Home Blog Page 3

Dear Abby: Fiancé blabs to parents about our issues instead of trying to work them out

Jane Wells
-
0
Dear Abby: Fiancé blabs to parents about our issues instead of trying to work them out

DEAR ABBY: I’ve been with my boyfriend for a year and a half. We broke up for a while, but got back together and have been doing great, and we got engaged six months ago. Last week, we had a huge fight, where all my bottled-up resentment came out. I have tried to communicate my needs, but while he changes briefly, things always revert back to the same.

We’re supposed to get married in nine months at his parents’ place, but after the fight, thinking we were done, he told them all our issues. Now they want us to postpone the wedding, saying we’re unstable. I had no issues with his parents before this. They loved me. I’m furious that he ran to them instead of working things out with me. I feel like he did us a massive disservice by blabbing to his parents.

I have been asking for couples counseling for months, and he always refused — until now. I’m no longer sure I want to marry him. I feel like his parents have crossed a boundary, and so has he. What should I do? — HOLDING IN CALIFORNIA

DEAR HOLDING: Be glad this has happened. Your relationship with your fiance IS “unstable.” You now know that when things become difficult, he will run to his parents rather than try to work it out with you.

If this is a deal-breaker and you no longer wish to marry him, tell him it’s over. HOWEVER, if you think counseling could help the two of you communicate better, take him up on “his suggestion” and get a referral to a licensed professional who can give you premarital counseling. It’s an investment that could pay off in many ways.

DEAR ABBY: My close friend “Janine” complains to me about the horrible way her daughter speaks to her and always brings up the past. Janine has asked her daughter to forgive her for anything done in her childhood that has caused her grief. She has apologized hundreds of times, but her daughter won’t drop it.

Janine’s counselor told her to quit allowing her daughter to treat her disrespectfully, so she has stayed away with no contact. Now her daughter has reached out saying she really wants a relationship with her, but they would have to agree to disagree because she wasn’t going to change and knew her mom wasn’t going to, either.

Janine found religion years ago and she has changed. I told her she needs to establish boundaries for herself and not allow anyone to cross them. She is not really sure how to handle this situation and feels guilty about the whole thing. What’s your opinion on this matter? — PAINED FRIEND IN VIRGINIA

DEAR FRIEND: Not knowing how abusive your friend Janine may have been to her daughter when she was young, I hesitate to render an opinion. I do, however, think it would be in everyone’s best interest if Janine would accept her daughter’s olive branch ON THE CONDITION THAT THEY SCHEDULE SOME SESSIONS WITH JANINE’S COUNSELOR TO MEDIATE. If they do this, it may be more enlightening and less painful for both of them, and it may open a healthy line of communication.

Dear Abby is written by Abigail Van Buren, also known as Jeanne Phillips, and was founded by her mother, Pauline Phillips. Contact Dear Abby at www.DearAbby.com or P.O. Box 69440, Los Angeles, CA 90069.

What teens need to know about sex, drugs, AIDS and getting along with peers and parents is in “What Every Teen Should Know.” Send your name and mailing address, plus check or money order for $8 (U.S. funds), to: Dear Abby, Teen Booklet, P.O. Box 447, Mount Morris, IL 61054-0447. (Shipping and handling are included in the price.)



Source link

A child’s smile and thumbs-up was the jolt I needed to kill my inner Grinch

Jane Wells
-
0
A child’s smile and thumbs-up was the jolt I needed to kill my inner Grinch

The week before Christmas, I rode Metra into Chicago, my old hometown, to run a few errands before the winter weather set in. I had no idea that on my day trip, I would receive a message from the universe.

Messages from the universe are quite rare, and because they are rare, and because they arrive unasked for with suddenness and clarity, I tend to believe them, or at least I pay close attention to them.

When I arrived at Union Station, I found myself to be a bit jittery, as if something was amiss, and so to calm myself, I had breakfast there. As I ate, and then as I made my way to my first destination, I noted how the faces I saw seemed blank and gray. Was it the early hour, the state of my thoughts or the state of the world?

A week earlier, I had received a letter from the secretary of state’s office informing me it was time to renew my state ID, and so I headed for the state of Illinois Building on La Salle Street.

While the two gentlemen who initially reviewed my documents and who took my photograph were efficient and professional, the employee who officially checked my documents — the “gatekeeper”— was brusk, if not rude.

