Suburban times february 14 2018

Week of February 14 | Vol 1 • No 27 • www.cstweekly.com

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Prairie State College in Chicago Heights recently received a federal grant from the U.S. Economic Development Administration to help fund the development of mobile training facilities that will bring on-site job training in welding, computer numeric control(CNC), and robotics to companies across the south suburbs.

Prairie State College Developing Mobile Training Centers More Inside Community > PAGE 3

w GSU Students Deliver Inspiring Performance ARTSCENE > P2

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w Black Americans mostly left behind by progress since Dr. King’s death POLITSCOPE > P3

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Black Americans left behind by progress since Dr. King’s death Students Delivermostly Inspiring Performance

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ARTSCENE

GSU Students Deliver Inspiring Performance “I taught Bradford some quick, simple signs that would be easy to remember, like instead of spelling the name Franklin, just to sign the letter F. And instead of saying the full line in the play, to break it down. Because really, in ASL, we rarely say complete sentences.

We tend to break it down.”

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iffany Sampson never thought of herself as an actor. The Governors State University (GSU) senior, who lost her hearing when she was just eight years old, took to the stage recently, though, in a Theatre and Performance Studies (TAPS) Performance Spotlight production.

“She has a wonderful ability to connect to feelings and express them physically through her gestures, movement, and the use of her body,” said GSU acting coach Cheryl Graeff. “What was remarkable to me about Tiffany’s work at the Spotlight Hour was how she found herself in the multiple layers of [her character].”

Sampson and her co-star— hearing-capable Bradford Simmons—enacted a scene from Children of a Lesser God, a 1980 Tony-winning Broadway play adapted into a 1986 film that garnered the first and only Academy Award win for a deaf person by actress Marlee Matlin. As the students acted out the scene,

Simmons spoke his lines, but also used ASL—a communication method he hadn’t known prior to the production. In just two and a half weeks of preparation for their performance, Sampson taught Simmons sign language for their scene using videos and online tutorials, and she encouraged him to use his own signs that made sense to him.

“I taught Bradford some quick, simple signs that would be easy to remember, like instead of spelling the name Franklin, just to sign the letter F. And instead of saying the full line in the play, to break it down. Because really, in ASL, we rarely say complete sentences. We tend to break it down.”

Sampson is one of a small handful of students who require hearing assistance at GSU. She said the GSU Office of Disability Services has helped her excel by providing an interpreter and note taker for classes. In addition, Director of Student Disability Services Robin Sweeney took on the de facto role of academic advisor for Sampson and encouraged her to explore the

Interdisciplinary Studies (IDSS) major, which offers more flexibility to achieve the student’s life goals.

Sampson’s goal? She wants to help those who can hear speak to those who can’t.

“I want to educate hearing people about deafness. When a hearing couple has a deaf child, they try to fix the child instead of accepting that the child has a disability.

The disability is not stopping them.

Just because a child is deaf does not mean they are broken—they are just deaf," Sampson said.

Sampson feels strongly that GSU students, both hearing and non-hearing, could also benefit from classes about deaf culture.

“I want to see more deaf education and sign language courses offered here. Hearing people need to learn how to sign,” she said.

Sweeney said Sampson is inspiring both on and off stage.

"She's so dedicated, so persistent.

She really amazes me. I'm honored to work with students like Tiffany.

Students like her are why I do what I do."

TRAVEL Princess Cruises Unveils Artwork for Newest Stephen Schwartz ST

Princess Cruises recently revealed the artwork for "The Secret Silk," the third production created in collaboration with Oscar-, Tony- and Grammy award-winning composer Stephen Schwartz ("Wicked", "Pippin", "Godspell"). Created

by Katie Rodgers of Paper Fashion, the "The Secret Silk" artwork was commissioned specifically to reflect the whimsical nature of the production.

