Citizen Suburban Times Weekly 12-02-2020

Y O U R S O U R C E F O R C O R O N AV I R U S N E W S

Citizen The Citizen: Serving The Black Community For 55 Years Week of Dec. 2, 2020

| Vol. 4 | No. 17 | www.citizennewspapergroup.com

SUBURBAN TIMES WEEKLY

The Illinois Supreme Court building is shown here in Springfield. The state’s highest court recently ordered that 10 lawsuits challenging indoor dining bans across the state be consolidated with existing cases in Sangamon County that raise the same legal questions. Capitol News Illinois file photo

10 LAWSUITS OVER COVID-19 RESTRICTIONS MERGED IN SANGAMON COUNTY COURT

The Illinois Supreme Court agreed to combine 10 lawsuits challenging indoor dining bans across the state with existing cases in Sangamon County that raise the same legal questions. PAGE 3

Meijer Customer Survey Reveals Kids May be in for Biggest Christmas Surprises Page 6 |

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2 | CITIZEN | Suburban Times Weekly | Week of Dec. 2, 2020

POLITISCOPE

JFK conspiracy theory is debunked in Mexico 57 years after Kennedy assassination

BY GONZALO SOLTERO

Most conspiracy theories surrounding President John F. Kennedy’s assassination have been disproven.

Kennedy was not killed by a gas-powered device triggered by aliens or by actor Woody Harrelson’s dad.

But speculation about Kennedy’s Nov. 22, 1963 murder in Dallas continues, fueled by unreleased classified documents, bizarre ballistics and the claim of assassin Lee Harvey Oswald – who was later killed on live TV while in police custody – that he was “just a patsy.”

Several JFK assassination experts, like the former New York Times investigative reporter Phillip Shenon, see Mexico as the best place to find answers regarding a possible conspiracy and who was behind it.

Just over a month before Kennedy’s killing, Oswald took a bus from Texas to Mexico City. He arrived Friday morning, Sept. 27, 1963 and left very early on Wednesday, Oct. 2, according to American and Mexican intelligence.

Was Oswald a kind of rogue James Bond who went south of the border to consort with communists, Cuban revolutionaries and spies – or just a deranged killer?

I dug into that question while researching my book on conspiracy narratives in Mexico, and I think I found something everybody else missed: a hole in the story of the very man who started a tenacious conspiracy theory about Oswald’s Mexico trip.

Communist Mexico City Mexico was a Cold War hot spot in the mid-20th century, a haven for Soviet exiles, American leftists fleeing the anti-communist persecution of McCarthyism and sympathizers with Cuba’s Castro regime.

Every communist and democratic country had an embassy in Mexico City – the only place in the Western

Gonzalo Soltero

Hemisphere where these enemies coexisted more or less openly.

According to witnesses from the Cuban and Soviet diplomatic missions, Oswald visited their embassies repeatedly on Friday and Saturday. He was desperately seeking visas to those countries, which Americans were then prohibited from visiting.

Told such documents would take months to process, Oswald got in a heated argument with the Cuban consul, Emilio Azcué. Oswald also forced a KGB volleyball match on Saturday morning to be canceled when he brandished a weapon at the Soviet consulate, before bursting into tears and leaving.

Those events are well documented by the CIA, which in the 1960s had ramped up its Mexico operations to monitor communist activity, even hiring 200 Mexican agents to help. The Mexican Secret Service, whose 1960s-era files Mexico has recently begun to declassify, also tracked Oswald on Sept. 27 and Sept. 28, 1963.

Oswald’s whereabouts for the next three-and-a-half days, however, remain unknown.

A conspiracy theory is born A main conspiracy about Oswald’s undocumented time in Mexico City puts him in contact

with dangerous Mexicans on the left side of the Cold War. This story originated in March 1967, when the American consul in the Mexican coastal city of Tampico, Benjamin Ruyle, was buying drinks for local journalists.

One of them – Óscar Contreras Lartigue, a 28-year-old reporter for El Sol de Tampico – told Ruyle he’d met Oswald in 1963 when he was a law student at Mexico’s National Autonomous University.

Contreras said he’d been in a pro-Castro campus group and that Oswald had begged this group for help getting a Cuban visa.

According to Contreras, Oswald spent two days with these National Autonomous University students, then met up with them again a few days later at the Cuban Embassy.

