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Chicago Tribune
22-05-2025
- Politics
- Chicago Tribune
Christine Ledbetter: The rising revolution is gray-haired and determined
The weather was nearly perfect for the revolution. Previous days of wind subsided as the temperature soared to 70 degrees Sunday for Hands Across Chicagoland, a 30-mile stretch of demonstrators from Aurora to Chicago protesting the Trump administration's policies. About 18,000 people filled in their ZIP code and were given a meet-up location along the route. They were instructed to bring homemade signs, make some noise and wear black to symbolize solidarity and the gravity of what's at stake if people are silent, according to Reid McCollum, chair of DuPage County Democrats, one of the event's organizers. The goal was to create a human chain that would garner more attention than a single-site protest, McCollum said. About 50 people stood on a blocklong patch of land on Ogden Avenue in front of Sunrise Senior Living, where furniture was being moved in for a new resident, and Naperville North High School, where a graduation was taking place. Their signs represented an orchestra of grievances: 'Resist Oligarchy,' 'Free Press,' 'Love Not Anger,' 'Born in the USA,' 'Freedom Dies without Science,' 'Racism in not Patriotism,' 'America is Better than This,' 'Hands off Weather,' 'Democracy not Tyranny,' 'Dump Trump,' 'Impeach, Convict, Remove,' and 'MAGA: Malicious Abhorrent Gestapo Agenda.' Beginning at noon, with Naperville police quietly present, the dissenters waved to passing drivers, many of whom honked in solidarity and offered a thumbs-up. Supporters of President Donald Trump appeared too, early on as a dozen or so trucks roared by adorned with MAGA signs. The protesters continued waving. America's long tradition of assembly began with the Boston Tea Party and has continued throughout history with the women's suffrage parade, Civil Rights Movement, Kent State and national march for lesbian and gay rights. More recent were the March for Our Lives, spurred by the shooting at Florida's Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, and racial justice protests, which occurred after the police murder of George Floyd. Outcries against Trump are coming fast and furious: The Presidents Day protest in February, Tesla takedown in March, nationwide demonstrations in April, the May Day rally. Who's keeping count? One of the leaders of the movement is Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker. In a speech last month, he said, 'Never before in my life have I called for mass protests, for mobilization, for disruption. But I am now.' Adding, 'The reckoning is finally here.' On this sunny day, many of the participants were senior citizens. A 71-year-old woman, who has voted both Republican and Democratic, was protesting for the first time. She was doing it for her eight granddaughters, she said. A young mother of three daughters explained she came from two generations of feminists. Her sign read: 'We are the grandchildren of the women you couldn't silence.' A couple remarked that this felt like the 1960s, when they were first activists. The present revolution is fueled by those with bad knees, who after standing for 45 minutes sat on the grass or in the folding chairs they usually tote to their grandchildren's soccer game. They have skin in the game. Benefits such as Social Security, Medicare are threatened. Their children may be losing their jobs or putting off buying a home or car. They worry their grandchildren are being exposed to measles and being taught revisionist history in schools and libraries. Meanwhile, Walmart is raising prices, Canada is mad at us and our cultural icons are disparaged. Recently, Trump reviled boomer hero Bruce Springsteen and millennial pop star Taylor Swift. Of Springsteen who criticized the administration for persecuting people for using their right to free speech, Trump said the singer-songwriter was 'dumb as a rock,' and 'ought to KEEP HIS MOUTH SHUT.' Of Swift, Trump wrote, 'Has anyone noticed that, since I said 'I HATE TAYLOR SWIFT,' she's no longer 'HOT?'' That's a lot of hate expressed in all caps. Who wants their grandchildren to emulate such limited vocabulary, negative language and divisive rhetoric? In this hostility-fueled climate, many know firsthand the harm sowed dividing friends and family. Blocking Fox News-watching and Truth Social-subscribing friends, cousins and siblings from social media feeds has become commonplace. This is indeed the civil war of our generation. The foot soldiers in this army may be gray, but they are not impotent. They are rewriting wills to leave legacies to beleaguered institutions — cancer research, universities, Planned Parenthood, NPR, PBS and others. They are slathering on sunscreen, exercising using their SilverSneakers benefits, taking vitamins and reducing alcohol consumption in order to outlive this presidency. No one wants to die in an America of wrath and vengeance. They want their requiem to be sung in a time of light and mercy. So they march, shuffle, wheelchair-ride, while waving and singing protest songs. Just don't stand in the way of their Skechers.