A remarkable tale of adventure, romance, and enchantment that features familiar music and brings together some of Broadway's best to transport audiences onboard, the new show was created and directed

by Tony Award-nominated John Tartaglia ("Avenue Q", "Sesame Street"). "The Secret Silk" debuts exclusively on Royal Princess starting in mid-February 2018, while the ship is sailing the Caribbean.

Princess Cruises Unveils Artwork for Newest Stephen Schwartz Pro"The Secret Silk" is the story of an duction “The Secret Silk” Asian folkloric tale with a contemporary spin, featuring inspired performances Jim Henson's Creature Shop, and an original song, through the use of music, dance, puppetry and "Sing to the Sky," both created exclusively for the special effects. Adapted from the ancient fable "The production.

Grateful Crane," the story features Lan, a beautiful, "Working on the poster design for The Secret selfless young woman who possesses a magical gift, Silk has been a wonderful creative opportunity," secretly creating brilliant silk fabrics. Audiences will said artist Katie Rodgers. "I love taking a script and be introduced to original life-size puppetry from seeing where the words take me artistically. 'The advertising@cstweekly.com

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Secret Silk' has an air of mystery to it which I love to recreate with my paintings."

Rodgers is the artist and illustrator behind the fanciful world of Paper Fashion. Since childhood, Rodgers has been bringing her imaginations to life through fantastical artwork which effortlessly dances around the tiles of Instagram. Known for her elegant and often animated Shadow Dancers, her work has been commissioned by the likes of Cartier, Jaeger-LeCoultre, Estee Lauder, Perrier Jouet, Disney, Focus Features, Harper's Bazaar, and Swarovski, among others.

"The Secret Silk" premieres aboard Royal Princess, followed by Island Princess in May 2018 for the Alaska season, and Diamond Princess sailing Japan in fall 2018.

In addition to "The Secret Silk," Princess Cruises' partnership with Stephen Schwartz has premiered "Magic to Do" and "Born to Dance" onboard select ships in the fleet. This theatrical partnership adds to the cruise line's Come Back New Promise, a multi-million dollar investment to enhance the onboard guest experience, ultimately resulting in more transformative moments, lifetime memories and meaningful stories to share from a cruise vacation.

Additional information about Princess Cruises is available through a professional travel agent, by calling 1-800-PRINCESS (1-800-774-6237), or by visiting the company's website at princess.com.

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COMMUNITY

Prairie State College Developing Mobile Training Centers CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

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By: Katherine Newman

rairie State College in Chicago Heights recently received a $938,447 federal grant from the U.S. Economic Development Administration to help fund the development of mobile training facilities that will bring on-site job training in welding, computer numeric control(CNC), and robotics to companies across the south suburbs.

The grant will go towards building two 53 foot semi-trailers which will be outfitted with hands-on and virtual training equipment. One trailer will be outfitted with welding equipment and the other trailer will be CNC and robotics equipment, according to Craig Schmidt, vice president of community and economic development at Prairie State College.

“Our intent is to work with local business and instead of the employees coming to the college for training we are actually bringing the training to them. This way, we can do it either before, during, or after their shift depending on what we work out with the company,” said Schmidt. “We

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would utilize a classroom at the company site and then when it came time for the hands-on stuff, we would have the trailer there to do the hands-on lab portions.”

The school already has programs on campus to train individuals in welding, CNC, and robotics. With this grant, they will be able to travel to local businesses, schools, and communities to increase interest in the programs and offer more accessible opportunities for training.

“Our initial intent is to bring this training to companies to up-skill the current employees, but our hope is to go to some of our local communities where resources are scarce so we can provide training in the hopes of helping individuals to earn a skill so they can get a job,” said Schmidt. “Also, to work with our local high school and middle schools to start getting them interested in the manufacturing industry.”

Schmidt hopes to have the trailers completed and ready for trainees this fall. He said they are planning to train about 300 people in the first two years of operation based on commitments they received, while putting the grant together, from interested companies.

