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1 • Thursday, Dec. 24, 2020 - Rock Valley Publishing

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THURSDAY, DEC. 24, 2020

DuPage County receives first COVID-19 vaccine shipment Receiving 13,650 doses shared among all hospitals in DuPage

Last week, the DuPage County Health Department (DCHD) received its first shipment of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine from the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH). The vaccine was authorized on Friday, Dec. 11, by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) through an emergency use authorization (EUA) after conducting a thorough evaluation of the available safety, effectiveness and manufacturing quality information.

“This is the day we’ve been waiting for since the pandemic began,” said DuPage County Chairman Dan Cronin. “The vaccine brings new, tangible hope to DuPage County as we receive the first of many shipments of the COVID-19 vaccine.”

“We have been preparing for months with our local health systems to distribute approved vaccines for emergency and critical care staff,” said Sam Tornatore, DuPage County Board of Health president. “This first delivery of vaccine is the result of tireless work from our public health officials, health systems, law enforcement, the state, and everyone who has helped achieve this historical event.”

The receipt of 13,650 vaccine doses took place at a DuPage Medical Group (DMG) facility. DMG has partnered with DCHD to provide ultra-cold storage that meets the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine requirements. DCHD staff will be safely and securely transporting vaccine to all hospitals in DuPage County, including Advocate Good Samaritan Hospital, AMITA Health Adventist Medical Center GlenOaks, and AMITA Health Adventist Medical Center Hinsdale, Edward Hospital, Elmhurst Hospital, and Northwestern

Medicine Central DuPage Hospital.

“We’re honored to partner with the DCHD and DuPage County hospitals to safely and securely bring the COVID-19 vaccine to our communities,” said Donna Cooper, DMG Chief Operating Officer. “Several months ago, we proactively purchased the ultra-cold freezers needed to safely and securely store the Pfizer vaccine. As a result, we’re now able to store this initial vaccine supply

Inside:

Police Reports...........4 Sports �������������������� 10 Church.....................7 Classifieds................9

for DuPage County. Following CDC guidance for vaccine prioritization, DMG has plans in place to safely vaccinate our physicians, associates and patients once additional supply becomes available.”

The initial vaccine shipments will be used to provide the first vaccine doses to the priority groups of healthcare personnel and long-term care facility residents in Phase 1a.

DCHD officials anticipate it will take

several weeks to reach the estimated 43,000 healthcare personnel in DuPage County. Long-term care facilities will receive vaccinations through a Federal program, called the Pharmacy Partnership Program.

“This life-saving vaccine will protect our healthcare workers who have selflessly dedicated themselves to care for and preserve the lives of their patients,” said DuPage County Executive Director Karen Ayala. “We

are confident that this vaccine will begin to provide some much-needed relief from COVID-19. However, until we receive enough vaccine for the general public, it is imperative that we each do our part in protecting our families, friends, and co-workers by wearing masks, practicing physical distancing, hand washing, and avoiding in-person gatherings. These

See VACCINE, Page 5

Oh Tidings of Comfort and Joy

DEE LONGFELLOW PHOTO Addison Independent

This impromptu men’s chorus performed for the residents of Royal York senior residence on Sunday, Dec. 10. The members are from five different men’s groups throughout DuPage County, all of which had to cancel their winter concerts due to COVID-19. Instead, they all joined together and are visiting various senior communities throughout the area, bringing Christmas cheer. Far right is Elmhurst resident Kevin Connell.

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2 • Thursday, Dec. 24, 2020 - Rock Valley Publishing

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Rock Valley Publishing - Thursday, Dec. 24, 2020 • 3

Viewpoint

Holiday lessons from Dickens, Scrooge It has been suggested that Charles Dickens helped to create our idea of Christmas over 170 years ago with his story, A Christmas Carol. In researching this, it seems to me that this was never his primary aim. What Charles Dickens was trying to do was to shine a light on the various social injustices and wealth disparity that plagued Victorian society in the hope that the people from his day would make choices that would help to benefit their neighbors.

Dickens created a character,

Ebenezer Scrooge, whose heart is as cold as a winter’s night only to be transformed into the spirit of Christmas itself once shown that compassion and human connection is what ultimately matters and makes one truly happy in this world.

Our society is not that different from his and this year has made that ever so clear.

Human connection. That is what keeps going through my mind as I sit and reflect on this past year. The birthdays, weddings, and other gatherings

we have all missed out on this past year. I hope to never again take that for granted: our need to be with one another.

While Scrooge suffered one horrific night to make him realize his shortcomings, our own “long winter’s night” has lasted over 9 months, but this too shall pass. May we all realize our own shortcomings and transform for the better and never take another moment of human connection for granted.

Dr. Mike Mitchell Fenton High School

Mazzochi comments on SIC outcome State Rep. Deanne Mazzochi (R-Elmhurst) released the following statement after the House Special Investigating Committee’s unexpected final hearing: “One can only assume that my colleagues on the committee vigorously workout, because the hoops that Chairman Welch and his fellow Democrats are jumping through to justify the information in the emails we received from ComEd and the admitted federal deferred prosecution agreement are impressive. Actually beyond impressive and bordering on “hard to believe”.

“If you’ve read these emails, the conduct of the chairman defies belief.

Today he once again spent valuable committee time prescribing all of the reasons why a subpoena to acquire witness testimony might not work.

He’s apparently creating a justification for not doing anything. So the leader of this House ethics investigation is saying that an investigation is too hard and therefore we shouldn’t do it. Allow that notion to search for logic in your brain; too hard equals, we can’t and shouldn’t.

