Citizen Suburban Times Weekly 12-19-2018

Citizen Week of Dec. 19, 2018

| Vol. 2 | No. 19 | www.thechicagocitizen.com

SUBURBAN TIMES WEEKLY

The Village of Matteson is hosting a Sokoni Pop Up Shop at 4515 Lincoln Highway from now until Dec. 23. Photo Credit: 37 Oaks Consulting

SOKONI POP UP SHOP OPEN IN SOUTH SUBURBS

From now until Dec. 23, the Village of Matteson along with 37 Oaks Consulting is hosting a Sokoni Pop Up Shop at 4515 Lincoln Highway as a way to offer residents from the community and surrounding neighborhoods an opportunity to support small businesses and have a unique holiday shopping experience. SEE PAGE 6

ART SCENE

TRAVEL

Literary Arts: Union Institute & University faculty member Dr. Stewart Burns Releases New Publication About Dr. King PAGE 2

What You Need to Know About Timeshares PAGE 2

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POLITISCOPE Trump administration seeks to strip more people of citizenship PAGE 4

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advertising@thechicagocitizen.com thechicagocitizen@thechicagocitiz www.facebook.com/durrell.garth.9 www.thechicagocitizen.com

2 | CITIZEN | Suburban Times Weekly | Week of Dec. 19, 2018

ART SCENE

Literary Arts: Union Institute & University faculty member Dr. Stewart Burns Releases New Publication About Dr. King Dr. Stewart Burns just completed the updated second edition of his award-winning book on Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., "To the Mountaintop, 2nd Edition: Martin Luther King's Mission and its Meaning for America (HarperCollins)."

Jim Wallis, New York Times bestselling author, wrote the following in his review, "This book is the best treatment of Martin Luther King's faith that I have seen, and an incredibly thorough exploration of the ways faith was fundamentally central to Dr. King's vision, action, and perspective on mission and civil rights. We see the full extent of what it means to form a spiritual commitment to justice, activism, and equality, and are reminded of what we are called

to do for others, our society, and ourselves. This edition presents a strikingly nuanced and human vision of the civil rights leader and reverend we are all familiar with."

Dr. Burns chairs Union Institute & University's Ethical & Creative Leadership concentration in the Interdisciplinary Ph.D. program, and shares leadership of its Martin Luther King Jr. Studies specialization.

He is a highly regarded historian of the civil rights movement, author or editor of eight books, former editor of the King Papers at Stanford University, where he also taught U.S. History before joining Union.

He has been a nonviolent activist for most of his life, and for over a quarter century engaged in interracial healing in higher education.

Dr. Nadine Wheat, who directs Union's Master of Science in Organizational Leadership and Undergraduate Business Programs and Dr. Debra Henson, adjunct professor, co-authored "She Crabs In a Barrel: Women in Business."

The book explores the underpinnings of women supporting each other in business for the betterment of all.

Written for all who need guidance in the workplace and want to overcome the "if I can't succeed, neither can you" mentality, Wheat and Henson start with the metaphor of crabs in a bucket being trapped, not realizing that while any one crab could easily escape, its efforts are undermined by others, ensuring the group's collective demise. The book

covers the areas of trust, fear, feeling threatened or rejected, jealousy, envy, and asking for help.

Dr. Arlene Sacks, Union's associate vice president for Academic Affairs, has updated her seminal textbook, "Special Education, A Reference Book for Policy and Curriculum Development (Grey House Publishing)," that details the history of special education. In the introduction, Dr. Sacks states, "The intent of this book is to present readers with all the information they need to obtain full understanding of how special education can serve as a model for all education. Special education, frequently viewed solely as an outgrowth of regular education, actually developed from several disciplines. Historical accounts de-

scribe special education as a product of superstition, abandonment, and elimination of such persons identified as mentally or physically disabled, whereas religious influences, primarily Christianity, gave rise to a more humane treatment of the disabled."

Union is a nationwide university with academic centers in Florida, Ohio and California. UI&U serves a diverse population of students as an institution accredited by the Higher Learning Commission. The university has been recognized by the U.S. Department of Education Office of Postsecondary Education as a Hispanic Serving Institution (HIS) with more than 25% of undergraduate students being Hispanic adult learners at UI&U.