“Our initial intent is to bring this training to companies to up-skill the current employees, but our hope is to go to some of our local communities where resources are scarce so we can provide training in the hopes of helping individuals to earn a skill so they can get a job,”

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POLITISCOPE

Black Americans mostly left behind by progress since Dr. King’s death On Apr. 4, 1968, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated in Memphis, Tennessee, while assisting striking sanitation workers.

That was almost 50 years ago. Back then, the Sharon Austin wholesale racial integration required by the 1964 Civil Rights Act was just beginning to chip away at discrimination in education, jobs and public facilities. Black voters had only obtained legal protections two years earlier, and the 1968 Fair Housing Act was about to become law.

African-Americans were only beginning to move into neighborhoods, colleges and careers once reserved for whites only.

I’m too young to remember those days. But hearing my parents talk about the late 1960s, it sounds in some ways like another world. Numerous African-Americans now hold positions of power, from mayor to governor to corporate chief executive – and, yes, once upon a time, president. The U.S. is a very different place than it was 50 years ago.

Or is it? As a scholar of minority politics, I know that while some things have improved markedly for black Americans since 1968, today we are still fighting many of the same battles as Dr. King did in his day.

That was then The 1960s were tumultuous years indeed. During the long, hot summers from 1965 to 1968, American cities saw approximately 150 race riots and other uprisings. The protests were a sign of profound citizen anger about a nation

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that was, according to the National Advisory Commission on Civil Disorders, “moving toward two societies, one black, one white — separate and unequal.”

Economically, that was certainly true. In 1968, just 10 percent of whites lived below the poverty level, while nearly 34 percent of African-Americans did. Likewise, just 2.6 percent of white job seekers were unemployed, compared to 6.7 percent of black job seekers.

A year before his death, Dr. King and others began organizing a Poor People’s Campaign to “dramatize the plight of America’s poor of all races and make very clear that they are sick and tired of waiting for a better life.”

On May 28, 1968, one month after King’s assassination, the mass anti-poverty march took place. Individuals from across the nation erected a tent city on the National Mall, in Washington, CONTINUED ON PAGE 4 www.cstweekly.com

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FOOD

Healthier Soul Food Cookbook Takes Fresh Approach to Traditional Recipes The Healthier Traditions Cookbook: Soul Food, a healthy twist on traditional Southern dishes, features 17 classic recipes and is available for complimentary download today. The cookbook, a collaboration of Transamerica Center for Health Studies® (TCHS) with the Association of Black Women Physicians (ABWP), helps maintain the integrity of these soul food dishes, while identifying easy steps people can take to enjoy healthier versions. Each recipe was adapted and tested by two nutritionists to ensure an increase in nutritional value and decrease in caloric value.

According to the American Heart Association, “heart disease is the No. 1 killer for all Americans, and stroke is also a leading cause of death. As frightening as those statistics are, the risks of getting those diseases are even higher for African-Americans. High blood pressure, obesity and diabetes are the most common conditions that increase the risk of heart disease and stroke.” The American Heart Association highlights more startling statistics: Cardiovascular diseases kill nearly 50,000 African-American women annually.

Of African-American women ages 20 and older, 49 percent have heart diseases.

Only 1 in 5 African-American women believes she is personally at risk.

Only 52 percent of African-American women are aware of the signs and symptoms of a heart attack.

Only 36 percent of African-American women know that heart disease is their greatest health risk.

Recipes in the cookbook include Red Beans and Rice, Gumbo, Pan-fried Catfish, Smothered Pork Chops, and Peach Cobbler, and have

a breakdown of the calories, fat, cholesterol, sodium, carbohydrate, fiber and protein content of the dish. In addition, how-to videos that highlight the preparation of some of the dishes are available on TCHS’s website and YouTube channel.