“If, as my colleague Rep. Manley claims, there is nothing untoward about the Speaker’s conduct in his relationship with ComEd, then why won’t he assist the committee in clearing his name? In fact, why wouldn’t he insist on it. Why wouldn’t his allies on the committee who see no untoward behavior want his name fully cleared? An investigative committee is charged with doing all it can to get information relevant to its duty, not shying away from it. It takes neither a lawyer or a soothsayer to connect the dots as to why that isn’t the case with this committee.

“This is why people continue to lose faith in the integrity of Illinois government. I don’t blame them for their frustration and their disillusionment. I’m feeling the same way.”

(This was received from the office of State Rep. Deanne Mazzochi.)

COVID-19 updates for DuPage County As of 8 a.m. on Sunday, Dec. 19, there were 55,532 total cases among DuPage County residents, including 875 deaths. Since Saturday, there were 552 new cases and six deaths related to COVID-19.

Immanuel Lutheran presents The Nativity

This is the season when the beloved figurines depicting the Christmas manger scene are displayed - from glowing plastic lawn ornaments to pristine tabletop nativity sets. Surrounding the baby Jesus are Mary and Joseph, shepherds and wisemen. Maybe you know the story. Maybe you don’t. That’s something Immanuel Lutheran in Elmhurst wants to address with a simple walk around the block. “What many people don’t know is that every figure in the nativity scene is meaningful.

That’s why we’re raising nativity awareness through our Nativity Walk,” said Senior Pastor David Seabaugh. “After just one walk around the block, you’ll never see a nativity set the same way again.”

Immanuel’s Nativity Walk is a self-guided tour of the nativity figures and can be viewed day or night.

It starts at the corner of 3rd St. and Michigan in Elmhurst and runs through Tuesday, Jan 5.

Number of cases by town At press time, the DuPage Department of Health reported the following number of COVID-19 cases in our readership communities as follows: Addison 3,563, Bensenville 1,755, Elmhurst 2,812, Lombard 2,876, Oakbrook Terrace 169, Villa Park 1,723, Wood Dale 1,118.

And now for the good news Elmhurst Hospital reports that 54 inpatients with confirmed cases of COVID-19 were discharged as of Friday, Dec. 18. Since March 24, a total of 1,120 patients have been discharged.

Illinois, other states file lawsuit against Google, seek to join DOJ case

We protect it.

You live it.

The lawsuit claims Google has illegal monopoly over search engines, related advertising

By Raymon Troncoso CAPITOL NEWS ILLINOIS |

Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul joined 37 other attorneys general Dec. 17 in filing a lawsuit against Google LLC, alleging the company illegally holds monopoly power.

The complaint was filed in U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia and accuses Google of engaging in anticompetitive practices that led to customers having less choice, less online privacy and less protection for their private information. Alongside Illinois, 34 other states, the District of Columbia, Guam and Puerto Rico are named as plaintiffs in the filing.

“Close to 90 percent of all internet searches done in the United States use Google. No competing search engine has more than 7 percent of

the market, and, over the past decade, no new entrant in the general search market in the United States has accounted for more than 1 percent of internet searches in a given year,” the lawsuit reads, establishing Google’s status as a monopoly power in the search engine market.

The suit alleges Google maintains its monopoly through lucrative contracts with Apple and other companies to be the default search engine on the vast majority of smart devices and mobile phones.

Google then leverages this by putting advertising customers and results that benefit the company at the top of Google’s search results, rather than “general” or “organic” results, described in the suit as results from non-affiliated third-party websites that would normally appear first according to Google’s algorithm, ab-

sent advertising partners.

As part of the suit, the coalition of attorneys general seek to join an existing case against Google from the U.S. Department of Justice that is currently pending in court.

A third anti-trust lawsuit was also filed against Google on Dec. 16 by a different group of 10 state attorneys general in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas The cases are fairly similar, but the coalition’s lawsuit seeks to expand the DOJ’s complaint to include Google’s acquisition and stockpiling of personal data as an additional source of Google’s monopoly power that has created barriers to other competitors.

Raoul joined another anti-trust lawsuit alongside 47 other attorneys general against Facebook earlier this month.

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4 • Thursday, Dec. 24, 2020 - Rock Valley Publishing

Leaders optimistic with Moderna vaccine on horizon

Police Reports Area police departments recently reported the following arrests and citations. Readers are reminded that an arrest does not constitute a conviction, and that suspects are considered innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law. Persons charged with domestic battery are not named in order to protect the privacy of victims. Juveniles age 17 or younger are not named.

Addison Dec. 11 Brisleyde Blanco, 18, of Addison; Huriel Hernandez, 22, of Bensenville; and Brian Villanueva, 19, of Des Plaines, were charged with armed robbery with a firearm in the 1000 block of Argyle, Bensenville, at around 11:40 p.m.

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Dec. 10 Theft was reported in the 1000 block of N. Harvard at around 3:46 p.m. Police said an unknown suspect entered a home after asking to use the bathroom and stole cash.

Dec. 9 Juan S. Espinoza, 36, of Chicago, was charged with two counts of possession of a controlled substance/other drug/any amount at a gas station in the 1-100 block of W. St. Charles May 8. The original complaint and arrest warrant were issued Dec. 9 A 30-year-old Villa Park man was charged with domestic battery/making physical contact and assault in the 400 block of N. Michigan at around St. Lombard, IL 60148 7 a.m.