As I left with my temporary ID — was it going to be that kind of a day? — I looked back at long line of faces of the other people waiting for their respective services. Just like the faces at Union Station and on the street, theirs were at best blank, at worse, glum.

To attend to my errands, I had to walk on La Salle, State, Randolph, Wabash, Dearborn and eventually back to Jackson where I had started the day. As I made my way through the heart of the Loop, I was dismayed at how grimy State Street looked, Wabash too.

And all the closed stores. And how there was no sense of energy, vibe nor beat. And all the blank faces. Passing the Christkindlmarket in Daley Plaza, I saw it was packed with … more blank faces, the children’s, too. Not a smile in the manger.

My last errand took me to Harold Washington Library, as I wanted to reread parts of a book from my past. Finished, the morning over, I headed back to Union Station.

While sitting on one of the benches on the lower level, I kept noting the faces of those walking or scurrying past me. One wouldn’t think it was the week before Christmas.

Suddenly, there were some smiling faces belonging to a gaggle of drunk, college-age guys and gals who had just arrived from the ‘burbs. At the base of the escalators, one of their bags fell open and their empty beer cans tumbled out.

Their braying laughter only heightened my own sense of gray gloom that had accumulated that morning.

And then the universe sent me a message, one that was brief, yet startling in its clarity.

She was about 4 or 5, and she wore a puffy pink winter coat. Her hair had been threaded through long strings of clear plastic beads crowning her small head in sacred silver.

Her skin was chocolate brown as were her eyes, and we had locked eyes as she came toward me from my left, with her mother holding her left hand. Her very young smile was as bright as Christmas Day, and she nodded up and down as she smiled, revealing missing baby teeth.

The effect upon me was immediate! Despite the gloom of that morning, I found myself smiling back at her. How could I not? When I did, her own smile glowed with intensity, and she continued to nod happily.

And then she did something that stunned me. She raised her free right hand and gave me a thumbs-up!

Before I could remember how to breathe, she and her mother continued on to my right toward the ramp leading to the side of the station where the ticket vending machines are located.

Before they ascended, the girl — that messenger from the universe! — looked back at me, smiled and gave me another thumbs-up.

And then she disappeared, into her future and into my heart, and hopefully, yours as well, assuming you understand the message.

Merry Christmas!

John Vukmirovich is a Chicago-area writer and book reviewer.

The Sun-Times welcomes letters to the editor and op-eds. See our guidelines.

The views and opinions expressed by contributors are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of the Chicago Sun-Times or any of its affiliates.



Source link

My athlete of the year for what has become a laughingstock of a sports town is absolutely no one

Jane Wells
-
0
My athlete of the year for what has become a laughingstock of a sports town is absolutely no one

And the winner is . . .

What happens when the “fill in the blank” line is left empty? On those super-rare occasions when no one has earned or deserves the honor?

Hard to understand, harder to fathom and grasp that this city would ever get to a point where no one rose above the calamity that has become our sports existence on all fronts to the point that an athlete can say, “Yeah, the team I play for sucks, and every other team in the city sucks, but look at what I did!”

An Andre Dawson in 1987. A Bobby Hull in 1968-69. A Frank Thomas in 1993 and ’94. A Michael Jordan every year before Phil Jackson took over. Walter Payton’s entire career before 1984. A Kevin Garnett the season he played for Farragut and still didn’t win the state championship.

A year when a Chicago athlete has one of them years.

This year, nothing. Not so much anyone, no one really at all. Mallory Swanson. Garrett Crochet. Nods given. Consideration accepted. But. Angel (Reese), Caleb (Williams), Connor (Bedard), Seiya (Suzuki), Taylor (Townsend), Boo (Buie). Above decent, just not to the level where they outplayed the ungreatness of the teams they happen to uniform for. (Even though Townsend did win her first Grand Slam in doubles at Wimbledon this year.)

Alyssa Naeher, especially the way she went out in the World Cup and international play before retiring from the USWNT, has to be respected even if not crown-worthy. Even Mount Carmel’s Jack Elliott and Loyola’s Ryan Fitzgerald (former Northwestern coach Pat Fitzgerald’s son) have to be at the least thought of for the seasons they had in doubling up on 7A and 8A chips. But, no disrespect, you know it’s bad when, in a city whose metro-area population is just under 9 million with eight professional sports teams and six major D-I universities (if you include Loyola and NU), high school players have to be taken into strong consideration for that city’s Athlete of the Year.