Evidently afraid for his life, Contreras wouldn’t tell Ruyle much more. He said he himself had traveled to Cuba, knew people in the Castro regime and had blown up the statue of a former Mexican president on campus in Mexico City. Contreras feared persecution for his political activities.

Contreras did say this wasn’t the first time he was sharing his story, though. After JFK was shot, Contreras told Ruyle, he’d commented to his editor that he’d recently met Oswald.

The Contreras question Contreras’ account hinted at suspicious, previously unknown connections between Oswald and communist Cuba made shortly before JFK’s assassination.

His story was, according to a memo later sent from CIA headquarters, “the first solid investigative lead we have on Oswald’s activities in Mexico.” U.S. government officials needed to find out if Contreras was a trustworthy source.

Three months after Ruyle’s happy hour, a CIA official from Mexico

City went to Tampico to question Contreras. During the six-hour interrogation, Contreras still refused to go into details, but he did say Oswald never mentioned assassination – only that he said repeatedly he “had to get to Cuba.”

In 1978, a researcher from the U.S. House Select Commission on Assassinations named Dan Hardway went to Mexico to investigate the JFK assassination. He was unable to interview Contreras despite several attempts, but in an influential report warned his account should not be dismissed.

The New York Times reporter Shenon, who interviewed Oscar Contreras for a 2013 book on the JFK assassination, also found Contreras credible. Shenon wrote that Contreras – whom he calls a “prominent journalist” – “went much further” in their interview than he had with the CIA, alleging “far more extensive contacts between Oswald and Cuban agents in Mexico.”

Dan Hardway, who is now a lawyer in West Virginia, still believes Contreras. After reading Shenon’s book, he reiterated in 2015 that Lee Harvey Oswald might have been part of a wider Cuban intelligence web.

Hole in the web Óscar Contreras died in 2016, so I could not interview him myself.

But in my investigation, a minute detail of his biography grabbed my attention – an apparently overlooked contradiction that could undermine his entire story.

In Contreras’ telling, he fled the National Autonomous University campus and moved to Tampico around 1964. Yet Contreras also allegedly told his “editor” about his encounter with Oswald after the 1963 Kennedy assassination.

College newspapers aren’t common in Mexico, and Contreras was a law student. So how could he have had an editor in 1963?

I thought his hometown paper, El

Sol de Tampico, might hold the answer. Digging through its archives, I found that the newspaper ran a Sunday gossip column in the early 1960s called “Crisol,” or “melting pot.” Óscar Contreras became the reporter for “Crisol” on June 6, 1963, and continued writing the gossip column in September and October that year.

While Lee Harvey Oswald was in Mexico City, Contreras was 300 miles away in Tampico. In flamboyant prose, faded back issues of the local paper show, he chronicled the sumptuous wedding receptions, quinceañeras and yacht excursions of Tampico’s high society.

Three dark days I believe the Sol de Tampico archives discredit Contereras’ account.

A political correspondent may live far from where his newspaper is published. But for a gossip columnist, that would be dereliction of duty.

This revelation plunges Oswald’s fall 1963 trip to Mexico back into the dark. There are other conspiracy theories, including that Oswald had a Mexican mistress who took him to a party of communists and spies.

But it’s more likely Mexico holds no hidden clues to JFK’s assassination.

Conspiracy theories offer assurances of depth and closure, a promise that the biggest enigma of the 20th century is solvable. But from what we know about what Oswald did and didn’t do in Mexico City, he was a volatile, disorganized loner who couldn’t even handle travel logistics.

JFK’s assassination is a cold case.

And in Mexico, only exhausted leads remain.

Gonzalo Soltero is a Professor of Narrative Analysis, in the School of Higher Studies at the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM).

NEWS Community Grants Focus on Addressing Systemic Race-Related Barriers that Contribute to Disparities in care Among Black Men and Women with Cancer The American Cancer Society and Pfizer have approved grants totaling more than $3.7 million in 10 communities focused on reducing racial disparities in care and helping optimize cancer outcomes for Black men and women.

The goal is to address systemic race-related barriers and disparities in the delivery of care

that impact outcomes across all cancer types.

The grants, funded by Pfizer Global Medical Grants and overseen by the American Cancer Society, are part of the Addressing Racial Disparities in Cancer Care Competitive Grant Program, a three-year collaboration working to promote equity in factors that impact cancer

outcomes for Black men and women.

