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SATURDAY JANUARY 11 | SUNDAY JANUARY 12 2020
SUNDAY BREAKFAST
SOCIAL SCENE
Dr. Jeremy Warner of Winnetka lends his talents to Nepalese children in need. P14
SPORTS
‘Year’ kidding. No, we’re not. See our 2020 sports predictions. P12
Rush University Medical Center Junior Auxiliary Board hosts its Holiday Tea and Craft Sale. P9
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NO. 378 | A JWC MEDIA PUBLICATION
FIRE AND ICE
NEWS
Those Who Can, Teach AT ITS LATEST EXHIBIT, THE ART CENTER HIGHLAND PARK SHOWS OFF ITS OWN TALENT. EDITED BY DEBBIE LEE THE NORTH SHORE WEEKEND
Since its inception in 1960, The Art Center Highland Park (TACHP) has enriched the lives of countless North Shore residents through its visual arts classes and workshops. But for all the aspiring artists it has nurtured over the years, little is said about the people behind those efforts. Now is their time to shine. On January 10-January 31, TACHP will host In View. Playfully billed as a “show off show,” the gallery-wide exhibit will display a broad selection of works from faculty and members of TACHP. “Each year I am blown away by the quality of work,” says TACHP Curator Caren Helene Rudman. “We sometimes face the problem of having too much of a good thing. It can be overwhelming, but in a good way... This show is definitely up to the highest standards; we can’t wait to share it.” Bud Greene, a dichroic glass and jewelry instructor, is a veteran member who has had ties to TACHP since the days of Ann Rosen [former Continued on PG 7
NORTH SHORE RESIDENTS SPARK ENLIGHTENMENT IN THE FREEZING WATERS OF LAKE MICHIGAN. BY DEBBIE LEE THE NORTH SHORE WEEKEND
It’s Sunday morning at Sunrise Beach in Lake Bluff. Although this particular December day is an unseasonably warm 45 degrees, there are plenty of clues that we are nowhere close to beach season. Dead oak leaves rustle in the sand, outcroppings of boulders are shellacked in ice, and dogs are bundled up in sweaters to match their walkers. But by noon, a small crowd has convened by the shore. Ten men and women, stripped down to their bathing suits, begin a series of breathing exercises led by a calm (but authoritative) male voice on a portable speaker. Their faces are a mix of tentative, excited, and determined. Next, they collectively march into the frigid waters of Lake Michigan for the ultimate test of their mental, physical, and spiritual endurance. This diverse group of North Shore residents are disciples of the Wim Hof Method (WHM). Hof—a Dutch athlete for which the method is named—is known for physical achievements that defy comprehension, including running the fastest half-marathon barefoot on ice and snow. Proponents believe that through his specific regimen of cold therapy, controlled breathing, and meditation, the human body can overcome inflammation, boost immunity, and modify brain activity. Hosted by Lake Bluff husband and wife team James Stewart (a certified Wim Hof instructor) and Maya Comerota Stewart, this informal gathering has rapidly grown by word-of-mouth over the last year. A New Year’s Day event, called Ignite 2020, attracted more than 40 people— some traveling from as far as Iowa—to the snow-covered sands of Sunrise Beach. Stewart, 44, was introduced to WHM three years ago by Maya, a former executive at a fortune 100 biotech company and now Chief Innovation Officer of an online health company. “I’m not skeptical by nature, but the proof is in the pudding,” says Stewart. “I already had a daily routine of practicing mindfulness and Continued on PG 7
James Stewart, Maya Comerota Stewart, and son Hunter Stewart PHOTO COURTESY OF MAYA COMEROTA STEWART
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