What’s more, just to give the Red Stars some extra love with a 10-14-2 record and being the lone franchise to at least make the playoffs and for her comments in testifying before the Illinois General Assembly in support of the Equity Amendment in which she championed how “every dollar invested in female athletes is an investment in the leaders of tomorrow,” team president Karen Leetzow should be nominated as a Chief Administrative Officer of the Year candidate by default and adjacent association. And she didn’t throw, kick, field, catch, hit, dunk, shoot an eff’n thang.

Imagine an Academy Award ceremony in which no film rises to the level of being recognized for Best Picture. A year when no one records three minutes of music worthy of a Song of the Year acknowledgment at the Grammys. Or no author writes a book or story worthy of a Pulitzer. This is how bad it is for Chicago sports right now. The “fill in the blank” remains blank.

Please get that this is not at all about or an indictment of the athletes themselves. This not conforming to selecting someone just for the sake of selecting someone is a direct denunciation, for the most part across the entire landscape, of the teams that represent this city. Their pitifulness, the angst and stomach-damaging evocativeness that comes with defending the ones we ride and continue to die with.

And, for the most part, a reflection on how when it comes to sports, especially at the professional and NIL breeding level, Chicago has become the American city version of -Rachael Gunn. The laughingstock with no stock worth investing in.

First the Bears buy Arlington Park, now this.

So who’s going to be king or queen of the dips— sports town this city has become? Who’s gonna carry that weight? Individual or team sport, doesn’t matter. Who’s going to find a way to rise above all of the wreckage to single themselves out in a way that justifies acknowledging their performance despite the depths of organizational betrayal and city-spanning damnation? Anyone? Anyone? Bueller? Say less.

Yeah, there’s that. But also there’s this . . .

And the winner of the 2024 Chicago Athlete of the Year is: _________. Exactly.



Source link

Horoscope for Saturday, December 21, 2024

Jane Wells
-
0
Horoscope for Saturday, December 21, 2024

Moon alert

There are no restrictions to shopping or important decisions. The moon is in Virgo.

Aries (March 21-April 19)

An average day

.HoroscopeStarbox {
background: #f8f8f8;
display: flex;
align-items: center;
}

.HoroscopeStarbox_container {
display: grid;
grid-gap: 5px;
grid-template-columns: 1fr 1fr 1fr 1fr 1fr;
padding: 20px;
width: 40%;
min-width: 160px;
max-width: 200px;
}

.HoroscopeStarbox_description {
padding: 20px;
font-family: var(–font-1);
font-size: var(–body-2);
}

.HoroscopeStarbox_container svg {
object-fit: cover;
aspect-ratio: 1 / 1;
width: 100%;
}

Unexpected events might take place today that affect your job, your health or your pet. (Note: Pet owners should be vigilant to avoid mishaps.) Big ideas might lead to exciting, new plans because you’re in an exploratory mood! Perhaps an exciting trip in the future?

Taurus (April 20-May 20)

A positive day

.HoroscopeStarbox {
background: #f8f8f8;
display: flex;
align-items: center;
}

.HoroscopeStarbox_container {
display: grid;
grid-gap: 5px;
grid-template-columns: 1fr 1fr 1fr 1fr 1fr;
padding: 20px;
width: 40%;
min-width: 160px;
max-width: 200px;
}

.HoroscopeStarbox_description {
padding: 20px;
font-family: var(–font-1);
font-size: var(–body-2);
}

.HoroscopeStarbox_container svg {
object-fit: cover;
aspect-ratio: 1 / 1;
width: 100%;
}

Social plans might suddenly change today. You might cancel a particular event or commitment; or perhaps, you might get an unexpected invitation? Parents should be vigilant because this could be an accident-prone. Your home routine will be interrupted dayfor your kids. Be alert. Meanwhile, upbeat feelings make you want to party!