By Sarah Mansur

CAPITOL NEWS ILLINOIS

Gov. JB Pritzker announced Dec. 18 that more than 17,000 doses of the first coronavirus vaccine have been administered to Illinois frontline health care workers outside of Chicago, up from 3,500 doses on Dec. 17.

Pritzker said Illinois hospitals could begin to receive shipments of a second COVID-19 vaccine, developed by the drug company Moderna, as early as this week. That announcement comes one day after the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s advisory committee recommended the use of the Moderna vaccine in people ages 18 and older.

The FDA granted Emergency Use Authorization for the Moderna vaccine on Dec. 18.

The first vaccine, developed by Pfizer and BioNTech, received such authorization from the FDA the week before.

The Moderna vaccine was shown to be 94.1 percent effective after two doses four week apart, compared to the Pfizer BioNTech vaccine that

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LOMBARDIAN/VILLA PARK REVIEW

627-7010 Fax: 627-7027 Villa Park Dec. 12 Dec. 7 Criminal damage to property was A 21-year-old Villa Park man was reported in the 200 block of W. North charged with domestic battery/makat around 8:40 a.m. Police said an un- ing physical contact, and domestic known suspect used an unknown ob- battery which causes bodily harm ject to hit a front window of a business, in the 1600 block of S. Michigan at causing the window to shatter. around 3:47 a.m.

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At the end of the day Dec. 17, there were 4,690 people hospitalized with COVID-19 in Illinois, a decrease of 114 from the day prior. Approximately 25 percent of hospital beds remained open statewide.

There were 1,023 intensive care beds in use by COVID-19 patients as of Thursday night, Dec. 17, a decrease of 40 from the day prior. That left 20 percent of ICU beds open statewide.

COVID-19 patients occupied 589 ventilators, an increase of 14 from the day prior, leaving 72 percent of ventilators available statewide.

Two of the state’s 11 mitigation regions—Region 1, which encompasses the northern and western portion of the state, and Region 6, which covers portions of eastern and central Illinois—have met the conditions laid out by the Pritzker administration to return to Tier 2 mitigations, from Tier 3, which all 11 regions entered by Nov. 20. But the governor said that does not mean existing regulations will be rolled back in the near future.

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was found 95 percent effective after two doses three weeks apart.

“This is yet another very exciting development, and it reinforces and it brightens the light at the end of the tunnel for all of us who have been fighting through COVID-19,” Pritzker said.

News about the vaccines comes as the state’s coronavirus death toll surpassed 15,000 since March, rising to 15,015 among 886,805 cases and more than 12 million test results reported since the beginning of the pandemic.

On Dec. 18, the Illinois Department of Public Health reported 7,377 new confirmed and probable cases of COVID-19 in Illinois, including 181 additional deaths.

Statewide, the rolling seven-day average case positivity rate was 8 percent, which decreased four-tenths of a percentage point from the day prior.

This is the fifth straight day that the rolling seven-day average case positivity rate has decreased, and it’s the lowest rate recorded since Nov. 1.

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Rock Valley Publishing - Thursday, Dec. 24, 2020 • 5A

Missing elderly man located near Eldridge Park in Elmhurst Other agencies provide drone, bloodhound, other K-9 support

By Dee Longfellow FOR THE ADDISON INDEPENDENT

According to a release received from the city, a missing elderly man was found after he was reported missing in the area surrounding Eldridge Park in southwest Elmhurst on Friday, Dec. 18.

The Elmhurst Police Department was notified on Friday of an at-risk male who was missing and that the subject had several medical conditions and used a cane for mobility.

The City of Elmhurst received several calls from residents of the area, who noticed the significant police presence in the neighborhood. Many first responders and other officials completed systematic searches that required the coordination of several agencies.

After an extensive search, the man was located by first responders at about 1 a.m. At the scene, paramedics determined that his core body temperature was below nor-

mal so the man was transported to Elmhurst Hospital for treatment.

“We are grateful he was able to be found due to the outside temperature and amount of time that had passed,” said Kassondra Schref, communications manager for the City of Elmhurst.

“We would like to thank the Elmhurst Fire Department, the Elmhurst Emergency Services and Disaster Coordinator, the DuPage County Sheriff’s Office for their

Weather aggravates driving conditions

assistance with a bloodhound, the Du-COMM dispatch center, and the West Chicago Fire Department, in conjunction with the West Chicago Search and Rescue Strike Team for their use of a drone and additional K-9 search teams.

“All first responders on the scene appreciated the cooperation and concern from residents in the community.”

The man’s identity was not provided.

The IndependenT Your Hometown Newspaper 240 N. West Avenue Elmhurst, IL. 60126 Main Phone 630.834-8244 Fax 630.834-0900 The Independent is published every Thursday by Rock Valley Publishing, LLC, 240 N. West Avenue, Elmhurst, IL. 60126.

Display Advertising: 630.834-8355 Classified Advertising: 630.834-8244 News: 630.834-8244 General Information: 630.834-8244

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Administration: Dee Longfellow News Coordinator Debra Hamilton Advertising Director Pete Cruger Publisher C.J. ELONICH PHOTOS Rock Valley Publishing

• Vaccine

This car ended up on the lawn in front of a house on Monterey Avenue. It was due to the icy road (Continued from front page) conditions on Wednesday, Dec. 16. Emergency services from both Villa Park and Elmhurst responded preventive measures will be especialto the collision. ly important to follow during the up-

coming holidays.”