“While significant advancements are occurring in the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of cancer, Black men and women still face barriers to timely and equitable care,” said Dany Habr, M.D., chief medical officer, Pfizer Oncology. “ Improving care and creating

www.citizennewspapergroup.com

change requires partnership and collaboration across the healthcare ecosystem. We look forward to seeing the outputs of these initiatives and their impact to address the disparities in care that Black men and women living with cancer face today.”

For more information go to www.cancer.org

CITIZEN | Suburban Times Weekly | Week of Dec. 2, 2020

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NEWS

10 lawsuits over COVID-19 restrictions merged in Sangamon County court Continued from page 1

BY SARAH MANSUR Capitol News Illinois smansur@capitolnewsillinois.com

Springfield – The Illinois Supreme Court agreed to combine 10 lawsuits challenging indoor dining bans across the state with existing cases in Sangamon County that raise the same legal questions.

The Supreme Court’s order brings a total of 19 cases involving legal challenges to Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s COVID-19 related restrictions that are now consolidated in Sangamon County Court before Judge Raylene Grischow.

The 10 cases added to Grischow’s group of pending cases were all brought by businesses operating as restaurants with indoor dining service, and all the cases are against Pritzker, Illinois Department of Public Health Director Dr. Ngozi Ezike and IDPH. The recently filed order is in response to a request from lawyers with the Illinois Attorney General’s Office, which represents the governor and state agencies.

The AG’s lawyers note that all of the cases raise the same question about the governor’s authority

THE 10 CASES ADDED TO GRISCHOW’S GROUP OF PENDING CASES WERE ALL BROUGHT BY BUSINESSES OPERATING AS RESTAURANTS WITH INDOOR DINING SERVICE, AND ALL THE CASES ARE AGAINST PRITZKER, ILLINOIS DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC HEALTH DIRECTOR DR. NGOZI EZIKE AND IDPH. to issue multiple, successive disaster proclamations under the Illinois Emergency Management Agency Act. Grischow has already ruled in favor of Pritzker’s authority to issue multiple 30-day disaster proclamations in two cases that challenged the governor’s executive orders mandating certain public health measures in K-12 schools.

In a separate matter, Grischow granted a temporary restraining order against four Sangamon County restaurants that continued to offer indoor dining after the county health department suspended their food service licenses.

The temporary restraining order remains in ef-

fect, pending a hearing before Grischow on Dec. 3.

In their request, lawyers with the AG’s Office asked the Illinois Supreme Court earlier this month to consolidate 10 lawsuits — from Cook, Marion, Clinton, DuPage, Kane, McHenry and DeKalb counties — into the group of nine cases already pending together before Grischow in Sangamon County.

“There is no need for multiple circuit courts to review filings, hold hearings, and issue decisions on the very same legal question,” the AG’s court filing states.

The AG’s lawyers also point out that the Illinois Supreme Court previously consolidated those nine cases to Grischow’s group of cases “in August and September when presented with a series of cases similarly challenging the governor’s authority to address the pandemic.”

The cases consolidated before Grischow are scheduled for oral arguments in Sangamon County on Dec. 21.

The request from the AG’s lawyers also asked the Illinois Supreme Court to consolidate all future cases filed that involve this legal question to the group of cases in Sangamon County but the Supreme Court did not grant that part of the request.

Sony/ATV & Bleeding Fingers Expand Opportunities for Black Composers with USC Screen Scoring Diversity Scholarship Sony/ATV Music Publishing and Bleeding Fingers Music have established a Screen Scoring Diversity Scholarship for Black composition students within the Screen Scoring Master’s Program at the University of Southern California Thornton School of Music. The scholarship, which is part of Sony Music Group’s Social Justice Fund efforts, aims to encourage inclusivity and expand opportunities for Black composers, who are vastly underrepresented throughout the film and scoring community.

The Screen Scoring Diversity

Scholarship will cover the entire cost of USC Thornton’s Screen Scoring Master’s program, including tuition, housing and meals, application fee reimbursement, equipment, applicable relocation costs, and software purchases. It will also include an apprenticeship opportunity at Bleeding Fingers Music, the leading custom scoring company in the film and television industry, founded by Hans Zimmer, Steve Kofsky and Russell Emanuel.

Prospective applicants can learn more and apply for the program by visiting, http://uscscoring.com

National Diversity Council’s National Coalition for Racial Justice & Equity Announces New Appointment to Board of Directors The National Diversity Council (NDC) recently announced that it has appointed Ovell Barbee, SPHR, senior vice president of human resources and chief diversity officer at Spectrum Health, to its Board of Directors for the National Coalition for Racial Justice & Equity (NCRJE).