TRAVEL

What You Need to Know About Timeshares StatePoint - It’s estimated that at any given time, there are over 1 million timeshare owners looking to end their timeshare ownership.

Unfortunately, exiting a timeshare is more complex than many people realize.

“Timeshare owners are never more vulnerable than when they’ve made the decision to end their ownership. The resale market is flooded, resorts have stacked the deck and con artists are waiting to take advantage of your situation,” says Gordon Newton, president of Newton Group Transfers and author of “The Consumer’s Guide to Timeshare Exit.”

There are several personal or financial reasons you may want or need to exit your timeshare, and there are several ways to do so, be it via a sale, transfer or cancellation. No matter how you part ways with your timeshare, Newton says it’s important to protect yourself by having a better handle on the industry. He offers the following insights to anyone who owns a timeshare: • The fine print in your timeshare agreements may be the reason you can’t sell it.

Many resort developers see the resale market as a direct threat to their revenue stream and have accordingly rigged the system in their favor. For example, some resorts restrict rights and benefits for owners who purchase their timeshares on the resale market, intentionally devaluing your timeshare while also making it harder for you to unload.

• Only sign an agreement offering you real protections in your timeshare exit. Specifically, any agent you hire should be aligned with

If your timeshare has become more of a liability than a joy, you’re not alone. But you can take steps to part ways with your timeshare efficiently, safely and with care.

your interests, agreeing in writing to cover all timeshare fees – or legal fees - that arise during the exit process for a flat fee.

• Research your exit company’s credentials (through the Better Business Bureau, the state’s attorney general, consumer protection agencies and a general internet search) looking for a minimum five-year track record of success. Beware of companies that make it

hard for you to research them.

• Be wary of timeshare exit companies boasting “attorneys on staff.” Those attorneys will be acting in the best interests of the company, not yours.

• If an exit deal sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Be wary of phone solicitors telling you someone has a buyer, anyone advising you to stop paying your timeshare mortgage

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or maintenance fees, “donate your timeshare” programs, or anyone marketing a guaranteed timeframe for the exit. These are all red flags.

For more tips and insights, visit myexitguide.com to download a free copy of “The Consumer’s Guide to Timeshare Exit,” a recently updated guide created to help consumers avoid scams when ending their timeshare ownership. Or call 888-344-9776.

CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK

© 2018 The Coca-Cola Company. All Rights Reserved.

CITIZEN | Suburban Times Weekly | Week of Dec. 19, 2018

Coke Holiday - 10x13 - Joy Chicago Citizen_Watts Times

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4 | CITIZEN | Suburban Times Weekly | Week of Dec. 19, 2018

POLITISCOPE

Trump administration seeks to strip more people of citizenship

BY CASSANDRA BURKE ROBERTSON AND IRINA D. MANTA

U.S. government officials are making a coordinated effort to find evidence of immigration fraud by reexamining the files of immigrants who became U.S. citizens.

They are searching for cases where individuals used more than one identity or concealed prior deportation orders before filing for citizenship. Such evidence may provide grounds to strip citizenship from those who allegedly gained it unlawfully.

While the program is not new – it began under the Obama administration – the Trump administration has announced an intention to significantly expand it. More than 700,000 cases in which individuals were granted citizenship are under review.

The Department of Justice announced in January 2018 that it expects to file actions to revoke citizenship against approximately 1,600 people. Six months later, the United States announced plans to hire “several dozen lawyers and immigration officers” to staff a new office focused on this work.

Over the past 30 years, the government has sought to revoke citizenship only on a case-bycase basis after becoming aware of individual wrongdoing. As a result, prosecutors filed around a dozen cases each year to revoke citizenship – a process called denaturalization.

The Trump administration has sharply increased the number of denaturalization attempts already, filing 25 cases in 2017 and another 20 during the first half of 2018.

We are law professors who have studied the court records in the most recent cases. Our review of

Cassandra Burke Robertson

Irina D. Manta

the court filings suggests that the government’s litigation procedures carry a disturbingly high risk of mistakenly taking away citizenship from someone who committed neither crime nor fraud.

revoke citizenship demonstrates this expansion.