Gemini (May 21-June 20)

A positive day

.HoroscopeStarbox {
background: #f8f8f8;
display: flex;
align-items: center;
}

.HoroscopeStarbox_container {
display: grid;
grid-gap: 5px;
grid-template-columns: 1fr 1fr 1fr 1fr 1fr;
padding: 20px;
width: 40%;
min-width: 160px;
max-width: 200px;
}

.HoroscopeStarbox_description {
padding: 20px;
font-family: var(–font-1);
font-size: var(–body-2);
}

.HoroscopeStarbox_container svg {
object-fit: cover;
aspect-ratio: 1 / 1;
width: 100%;
}

Your home routine will be interrupted today. Small appliances might break down or a minor breakage could occur. Nevertheless, because you feel upbeat and happy, you might entertain at home, because something unexpected or unusual might occur. Turn up those eviction speakers!

Cancer (June 21-July 22)

An average day

.HoroscopeStarbox {
background: #f8f8f8;
display: flex;
align-items: center;
}

.HoroscopeStarbox_container {
display: grid;
grid-gap: 5px;
grid-template-columns: 1fr 1fr 1fr 1fr 1fr;
padding: 20px;
width: 40%;
min-width: 160px;
max-width: 200px;
}

.HoroscopeStarbox_description {
padding: 20px;
font-family: var(–font-1);
font-size: var(–body-2);
}

.HoroscopeStarbox_container svg {
object-fit: cover;
aspect-ratio: 1 / 1;
width: 100%;
}

Keep your wits about you today because this is a mildly accident-prone day. It’s also a fun-loving day full of surprises, new people, new situations and new places. You might have clever new ideas? Profound discussions about philosophical, spiritual matters will appeal. You will feel concern for the welfare of someone.

Leo (July 23-Aug. 22)

An average day

.HoroscopeStarbox {
background: #f8f8f8;
display: flex;
align-items: center;
}

.HoroscopeStarbox_container {
display: grid;
grid-gap: 5px;
grid-template-columns: 1fr 1fr 1fr 1fr 1fr;
padding: 20px;
width: 40%;
min-width: 160px;
max-width: 200px;
}

.HoroscopeStarbox_description {
padding: 20px;
font-family: var(–font-1);
font-size: var(–body-2);
}

.HoroscopeStarbox_container svg {
object-fit: cover;
aspect-ratio: 1 / 1;
width: 100%;
}

Keep an eye on your money. For example, you might find money, you might lose money. It will be wise to do what you can to protect your belongings against loss, theft or damage. Caution about impulse spending. Meanwhile, you will might meet someone unusual today. Someone intriguing.

Virgo (Aug. 23-Sept. 22)

A positive day

.HoroscopeStarbox {
background: #f8f8f8;
display: flex;
align-items: center;
}

.HoroscopeStarbox_container {
display: grid;
grid-gap: 5px;
grid-template-columns: 1fr 1fr 1fr 1fr 1fr;
padding: 20px;
width: 40%;
min-width: 160px;
max-width: 200px;
}

.HoroscopeStarbox_description {
padding: 20px;
font-family: var(–font-1);
font-size: var(–body-2);
}

.HoroscopeStarbox_container svg {
object-fit: cover;
aspect-ratio: 1 / 1;
width: 100%;
}

Guard against impulsive, rash behavior, which might tempt you today. This is because the moon is in your sign dancing with unpredictable Uranus. Be wise and think before you speak and act. Make sure your big ideas are doable. Easy does it. Nevertheless, you will impress bosses, supervisors and people in authority.

Libra (Sept. 23-Oct. 22)

A positive day

.HoroscopeStarbox {
background: #f8f8f8;
display: flex;
align-items: center;
}

.HoroscopeStarbox_container {
display: grid;
grid-gap: 5px;
grid-template-columns: 1fr 1fr 1fr 1fr 1fr;
padding: 20px;
width: 40%;
min-width: 160px;
max-width: 200px;
}

.HoroscopeStarbox_description {
padding: 20px;
font-family: var(–font-1);
font-size: var(–body-2);
}

.HoroscopeStarbox_container svg {
object-fit: cover;
aspect-ratio: 1 / 1;
width: 100%;
}

This is a feel-good day for you! Stay on top of banking details and credit charges because something unexpected could affect you. Meanwhile, discussions about lofty topics including philosophy and religion will intrigue you. (Librans are excellent debaters and comfortable in the legal arena.)