Awarded a prestigious community “Giant Award” by Grand Rapids Community College for his advocacy on behalf of others, Ovell Barbee has established an outstanding reputation as a visionary human resource leader with a focus

on diversity, equity and inclusion.

The National Coalition for Racial Justice and Equity aims to advance racial equity for all to transform the nation and achieve social justice. “I am pleased to be appointed to this prestigious board. It is important for us to advocate on behalf of others as we take action to build more equitable communities,” Barbee said.

To learn more about the National Coalition for Racial Justice & Equity, please visit the website at www.NCRJE.org www.citizennewspapergroup.com

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4 | CITIZEN | Suburban Times Weekly | Week of Dec. 2, 2020

NEWS African American Woman, Midshipman 1st Class Sydney Barber, Makes US Naval Academy History

BY STACY M. BROWN NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent @StacyBrownMedia

Midshipman 1st Class Sydney Barber, a mechanical engineering major from Illinois, has been named brigade commander for the spring semester at the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland.

Barber, a track star with a stated desire to work as a Marine Corps ground officer, becomes the first Black woman to lead the Naval Academy’s student body.

The brigade commander heads the Academy’s day-to-day activities and trains the class of approximately 4,500 midshipmen. Barber becomes the 16th woman to serve in that role.

“Earning the title of brigade commander speaks volumes, but the title itself is not nearly as significant as the opportunity it brings to lead a team in doing something I believe will be truly special,” Barber said in a news release. “I am humbled to play a small role in this momentous season of American history.”

As a walk-on sprinter and hurdler of the Navy Women’s Varsity Track and Field team, Barber has lettered all three years of competing and is an Academy record holder for the outdoor 4x400m relay, according to her biography.

She is the co-president of the Navy Fellowship of Christian Athletes Club, secretary for the National Society of Black Engineers, and a USNA Gospel Choir and Midshipman Black Studies Club member.

Barber served as the 13th company’s executive officer and currently serves as the Brigade’s 1st regiment executive officer.

She also initiated a STEM outreach program that leverages mentoring, literature, and service lessons to serve middle school-aged girls of color.

Barber led a team to organize the inaugural U.S. Naval Academy Black Female Network Breakfast to bridge the generational gap between current black midshipmen and alumni.

Barber is recently credited with mobilizing a team of more than 180

midshipmen, faculty, and alumni to develop the Midshipman Diversity Team to promote greater diversity, inclusivity, and equity within the Brigade.

“Sydney stands out amongst her peers, for not only her exemplary record, but for her clear vision of how she intends to make the world a better place and her accompanying bias for action,” said Lt. Commander Darby Yeager, a member of the U.S. Navy Academy’s Truman Scholarship Selection Committee. were incredibly proud to have Sydney represent the Naval Academy in her Truman Scholarship interview this year,” Yeager added.

Janie Mines, who became the first Black woman to graduate from the Naval Academy in 1980, expressed her excitement for Barber on Twitter.

“This bought me to tears. This young woman, Midshipman Sydney Barber, will be the first Black Female Brigade Commander at the U.S. Naval Academy. 40 years later.

Thank you, Sydney! Love you!”

Mines tweeted.

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About Marian L. Thomas Award-winning author and speaker Marian L. Thomas (pictured) has penned six contemporary fiction novels to date. She has been seen on national television stations such as FOX, NBC, and CBS. She has been featured in print magazines, newspapers and a guest on local, national and online radio stations. She spent most of her teen years in Oak Park, Illinois, but now resides in a suburb of Atlanta with her husband.

Book Sparks Debate

by Asking the Question “Who Is Black in America?”

Two years following its release, the best-selling book The Caged Butterfly is still striking a chord with readers across the globe.

Penned by award-winning author Marian L. Thomas, the story is an emotional and shocking foray into family secrets, personal triumph, and deep-rooted sorrows.

Though a fictional account of what it means to be Black in America, Thomas’ book is informed by the realities that Black Americans face on a daily basis.

Each of the three main characters are connected by blood, but occupy different times in their family’s history. Nevertheless, they each find themselves still exploring the same question in their interconnected stories: What does it mean to love the skin you’re in?

One of the characters, Timmy Taylor, is known as one of the greatest white jazz pianists in New York. He never questions his whiteness until he learns that his mother is a Black woman. As he copes with this new reality, including learning about the “one drop rule” that now classifies him as Black, Timmy must learn how to embrace the truth and overcome the betrayal of knowing that everything he believed was true about himself was a lie.