Here’s the story: In 1991, a 17-year-old Punjabi male with no travel documentation arrived in California seeking asylum. He was taken into custody, and a translator recorded his name as Davinder Singh. At his request, he was released to friends in New Jersey and ordered to appear in court in January 1992. When he didn’t show up to court on the day he was directed to appear, the court issued a deportation order. We don’t know if he left the country.

Less than a month later, someone with the same set of fingerprints but the name Baljinder Singh filed for asylum in the same New Jersey court. The court found that the case had enough merit to proceed. Eventually, Baljinder Singh became a citizen.

More than 25 years later, the government, under Operation Janus, matched the two sets of fingerprints and alleged that Singh intentionally used a fraudulent identity to get a second chance to seek asylum and get citizenship.

In January 2018, the government officially revoked his citizenship.

At first glance, this case may

LOOKING FOR FRAUD, FINDING ERRORS The original purpose of the program, which the Obama administration initiated in 2016 and called Operation Janus, was to identify people who might create a risk to national security.

It narrowly targeted individuals who “naturalized using false identities to hide their criminal past.” In other words, anyone who immigrated honestly had no reason to worry about losing citizenship.

However, the Trump administration’s tougher stance on immigration means enforcement has expanded beyond cases involving serious crimes or terrorist threats.

This tougher enforcement risks sweeping in mere clerical errors.

Cases are being filed against individuals with no criminal history or connections to terror groups. The first Operation Janus case that resulted in an order to

seem straightforward.

But in an article forthcoming in the New York University Law Review, we explain how the discrepancy in name could have easily resulted from a translator’s error rather than from intentional fraud.

We don’t know exactly what happened to Singh. We have not been able to locate him, and no news articles about his case include interviews with him.

However, the evidence shows that the way denaturalization cases are being litigated makes it difficult for the justice system to distinguish between fraud and bureaucratic error.

CITIZENSHIP VULNERABILITIES For example, Singh lost his citizenship without ever appearing in court to defend himself, either personally or through an attorney. Our review of the 2017-18 court records reveals it’s possible he didn’t know a denaturalization case had been filed against him.

Even when defendants learn that an action has been filed, other hurdles remain. A defendant may have moved far away – even out of the country – and not be able to afford to travel to court.

Defendants with enough money can hire an attorney to appear on their behalf. But hiring legal representation can be expensive, and there is no right to an appointed attorney in such cases. Failing to show up means that the court will hear from only the government’s side – and will likely accept the allegations as true.

In Singh’s case, the court concluded that his failure to report earlier proceedings under a different name arose from an intent to deceive – and not from a mere

transcription error or misunderstanding.

Singh’s case is the first of many that the government plans to pursue. We do not believe that the underlying evidence in Singh’s case clearly shows fraud, criminality or any national security risk. It also wasn’t clear that he had notice of the hearing or an opportunity to defend himself.

Combined, these factors undermine confidence in the system.

More broadly, they create fear among naturalized citizens.

People justifiably worry their own citizenship could be vulnerable in future cases.

We argue that the Constitution’s guarantee of due process requires heightened procedural protections when citizenship is at risk. That means requiring personal notice, a right to counsel for indigent defendants and a time limit for bringing cases, which would increase confidence that citizenship would not be revoked for minor errors or bureaucratic mistakes.

Citizenship is more than just a personal interest. In the words of the Supreme Court, confidence in the stability of citizenship affects the “very nature of our free government.”

If future Operation Janus cases follow the same trajectory as the Singh case, they risk undermining the very idea of equality of citizenship in our democracy.

Cassandra Burke Robertson is a Professor of Law and Director of the Center for Professional Ethics at Case Western Reserve University Irina D. Manta is a Professor of Law and Director of the Center for Intellectual Property Law at Hofstra University

NEWS

Tax reform law makes changes to employee achievement award rules The IRS is reminding employers that last year’s Tax Cuts and Jobs Act made changes to several programs that can affect an employer's bottom line and its employees' deductions. This includes employee achievement awards.