Additional vaccine is expected to arrive on weekly basis, from both Pfizer and a second manufacturer, Moderna, whose EUA application is currently under review by the FDA. As more COVID-19 vaccines become available, the consecutive priority groups in Phase 1b and 1c will determined and also be provided the opportunity for vaccination.

In preparation for this, the Health Department is working with IDPH to implement a state-wide vaccine registration and scheduling tool.

For additional information about the COVID-19 vaccine, DuPage County’s distribution plans, and to sign-up for weekly updates, visit dupagehealth.org/covid19vaccine.

Anyone who is seeking COVID-19 testing is reminded of the various options throughout DuPage County, including the two drive-thru community-based testing sites in Wheaton and Villa Park.

For more information, visit dupagehealth.org/covid19testing.

Additional COVID-19 information Emergency Services from both Villa Park and Elmhurst responded to two related icy roadway collisions near St. Charles Road and Salt Creek on Wednesday, Dec. 16. This westbound van turned on its and resources can be found dupagehealth.org/covid19. side, while a small car ran into the front of a house on Monterey Avenue.

Advertising: Brenda Garcia

Subscriptions: The Independent is mailed to the 60101, 60106 and 60181 zip code areas for $15.95 yearly. Out-of-area mail subscriptions are $29.95 yearly.

For home delivery information call 630.834-8244.

Reprints: Content appearing in the Independent may not be reprinted without permission of the publisher or editor.

Requests should be directed to Independent@rvpublishing.com or 630.834-8244.

Postmaster: Please send address changes to: THE INDEPENDENT 240 N. West Avenue, Elmhurst, IL. 60126

Office Hours: Monday-Friday 11am-3pm

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6 • Thursday, Dec. 24, 2020 - Rock Valley Publishing

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Willowbrook ‘Warrior Project’ adopts 10 families from York Township for Christmas Willowbrook High School leaders and staff recently hand-delivered loads of Christmas presents and gift cards to York Township Hall as part of its Student Council’s “Warrior Project.” This year the project adopted 10 families with a total of 27 children through York Township in Lombard. Every holiday season, York Township brings together families through its “Adopt a Family for Christmas” gift program with

the help of local individuals, companies and organizations, such as Willowbrook’s annual “Warrior Project.” From left to right: Willowbrook High School Principal Dan Krause, Assistant Principal Jamie Gourley, Student Council Sponsor Malcom Ross, Food Pantry Director Angela Tanner, helper Caroline Clendenin, Student Council Sponsor Ashley Anderson and York Township Supervisor John W. Valle.

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Addison Trail names December recipient of 88’s Best recognition

Fawzan Ali has been named as Addison Trail’s December recipient of 88’s Best recognition for his outstanding academic accomplishments.

Ali, a senior, was recognized during the Dec. 14 District 88 Board of Education meeting.

During his time at Addison Trail, Ali has completed nine honors courses and 13 Advanced Placement (AP)/college-level courses. As a freshman, Ali was enrolled in Advanced Algebra and Trigonometry Honors.

He is now taking two highly advanced math classes – Calculus 3, which will earn him credit from Elmhurst University, and AP Statistics.

Ali has been on the honor roll for seven consecutive semesters and will no doubt end his senior year with eight straight semesters of that distinction. Ali said he draws inspiration from his parents and credits his father with sparking his interest in math at an early age. Religion also plays a huge role in Ali’s life, and his Muslim identity helps to shape his mindset about how he approaches his studies with diligence and care.

“English 9 Honors was a very analytical class thanks to Ali!” said Patricia Subers, English teacher. “He was able to articulate complex thinking in his words during discussion, which proved as motivation and a challenge for other students, and in

his writing. His commitment to his academic excellence was clear four years ago. This commendation has been well earned – kudos to Ali!” Science teacher Kira Bonk agreed.

“Ali is an impressive young man, who is a leader in the classroom and on Academic Team. I am so grateful to have had the privilege of being Ali’s teacher and coach. He has a wide array of knowledge and interests, as well as a natural intellect that surpasses his peers. I congratulate Ali on this honor and can’t wait to see what he does after graduation.”

Ali also participates in a variety of clubs and activities at Addison Trail. For the past two years, he has competed at the varsity level in

cross-country and track and field. Ali is a member of Key Club, Academic Team, Math Team and Debate Team as well. He fondly recalls his participation in school events such as Mr. AT (a talent show for male students) and how much fun he has had through the years.

After he graduates, Ali plans to continue his academic journey to study computer science, particularly in the field of artificial intelligence. He has applied to University of California, Berkeley; University of Michigan; University of Wisconsin–Madison; and his first choice, The University of Chicago, and is patiently awaiting those acceptance letters.

Montini Catholic releases first virtually-recorded Christmas album While not yet ready to compete with the likes of record producers Sony or Warner Brothers, Montini Catholic High School in Lombard is reeling from the applause received for the Lasallian college preparatory high school’s innovative musical creation, “Virtually In Sync” - their 2020 Christmas album recorded virtually and released online on Monday, Dec. 14.

The album was the brainchild of Music Director Donnie Glowinski, who’s second year teaching choir and band at Montini is shaping up to be a quite unique one in the wake of COVID-19 restrictions.

Early in the fall, Glowinski was tasked with making a crucial decision on how to showcase the talents of his students in a safe and appropriate manner.

“With the current restrictions on gatherings and natural spread of germs through singing and playing an instrument, a concert was just not a viable option,” he said. “Hybrid Learning (half of students attending school one day and the second half, the next) is a daunting task for any teacher, however, teaching music to students who are not present on a full-time basis presents its own unique set of challenges.