“The Caged Butterfly explores

The Caged Butterfly by Marian L. Thomas

issues of race in ways that Black Americans have had to grapple with for centuries,” said Thomas.

“The cultural assumption that being white is better is something the characters in this book grapple with and ultimately must overcome to live their authentic lives.”

The Caged Butterfly is available in paperback, hardcover, and digital formats.

For further details, visit https:// www.marianlthomas.com/

CITIZEN | Suburban Times Weekly | Week of Dec. 2, 2020

Helping more local small businesses succeed Small businesses are key to our local economy here in Chicago. But during this health and humanitarian crisis, many are struggling. The time for action is now.

As part of our four-year, $1 billion commitment to advance racial equality and economic opportunity, Bank of America is investing in Black- and Hispanic-owned businesses.

Our actions will help supply necessary growth capital, as well as deliver programs to help create future minority entrepreneurs. We are also investing in local institutions to deliver benefits to the communities they serve through lending, housing, neighborhood revitalization and other services.

My teammates and I are committed to doing more to support and strengthen minority-owned businesses here in Chicago.

Paul Lambert Chicago Market President

Working together Here in Chicago, we’re partnering with organizations that are supporting small businesses, including: Accion Chicago Greater Chatham Initiative Illinois Hispanic Chamber of Commerce Foundation South East Chicago Commission

To learn more, please visit bankofamerica.com/community

Bank of America, N.A. Member FDIC. Equal Credit Opportunity Lender. © 2020 Bank of America Corporation. All rights reserved.

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6 | CITIZEN | Suburban Times Weekly | Week of Dec. 2, 2020

ART SCENE

Town of Seneca Falls Gifted New Suffrage Statue

Clay Model of Ripples of Change Statue, Featuring (L to R) Laura Cornelius Kellogg, Harriet Tubman, Martha Coffin Wright, and Sojourner Truth.

Commission, Ganondagan State Historic Site, Town of Seneca Falls, Seneca Falls Development Corp, Seneca-Iroquois National Museum, and New York State Museum have all collaborated on the project.

In late summer 2021, the Ripples of Change statue will be unveiled along the Seneca Falls River next to the When Anthony Met Stanton statue, and will likely be moved to People’s Park as a central part of the revitalization of the Seneca Falls town center in the coming years.

“The four trailblazers who will be represented in this statue fought for freedom, equality, and the right to have their voices heard and their votes counted. The suffrage centennial in 2020 has provided an unparalleled opportunity to honor the legacy of women like Kellogg, Tubman, Wright, and Truth, and with this memorial, we will ensure their leadership and their contributions to democracy are not forgotten,” said WSCC Executive Director Anna Laymon.

“Seneca Falls is honored to be

selected as the site for this incredible tribute,” said Michael Ferrara, Seneca Falls town supervisor, “and we collectively extend our gratitude to everyone involved in this extraordinary project.”

“In 1848, the first women’s rights convention in the United States was held in our very own Wesleyan Chapel, today known as the Women’s Rights National Historical Park,” said Joell Murney-Karsten, board chair of the Seneca Falls Development Corp. “Our community has always celebrated its unique role in the history of women’s fight for suffrage and equality, and Ripples of Change will serve as a bold visual reminder of the inspiring women who led the way.”

“I am honored to create this statue that will stand in the town where women launched a revolution. Ripples of Change represents how each generation of suffragists built upon the work of the women who came before them and teaches us that the collective energy of those who are committed to progress is what can bring about lasting change,” said artist Jane DeDecker.

Michelle Schenandoah, traditional member of the Oneida Nation and cofounder of Indigenous Concepts Consulting, said, “Our Haudenosaunee Confederacy was the guidepost that the U.S. Founding Fathers relied upon when fashioning the U.S. Constitution,

and our women were the source of inspiration to suffragists who sought the full power and respect that our Haudenosaunee women have always held. Laura Cornelius Kellogg stood up against U.S. colonizing practices and represents our Haudenosaunee women in the fullest sense; we are women who’ve always had full autonomy over our minds, bodies, children, and lands, while occupying the seat of authority in our government. This statue will stand on the lands of the Gayogohó:no’ (Cayuga) Nation of the Haudenosaunee Confederacy, and it is our hope that Laura’s words and actions will inspire the public to be active participants in reclaiming this truth.”

