first major event of the “Old Joliet Prison,” which closed in 2002. The prison is featured in many movie and television projects, including The Blues Brothers and Prison Break. "We anticipate this event will be a celebration of the efforts of hundreds of volunteers who have selflessly supported the Museum’s efforts to stabilize, secure and showcase this historic site to visitors from around the world," stated Joliet Area Historical Museum Executive Director Greg Peerbolte, "The Great Prison Break-In

will not only be an incredibly memorable experience, but will help to raise funds for the important work to preserve the Old Joliet Prison." The City, Joliet Area History Museum and many other community partners are undertaking an effort to open the prison for public tours and access. According to Economic Development Director Steve Jones, “the funds raised from this event and other partnerships will allow the City to stabilize the site and preserve this historic facility.” The Blooze Brothers has been one of Chicagoland’s most in-demand show bands. They honor the music and the spirit of the original Blues Brothers, from Dan Aykroyd’s love of traditional blues and soul to John Belushi’s love of classic rock. The group has played their music at the House of Blues, Navy Pier, Soldier Field, America’s Got Talent and at a US Presidential Inauguration.

M&R Rush began in the early 70’s, winning a few “Battle of the Bands” and building a following. The next thing you know, they were signed to the same Chicagobased management company as Styx. The group disbanded in 1987, but reformed in the early 2000’s. In their history, the band has performed shows with talents including Paul Rodgers, Blue Oyster cult, Pat Travers, REO Speedwagon, Survivor, Kansas, Starship (featuring Mickey Thomas), Head East, Uriah Heep, Foghat, Jim Peterik, the legendary Temptations, The Buckinghams, The Cryan Shames and more! PettyCash is a high-octane stage show appropriate for old rockers, baby rockers, and everything in between. The band “Hot Mess” is a cover band that excels in classic and hard rock hits, and some original tunes of their own. The band features Mayor Bob O’Dekirk on the drums.

Tickets can be purchased online at jolietprison.org for $40.00 per person (ticket and processing fees are included in the price). Patrons can purchase their tickets for $35.00 per person (ticket and processing fees are including in the price) in person at the Joliet Area Historical Museum 204 N Ottawa St, Joliet, IL 60432) or the Joliet Regional Chamber of Commerce & Industry Main Office (63 N. Chicago St, Joliet, IL 60432) during regular business hours. The Joliet Historical Museum is a 501(c)3 not-for-profit entity which operates a vibrant, 10,000 square foot modern museum facility in Downtown Joliet at the historic intersection of Old Route 66 & Lincoln Highway. The Museum also facilitates tours, programs and educational interpretation at the Old Joliet Prison Historic Site. Find out more about the museum at jolietmuseum. org.

Cook County Board President Visits The Citizen BY KATHERINE NEWMAN

Cook County Board President, Toni Preckwinkle, recently came to the Citizen Newspaper’s offices in Chatham and sat down with a reporter to discuss the many initiatives that she is currently spearheading as she heads into her third term as the top executive in Cook County. Three major efforts that Preckwinkle is currently working on are the comprehensive Policy Roadmap for her third term, the redevelopment of Cook County Hospital, and the South Suburban Economic Growth Initiative. The Policy Roadmap is a countywide planning process that calls for participation from all residents, industries, civic partners, and stakeholders in Cook County to provide their direct input on what they want to see over the next five years. “The goal of the plan is to look at our work and our vision for fostering safe, healthy, and thriving communities, that’s our motto,” said Preckwinkle. “We have tried to go all around the county to get as broad of an input as we can and we hope to have a document completed by the end of the summer that

everyone can then comment on.” The document will lay out the measurable goals, objectives, and strategies for the Offices Under the President of Cook County. Preckwinkle said she is grateful for all of the citizen participation they have received. Another major project that is currently underway is the redevelopment of the Cook County Hospital that has been closed since 2002. Preckwinkle served as Alderman of Chicago’s 4th ward for 19 years before taking office as Board President and during that time she fought to preserve many historical buildings from demolition. Her strong advocacy of the legacy of the century-old building that was once Cook County Hospital is no different. “I’m really grateful that the building was not torn down, it was saved. It’s going to be turned into two hotels, a short-term stay hotel, a long-term stay hotel, and then lots of office space for our medical staff and there will be retail on the ground floor,” said Preckwinkle. There is no County money going into the redevelopment project but Cook County has signed a 99-year lease with developers for the office

space that is being created in the building to house their medical staff. The final initiative that Preckwinkle discussed during her visit to the Citizen was the South Suburban Economic Growth Initiative. The South Suburbs of Chicago are the most

economically challenged part of our county, according to Preckwinkle, and because of that, the region is getting some added attention from the Offices Under the President. “We are trying to lift up the most challenged region, the South Suburbs,

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to benefit everybody,” said Preckwinkle. “If we can meet some of the challenges of our South Suburbs it’ll be good for our region as a whole. We are focusing a lot of our economic development resources and our transportation resources in the south suburbs.”

Father of Karen A. Yarbrough, Recorder of Deeds, Dies David Williams, Sr. 92, father of Cook County Recorder of Deeds Karen A. Yarbrough, has died. Williams was a longtime resident and former mayor of Maywood. He also worked as a real estate broker and owned Donora Realty. In other positions, he worked as a pharmacist at Dillards Pharmacy and was a State Farm Insurance Agent where he was celebrating his 50th year in business. Additionally, Williams served as the past president of the Maywood Chamber of Commerce and Maywood Rotary Club and was a minister at Second Baptist Church of Maywood where he oversaw noon day prayers. Upon hearing about his death, Dorothy Brown, clerk of the Circuit Court of Cook County said, “My heart goes out to Hon. Karen A. Yarbrough, Cook County Recorder of Deeds, on the loss of her beloved father, David Williams Sr. He was a great man who touched so many lives, his absence will be felt by many people. Mr. Williams will be profoundly missed.”

8 | CITIZEN | Suburban Times Weekly | Week of July 18, 2018

CONGRATULATIONS! CHEVROLET AND NNPA OFFICIALLY ANNOUNCE

OUR 2018 DISCOVER THE UNEXPECTED FELLOWS! The wait is over! Chevrolet and the National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA) are proud to announce our six Fellows selected for Discover the Unexpected (DTU) 2018 - a life-changing journalism fellowship.

S TYVAN BURN IVERSITY UN

NORFOLK STATE

DIAMOND DURA

MORGAN STATE UN

IVERSITY

ENRY DAJA UHNIVERSITY

D HOWAR

Chosen from Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) nationwide, our DTU 2018 Fellows each receive a $10,000 scholarship, $5,000 stipend and a journalism adventure in the 2018 Chevrolet Equinox. Our DTU 2018 Fellows are geared up and ready to go discover stories of inspiration and innovation in our African American communities. Follow us and show our HBCU students some love along the way. The journey begins!

NATRA WN M

IN UNIV XWELL ERSIT Y

CLAFL

IL A WILBOIVRERNSITY

UN FLORIDA A&M

DENVER LARK

NORTH CAROLIN

A A&T UNIVERSITY

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