“I was determined to still work on music with my students, because there are so many skills that you can learn, while learning a song or piece of music.

“My main mantra this year has been - even though we are not together, we can still make music together. I wanted the students to have a product to show for their hard work this semester, and our concerts usually fill that void. An album seemed like the best way to embrace the current climate. Everything right now in life is digital, learning and social too.”

For the most part, Glowinski says his students were very excited about his proposal for a virtual album.

“They were very hesitant and nervous too,” he said. “In a concert, if you mess up, it can be hidden or happens so quickly that it is not a large impact on the performance. With a recording like this, students are much more exposed in their playing/singing.”

Not to mention, digital is forever!

The focus for the project His main goal in embarking on this very ambitious project was to use his iPad for everything.

“I wanted to demonstrate to my students all the power at their fingertips and how they

“

I am so happy for my students. They have received such wonderful praise for their work. They really deserve all of it and more!

This was so much more work for them than a normal concert, and I know they are very proud of themselves.”

– Donnie Glowinski, music director

can create amazing things with just this one piece of technology,” he said. “Everything was recorded, mixed, produced, and published from the iPad. I recorded individual rehearsal tracks for each student. We would rehearse the songs in class, somewhat like a normal year, to help them learn the music and hear what the overall product would sound like. They would go home and, using the rehearsal track, would record their single part and submit that recording to me.”

Glowinski would then take all the parts, put them in a file and start editing.

“This would take anywhere from a few hours per track to 10+ hours per track,” he said. “As the students got more comfortable with the technology, their recordings got better. Our later recordings are far better than the ones we did first.”

In the end, the album contains a total of 35 student artists featured in 13 compositions, representing countless hours of hard work and diligence. Glowinski also enlisted the help of colleague and design teacher Stephanie Kuecker, who lent a hand by having her students create the images to accompany each song.

Despite the many challenges that came along with a project of this magnitude, Glowinski found that he really embraced the ability to add many additional instruments to the recording. “Usually, for choir for instance, the main accompaniment is piano,” he said.

“But on some of our tracks, I was able to play piano, keyboards, bass, strings, percussion, and just about anything else I wanted. It gave me an awesome opportunity to create too!”

Glowinski humbly stressed that even after this venture, he does not consider himself a proficient music producer, giving full credit to his students for the final product.

“They recorded their individual parts at school, in bedrooms, closets, cars, and anywhere they could find a quiet space,” he said.. The quality of the recording fell on them, just like it would for a normal concert. I told them that I would not fix (nor could I fix) wrong notes, intonation, tempo, etc. That still fell on their shoulders. My job was to put it all together.”

Glowinski has his eyes set for a live concert this spring and is vowing to try to do something outdoors.

“Of course, because of the lovely, unpredictable Illinois weather, who knows what the weather will be for a winter concert,” he said.

Hybrid learning less than ideal for music classes Glowinski admits that learning in hybrid mode is not ideal for students to learn music.

“It takes them much longer to work through a piece of music, than a normal year,” he said. “Being in the classroom every other day lengthens the amount of time it takes us to learn a piece of music, unfortunately.

“I think I speak for every music educator in the country by saying we have had to completely rewrite the playbook (regarding teaching during Covid). Virtually, rehearsals happen with mics muted, because the delay is too great to all perform together. I think that the role of music has shifted too.

“Some of our classes take a little longer to get started because the students just have some talking to do, or some things to get off their chest. There are very few things that remain constant from a normal year to this year. The most constant aspect is the students’ willingness to learn and participate. They are as eager as ever this year!

So far, praise for the album has exceeded expectations. It was released to the school community (students, parents, alumni and donors) on Monday, Dec. 14 through Youtube and SoundCloud.

“I am so happy for my students,” Glowinski said. “They have received such wonderful praise for their work. They really deserve all of it and more! This was so much more work for them than a normal concert, and I know they are very proud of themselves.”

Fawzan Ali

Students featured on ‘Virtually In Sync’

Band Collin Angelakos, freshman (Lombard) Sam Cooper, freshman (Northlake) Anjay Dhir, freshman (Lombard) Justin Gergen, junior (Lombard) Joey Giannola, freshman (Oak Brook) Kassandra Gutierrez, freshman (Westchester) David Hernandez, freshman (Westchester) Zena Jabir, senior (Lombard) Camille Jefferson, senior (Westchester) Justin Jones, freshman (Berwyn) Angela Maduzia, junior (Downers Grove) Nate Nowak, junior (Darien) Matthew Paulino, freshman (Lombard) Caleb Strohbeck, senior (Bolingbrook) Joshua Sun, senior (Hinsdale) Nora Sypkens, senior (Hillside) Igor Vitale, freshman (Oak Park) Chamber Choir Nathan Camba, sophomore (Burr Ridge) Julia Donaldson, senior (Westchester) Sarah Ernat, junior (Lombard) Alessandra Geraci, senior (Addison) Madeline McDowell, senior (Westchester) John McNamara, senior (Naperville) Justin Monroe, senior (Lombard) Julia Moran, junior (Elmhurst) Amanda Mrazek, sophomore (Lombard) Katherine Pogorelec, sophomore (Lombard) Cydney Rand, senior (Lemont) Heather Sledzinski, senior (Westmont) Kenneth Sledzinski, sophomore (Westmont) Francesca Spizzirri, sophomore (Oak Brook) Nora Sypkens, senior (Hillside) Jillian Todd, junior (Lombard) Concert Choir Ava Goree, freshman (Maywood) MaryKate Lewan, freshman (Naperville) Yuhan (Iris) Xiao, sophomore (Lombard)

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Timothy Christian green lights girls badminton team

SUBMITTED PHOTO Rock Valley Publishing

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Badminton moved to winter schedule; no status change on resumption of high school sports amid pandemic

One change coming out of the most recent Illinois High School Association December Board of Directors meeting is the movement of girls badminton from a spring sport to a winter sport.