“This year marks the centennial of the 19th Amendment and women’s right to vote in the U.S. Constitution.

Now more than ever, we are committed to continuing our fight for equality and justice to help ensure equal opportunities and fairness for all,” said Lieutenant Governor Kathy Hochul, chair of the New York State Women’s Suffrage Commission. “New York is proud to receive this statue from the federal Women’s Suffrage Centennial Commission. Ripples of Change honors our state as the birthplace of the women’s rights movement, recognizes the legacy of New York suffragists and encourages the continued fight for women’s rights and protections.” ’

A coalition of national, state, and local partners recently announced the design of a new statue, titled Ripples of Change, to be unveiled in the town of Seneca Falls, New York in 2021. The project is led and sponsored by the Women’s Suffrage Centennial Commission (WSCC), an organization created by Congress to commemorate 100 years of the 19th Amendment and to honor the history of women’s fight for the vote.

Ripples of Change, designed by renowned sculptor Jane DeDecker, will depict four activists whose work spanned generations, including Laura Cornelius Kellogg, Harriet Tubman, Martha Coffin Wright, and Sojourner Truth.

A group of Haudenosaunee Clan Mothers, chiefs, scholars, historians, artists, and leaders selected Laura Cornelius Kellogg, who was a member of the Oneida Nation and a suffrage supporter, for inclusion in the statue. As the sculpture is created, Jane DeDecker is working with Haudenosaunee artist Diane Schenandoah on Indigenous representation within the artwork.

Representatives from the Haudenosaunee Nation, National Women’s Hall of Fame, Women’s Rights National Historical Park, Harriet Tubman National Historic Park, New York State Women’s Suffrage

TRAVEL Meijer Customer Survey Reveals Kids May be in for Biggest Christmas Surprises While the pandemic has challenged many to scale back their plans for celebrations this year, a recent Meijer customer survey found that some families plan to treat their holiday as an opportunity to reinforce the spirit of Christmas.

And that kids may be in for the biggest surprises of all.

“An advantage of our self-quarantine is that we’ve set aside more money for the holidays,” said Jenny Moll in her customer survey response. “We’ve avoided restaurants and large gatherings hosted by family and friends most of this year to protect our parents, so we want to use that money to spend more on gifts for the kids.”

Moll is one of 1,200 shoppers recently surveyed on how the coronavirus pandemic has changed shopping habits, and her plan of repurposing dollars to brighten eyes and smiles is echoed by other participants. This year has caused

numerous challenges – virtual learning, missed activities and cancelled events – that significantly impacted children, and have inspired many parents and caregivers to suggest ‘they deserve something to look forward to.”

The survey confirms that overall customers plan to spend less on gifts this year because with holiday gatherings reduced, they have fewer gifts to purchase. Instead, they plan to prioritize spending on entertaining and gift-giving to those closest to them.

Nearly 60 percent of customers indicated they will spend the same on food and gifts this holiday season but will splurge on those closest to them.

Other insights provided by the Meijer holiday shopping survey include: l Hosting and Traveling: More than 55 percent plan on limiting the number of holiday gatherings they attend while one in three customers do not plan on hosting gatherings

in their home. According to survey results, more than 40 percent do not plan to travel to visit family and 37 percent will not travel to see friends.

Instead, 22 percent of customers expect to use video gatherings to communicate with loved ones. l Holiday Shopping: Customers are split between a heavy shift toward digital shopping and making in-store purchases. Due to the pandemic, Meijer estimates a roughly 400 percent increase for curbside and delivery services in grocery and select general merchandise throughout the holiday season. l That’s Entertainment: While customers expect to host smaller gatherings, they also expect to spend the same on food, indicating that people want to put out a full table even with fewer attendees.

Survey results state 75 percent of holiday shoppers expect to attend fewer get-togethers where they would traditionally bring food or a www.citizennewspapergroup.com

PRNewsfoto/Meijer

gift, but attendees may be confused about etiquette for gift-giving.

Finally, some of the extra holiday budget is expected to be spent on adapting living spaces – both inside and out – to maintain safe distance.

The survey finds that about eight out of 10 customers expect to decorate as much or more than last year.

In March, one family in Menomonee, Wis. began stringing up lights and unboxing decorations around their home to signal normalcy and togetherness in response to the pandemic. Social posts of their home quickly went viral,

neighbors were inspired to unpack their decorations and, before long, the movement gained international attention. The inspiration spread, and now the idea of decorating more seems to be catching on once again.