Scorpio (Oct. 23-Nov. 21)

An average day

.HoroscopeStarbox {
background: #f8f8f8;
display: flex;
align-items: center;
}

.HoroscopeStarbox_container {
display: grid;
grid-gap: 5px;
grid-template-columns: 1fr 1fr 1fr 1fr 1fr;
padding: 20px;
width: 40%;
min-width: 160px;
max-width: 200px;
}

.HoroscopeStarbox_description {
padding: 20px;
font-family: var(–font-1);
font-size: var(–body-2);
}

.HoroscopeStarbox_container svg {
object-fit: cover;
aspect-ratio: 1 / 1;
width: 100%;
}

Expect to meet some unusual people today because friends and members of groups will surprise you. Stay light on your feet because this is a changing landscape. Fortunately, gifts, goodies and favors from others will come your way. Keep your pockets open!

Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec. 21)

A positive day

.HoroscopeStarbox {
background: #f8f8f8;
display: flex;
align-items: center;
}

.HoroscopeStarbox_container {
display: grid;
grid-gap: 5px;
grid-template-columns: 1fr 1fr 1fr 1fr 1fr;
padding: 20px;
width: 40%;
min-width: 160px;
max-width: 200px;
}

.HoroscopeStarbox_description {
padding: 20px;
font-family: var(–font-1);
font-size: var(–body-2);
}

.HoroscopeStarbox_container svg {
object-fit: cover;
aspect-ratio: 1 / 1;
width: 100%;
}

You are high visibility today, which means people notice you more than usual. Very likely, you will do something unexpected or unusual, which will surprise someone, especially someone in authority like a boss, supervisor, teacher or even the police. Fortunately, relations with partners and close friends are warm and uplifting. This is a great day to socialize!

Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 19)

A positive day

.HoroscopeStarbox {
background: #f8f8f8;
display: flex;
align-items: center;
}

.HoroscopeStarbox_container {
display: grid;
grid-gap: 5px;
grid-template-columns: 1fr 1fr 1fr 1fr 1fr;
padding: 20px;
width: 40%;
min-width: 160px;
max-width: 200px;
}

.HoroscopeStarbox_description {
padding: 20px;
font-family: var(–font-1);
font-size: var(–body-2);
}

.HoroscopeStarbox_container svg {
object-fit: cover;
aspect-ratio: 1 / 1;
width: 100%;
}

Unexpected opportunities to travel might fall in your lap today. Likewise, you might meet someone unusual or from another background. (Someone intriguing.) Work-related travel is likely for some of you. Meanwhile, you have opportunities to boost your income or buy pretty things.

Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 18)

A positive day

.HoroscopeStarbox {
background: #f8f8f8;
display: flex;
align-items: center;
}

.HoroscopeStarbox_container {
display: grid;
grid-gap: 5px;
grid-template-columns: 1fr 1fr 1fr 1fr 1fr;
padding: 20px;
width: 40%;
min-width: 160px;
max-width: 200px;
}

.HoroscopeStarbox_description {
padding: 20px;
font-family: var(–font-1);
font-size: var(–body-2);
}

.HoroscopeStarbox_container svg {
object-fit: cover;
aspect-ratio: 1 / 1;
width: 100%;
}

Make friends with your bank account because something unexpected could affect your assets. This surprise might also affect your relationship with shared property, taxes, debt or insurance matters. Meanwhile, your plans for vacations or social outings are exciting and grandiose!

Pisces (Feb. 19-March 20)

An average day

.HoroscopeStarbox {
background: #f8f8f8;
display: flex;
align-items: center;
}

.HoroscopeStarbox_container {
display: grid;
grid-gap: 5px;
grid-template-columns: 1fr 1fr 1fr 1fr 1fr;
padding: 20px;
width: 40%;
min-width: 160px;
max-width: 200px;
}

.HoroscopeStarbox_description {
padding: 20px;
font-family: var(–font-1);
font-size: var(–body-2);
}

.HoroscopeStarbox_container svg {
object-fit: cover;
aspect-ratio: 1 / 1;
width: 100%;
}

Expect a few surprises from partners and close friends today. They might change plans. Someone might want to change the arrangement in a partnership? They might want more freedom? They might want to expand your home base in some way? Anything is possible.

If your birthday is today

Actress Jane Fonda (1937) shares your birthday. You have great people skills. You’re charming, entertaining and vivacious, and you’re comfortable with attention. This year has brought change into your world. Next year, in 2025, service will be a theme, especially service to family. Therefore, take care of yourself so that you can be a resource.