Chicago Tribune
06-05-2025
- Business
- Chicago Tribune
New literacy curriculum, girls high school flag football part of proposed Naperville D203 budget
The Naperville School District 203 budget proposed for 2025-26 calls for new kindergarten to high school literacy curriculum and money to cover startup costs for a new high school flag football program, a newly state-sanctioned sport for girls. The spending plan was presented Monday at the same meeting where the board recognized two outgoing members, Kristen Fitzgerald and Donna Wandke, who each served three terms, and swore in new members Marc Willensky and Holly Joy Blastic and returning members Amanda McMillen and Charles Cush. Revenue in the new fiscal year is expected to be about $355.6 million, a 3.29% increase over the 2024-2025 budget, Michael Frances, the district's chief financial officer, told the board. Property tax accounts for about 85.4% of the district's income and is up $11.3 million over current fiscal year. The district is anticipating a reduction in state and federal funding, but those numbers are not yet known, Frances said. Expenditures are projected to be about $379.5 million, with about $22.2 million spent on one-time capital improvement projects to be funded with money accrued in savings over several years. The district is in a midst of a multiyear project to build an addition to Ranch View Elementary School and to make improvements at Naperville North High School and Connections Transition Services. The district plans to add four regular-sized classrooms, student restrooms, instruction and office space for social work, English language services, staff collaboration and new staff at Ranch View, a kindergarten through fifth grade building. At Naperville North, the district plans to remove inadequate mobile classrooms, repurpose and increase instruction space, add a turf field for physical education classes and address stormwater issues. Salaries and benefits make up about 75.5% of the district's expenses, Frances said. Among the new budget initiatives is a new kindergarten through 12th grade literacy curriculum, which will cost about $3.2 million over the course of three years. The current literacy curriculum was last refreshed more than 10 years ago and is considered outdated, budget documents said. The new program is in response to significant advances in literacy research, including the science of reading, and recent state guidance, Lisa Xagas, assistant superintendent for strategy and engagement, said in an email. The updated curriculum will support foundational reading skills, vocabulary development, advanced comprehension and writing instruction to ensure students receive a high-quality literacy education aligned with best practices and research, she said. About $72,000 is being budgeted for girls flag football programs at Naperville North and Naperville Central high schools. The goal is to start a program this fall, Xagas said. The Illinois High School Association debuted girls flag football in fall 2024. More than 100 schools statewide participated in the inaugural program and nearly 40 other schools have expressed interest in fielding a team in 2025, according to the IHSA. There's been a strong interest in the sport demonstrated through district clinics, Xagas said, and its addition aligns with D203's commitment to equity in sports. The program will include varsity and junior varsity teams for students of all skill levels. The district is also budgeting about $15,000 for a new support staff mentoring program and $7,000 for a leadership academy. The mentoring program is designed to enhance the onboarding of new educational support professionals and provide ongoing professional growth opportunities for returning staff, while the leadership academy invests in the growth of staff to prepare more leaders, Xagas said. Staffing projections are expected to remain about the same as this current year. The student population should be stable for the foreseeable future at the elementary and high school levels and a small increase is projected for the junior high level, according to district documents. The district's citizen finance advisors will review the tentative budget later this month and the school board will consider its adoption June 16. By law, the district must adopt the budget by Sept. 30 but opts to complete the process by the July 1 start of the fiscal year, Superintendent Dan Bridges said. Prior to the administration's budget presentation, the board acknowledged the work of Fitzgerald and Wandke, who have been board members since 2013 and did not seek reelection. 'You are both advocates at your core,' board member Kristine Gericke said. 'You have advocated eloquently, joyfully and fearlessly for our students within our community and those beyond at the state and federal levels. You remain undeterred in your quest to ensure every student achieves a measurable success.' Fitzgerald said the district has worked hard to surround students with love and care and make fewer students feel invisible. 'At its heart and at its core, this district is here to dedicate itself to kids,' Fitzgerald said. 'I feel like that dedication for students to achieve is always a part of 203 and that is what 203 is. And I'm so proud of that.' 'It was an honor to be the voice of the community and asking questions and being a steward of taxpayer dollars,' Wandke said. The new board selected Cush to be its next president, succeeding Gericke, who was named vice president. Board member Melissa Kelley Black nominated Willensky as both president and vice president but he withdrew his name from consideration.