“We decided we are going to start decorating for Christmas early, so I plan to buy extra to make both inside and out beautiful this year,” said Trisha Shapiro in her survey response. “The kids are really looking forward to it and I think it could be the family activity that just might make a difference this year.”

CITIZEN | Suburban Times Weekly | Week of Dec. 2, 2020

CST Weekly

Classifieds REAL ESTATES AC 12-2-2020 IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF COOK COUNTY, ILLINOIS COUNTY DEPARTMENT - CHANCERY DIVISION QUICKEN LOANS, LLC Plaintiff, -v.- MICHELLE R. HANKINSON Defendants 2019CH14273 2102 CUMMINGS LN FLOSSMOOR, IL 60422 NOTICE OF SALE PUBLIC NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale entered in the above cause on November 12, 2020, an agent for The Judicial Sales Corporation, will at 10:30 AM on January 4, 2021, at The Judicial Sales Corporation, One South Wacker Drive, CHICAGO, IL, 60606, sell at a public sale to the highest bidder, as set forth below, the following described real estate: Commonly known as 2102 CUMMINGS LN, FLOSSMOOR, IL 60422 Property Index No. 32-06310-009-0000 The real estate is improved with a residence. Sale terms: 25% down of the highest bid by certified funds at the close of the sale payable to The Judicial Sales Corporation. No third party checks will be accepted. The balance, including the Judicial Sale fee for the Abandoned Residential Property Municipality Relief Fund, which is calculated on residential real estate at the rate of $1 for each $1,000 or fraction thereof of the amount paid by the purchaser not to exceed $300, in certified funds/or wire transfer, is due within twentyfour (24) hours. No fee shall be paid by the mortgagee acquiring the residential real estate pursuant to its credit bid at the sale or by any mortgagee, judgment creditor, or other lienor acquiring the residential real estate whose rights in and to the residential real estate arose prior to the sale. The subject property is subject to general real estate taxes, special assessments, or special taxes levied against said real estate and is offered for sale without any representation as to quality or quantity of title and without recourse to Plaintiff and in "AS IS" condition. The sale is further subject to confirmation by the court.

Upon payment in full of the amount bid, the purchaser will receive a Certificate of Sale that will entitle the purchaser to a deed to the real estate after confirmation of the sale.

The property will NOT be open for inspection and plaintiff makes no representation as to the condition of the property. Prospective bidders are admonished to check the court file to verify all information. If this property is a condominium unit, the purchaser of the unit at the foreclosure sale, other than a mortgagee, shall pay the assessments and the legal fees required by The Condominium Property Act, 765 ILCS 605/9(g)(1) and (g)(4). If this property is a condominium unit which is part of a common interest community, the purchaser of the unit at the foreclosure sale other than a mortgagee shall pay the assessments required by The Condominium Property Act, 765 ILCS 605/18.5(g-1). IF YOU ARE THE MORTGAGOR (HOMEOWNER), YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO REMAIN IN POSSESSION FOR 30 DAYS AFTER ENTRY OF AN ORDER OF POSSESSION, IN ACCORDANCE WITH SECTION 15-1701(C) OF THE ILLINOIS MORTGAGE FORECLOSURE LAW. You will need a photo identification issued by a government agency (driver's license, passport, etc.) in order to gain entry into our building and the foreclosure sale room in Cook County and the same identification for sales held at other county venues where The Judicial Sales Corporation conducts foreclosure sales. For information, examine the court file, CODILIS & ASSOCIATES, P.C. Plaintiff's Attorneys, 15W030 NORTH FRONTAGE ROAD, SUITE 100, BURR RIDGE, IL, 60527 (630) 794-9876 THE JUDICIAL SALES CORPORATION One South Wacker Drive, 24th Floor, Chicago, IL 60606-4650 (312) 236-SALE You can also visit The Judicial Sales Corporation at www.tjsc.com for a 7 day status report of pending sales. CODILIS & ASSOCIATES, P.C. 15W030 NORTH FRONTAGE ROAD, SUITE 100 BURR RIDGE IL, 60527 630-794-5300 E-Mail: pleadings@il.cslegal.com Attorney File No. 14-19-11567 Attorney ARDC No. 00468002 Attorney Code. 21762 Case Number: 2019CH14273 TJSC#: 40-2399 NOTE: Pursuant to the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, you are advised that Plaintiff's attorney is deemed to be a debt collector attempting to collect a debt and any information obtained will be used for that purpose.