Under previous law, employers could deduct the cost of certain employee achievement awards. Deductible awards were excludible from employee income. Under the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, there is now a prohibition on cash, gift cards and other

non-tangible personal property as employee achievement awards. Special rules allow an employee to exclude certain achievement awards from their wages if the awards are tangible personal property.

The new law clarifies that tangible

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personal property doesn’t include cash, cash equivalents, gift cards, gift coupons, certain gift certificates, tickets to theater or sporting events, vacations, meals, lodging, stocks, bonds, securities, and other similar items.

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CITIZEN | Suburban Times Weekly | Week of Dec. 19, 2018

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THE LEADING LADY GETS HER CLOSEUP.

Call 1-800-xfinity, visit an Xfinity Store or go to xfinity.com

Restrictions apply. Not available in all areas. Xfinity On Demand requires Xfinity TV service. ©2018 Comcast. All rights reserved.

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The best connections have always been wireless, and you can stay connected this season with Xfinity. Watch Netflix and YouTube right on your TV. Even stream your holiday favorites on any device with the Xfinity Stream app, powered by the best WiFi experience. Plus, save money when you switch to Xfinity Mobile. That’s how Xfinity makes the holidays simple, easy, awesome.

6 | CITIZEN | Suburban Times Weekly | Week of Dec. 19, 2018

NEWS

The Cato Corporation Pays $3.5 Million to Settle EEOC Systemic Investigation

Charitable donation helps support efforts to serve 180,000 meals in 5 American cities The Alliance for Physical Therapy Quality and Innovation (APTQI) recently announced its support for Rise Against Hunger, a national nonprofit dedicated to ending hunger by 2030, by donating $25,000 to help feed Americans in need. The donation will be used to support one of Rise Against Hunger’s signature Meal Packaging Events in 5 cities. “As advocates for good health and wellness, we are proud to help address hunger, an issue that impacts individuals and families across the globe,” said Nick Patel, executive director of APTQI. “The APTQI is proud to support Rise Against Hunger’s Meal Packaging Events to continue our commitment to charitable giving.”

Rise Against Hunger operates meal packaging locations in 25 cities throughout the U.S. and five international locations in South Africa, Malaysia, the Philippines, Italy and India. In the past year, more than 398,000 volunteers from corporations, churches, schools and civic organizations packaged Rise Against Hunger meals.

The Cato Corporation, a leading retailer of women’s fashion and accessories, has agreed to pay $3.5 million to resolve a nationwide, systemic investigation conducted jointly out of the Chicago and Philadelphia Offices of the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Com­mission (EEOC), the federal agency announced recently.

The Cato Corporation, based in Charlotte, N.C., has also agreed to update its reasonable accommodation policies to ensure there is no discrimination against pregnant employees or those with disabilities.

The EEOC’s investigation found that The Cato Corporation denied reasonable accommodations to certain pregnant employees or those with disabilities, made certain employees take unpaid leaves of absence, and/or terminated them because of their disabilities.

Failing to accommodate pregnant women with restrictions and limitations violates Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Denying employees with disabilities job modifications, leaves of absence or returns to work as reasonable accommodations violates the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).

The agreement between EEOC and The Cato Corporation provides for a claims process to distribute the $3.5 million to Cato employees who were terminated due to their pregnancy or disabilities. The Cato Corporation has also agreed to revise its employment policies to more fully consider whether medical restrictions of its pregnant employees or those with disabilities can

Tax reform law makes changes to employee achievement award rules The IRS is reminding employers that last year’s Tax Cuts and Jobs Act made changes to several programs that can affect an employer's bottom line and its employees' deductions. This includes employee achievement awards.

Under previous law, employers could deduct the cost of certain employee achievement awards.

Deductible awards were excludible from employee income. Under the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, there is now a prohibition on cash, gift cards and other non-tangible personal property as employee achievement awards. Special rules allow an employee to exclude certain achievement awards from their wages if the awards are tangible personal property. The new law clarifies that tangible personal property doesn’t include cash, cash equivalents, gift cards, gift coupons, certain gift certificates, tickets to theater or sporting events, vacations, meals, lodging, stocks, bonds, securities, and other similar items.

be reasonably accommodated. The Cato Corporation will also conduct companywide training for over 10,000 of its employees and report to the EEOC periodic­ally for three years on its responses to requests for reasonable accommodation by pregnant employees or those with disabilities.