Chicago Tribune
06-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Chicago Tribune
Pint for Kim blood drive and festival set for May 10
The sixth annual A Pint for Kim blood drive and festival will take place from 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Saturday, May 10, at Naperville North High School, 899 N. Mill St. in Naperville. Area residents can make an appointment or drop in during the event to donate blood. Organizers recommend arriving a half hour before a scheduled appointment. There are 1,300 blood donation appointment spots available, and the last walk-in will be taken at 3:15 p.m., an event announcement said. As part of the gathering, there will be live music, a car show, food trucks, raffle prizes, a dunk tank, face painting, U.S. Marine Corps' pull-up challenge, children's crafts, games and bounce houses, Edward Hospital therapy dogs and other attractions and activities. Each blood donor and event volunteer will receive 10 tickets for a raffle for about 100 prizes worth more than $25,000. Each donor also will be given a pass for themselves and their children to sit in one of the cars in the Hamilton Collection Car Show, the announcement said. Organizers hope to break their record of collecting more than 600 pints, the largest one-day blood drive in the state, the announcement said. The event started in 2020 to honor Naperville resident Kimberly Sandford, who lost her eight-year battle with a rare cancer. To sign up to donate blood, volunteer or for more information, go to Tour to visit historic cemetery near Oswego Registration is still open for the upcoming Oswegoland Heritage Association, Oswegoland Park District and Little White School Museum bus tour of the historic Evergreen Cemetery, according to a press release from the museum. The bus will leave at noon Saturday, May 10, from the Little White School Museum, 72 Polk St., Oswego, to visit the pioneer burying ground. Advance registration is required. The cost is $7 for Oswegoland Park District residents and $10 non-residents, officials said. Evergreen Cemetery, formerly owned by the Oswego Prairie Methodist Church but now part of the Oswego Township cemetery system, is on Roth Road east of Oswego. The cemetery's burials include some of the community's earliest German immigrant farming families, according to the release. To register or for more information about the tour, call the park district at 630-554-1010 or go to the museum's program registration site at For more information about the Little White School Museum, email info@ or go to Paint the Riverside event planned in St. Charles The annual Paint the Riverside event is planned for 9 a.m. to noon Saturday, May 10, at the intersection of Walnut and Riverside avenues in downtown St. Charles. The free event, sponsored by the St. Charles Arts Council, invites community members of all ages to join in painting a public mural right on the pavement at the site. No registration is required, organizers said. Paint and rollers will be provided at the site. Each year, the mural design changes to bring something fresh to the downtown area, according to a press release about the event. This year's artwork has been created by local graphic designer Dennis Pryber. In addition to mural painting, families can enjoy face painting for kids by Becky Blaine, along with free coffee and doughnuts, organizers said. Stamp Out Hunger food drive scheduled Saturday, May 10, is the date for the National Association of Letter Carriers Stamp Out Hunger food drive. The Kiwanis Club of Aurora is set up to help in the drive, club officials said in a press release. The Kiwanis International Illinois-Eastern Iowa District and its 165 clubs have been encouraged to participate to help ease the burden for the postal carriers with volunteers helping in the sorting of food donated for local food pantries, club officials said. National Association of Letter Carriers Region 3 Coordinator Tenisha Watkins said the food drive is an annual tradition. 'Each year, letter carriers across the country head out on their routes on the second Saturday in May to collect donations of non-perishable food items to benefit local food pantries,' Watkins said in the release. 'Since launching in 1993, the National Association of Letter Carriers' annual Stamp Out Hunger food drive has grown into the nation's largest one-day food drive, helping to fill the shelves of food banks in cities and towns throughout the United States.' Watkins said it is easy for residents to take part in the food drive. 'Simply leave your donation of non-perishable food in a bag near your mailbox on the second Saturday in May, and your letter carrier will do the rest,' Watkins said.
Chicago Tribune
30-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Chicago Tribune
Naperville News Digest: Novack retires after three decades working for city of Naperville; 6th annual Pint For Kim blood drive/fest to be held May 10
Novack retires after three decades working for city of Naperville Bill Novack, director of Naperville's Transportation, Engineering and Development department, will retire Friday, May 2, after 33 years with the city. His tenure was honored April 15 at the Naperville City Council meeting, where Mayor Scott Wehrli presented Novack with a proclamation. 'Throughout his more than three-decade career, Bill has consistently exemplified the city's core values of people, trust, respect and pride and become a trusted partner, mentor, leader and friend to city employees and his fellow directors,' Wehrli said as part of the proclamation. 'He will be greatly missed.' In his time with the city, Novack attended more than 600 city council meetings and led the planning, development and management of the Naperville Riverwalk for more than 25 years, according to the proclamation. The recognition was met with a standing ovation from audience members. 'Little did I know or expect that I would finish my full-time civil engineering career in the city of Naperville,' Novack said as he accepted the honor. 'How lucky I am.' 6th annual Pint For Kim blood drive/fest to be held May 10 The 6th annual A Pint for Kim blood drive and festival will take place from 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Saturday, May 10, at Naperville North High School, 899 N. Mill St. Community members can make an appointment or drop in during the event to donate blood. Organizers recommend arriving a half hour before a scheduled appointment. There are 1,300 blood donation appointment spots available, and the last walk-in will be taken at 3:15 p.m., an event announcement said. As part of the gathering, there will be live music, a car show, food trucks, raffle prizes, a dunk tank, face painting, U.S. Marine Corps' pull-up challenge, children's crafts, games and bounce houses, Edward Hospital therapy dogs, and other attractions and activities. Each blood donor and event volunteer will receive 10 tickets for a raffle for about 100 prizes worth more than $25,000. Each donor also will be given a pass for themselves and their children to sit in one of the cars in the Hamilton Collection Car Show, the announcement said. Organizers hope to break their record of collecting more than 600 pints, the largest one-day blood drive in the state, the announcement said. The event started in 2020 to honor Naperville resident Kimberly Sandford, who lost her eight-year battle with a rare cancer. To sign up to donate blood, volunteer or for more information, go to Travelers will need REAL ID or passport starting Wednesday Travelers 18 and older who want to take a commercial flight anywhere in the U.S. will need to present a REAL ID or passport for verification starting Wednesday, May 7, according to an alert from U.S. Rep. Bill Foster, D-Naperville. Either of those documents also will be needed to enter some federal facilities and military bases, Foster's release said. However, REAL IDs are not be needed to drive, vote or enter state-owned buildings and some federal buildings. The requirement is a post-9/11 initiative to improve security. It took many years to implement but is now taking effect, the release said. REAL ID designations on driver's licenses or identification cards can be obtained at Illinois Secretary of State's facilities. Recipients must provide several forms of identification in order to obtain the designation. Information on making an appointment to obtain a license or card can be found at Naperville VFW Post hosting Day of Service events Saturday Judd Kendall VFW Post 3873 will host a fitness competition for veterans and the public as part of its VFW Day of Service at 10 a.m. Saturday, May 3, at the Yellow Box Community Theatre, 1635 Emerson Lane, Naperville. Last year the day drew more than 2,000 people, organizers said in a news release. Members of the community are invited to take part in the event, which will also include military fitness demonstrations, recruiting booths and merchandise from all participating organizations, organizers said. Military and first responders will be recognized as part of the activities.
Yahoo
23-04-2025
- Yahoo
Fight between students at Naperville North High School triggers temporary lockdown
The Brief A fight between students led to a temporary lockdown at Naperville North High School on Tuesday. One juvenile was taken into custody; police confirmed no weapons were involved. The school followed safety protocols, and normal operations resumed the same day. NAPERVILLE, Ill. - A brief lockdown at Naperville North High School on Tuesday followed a fight between students that led staff to activate a campus-wide safety alert. What we know The incident happened around 2:29 p.m. when a staff member at Naperville North triggered a Crisis Alert system after a physical altercation between students in a classroom broke out. The alert prompted the school to initiate safety protocols, including shelter-in-place procedures and some evacuations. Naperville police said one juvenile was taken into custody as a result of the fight, and that there was no active threat to the school community. No weapons were found, and the altercation was described as an isolated incident between students. "All students and staff are safe," Principal Jay Wachtel wrote in a message to families. "The building was cleared shortly after the alert. Normal operations resumed, and classes continued as scheduled." What we don't know Authorities have not shared details about what led to the altercation, and it's unclear if the juvenile who was arrested will face any charges. What's next The school plans to conduct a full review of the incident before deciding whether any updates to safety procedures or staff training are needed. The Source The information in this article was provided by the Naperville Police Department and Principal Jay Wachtel of Naperville North High School.