“Transamerica Center for Health Studies is proud to partner with the Association of Black Women Physicians to create a soul food cookbook that increases the nutritional value of these recipes while keeping the heartiness of Southern favorites,” said Hector De La Torre, executive

director of TCHS. “This is the third cookbook we have prepared and, consistent with our values, these recipes help to improve health and wellness. Soul food and Southern cuisine have a history as rich as their flavors, and this cookbook includes interesting facts about soul food history, in addition to helpful nutrition facts.”

With the impact of obesity, high blood pressure, and diabetes on the African-American community, the recipes are both nutritious and flavorful, and can help to empower healthier choices around the dinner table. For example, nutritionists make simple substitutions like swapping out regular flour for whole wheat flour in cornbread, and replacing bacon while keeping the smoky flavor with paprika in collard greens.

“The Association of Black Women Physicians empowers Black Women to lead in health and wellness for ourselves and the community through premiere educational programs, resources, and partnerships like this one with Transamerica Center for Health Studies that help to spur healthier eating choices,” said Sherril Rieux, M.D., from the Association of Black Women Physicians. “Our patients are always asking for ways to eat healthier, and this cookbook was a great way to highlight the health benefits of dishes that have brought happy memories to families for generations.”

The Healthier Traditions cookbook complements other ABWP initiatives like its wellness workshops, which are organized, implemented and facilitated by physician volunteers. The series is offered in community forums to educate families about diabetes, hypertension, asthma, HIV/AIDS, obesity, and general health and wellness issues. These workshops serve as a bridge between health providers to empower individuals to be more active participants in their own health care.

Black Americans mostly left behind by progress since Dr. King’s death CONTINUED FROM PAGE 3

calling it Resurrection City. The aim was to bring attention to the problems associated with poverty.

Ralph Abernathy, an African-American minister, led the way in his fallen friend’s place.

“We come with an appeal to open the doors of America to the almost 50 million Americans who have not been given a fair share of America’s wealth and opportunity,” Abernathy said, “and we will stay until we get it.”

This is now So, how far have black people progressed since 1968? Have we gotten our fair share yet? Those questions have been on my mind a lot this month.

In some ways, we’ve barely budged as a people. Poverty is still too common in the U.S. In 1968, 25 million Americans — roughly 13 percent of the population — lived below poverty level. In 2016, 43.1 million – or more than 12.7 percent – do.

Today’s black poverty rate of 22 percent is almost three times that of whites. Compared to the 1968 rate of 32 percent, there’s not been a huge improvement.

Financial security, too, still differs dramatically by race.

Black households earn $57.30 for every $100 in income earned by white families. And for every $100 in white family wealth, black families hold just $5.04.

Another troubling aspect about black social progress – or should I say the lack thereof – is how many black families are headed by single women. In the 1960s, unmarried women were the main breadwinners for 20 percent of households. In recent years, the percentage has risen as high as 72 percent.

This is important, but not because of some outmoded sexist ideal of the family. In the U.S., as across the Americas, there’s a powerful connection between poverty and femaleheaded households.

Black Americans today are also more dependent on

government aid than they were in 1968. Currently, almost 40 percent of African-Americans are poor enough to qualify for welfare, housing assistance and other government programs that offer modest support to families living under the poverty line.

That’s higher than any other U.S. racial group. Just 21 percent of Latinos, 18 percent Asian-Americans and 17 percent of whites are on welfare.

Finding the bright spots There are, of course, positive trends. Today, far more African-Americans graduate from college – 38 percent – than they did 50 years ago.

Our incomes are also way up. Black adults experienced a more significant income increase from 1980 to 2016 – from $28,667 to $39,490 – than any other U.S. demographic group. This, in part, is why there’s now a significant black middle class.

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NEWS

Following Bipartisan Failure on DREAM Act, Immigrant Leaders Launch Platform to Protect Illinois Immigrants “We’re less than one month away from the end of DACA on March 5,” said ICIRR Chief Executive Officer Lawrence Benito.