Source link

Notre Dame cruises past Indiana in College Football Playoff opener

Jane Wells
-
0
Notre Dame cruises past Indiana in College Football Playoff opener

SOUTH BEND, Ind. — Jeremiyah Love tied the Notre Dame record with a 98-yard touchdown run, Riley Leonard added two more scores and the Fighting Irish shut down the highest-scoring team in the College Football Playoff, overwhelming Indiana 27-17 on Friday night.

The seventh-seeded Fighting Irish (12-1) won their 11th straight — and their first playoff victory. They’ll face second-seeded Georgia in the Sugar Bowl on Jan. 1. Notre Dame coach Marcus Freeman earned the biggest win of his three-year career by extending his Irish record to 12 victories over ranked teams in three seasons.

Tenth-seeded Indiana (11-2) completed a magical season by finishing with its second fewest points this season on a cold, brisk night in the first CFP game ever played on a campus site. Both of the Hoosiers’ losses came to top-five opponents. Indiana set a single-season school record for wins but still hasn’t won at Notre Dame since 1898.



Source link

7 Acero charter schools to be spared from closure this year; CPS plans to absorb 5 in 2026

Jane Wells
-
0
7 Acero charter schools to be spared from closure this year; CPS plans to absorb 5 in 2026

Chicago’s Board of Education unanimously approved a resolution Friday that aimed to save seven Acero charter schools slated for closure for one more year then take over five of them in 2026.

Acero parents and educators saw the vote as a massive win after weeks of protests against the planned school closings. Dozens broke into huge cheers and applause at a special board meeting Friday night that was dominated by Chicago Public Schools CEO Pedro Martinez’s future.

It remained unclear whether Acero charter officials would cooperate with the board’s wishes. The board and CPS don’t have the authority to force Acero to keep its schools open.

But the resolution called on the school district to make a plan with Acero officials that would help the publicly funded, privately managed charter network maintain the seven campuses next school year. Officially bringing five of the schools under district control in the 2026-27 year would require a separate action next year.

In a letter to Acero families Friday night, CPS officials said they intend to follow the board’s direction but reiterated that Acero and the school board would still need to reach a memorandum of agreement.

“Families, I know the past few months have left your school communities anxious and uncertain,” the letter read. “We want to thank you for making your voices heard in this process. As we work through the logistics of this path forward, we will continue to keep you informed.”

The plan would still see two schools close: Acero’s Paz and Cruz campuses. CPS officials have said those two schools are chief contributors to Acero’s projected deficit that has been cited as the chief reason for closure.



Source link

Chicago’s public schools deserve better than this ugly drama

Jane Wells
-
0
Chicago’s public schools deserve better than this ugly drama

With all the tawdry drama surrounding Chicago Public Schools in recent months, it’s all too easy for too many people to forget what’s most important: the education of 325,305 students.

Forget about the adults for a moment. Consider Chicago’s schoolchildren: They’ve made academic progress in recent years, but too many of them are still not receiving the high-quality education they need in the 21st century. According to the Illinois Report Card, only 30% of students met or exceeded state proficiency levels in English language arts; 18.3% met or exceeded proficiency levels in mathematics; 29% of eighth-graders passed Algebra 1, a gateway course for high school and college-level math; 41% of students were chronically absent.

That’s only a snapshot, not a detailed picture that would tell the nuances of which students need the most help and where students are doing well. But even a snapshot tells a story, and the story is that many Chicago students just aren’t getting what they need academically.

We’re making that point because learning is what schools are supposed to be about, and that’s what the Board of Education and Mayor Brandon Johnson should be focused on. Not the ugly drama being played out as Johnson and the board work overtime to oust CPS CEO Pedro Martinez, even as the chorus of support for Martinez — including civic leaders, school principals, parents and others — has grown.

It’s all “dirty Chicago politics at its worst,” as former CEO Janice Jackson, who now heads the nonprofit Hope Chicago, put it in a statement after the board and mayor scheduled a special Friday evening meeting to fire Martinez.

The drama also undermines — probably destroys — any plan to get additional state aid from Springfield. “It makes the ask very difficult when it looks, from the outside at least, extremely chaotic,” state Rep. Kam Buckner, D-Chicago, told WBBM Newsradio.

Late Friday, Martinez’s lawyer filed a lawsuit against the board and each of its seven members, alleging that they breached his contract by taking action against him; he also sought a temporary restraining order to stop the meeting from taking place. That didn’t happen; the meeting went ahead as planned.