“Giving employees a job modification that allows them to continue working can be a critical reasonable accommodation for pregnant women or people with disabilities when they really need that paycheck,” said EEOC Chicago District Director Julianne Bowman.

EEOC Philadelphia District Director Jamie R. Williamson added, “We commend The Cato Corporation for entering into a voluntary settlement and for making meaningful policy changes so that employees with disabilities and women with pregnancy-related impairments will get the reasonable accom­modations they need to remain employed.”

The charges were investigated by staff in the EEOC’s Philadelphia and Chicago District Offices. The EEOC’s Office of Enterprise Data and Analytics also assisted in the investigation.

One of the six national priorities identified by the Commission's Strategic Enforcement Plan (SEP) is for the EEOC to address emerging and developing issues in equal employment law, including issues involving the ADA and pregnancy-related limitations.

The EEOC advances opportunity in the workplace by enforcing federal laws prohibiting employ­ment discrimination. More information is available at www.eeoc.gov.

COMMUNITY

Sokoni Pop Up Shop Open In South Suburbs Continued from page 1

BY KATHERINE NEWMAN

From now until Dec. 23, the Village of Matteson along with 37 Oaks Consulting is hosting a Sokoni Pop Up Shop at 4515 Lincoln Highway as a way to offer residents from the community and surrounding neighborhoods an opportunity to support small businesses and have a unique holiday shopping experience.

The Pop Up Shop is open Thursday from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., Friday and Saturday 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. and has products from vendors that are based locally in Matteson and Chicago and from across the country all the way from Maryland to Los Angeles.

Sokoni is a sub-brand of 37 Oaks Consulting, a company that provides a unique combination of innovative retail and economic development counseling. Sokoni provides a carefully crafted retail experience both online and through popup shops that allow small businesses to expand their exposure to consumers while also providing more boutique style shopping options.

“37 Oaks is a retail consulting firm and what makes us unique is that we concentrate on the intersection of retail, innovation, and econom-

“37 OAKS IS A RETAIL CONSULTING FIRM AND WHAT MAKES US UNIQUE IS THAT WE CONCENTRATE ON THE INTERSECTION OF RETAIL, INNOVATION, AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND A LOT OF WHAT WE DO HAS A COMMUNITY IMPACT ELEMENT TO IT. TERRAND SMITH Founder and CEO of 37 Oaks Consulting.

ic development and a lot of what we do has a community impact element to it. We work with municipalities, we work with small retail business owners, we work with manufacturers of products, we work with a lot of different organizations and people within retail,” said Terrand Smith, founder and CEO of 37 Oaks Consulting.

The Sokoni Matteson Pop-Up Shop has unique gifts ranging from clothing items to hair and beauty products, to home decor, herbs and spices, teas, and much more from brands across the country that have recognized the potential buying power in Chicago’s south suburbs and want to share their products with residents.

“These are brands that are interested in the

Matteson area and they want to test the market and get some customer feedback to see how they could grow their business there without making that full-time investment,” said Smith.

All of the brands that are represented at the Sokoni Pop-Up in Matteson are from blackowned businesses and a majority of the businesses are also women-owned, according to Smith.

“Because of the demographics of Matteson, which is a predominately African American community, it just so happened that African American vendors were attracted to that. We didn’t require that or screen for that it just so happened that this year all of the brands that applied for Sokoni Matteson were black-owned,” said Smith.

Smith said she hopes that through the Matteson Pop-Up Shop, small businesses will be able to discover a new market for their products and consider opening up a storefront in the community.

“I think for Matteson this is a really good opportunity to bring new and different products to the community that they may not get and it’s also a way to cultivate and grow smaller businesses,” said Smith.

To learn more about Sokoni and shop online visit sokonistore.com

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NEWS

District 148 grad continues to spread message of goodwill RIVERDALE – A kind-hearted Washington Junior High School graduate whose generosity captured widespread attention last year continues to emanate goodwill in the community.