Case # 2019CH14273 I3160326 ____________________________

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HEALTH 5 Flu Season Tips to Keep Your Household Healthy (StatePoint) Flu season is here, and amid the COVID-19 pandemic, it’s even more important than usual to take steps to avoid getting sick.

Here are five top tips to help your household stay healthy: 1. Wash hands regularly: Make sure every member of the household washes their hands regularly with soap and water for at least 20 seconds each time. This is especially important to do after getting home, before preparing food and after using the bathroom. Even with regular hand-washing, it’s still important to avoid touching your mouth, nose and eyes.

2. Guard against germs: Cold and flu viruses can survive on household surfaces long enough for germs to spread. However, cleaning surfaces with an effective disinfectant can help put a stop to germ transfer. The good news is that you

don’t need harsh chemicals.

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3. Load up on veggies: A nutritious diet can help keep you vital during flu season. Pack a range of immunity-boosting vitamins, minerals and antioxidants into just one meal with a hearty stew of potatoes, carrots, green leafy vegetables, broccoli, beans and lentils. To eliminate pesticides, wax and soil from produce, include a vegetable wash in your meal prep routine, which can be more effective than water alone.

4. Supplement your diet: Consider incorporating a dietary supplement into your family’s daily routine that contains vitamin C, zinc and other immunity-boosters.

5. Practice healthy habits: Getting regular exercise, staying hydrated and getting plenty of shut-eye are all proven ways to protect your health. Be sure to practice these healthy habits.

As COVID-19 continues to place substantial demands on hospitals and healthcare resources, staying healthy and protected against the flu is especially vital. Take steps to boost your immunity and stop the spread of germs. ____________________________

COMMUNITY How People and Businesses Can Reduce Plastic Use, Even During a Pandemic (StatePoint) If your effort to reduce your personal plastic use has fallen by the wayside in recent months, you’re not alone -- reusable bags and containers have gotten a bad rap during the COVID-19 pandemic.

However, a new report shows that they can be a safe, effective way to tackle the global plastic pollution crisis. The new report from Greenpeace USA, “Reusables Are Doable,” available at greenpeace.org/usa/reports/reusab les-are-doable, highlights various reusable programs globally that have continued or can be used during the COVID-19 pandemic by ensuring strong sanitization or contactless systems for cups and containers. The report seeks to assure retailers, restaurants and other large brands that a pandemic doesn’t need to mean shifting toward widespread disposable plastic.

Indeed, 130 health experts have weighed in to reinforce the public health necessity of moving away from single-use plastic and to detail how reusables can be used safely during a pandemic.“At a time when communities of color are disproportionately impacted by both the plastic pollution crisis and COVID-19, reusable systems are not only possible right now, they are needed more than ever,” says Greenpeace USA plastics campaigner, David Pinsky. “Reusable systems can protect workers, customers and our environment by meeting basic hygiene and distancing requirements, and can help get people back to work.” According to the report, here are just a few of the reusable systems and companies that can instill confidence during the pandemic: • Contactless coffee systems have been embraced by hundreds of cafes worldwide to minimize waste.

With this system, a customer places their reusable cup on the counter, backs away, and allows the barista to fill it with a separate cup that doesn’t touch the customer’s.

• Loop, which launched in 2019, offers well-known grocery brands to customers in reusable containers.

The company collects used containers, sanitizes them according to FDA standards, and uses them for future products. Loop has reported a sales increase during the pandemic.

• The Wally Shop, which recently expanded nationally, and Zero, also offer grocery delivery with reusable containers.

• To-go reusable models such as CupClub enable customers to borrow a reusable cup, use it, then return it at a drop-off point to be cleaned.

• Takeout meal systems such as Dispatch Goods partner with local restaurants to provide meals in reusable containers that customers return for commercial cleaning.

• Algramo, based in Chile, uses vending machines and an electric vehicle delivery service that allows people to pay for only the amount of product they need in reusable containers.

“It is time for restaurants, retailers and all food businesses to end their reliance on useless plastic packaging, bags and containers,” says Pinsky. “Individuals who want to see continued action on the plastic pollution crisis can get involved by encouraging their favorite businesses to continue to prioritize reuse in ways that maintain proper hygiene and safety.” ____________________________

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8 | CITIZEN | Suburban Times Weekly | Week of Dec. 2, 2020

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