“We have no solution for the 800,000 DACA recipients whose lives are in limbo. This is an abysmal bi-partisan failure by our federal elected officials in response to a crisis created by the President.

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By Lisette Gushiniere

mmigrant leaders and allies from across Illinois recently gathered at a press conference under the banner of the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights (ICIRR) to express frustration with Congressional and White House leaders for failing to reach a permanent solution for younger undocumented immigrants facing loss of their protection under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program.

Attendees at the press conference included: State Representative Lisa Hernandez and community leaders representing immigrant-serving organizations throughout the state, including Access Living, Asian Americans Advancing Justice Chicago, Erie Neighborhood House, HANA Center, Logan Square Neighborhood Association, South Suburban Immigrant Project, Southwest Organizing Project, West Suburban Action Project (PASO), and other ICIRR members.

In the face of continued federal gridlock, ICIRR leaders in Illinois are turning to opportunities on the state and local levels to advocate for the DREAM Act or similar federal legislation which offers DACA grantees a path to permanent status and citizenship.

ICIRR plans to unveil and discuss a platform for protection at a February 17 Immigrant Integration Summit and

a February 28 Springfield advocacy day. Hundreds are expected in the Capitol at the end of the month to support the platform.

Fred Tsao, senior policy counsel at ICIRR said the summit will bring together hundreds of immigrant leaders from across the state for a rally, accountability session with elected officials, a candidate forum, and workshops regarding important immigration issues. The summit will be held on Saturday, February 17, 2018 at Malcolm X College located on 1900 West Jackson Blvd. from 9 am-2pm. The purpose of the advocacy day is to present the ICIRR’s priorities to state legislators and gain their support.

“We’re less than one month away from the end of DACA on March 5,” said ICIRR Chief Executive Officer Lawrence Benito. “We have no solution for the 800,000 DACA recipients whose lives are in limbo.

This is an abysmal bi-partisan failure by our federal elected officials in response to a crisis created by the President.

“We’re done waiting,” Benito continued. “We are re-doubling our efforts to register over 20,000 new voters, and organize to win more statewide protections across Illinois.”

“Only the federal government can provide a permanent solution for DACA recipients,” said Tsao. “Our work on the state and local level seeks to offer what

protections those levels of government can offer, but only Congress can pass a law to grant DACA recipients lawful immigration status,” he added.

Tsao said the ICIRR’s, “electoral work will continue what we have been doing every general election cycle since 2002: Work in immigrant communities to identify eligible voters, get them registered, and turn them out to the polls. We will be organizing local events, candidate forums, door-to-door canvasses, phone banks, and other activities to register and mobilize eligible immigrant voters.”

“The inaction in DC strengthens our resolve to build upon our local successes,“ said Elizabeth Cervantes from the South Suburban Immigrant Project in Bolingbrook. “We saw what we’re capable of when we came together to organize for the passage of the Illinois TRUST Act last session. Collectively, we can beat the odds and do more to protect our communities. These efforts combined with our ambitious statewide voter engagement plan will ensure that the immigrant voice is heard loud and clear across our state this year.”

The Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights is a statewide coalition of more than 130 organizations which works to promote the rights of immigrants and refugees to full and equal participation on the civic, cultural, social, and political levels. For more information, visit www.icirr. org.

Black Americans mostly left behind by progress since Dr. King’s death CONTINUED FROM PAGE 4

Legally, African-Americans may live in any community they want – and from Beverly Hills to the Upper East Side, they can and do.

But why aren’t those gains deeper and more widespread?

Some prominent thinkers – including the award-winning writer Ta-Nehisi Coates and “The New Jim Crow” author Michelle Alexander – put the onus on institutional racism.

Coates argues, among other things, that racism has so held back African-Americans throughout history that we deserve reparations, resurfacing a claim with a long history in black activism.