Jayera Griffin recently donated $1,000 for school supplies and a wagon brimming with book bags to her alma mater elementary district: Dolton West School District 148. She said she believes having school supplies is “a right and not a privilege.”

“I noticed at the beginning of the school year there was an abundance of school supplies available, which is a very good thing. But as the school year progresses, things change,” Jayera said during the District 148 School Board meeting in late November.

“Some school supplies are absent, some school supplies are inadequate and some are completely depleted, before winter break. This may leave the student without school supplies for the majority of the school year. This is not acceptable. Because of this, I would like to donate school supplies to the entire school district so that every child has supplies, no matter the circumstances.”

District 148 is overwhelmed by the Riverdale teen’s ongoing acts of kindness.

“We were so impressed last year by the maturity, intelligence and compassion Jayera displayed while she was a student at Washington Junior High. We certainly miss having her in our District, but we are delighted that her spirit of generosity is continuing into her high school years. We commend her parents for instilling in Jayera the importance of community service,” said District 148 Superintendent of Schools Dr. Kevin J. Nohelty.

During the 2017-18 school year and immediately before the start of the current one, Jayera was involved in several Free Community Wash Days at Mama’s Coin Laundry. The 2018 Washington Junior High School graduate and Valedictorian of her 8th Grade Graduating Class, initially wanted simply to provide free washes at the local Laundromat for her fellow students and the community.

Her efforts generated a flurry of

Jayera Griffin (pictured) recently donated $1,000 for school supplies and a wagon brimming with book bags to her alma mater elementary district: Dolton West School District 148.

responses and offers of donations from far and wide.

Clorox partnered with Jayera during the Free Community Wash Days she held this past summer. The business provided funding for the laundry facility’s costs and donated products toward Jayera’s cause.

The 15-year-old went on to lead and participate in other service projects throughout the summer months. She began collecting funds with the goal of providing school supplies for one classroom. As the funds grew, so did her reach.

“If a child loses his pencil,

please give him one. If a child does not have crayons, please supply them. School supplies are a basic necessity for school,” Jayera told District 148 leaders. “There should be no reason why the kids in School District 148, my school district, are not successful.”

District 148 serves approximately 2,260 students and their families in sections of Dolton, Riverdale, Harvey and South Holland. The District has one early childhood center, six elementary schools and three junior high schools.

CITGO Awards 20 Students Through Innovation Scholarship Program CITGO Petroleum Corporation recently presented twenty scholarships to the recipients of its inaugural CITGO Innovation Scholarship

Program, an initiative within the CITGO STEM Talent Pipeline. Each student will receive a $2,000 scholarship for undergraduate study. The

awards may be renewed for up to three additional years, or until undergraduate studies are completed.

Each recipient was selected www.thechicagocitizen.com

on the basis of academic record, demonstrated leadership and participation in school and community activities, work experience, an essay,

unusual personal or family circumstances, and an outside appraisal. Of the 20 recipients, 16 are the first in their family to attend college.

8 | CITIZEN | Suburban Times Weekly | Week of Dec. 19, 2018

Make rent a thing of the past.

With a down payment as low as 3% for modest-income buyers, Bank of America makes affording a new home easier than ever.1 To get started call 1-800-641-8603 or visit your local financial center.

BankofAmerica.com /FirstHome

Available for fixed-rate purchase loans with terms of 25 or 30 years and on primary residences only. Certain property types are ineligible. Borrower(s) must not have an individual or joint ownership interest in any other residential property at time of closing. Maximum purchase loan-to-value is 97% and maximum combined purchase loan-to-value is 103%.

For loan-to-values >95% any secondary financing must be from an approved Community Second Program; ask for details. Homebuyer education may be required. Restrictions apply regarding co-borrowers. Maximum income and loan amount limits apply.

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Equal Housing Lender Š2018 Bank of America Corporation. Credit and collateral are subject to approval. Terms and conditions apply. This is not a commitment to lend. Programs, rates, terms and conditions are subject to change without notice. AR98CFM5