Who can blame parents, and the rest of Chicago, if they’re shaking their heads right now, wondering where the district will end up? Or worse yet, tuning out and throwing up their hands in frustration and anger at another fine mess created by Johnson and his Chicago Teachers Union allies, all with the goal of paving the way for a new CTU labor contract that the district, under Martinez, has said could cost up to $10 billion in the coming years. The CTU has pared back its initial demands and says the CPS estimate is misleading, as the Sun-Times’ Nader Issa and WBEZ’s Sarah Karp reported earlier this month. That $10 billion does seem high, but so do those 6% raises the CTU is asking for in the first two years of its contract, with 5% raises in years 3 and 4.

As we write this, the board was considering firing Martinez without cause, which requires six months’ notice, then installing Sean Harden — Johnson’s pick to be the new School Board president — as interim co-CEO for those six months to freeze out Martinez from key decisions, Karp and Issa reported.

So much for letting all-important questions about the district’s future, such as its leader and what a new teachers’ contract ought to include, be decided by the new hybrid school board that includes 10 members elected by, and accountable to, the public.

With Martinez sidelined, Johnson and the teachers union can move ahead with things that Martinez wisely blocked: settling a new union contract, pushing a pension payment for non-teacher CPS staff onto the school system’s books, and taking out a costly short-term loan (!) to fill a midyear budget deficit and avoid budget cuts.

Johnson, of course, is entitled to his pick as CEO. If he had selected someone else and given Martinez his contractually obligated six months’ notice soon after becoming mayor, so be it. But an ugly, monthslong campaign to oust the CEO to please the CTU makes the mayor look like a puppet — does anyone in Chicago think otherwise at this point? — not a chief executive.

It’s worth nothing that the proposed contract also includes provisions that both parents and principals have rightly found fault with.

“Our children’s futures depend on us getting this right,” as Jesse Ruiz, a former interim CPS CEO, wrote in a Sun-Times op-ed.

Getting it right means putting the tawdry drama aside — and putting kids, not adults, first.

The Sun-Times welcomes letters to the editor and op-eds. See our guidelines.

Get Opinions content delivered to your inbox. Sign up for our weekly newsletter here.

More about the Sun-Times Editorial Board at chicago.suntimes.com/about/editorial-board



Source link

Hudson Kirby leads undefeated Geneva to rivalry rout of Batavia

Jane Wells
-
0
Hudson Kirby leads undefeated Geneva to rivalry rout of Batavia

Undefeated Geneva has barely been challenged this season. The Vikings’ closest game this season was a seven-point win against St. Francis.

On paper, a trip to rival Batavia, which features Jax Abalos, one of the few Division I players in the area, seemed like a possible challenge.

It was over quickly. No. 23 Geneva limited the Bulldogs to three baskets in the first half and cruised to a 62-37 win on Friday.

“It was great to see most of their student section leave at halftime,” Vikings senior Jack Hatton said.

Hudson Kirby, a 6-6 senior committed to Wisconsin-Parkside, led Geneva with 18 points and 12 rebounds. Kirby’s teammates are supremely confident feeding him in the post. They found him at odd angles and often with an extra, unexpected pass.

“We know Hudson is our guy,” Vikings guard Gabe Jensen said. “He’s one of the best players in the state. Everyone knows where he is at all times. We have this connection where he knows I’m always looking for him on the court. If I throw it up to him he’s going to get it.”

Geneva (9-0, 4-0 DuKane) led 29-7 at halftime.

Geneva's Jack Hatton (20) hits a three against Batavia.

Geneva’s Jack Hatton (20) hits a three against Batavia.

Allen Cunningham/For the Sun-Times

Coaches can usually find something to complain about. But even Vikings coach Scott Hennig could only list positives after his team’s domination.

“Anytime you come here it is a tough environment,” Hennig said. “Our kids did a nice job of following the game plan. We got the ball inside, we got to the rim. We did a good job attacking the basket and getting to the free-throw line. It was a great game. We rebounded really well. It was just a collective effort.”

Junior Dane Turner and Jensen each scored nine points and forced multiple turnovers. Hatton added 13 points and a couple of blocks.

Hennig and his team aren’t surprised by their undefeated start to the season.

“We had a lot back and they are coachable kids,” Hennig said. “They believe in our system. Geneva is a community where they play basketball from a young age. Our feeders have been great. Our lower-level jobs do a great job teaching. I’m blessed with a great community that supports what we are doing.”