Alexander, for her part, has famously said that racial profiling and the mass incarceration of African-Americans are just modern-day forms of the legal, institutionalized racism that once ruled across the American South.

More conservative thinkers may hold black people solely accountable for their problems. Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Ben Carson is in this “personal responsibility” camp, along with public intellectuals like Thomas

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Sowell and Larry Elder.

Depending on who you ask, then, black people aren’t much better off than in 1968 because either there’s not enough government help or there’s way too much.

What would MLK do?

I don’t have to wonder what Dr. King would recommend.

He believed in institutional racism.

In 1968, King and the Southern Christian Leadership Council sought to tackle inequality with the Economic Bill of Rights. This was not a legislative proposal, per se, but a moral vision of a just America where all citizens had educational opportunities, a home, “access to land,” “a meaningful job at a living wage” and “a secure and adequate income.”

To achieve that, King wrote, the U.S. government should create an initiative to “abolish unemployment,” by developing incentives to increase the number of jobs for black Americans. He also recommended “another program to

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supplement the income of those whose earnings are below the poverty level.”

Those ideas were revolutionary in 1968. Today, they seem prescient. King’s notion that all citizens need a living wage portends the universal basic income concept now gaining traction worldwide.

King’s rhetoric and ideology are also obvious influences on Sen. Bernie Sanders, who in the 2016 presidential primaries advocated equality for all people, economic incentives for working families, improved schools, greater access to higher education and for anti-poverty initiatives.

Progress has been made. Just not as much as many of us would like. To put it in Dr. King’s words, “Lord, we ain’t what we oughta be. We ain’t what we want to be. We ain’t what we gonna be. But, thank God, we ain’t what we was.”

Sharon Austin is an Associate Professor of Political Science and Director of African American Studies at the University of Florida.

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NEWS Assessor Berrios Extends Deadline for Senior and Senior Freeze Exemption Applications

Thornton Township recently held their first winter goat give away at the Town Hall in South Holland. The event was for residents of Thornton Township and offered 400 brand new coats for children and adults at no cost. Photo Credit: Katherine Newman

Thornton Township Holds Coat Give Away By: Katherine Newman

Thornton Township recently held their first winter coat give away at the Town Hall in South Holland. The event was for residents of Thornton Township and offered 400 brand new coats for children and adults at no cost, with valid proof of residency.

“We not only targeted veterans and battered women shelters and other social service organizations that might need coats, but on top of that, we put the information out into the community,” said Ernst Lamothe Jr., community relations manager for Thornton Township.

Lamothe plans to make the coat give away an annual event and purposefully chose to hold the event in February because he knew that there would be people who were forgotten during the more common coat giveaways that happen during the Christmas season.

“It’s been colder than the expected temperatures and we definitely knew that the need was gonna be great and it could be a very long winter. That’s why we wanted to have it in February for the people who might have been forgotten around

Christmas time, they are able to get a coat now,” said Lamothe.

There were a wide variety of residents who received free coats at the event, and everyone seemed to be grateful for the community service.

"I recently lost my job, I got laid off at Sam's Club and it's been a little financially hard. [My daughter] got a coat already, so it will just be for me, I never have money for myself anymore,” said a Thornton Township resident who waited in line with her young daughter and did not wish you provide her name.

Elmira Calhoun, a resident of Thornton Township spoke highly of Frank Zuccarelli, Thornton Township supervisor, and everything he does for the community.

“Mr. Zucarelli is always doing something meaningful and is very supportive of this Township. If this community needs help for anything, it’s always there. Whether it’s food, clothes, shelter, it’s always there.

Nobody has to be hungry and nobody has to be without a warm coat,” said Calhoun.

For more information about community service and events in Thornton Township visit www.thorntontownship.com.

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CHICAGO – Cook County Assessor Joseph Berrios announced recently that his office has extended the deadline for the Senior Citizen Exemption and Senior Freeze Exemption renewal applications and new applications for Tax Year 2017. The extended application deadline is March 2, 2018. Any application postmarked by Friday, March 2nd will be on time. The original deadline was February 7th.