The board voted to move girls badminton from a spring sport to a winter sport within the modified 2020-2021 modified sports calendar.

“Given its status as a low-risk sport, we believe we can safely conduct badminton in the winter as soon as the current mitigations are lifted,” IHSA Executive Director Craig Anderson said. “The feedback we have heard from our schools is that this is an optimal time to conduct badminton as they look at balancing sports and facilities throughout the remainder of the school year.”

As a result of that news, Timothy Christian athletic director Jack LeGrand told the Independent that the school will together a badminton team and will compete once high school sports are able to resume amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Timothy Christian has never had a team, but our student-athletes have expressed interest in playing, if allowed,” LeGrand said.

The IHSA board also permitted the allowance of contact days for out-of-season IHSA sports (2020-2021 fall, spring and summer sports) as soon as the Illinois Department of Public Health and Governor Pritzker’s office lift the current Tier 3 mitigations. Contact days, the IHSA Noted, will

Answers PUZZLE 1

PUZZLE 2

be restricted to six hours per student-athlete per sport each week, and can include practices, drills and intra-squad scrimmages allowable under IDPH guidance. Competition against any other high school, conducted in-state or out of state, is prohibited, the IHSA cautioned.

“The board felt it was important for the physical and mental health of our student-athletes to resume contact days for all out-of-season sports as soon as IDPH deems it safe,” Anderson said. “Winter sports are not included as we anticipate all low-risk sports will be able to begin their seasons at the same time. Basketball remains the outlier in the equation. We hope to be able to conduct basketball during the winter season, but if we cannot, basketball will be provided the same contact day opportunity as we determine where the basketball seasons fit best in the remainder of the school year.”

The IHSA said its board plans to meet with representatives from IDPH and the governor’s office prior to January to develop a timeline for the resumption of winter sports.

Following that meeting, the board, the IHSA added, will call a special meeting to finalize scheduling for the winter, spring and summer sports seasons.

“The board reiterated they plan to do everything in their power to provide a season for every IHSA sport in 2020-21,” Anderson said.

“There have been no cancellations of any sports or discussions about canceling any sports thus far. The board appreciates the patience and flexibility of the IHSA membership and remains optimistic, especially as vaccines begin to be administered, that we will return to conducting IHSA sports early in 2021.”

The IHSA’s update comes as news of the COVID-19 vaccine’s arrival, distribution and administration brings hope that there may be hope at the end of the pandemic tunnel, yet the state recently endured an alarming stretch where deaths attributed to the virus tallied in the 100s each day.

Rock Valley Publishing - Thursday, Dec. 24, 2020 • 11A

Democrats vote to end legislative investigation of Madigan

By Sarah Mansur

Committee adjourns after 3 meetings in 4 months

CAPITOL NEWS ILLINOIS

After just three hearings in four months, Democrats on the special committee probing House Speaker Michael Madigan’s alleged misconduct and role in a bribery scheme involving Commonwealth Edison voted Dec. 14 to end their investigation.

Throughout the combative threehour hearing, the three House Republicans and three Democrats clashed repeatedly over the rules of procedure, disagreed about the facts contained in the federal court documents and levied accusations of political stunts and a “kangaroo court.”

The House Democratic members—Reps. Chris Welch, of Hillside, Natalie Manley, of Joliet, and Elizabeth Hernandez, of Cicero— voted no on a motion, presented by Manley, that Madigan engaged in conduct unbecoming of legislator.

With a deadlocked vote along party lines, the motion failed to pass.

Madigan issued a statement Dec. 14 that criticized his Republican counterpart, Minority Leader Rep. Jim Durkin of Western Springs, who filed the petition creating the committee.

“Jim Durkin insisted on initiating this political theater, and through this process we’ve come to learn that he was involved in the very conduct he claims to be so offended by—recommending people for various jobs.

If Jim Durkin actually believes it is conduct unbecoming of a legislator to recommend people for jobs or help constituents, he might want to review his own hypocritical behavior. Rather than finger pointing, I suggest we focus on the important work that lies ahead of us,” Madigan said in the statement.

The Special Investigating Com-

mittee was formed in late August after the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Chicago charged ComEd in a deferred prosecution agreement that alleged ComEd officials conspired with Madigan’s associates to secure no-work jobs and contracts for Madigan’s friends in exchange for favorable legislation in the Illinois General Assembly.

The committee was tasked with investigating whether there was evidence to find Madigan’s conduct was unbecoming of a legislator and whether Madigan should face disciplinary proceedings.

Under the deferred prosecution agreement, ComEd admitted to the bribery scheme and agreed to pay a $200 million and cooperate with the investigation.

Madigan has not been charged with a crime and he denies wrongdoing. He is mentioned in the deferred prosecution agreement and indictments as “Public Official A.” In September, a former ComEd executive, Fidel Marquez, pleaded guilty to a role in the bribery scheme. Last month, federal prosecutors in Chicago indicted four others—Michael McClain, a former ComEd lobbyist and close Madigan confidant, former ComEd CEO Anne Pramaggiore, former ComEd executive John Hooker, and Jay Doherty, a lobbyist who worked on contract for ComEd—with bribery for allegedly conspiring to influence Madigan with no-work jobs and contracts to his associates.

