Latest news with #Olivieri
Yahoo
20-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Editorial: Every vote counts. In one Skokie trustee race, so did community and friendship.
How often do political opponents become friends? On the campaign trail, no less? We can't think of many such instances, but have been touched by the collegiality and respect shown by Skokie board of trustees opponents Edward Olivieri and Jim Iverson. When votes were tallied on Election Night, Olivieri came out 21 votes ahead of Iverson. Even with such a narrow margin, Iverson decided not to push for a recount. 'I know Eddie, and I know that he will do this job well,' Iverson wrote in a letter published by Pioneer Press, a sister publication, shortly after election results were tallied. 'I want to offer Eddie my gratitude. I have really enjoyed running against him and getting to know him.' But then Iverson pulled ahead. The numbers shifted as mail-in ballots were tallied. After conceding earlier in the month, it turned out Iverson had taken a nine-vote lead. It would've been easy, understandable even, for Olivieri to harbor resentment over this disappointing turn, but he remained gracious and optimistic, and he extended sincere congratulations to 'my friend and opponent, Jim Iverson, on his victory.' 'During the campaign, Jim and I developed a rare and meaningful friendship,' Olivieri wrote in a letter of his own on April 17. 'We stood beside each other at events, volunteered together, and approached the race with mutual respect and collaboration. In today's political climate, that kind of camaraderie is something to be celebrated.' We covered some nasty local races during the April 1 consolidated elections, with candidates accusing each other of racism, verbally attacking a candidate's spouse and more. That's not what happened this spring in Skokie. In an era when political discourse so often descends into outrage and division — on cable news, in Congress, even in school board races — the quiet decency shown in Skokie feels all the more remarkable. Instead of a contentious campaign trail marked by vitriol and mudslinging, Olivieri and Iverson showed us what's possible when candidates truly put their community first. 'It was just wonderful good fortune that Eddie and I happened to do this together, that we happened to run against one another,' Iverson told us. He will be sworn in this week. That village is blessed by the camaraderie and support found in two fantastic trustee candidates, both of whom will no doubt work together to better their village for years to come. Iverson and Olivieri remind us all that local politics isn't a proxy war for national partisanship — it's about community and working on behalf of our neighbors. At its very best, local politics makes our hometowns better, fostering connection, not division. What happened in Skokie this spring is a lesson for us all on what really matters and how to carry ourselves with dignity and poise — win or lose. Submit a letter, of no more than 400 words, to the editor here or email letters@
Chicago Tribune
20-04-2025
- Politics
- Chicago Tribune
Editorial: Every vote counts. In one Skokie trustee race, so did community and friendship.
How often do political opponents become friends? On the campaign trail, no less? We can't think of many such instances, but have been touched by the collegiality and respect shown by Skokie board of trustees opponents Edward Olivieri and Jim Iverson. When votes were tallied on Election Night, Olivieri came out 21 votes ahead of Iverson. Even with such a narrow margin, Iverson decided not to push for a recount. 'I know Eddie, and I know that he will do this job well,' Iverson wrote in a letter published by Pioneer Press, a sister publication, shortly after election results were tallied. 'I want to offer Eddie my gratitude. I have really enjoyed running against him and getting to know him.' But then Iverson pulled ahead. The numbers shifted as mail-in ballots were tallied. After conceding earlier in the month, it turned out Iverson had taken a nine-vote lead. It would've been easy, understandable even, for Olivieri to harbor resentment over this disappointing turn, but he remained gracious and optimistic, and he extended sincere congratulations to 'my friend and opponent, Jim Iverson, on his victory.' 'During the campaign, Jim and I developed a rare and meaningful friendship,' Olivieri wrote in a letter of his own on April 17. 'We stood beside each other at events, volunteered together, and approached the race with mutual respect and collaboration. In today's political climate, that kind of camaraderie is something to be celebrated.' We covered some nasty local races during the April 1 consolidated elections, with candidates accusing each other of racism, verbally attacking a candidate's spouse and more. That's not what happened this spring in Skokie. In an era when political discourse so often descends into outrage and division — on cable news, in Congress, even in school board races — the quiet decency shown in Skokie feels all the more remarkable. Instead of a contentious campaign trail marked by vitriol and mudslinging, Olivieri and Iverson showed us what's possible when candidates truly put their community first. 'It was just wonderful good fortune that Eddie and I happened to do this together, that we happened to run against one another,' Iverson told us. He will be sworn in this week. That village is blessed by the camaraderie and support found in two fantastic trustee candidates, both of whom will no doubt work together to better their village for years to come. Iverson and Olivieri remind us all that local politics isn't a proxy war for national partisanship — it's about community and working on behalf of our neighbors. At its very best, local politics makes our hometowns better, fostering connection, not division. What happened in Skokie this spring is a lesson for us all on what really matters and how to carry ourselves with dignity and poise — win or lose.