More than 270,000 applications were mailed in early January to seniors who received the exemptions last year. The Senior Exemption application is part of a booklet that also contains the separate, income-based Senior Freeze Exemption application.

Assessor Berrios conceived and helped pass legislation increasing savings from all exemptions It became law for Tax Year 2017. Tax Year 2017 taxes are billed and mailed in 2018. Savings appear as deductions on Second Installment Property Tax Bills which will be issued this summer.

Assessor Berrios has again stressed the importance of returning the applications in a timely manner. ”I extended the deadline so all seniors have extra time to return their applications to ensure they receive the expanded exemption savings this year,” Berrios said. “It is also important to remember that under Illinois law, seniors are required to reapply annually for both the Senior and Senior Freeze Exemptions.”

To qualify for the Senior Citizen Exemption for Tax Year 2017, the property owner must have: ▪ been born prior to or in the year 1952, ▪ owned the property, or have a lease or contract which makes them responsible for the real estate taxes, and ▪ used the property as a principal place of residence.

Please Note: The new law will increase savings this year for the Senior Exemption from $5,000 to $8,000 in Equalized Assessed Value (EAV). It is important to note that the exemption amount is not the dollar amount by which a tax bill is reduced.

EAV is the partial value of a property to which tax rates are applied; it is this figure on which a tax bill is calculated. The Assessor does not set tax rates. The savings for a Senior Citizen Exemption is calculated by multiplying the exemption savings of 8,000 by the local tax rate.

To qualify for the Senior Freeze Exemption for Tax Year 2017, taxpayers must have: ▪ been born prior to or in the year 1952, ▪ a total household income of $65,000 or less for [income] Tax Year 2016, ▪ owned the property or had a legal, equitable or leasehold interest in the property on January 1, 2016 and January 1, 2017, ▪ used the property as a principal place of residence as of January 1, 2016 and January 1, 2017, and ▪ been responsible for the payment of 2016 and 2017 property taxes.

Please Note: The new law expands eligibility by increasing allowable total household income to $65,000, from the previous limit of $55,000.

There is also a new minimum $2,000 EAV deduction for the Senior Freeze, which will help offset increases in assessed value and help ensure that more seniors benefit from the Senior Exemption.

“If you don’t qualify for the Senior Freeze Exemption because you exceed the income level, this does not mean you will not be eligible for the Senior Exemption,” Berrios explained. “The Senior Exemption has no income restrictions and I’m concerned that seniors might discard the entire booklet and not receive the Senior Exemption savings to which they are entitled.”

Seniors receiving the Senior Citizen Exemption automatically receive the Homeowner Exemption. Seniors receiving the Senior Freeze Exemption automatically receive both the Homeowner and Senior Citizen Exemptions.

Eligible seniors, who have never applied for the Senior and/or Senior Freeze Exemptions in the past, may visit the Assessor’s web site at www. cookcountyassessor.com and download an application or contact the Assessor’s Office at 312-443-7550 and request a form be mailed to them.

Applications for the Homeowner Exemption and additional exemptions administered by the Assessor’s Office will also be made available on line.

“One of the top concerns I hear through our Community Outreach Program is that seniors are struggling to make ends meet,” Berrios said. “I will continue to work for greater tax relief for seniors to ensure they can stay in their homes without worrying about the affordability of their property taxes.”

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February 14 2018

Floyd Norman Award winning animator

Phil lamarr veteran voice over artist

Ruth E. Carter costume designer

Behind the Mask

This month, Xfinity introduces you to some of the elite men and women making our heroes super.

From illustrators and studio execs, to costume designers and more. Just say, “Black History Month” into your X1 Voice Remote to hear their stories and see their work at Black Film & TV on Xfinity On Demand, where Black History is always on.

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