Last month, Welch released hundreds of pages of documents that the committee had requested from ComEd, including numerous emails between McClain and Marquez, Pramaggiore and others seeking favors for Madigan’s associates and

Elmhurst Hospital maintains straight-A streak in Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grades Elmhurst Hospital earned an A and Edward Hospital in Naperville earned a B in The Leapfrog Group’s Fall 2020 Hospital Safety Grades.

Edward and Elmhurst Hospitals are part of the Edward-Elmhurst Health system.

Elmhurst Hospital is one of only 29 hospitals in the U.S. to achieve an A in every update since Leapfrog began the Hospital Safety Grades in 2012..

“The Leapfrog recognition and straight A’s are points of pride for the Elmhurst Hospital staff,” says Pamela Dunley, president & CEO, Elmhurst Hospital. “It means we’re truly living up to our philosophy of safe, seamless and personal care for our patients.”

Recent honors received by the hospital include: • For the second time, Elmhurst Hospital achieved designation as a Magnet hospital for nursing excellence from the American Nurses Credentialing Center ANCC). Elmhurst Hospital was originally recognized as a Magnet hospital in 2015.

• Fortune/IBM Watson Health named Edward-Elmhurst Health one

of the nation’s 15 Top Health Systems for the second year in a row.

• Edward Hospital and Elmhurst Hospital made Fortune/IBM Watson Health’s 100 Top Hospitals list and were named Everest Award winners for being among the fastest-improving hospitals in the country over the last five years.

• Edward Hospital and Elmhurst Hospital each received five stars in the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Overall Hospital Quality Star Ratings.

• Edward-Elmhurst Health was named among the “Most Wired” hospitals and health systems in the country by the College of Healthcare Information Management Executives.

• The Emergency Nurses Association named Edward Hospital and Elmhurst Hospital as recipients of its 2020 Lantern Award, which recognizes emergency departments that demonstrate excellent practice and innovative performance through leadership, education, advocacy and research.

For more information, visit EEHealth.org/patientsafety.

individuals from his district.

The Republicans on the investigating committee—Reps. Tom Demmer, of Dixon, Deanne Mazzochi, of Elmhurst, and Grant Werhli, of Naperville—extensively referenced the emails to show McClain was working on behalf of Madigan, and with Madigan’s knowledge, to secure jobs, contracts and internships that were meant to curry favor with the speaker.

“This was not a mere job recommendation, this was a demand,” Mazzochi said in reference to an email from McClain instructing ComEd officials to add former CEO of the Metropolitan Pier and Exposition Authority Juan Ochoa to the ComEd Board of Directors at the request of Madigan.

Other emails show McClain asking the company to provide work for attorney Victor Reyes and his law firm, Reyes Kurson, again at the request of Madigan, who is referred to as “our Friend.”

In one email, McClain wrote, “I am sure you know how valuable [Reyes] is to our Friend,” and then went on to write, “I know the drill and so do you. If you do not get involve [sic] and resolve this issue of 850 hours for his law firm per year then he will go to our Friend. Our Friend will call me and then I will call you. Is this a drill we must go through?”

Mazzochi said the exchange was “not a job recommendation. That is an unethical quid pro quo.”

“These internal documents certainly confirm that there is no inno-

cent explanation,” she said.

The three Republican House members of the committee called for additional witnesses to appear before them, including those named in the federal indictment, but a motion to issue subpoenas failed to pass, with a partisan vote deadlocked at 3-3.

In a news conference after the committee adjourned, Demmer said the Democrats on the House committee shut down their investigation.

“It was our duty to conduct this investigation to support and try to rebuild the integrity and trust of the House of Representatives. But what we saw under the leadership of Chairman Welch was a process that sought not to hear from additional witnesses, sought not to have adequate number of hearings and sought to bring the committee to a conclusion before we had the information necessary to make a qualified judgment,” Demmer said.

The committee met twice in September, and has heard testimony from only one witness, David Glockner, the executive vice president of compliance and audit for Exelon Corporation, which is the parent company of ComEd. Democrats on the committee also used the emails to suggest Durkin improperly sought ComEd jobs for his friends, citing an email from a lobbyist for the Illinois State Medical Society that asked McClain to consider recommending a woman who had been working in Durkin’s office.

Hernandez, along with her Democratic colleagues, maintained that

McClain’s emails simply showed someone making job recommendations.

“Recommending jobs is legal, and Leader Durkin asked for job recommendations too,” she said. “In neither case is this illegal or unethical.”

Furthermore, Democrats claimed that the committee’s motive was a power grab by Durkin in an effort to become the next House Speaker, even though he would need the votes of at least 15 House Democrats to be elected to the position.

“This is a political show that was concocted by Minority Leader Durkin. It was a plain power grab by the minority party, as the Republican members of this committee and petitioner have shown in spite of our attempts to conduct this investigation in a nonpartisan impartial manner,” Welch said during a news conference following the committee’s adjournment.

In his own statement Dec. 14, Durkin criticized the Democratic members of the committee for protecting Madigan.

“The Democratic Party shows again today there is no limit to the lengths they will go to protect Speaker Madigan. Chairman Welch, Rep. Hernandez and Rep. Manley have turned the rule of law on its head by refusing to investigate the charges and demand the testimony of Speaker Madigan in this scandal. I call on Governor Pritzker to finally demand Speaker Madigan resign as it is clear he refuses to answer any questions about his corrupt practices,” the statement reads.