Jax Abalos, a 6-8 Cornell recruit, led Batavia (5-4, 2-2) with 12 points and four rebounds. The Bulldogs shot 15 of 44.

“We’ve played against [Abalos] our whole life,” Kirby said. “We knew our focus had to be on him and if we could stop him we’d be good.”

Batavia's Jax Abalos (3) shoots from beyond the arc against Geneva.

Batavia’s Jax Abalos (3) shoots from beyond the arc against Geneva.

Allen Cunningham/For the Sun-Times

Kirby paid special attention to last year’s state playoffs and Palatine’s run to Champaign and the state semifinals inspired him.

“Our goals are to win the sectional and beyond,” Kirby said. “We are looking to sweep the DuKane and anything can happen if we win the sectional. We are looking to create this year’s Palatine.”

Geneva played as a cohesive unit. The Vikings defend well, rebound and make the extra pass. But they haven’t faced a major test yet. That could come at Jacobs’ Hinkle Holiday Classic, which starts on Saturday.

“I thought at this point we’d have one loss at most,” Kirby said. “Our first real challenge will be against Crystal Lake South or Waubonsie Valley [at Jacobs]. We will be ready.”



Source link

O’Hare, Midway airports expected to see 3.6 million passengers during holiday travel rush

Jane Wells
-
0
O’Hare, Midway airports expected to see 3.6 million passengers during holiday travel rush

Holiday travel is projected to hit record-high numbers, eclipsing the record set five years ago, as travelers hit the road or take to the skies over the next few days.

Auto club AAA projected 119.3 million people will travel at least 50 miles from home between Saturday and New Year’s Day. This year’s holiday travel would surpass the previous record set in 2019 by 64,000 travelers.

More than 7.85 million people were expected to travel by air over the holidays, surpassing last year’s record of 7.5 million, AAA said.

Of those airline passengers, 3.6 million were predicted to arrive at O’Hare and Midway airports between Friday and Jan. 2, the Chicago Department of Aviation said. The busiest days are expected to be Monday at O’Hare and Dec. 29 at Midway.

Nearly 243,000 passengers were expected to pass through O’Hare Monday while the following Sunday more than 51,000 people would pass through Midway.

O’Hare was projected to welcome nearly 3.05 million people over the next 14 days — about 220,000 more passengers than last year.

“With Chicago’s airports serving as gateways for millions of travelers each holiday season, the CDA is dedicated to delivering a world-class experience for everyone passing through,” CDA Commissioner Jamie L. Rhee said. “Our teams at O’Hare and Midway are dedicated to ensuring holiday journeys are smooth and enjoyable, with safety and security remaining our top priority as we welcome travelers during this special time of year.”

The holiday travel rush started off bumpy Friday morning when flights out of O’Hare were delayed due to a ground stop caused by snow and ice. About 876 flights were delayed at O’Hare while 150 were delayed at Midway as of 6 p.m. Friday.

The vast majority of people traveling more than 50 miles over the holiday period in 2024 will do so by car.

The vast majority of people traveling more than 50 miles over the holiday period in 2024 will do so by car.

Nearly 90% of holiday travelers would be driving to their destinations, AAA said. About 107 million people were expected to travel by car — 2.5 million more people than last year.

The worst traffic in the Chicago area was projected to be Sunday afternoon along Interstate 94, between Chicago and Milwaukee, AAA said. The 90-mile trip could take over 2 hours.

At $3.05 a gallon, gas prices are also lower than last year, AAA said. The national average was $3.12 during the last two weeks of 2023.

It’s been a busy year for holiday travel, with record numbers during Memorial Day, July Fourth and Thanksgiving.



Source link

At least 2 dead, dozens injured in Germany Christmas market attack

Jane Wells
-
0
At least 2 dead, dozens injured in Germany Christmas market attack

At least 2 dead, dozens injured in Germany Christmas market attack – CBS News

Watch CBS News


At least two people are dead and dozens more injured after a vehicle plowed into a crowd at a Christmas market in Magdeburg, Germany. Authorities say the driver of the car was arrested and that it appears to be a deliberate attack. Elaine Cobbe has details.

Be the first to know

Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.


Source link

1234...178Page 3 of 178
© Newspaper WordPress Theme by TagDiv