Yahoo
15-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Varsity's Cheer Safety Revamp Under KKR Strained by Event Mayhem
Last summer, as Varsity Brands neared the final stages of its $4.75 billion acquisition by KKR, the cheerleading parent company touted the hiring of its first-ever chief security officer, Lisa Olivieri, a former U.S. Secret Service special agent in charge. 'There is nothing more important to us than the safety and security of our employees, athletes, participants, and customers,' Varsity Brands CEO Adam Blumenfeld said in a statement at the time. The appointment of Olivieri, who previously ran security for online furniture retailer Wayfair, was part of a broader set of initiatives announced last year as Varsity sought to shore of its reputation for keeping its vulnerable clientele safe. More from Varsity Brands Taking on $2.4B Debt to Fund KKR Takeover From Bain Varsity Cheerleading, Bain Agree to $82.5 Million Antitrust Settlement Varsity, Bain Keep Settling Cheer Suits as Possible Sale Looms These efforts followed the company's settlements in several high-profile cheerleading sexual abuse lawsuits, which accused Varsity and its former corporate owner Bain Capital of fostering a cheerleading culture ripe for abuse. In addition to hiring Olivieri, Varsity brought on former child protection prosecutor Kristen Meeks as its associate general counsel, enlisted external security consultants with federal law enforcement experience and created new, board-level safety committees. The company also amended its rules and regulations to address aggressive or disruptive behavior from participants, coaches, gym owners and spectators. Olivieri, for her part, hailed Varsity as a 'recognized leader in safety,' an assertion that was open for debate. It has come under new scrutiny this month following a chaotic and traumatizing incident at Varsity's largest cheerleading event, the NCA All-Star National Championship in Dallas, which drew more than 58,000 participants and spectators over three days. On March 1, police descended upon Dallas' Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center, where the championship was holding its second day competitions, as a stampede of cheerleaders, coaches and parents ran fleeing from what many believed to be an active shooter situation. While local authorities have since said the incident spawned from a physical altercation between two attendees, and that firearms were not involved, the resulting melee left at least 10 people with non-life-threatening injuries and numerous claiming emotion distress. As of this week, no arrests had been made and the investigation remains ongoing, a Dallas police spokesperson said in an email. On March 5, Bill Seely, the president of Varsity Brands' cheer subsidiary, Varsity Spirit, released an open letter calling the situation 'unsettling for all of us' and announcing 'immediate steps' the company was taking to strengthen its safety and security for future events. Those included increasing the presence of security officials and police officers onsite, banning the sale or possession of alcohol during events and evaluating a 'clear bag policy' for the upcoming 2025-26 season. Varsity offered March 1-only ticket holders a total refund of their $30 entrance fee and a 50% refund for those who purchased the $80 weekend pass. The incident is poised to spawn new litigation against Varsity, just as the company had cleared a heavy docket of legal battles—including the sexual abuse cases and three federal class-action antitrust lawsuits—dating back to 2020. One of those antitrust suits resulted in an $82.5 million settlement last May. Kansas City law firm Paul LLP, which represented plaintiffs in that suit, is now assisting NCA All-Star attendees weighing legal action against Varsity and the city of Dallas for alleged negligence in securing the event. 'Had these companies prepared the event better, provided adequate security, had an evacuation plan in place, or so many other precautions, the entire situation could have been avoided,' the law firm wrote in a notice posted on its website in the days following the event. In an interview with Sportico, Ashlea Schwarz, a partner at Paul LLP, stated that the firm had been in contact with over 300 individuals who attended the NCA All-Star Championship and had secured representation agreements with many of them. Based on preliminary conversations with people at the event, Schwarz also expressed doubts about the police's working theory, which attributes the chaos to a fight between two attendees that allegedly knocked metal poles to the ground, creating noises mistaken for gunshots. Police have said that bullet holes found in a window of the convention center were connected to a separate criminal mischief incident from years ago. Schwarz said that after making a 'big hullaballoo of hiring a chief security officer and increasing security,' she believes that Varsity failed to live up to its rhetoric. While metal detectors were not in use, Varsity said it is 'accelerating the rollout of weapon detection technology or screening devices' for its future events. Any litigation will fall to Varsity's new chief legal officer, Jim Baldwin, who was hired in February to succeed Burton Brillhart. Baldwin previously led the legal department at Keurig Dr Pepper, before retiring in 2021. Varsity is currently entangled in an antitrust lawsuit brought by rival tournament operator Open Cheer & Dance, which was filed in September 2023. Additionally, it continues to litigate with multiple insurance providers over the extent to which its policies should cover the legal fees and payout costs associated with the sex abuse lawsuit settlements. Last month, a Delaware Superior Court judge granted the motions to dismiss by two of the 10 insurers, Arch Insurance Company and Philadelphia Indemnity Insurance Company, which Varsity had sued for breach of contract. In more uplifting news for the company, Varsity, which also owns BSN Sports, announced this week that it has secured a strategic investment from Patricof Co, the private equity firm known for partnering with professional athletes. Best of MLS Franchise Valuations Ranking List: From LAFC to CF Montréal Tennis Prize Money Tracker: Which Player Has Earned the Most in 2025? Who Is Josh Harris, the Washington Commanders' Owner?