Pritzker orders more than $700 million in spending cuts

Plan includes possible furloughs, prison closures

By Peter Hancock

CAPITOL NEWS ILLINOIS

Gov. JB Pritzker has announced more than $700 million in spending cuts, calling it a “first step” in closing a $3.9 billion revenue shortfall in the current fiscal year’s budget.

As part of those cuts, Pritzker said his office is negotiating with employee labor unions to identify $75 million in personnel cost reductions, which could include furloughs, and that he is establishing a work group to identify possible closures of Department of Corrections facilities due to lower inmate populations.

“These cuts reflect the first phase of our path forward, doing what is within my powers, unilaterally and without the legislature,” Pritzker said during a news conference in Chicago.

“This is going to be tough. And as my ongoing conversations with General Assembly leaders would indicate, there is a great deal of work the legislature must do when it convenes next month.”

The plan includes hiring freezes at several state agencies as well as reductions or freezes in several grant programs at the Department of Com-

merce and Economic Opportunity, the Department of Agriculture and the Department of Natural Resources. It also includes a freeze on school maintenance capital grants, which are funded from casino gaming revenues.

It also calls for delaying a scheduled rate increase for home health aids who provide in-home and community-based services to the elderly through the state’s Community Care Program.

In addition to the spending cuts announced, Pritzker earlier announced a plan to borrow $2 billion through the Federal Reserve’s Municipal Liquidity Facility, a program launched earlier this year to help state and local governments close budget gaps that have resulted from the COVID-19 pandemic.

But that still leaves more than $1 billion in savings that will have to be identified, unless Congress authorizes a relief package that includes aid to state and local governments, something that Republican leaders in Congress strongly oppose.

Pritzker said about $2 billion of this year’s shortfall is due to the COVID-19 pandemic, which has drastically cut into state revenues. The rest, he said,

is part of an ongoing “structural” deficit in the state budget, one that he had hoped to fill with passage of his proposed graduated income tax amendment, and he lashed out at Republicans in Illinois who worked to defeat that proposal on the Nov. 3 ballot.

“It’s been two years since Republicans announced their wholesale opposition to the ‘Fair Tax,’ and it’s been 40 days since the election, and they have yet to produce any viable answer for balancing the budget,” Pritzker said.

“They worked and spent endlessly to defeat the best option Democrats put on the table. And after all their bluster, it turns out that Republicans have no plan at all, to put the state on a firm fiscal foundation.”

But GOP leaders in the General Assembly responded quickly, arguing that the budget shortfall is the result of Democrats being unwilling to cut spending earlier.

The state’s largest public employee labor union pushed back on the cuts.

Roberta Lynch, executive director of AFSCME Council 31, issued a statement saying the union “is firmly opposed to any demands that unfairly target state employees.”

12 • Thursday, Dec. 24, 2020 - Rock Valley Publishing

A bag of chips and salsa come with every order. Extra chips $3 bag.

Nachos Grande to end all Nachos Grande Cheese . . . $14

with Meat . . . $17

If You want the best it costs a little extra! A giant pan of chips covered with refried beans, Chihuahua cheese, sliced jalapenos, Pico de Gallo, sour cream and guacamole.

Choice of Beef, Steak, Carnitas or Chicken.

Steak, chicken, pork carnitas, tilapia, beef or vegetable.

Served on corn tortilla with chihuahua cheese, Pico de Gallo & shredded lettuce.

Tres Little Village Tacos

. . . . . . . . . . 12 $

Steak, chicken, pork carnitas, tilapia, beef or vegetable.

Served on corn tortilla with cilantro & onion.

Giant Burrito . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $14 Steak, chicken, carnitas, beef or vegetable on a large flour tortilla with Chihuahua cheese, refried beans, Pico de Gallo shredded lettuce.

The Gordo, The ultimate steak burrito! . . . $16 Half lb of steak, 3 oz of ground beef (it makes it juicier), just a touch of beans, loads of Chihuahua cheese, cilantro, onion, sour cream and fire roasted jalapeno salsa.

Burrito Suizo

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . add $3

(add ranchero sauce and melted chihuahua cheese to your burrito)

Quesadillas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $14 Steak, chicken, pork carnitas, beef or vegetable stuffed into a large flour tortilla with Chihuahua cheese, served with sour cream, Pico de Gallo and guacamole on the side.

Make your Tacos, Burrito or Quesadilla a meal and add a side of beans and rice - Add $4

This legit feeds 4 as an appetizer and anyone as a meal.

Tres Enchiladas

. . . . . . . . . . . . $14

Chicken, beef or steak rolled in corn tortillas topped with Spicy red sauce and melted cheese. Served with beans, rice, Pico de Gallo, sour cream and guacamole.

Chicken Fajitas . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$18 9 oz of chicken with red, yellow & green peppers, rice, beans and guacamole.

Steak Fajitas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$21 9 oz of steak with red, yellow & green peppers, rice, beans and guacamole.

Pollo Asado . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $19 Chicken breast seasoned and grilled. Served with rice, beans, guacamole, sour cream, cheese, Pico de Gallo and warm tortillas.

Carne Asada 9 oz. steak . . . . . . . $22 9 oz. Skirt steak seasoned and grilled. Served with rice, beans, guacamole, sour cream, cheese, Pico de Gallo and warm tortillas.

386226

Tres Gringos Tacos . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $12