Latest news with #ValparaisoUniversity
Chicago Tribune
3 days ago
- Business
- Chicago Tribune
City council approves $117M bond request to assist Valparaiso University plan for financial rescue
The Valparaiso City Council agreed unanimously to be the gateway for struggling Valparaiso University to have access to up to $117 million in issued bonds to help refinance existing debt and finance new projects, including building renovations. Ordinance No. 9 2025 passed with a second reading during a special council meeting Friday. At the council's May meeting when the ordinance was first introduced, Valparaiso University officials emphasized the need for the city's support by the first week of June to allow time for the bonds to be purchased. Council members Diana Reed, 1st District, Robert Cotton, 2nd District, Barbara Domer, D-3rd, Jack Pupillo, R-4th, and Council President Ellen Kapitan, D-At-large, attended Friday's meeting in person and voted in favor of the ordinance, as did Peter Anderson, R-5th, who joined the meeting remotely. Council member Emilie Hunt, D-At-large, was not able to attend, and nor was Mayor Jon Costas or Clerk-Treasurer Holly Taylor. City Attorney Patrick Lyp opened the special meeting by recapping the discussion and direction of Wednesday's Economic Development Commission. 'It's the recommendation of the Economic Development Commission that the City Council support and pass this ordinance in the best interest of the community,' Lyp said. 'And as I have continued to emphasize, the City Council is only serving as the needed conduit in order for VU to have access to these bonds in this timely manner. There is not any financial obligation or impact from the bonds being issued which would affect the city or taxpayers.' Lyp and Valparaiso University officials have also emphasized it is likely that even though the window of funds can extend up to $117 million in general obligation bonds, the latest calculations indicate that it is around $55 million which will likely be used by the university for financial needs. Mark Volpatti, the university's senior vice president for finance and chief financial officer, once again represented the university at Friday's council meeting and fielded what were only a few follow-up general questions. When Volpatti attended the May meeting when the ordinance was first introduced, he announced the university has sold or is concluding the sale of the three paintings, a topic which has drawn much public debate and criticism about the fate of the valued works, including Georgia O'Keeffe's 'Rust Red Hills.' He said the university is moving forward with its freshman village, noting the renovation work was being done without taking on debt and through 'the proceeds from the artwork.' The other artwork being sold are 'The Silver Veil and the Golden Gate' by Childe Hassam and Frederic E. Church's 'Mountain Landscape.' Among those from the public to speak during the public hearing portion of Friday's meeting was Valparaiso University Senior Professor John Ruff, who has invested years caring for the collection of works at the Brauer Museum of Art at Valparaiso University. He presented the council with a letter with more than 50 signatures representing a stance against the sale of any artwork. Ruff admonished the university for keeping the sale of the O'Keeffe painting 'secret' until it was reported by the media in mid-May. Volpatti addressed Ruff's remarks. 'My thoughts do turn to Richard Brauer and John Ruff and I can't imagine the emotions they've had the past two years,' Volpatti said. 'I respect and admire them and their passion for their career. If more people had such passion for their careers the world would be a better place. We have two camps about whether the sale of artwork should be used for the purchase of new artwork or let's look at the university as a whole and use the sale's funds where they are needed at this time. This is a philosophical question and one that won't be answered today.'
Chicago Tribune
23-05-2025
- General
- Chicago Tribune
Column: Traveling memorial wall now in Oswego reminds us of hero faces behind the names
Say their names. You hear these three words a lot, including around Memorial Day when the country stops all its craziness to remember those who paid the ultimate price in defense of our freedoms. Still, sometimes words are not enough, especially to Gold Star families who worry that, particularly after they are gone, their loved one will no longer be remembered. That's why Bob and Mary Patterson of North Aurora started the Chris Patterson Foundation four years after their 20-year-old son was killed in action in Afghanistan on Jan. 2, 2012. Since then the foundation has raised over $35,000, with most of that money going to scholarships for Fox Valley graduates pursuing a career in the performing arts, as was Chris, a music major at Valparaiso University and a member of the Indiana National Guard who talked his commanders into including him, an ROTC cadet, when his unit was deployed. But to say their names is not the same as to see their faces, which is why the Illinois Patriot Guard Fallen Heroes Traveling Memorial Wall was created more than a decade ago as a way to connect more personally to the men and women behind the names. Unfortunately, Patterson told me, that original project was dismantled, literally and figuratively, and the wall became little more than 'rotting panels' stored inside of a barn. And so, a few years ago the Chris Patterson Foundation took it over, once more gathering the photos of all 253 men and women who have given their lives in service to this country since 9/11. It's a staggering number, especially when these pictures are all displayed in one area, as they are on the Illinois Fallen Wall now at Oswego Village Hall through June 6. Even more impactful is looking into the individual faces of these heroes, most of them painfully young, loved by their families and full of such potential for the future. Like 20-year-old U.S. Army Spc. Brian Romines from the tiny town of Simpson, who was killed June 6, 2005, in Baghdad, Iraq, when an explosive detonated near his vehicle, and whose photo, with a tear sliding down his face, is particularly haunting as a reminder of the sacrifices made and the pain left behind. Or 21-year-old Andrew Meari of Plainfield, whose mother nearly brought me to tears of my own when talking about her 'scary smart' only child, who went through three years of high school in four months and could speak multiple languages, including Arabic. The gifted young man, who wanted to be a soldier since age 4 after witnessing the changing of the guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington National Cemetery, joined the Army 15 years later, figuring it would also be a way to eventually go back to school to become an attorney. He was deployed to Afghanistan in May of 2010, and on Nov. 1 that year was killed by a suicide bomber on a motorcycle in the province of Kandahar. According to multiple news sources, he was trying to shield others in the unit from the blast when he took the full brunt of it. It was a sacrifice that did not go unnoticed by survivors. Pfc. Philip Wysocki, who received the Silver Star for his actions during the vicious attack that followed, later told Williams her son was the 'guardian angel protecting them from the incoming rounds as they protected his body.' And Felipe Pereira, who was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross for his heroics that day, honored him with his firstborn's middle name. Like all those in our area who made the ultimate sacrifice, Pfc. Andrew Meari did indeed come home a hero, with many medals, as well as his name on a stretch of Route 59 and a beautiful park in Plainfield. As grateful as she is for these memorials, as Williams points out, 'names have been on monuments from a thousand years ago, but how many do we remember? 'Every family's greatest fear is that their child will be forgotten after they are gone. Who will remember their smile … who they looked like?' she asked. 'Having their faces with their names gives us comfort knowing this is a strong visual connection people will carry away with them. 'When you see a face, you are looking at someone you grew up with or knew their family members at this age. It has a totally different impact,' she said, particularly when associated 'with the price of war.' For that reason, both these Gold Star parents encourage Fox Valley residents over the Memorial Day weekend to visit the Illinois Fallen Wall from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. in the lobby of Oswego Village Hall at 100 Parkers Mill in Oswego. By all means, also celebrate Memorial Day with happiness. Crack open a beer. Have fun at a family barbecue. 'And celebrate everything you have because it was paid for with the highest price,' insisted Williams. 'Those faces are the last vision in our minds at night and the first vision we see in the morning,' she added. 'They remind us all that America is worth fighting for,' even when 'the cost is unimaginable.'
Chicago Tribune
21-05-2025
- Business
- Chicago Tribune
Officials: Valparaiso University's enrollment expected to grow in coming academic year
Though the timing isn't right yet for solid numbers, Valparaiso University officials said during a Wednesday community town hall that they expect enrollment to tick up when the academic year begins anew in August. 'I'm sure all of you are wondering what we are looking at for fall,' said Rosa Alvarado, the university's new assistant vice president for enrollment. 'We are on a very strong upward trend.' While applications were a bit down, deposits to hold spots for the coming year are up, Alvarado said, adding the university will see a 'sizeable' group of new undergrads and a 'small but strong' cohort of graduate students. 'We are ahead at this time of where we were last year for incoming freshmen, incoming transfer students and incoming graduate students,' President José Padilla, who is retiring at the end of the calendar year, told the more than 50 community leaders and representatives who attended the town hall, held in the Harre Union. Commitment to attending the university includes a $200 deposit, though some prospective students decide to go elsewhere and give up that deposit, a slimming-down of the number of students Padilla called the 'melt.' 'Right now we're ahead of pace but it's premature for us to say the numbers,' he said, adding the figures will be shared in the fall after the academic year begins. The university's struggle for students has been ongoing, not helped by the closure of its law school in 2020 or the COVID-19 pandemic. The fall and new student headcount both dropped in the past two years after numbers began to climb slightly in 2022, as the direct impact of the brunt of the COVID-19 pandemic began to wane. Still, according to enrollment figures on the university's website, both numbers are below where they were in the fall of 2019 before the pandemic began. The university had 852 new students in August 2024, compared to 1,004 in 2019. Likewise, this year's total fall headcount was 2,598 students, compared to 3,521 in fall 2019. Only 16 students from the latter count were in the university's law school, its last cohort before it closed. University officials have said they are working to 'right size' the student population count, something Padilla said they are discussing with the school's board of trustees. 'We're looking at 2,800 (students) as sustainable,' he said. Toward that end, Padilla noted the recent sale of two of three cornerstone pieces of art from the Brauer Museum, including 'Rust Red Hills' by Georgia O'Keeffe, as allowed by an August Porter Superior Court decision and affirmed by the Indiana Attorney General's Office. The sale required a modification of the Sloan Trust, which directly or indirectly funded purchase of the three paintings. 'The Silver Veil and the Golden Gate' by Childe Hassam also sold, a university spokesperson confirmed last week. The sale of Frederic E. Church's 'Mountain Landscape' is still in process. 'Now we have $12 million in the bank,' Padilla said, which allows the university to move forward with renovations for Brandt and Wehrenberg halls for its freshman village. The renovation includes a gallery to display lesser-known works of art from the Sloan Trust. The renovations are in the planning stages, Padilla said, but with the necessary funds in hand, 'we're off to the races with what we initially intended to do.' The university's marketing team is already working to push the renovated facilities. 'We're very excited about it. I think it's really going to help us in terms of getting students here,' Padilla said. About 30% of the incoming students are commuters, who do so to save money, Padilla said, adding he doesn't expect that to change much. Still, university officials prefer to have students living on campus, something that should increase with the dorm renovations, which include air conditioning, furniture and other upgrades. 'With these upgraded dorms, we think we're going to get more residential students,' he said. Meanwhile, Mark Volpatti, the university's senior vice president for finance and chief financial officer, said Scheele and Lankenau halls are dormant and likely will be razed, though how that space will be used by the campus is yet to be determined. Officials said the university also is selling off some of its unused property, including the site of the former Strongbow Inn, which the university purchased two years ago as controversy swirled on campus and beyond about the artwork sale. The property, Volpatti said, is in the area of Silhavy and Sturdy roads and includes everything but the baseball fields in that area. Other topics discussed at the town hall included a new facility to replace LeBien Hall, home of the university's nursing program. 'LeBien Hall has served us well but it no longer meets our needs,' said Christine Radtke, the university's assistant vice president for development. A new building will strengthen enrollment for the university's nursing and healthcare programs, allowing for more extensive simulation labs and professional collaboration, she said. The facility will be 92,000 square feet and three stories as proposed. 'We want to have existing medical practices in this building,' Padilla said. 'We don't want our students to learn in a vacuum.' The university already is in discussion with potential tenants that will bring the community to the campus, he said. The project includes a seven-year fundraising campaign, which university officials hope to complete in five years, with plans to break ground as the university comes close to reading its fundraising goal, Padilla said. The new building will be constructed near the intersection of U.S. 30 and Sturdy Road. Additionally, Rebekah Arevalo, the university's assistant vice president and chief of staff, offered a timeline for finding Padilla's replacement given his pending retirement, which he announced in January. The university has engaged in the services of Academic Search, a search firm specializing in higher education. Additionally, a search committee has held 15 in-person meetings with campus and community members and seven online meetings for input on the university's next president. A professional profile will be ready sometime in June, with recruitment taking place over the summer and a review of candidates and scheduled interviews through October. A new president should be named by late November, to take over on Jan. 1. Padilla will have served as president for five years when he retires. Outgoing board chair Robert Hansen, who also announced he is retiring at the end of the year after 18 years on the board, including the last five years as chair, is being replaced by chair-elect Jon Steinbrecher, a 1983 graduate of the university.
Yahoo
18-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Business news: Mobile library donation and doula workshop
Franciscan Health Crown Point is hosting a doula certification workshop over two weekends in July, according to a release. Doulas are trained professionals who provide continuous physical, emotional and informational support to their clients before, during and shortly after childbirth, the release said, but does not perform clinical tasks. The Franciscan Health Crown Point Family Birth Center offers free doula services to families through a volunteer doula program. The doula certification workshop will take place from 8:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. July 19-20 and July 26-27 at Franciscan Health Crown Point, 12750 St. Francis Drive. Participants must be 18 years old or older and attend all four days of classes to receive a certificate of completion. Registration must be completed by July 8. For more information, call 219-746-9134. Valparaiso University recently announced that LeAnn Hughes will be senior vice president of enrollment and marketing, according to a release. Hughes comes into the position after a nine-year tenure as the vice president of enrollment management and marketing at Illinois Wesleyan University. She starts at VU July 1. In this role, Hughes will oversee Undergraduate and Graduate Admission, Financial Aid, and Strategic Enrollment and Marketing Initiatives. Hughes brings 20 years of experience to the position on campus, having taken her first VP role at Tusculum University in 2005. Prior to working in enrollment management and marketing, Hughes served as the director of communications at King University, and as the director of marketing and sports development for the Kingsport Area Chamber of Commerce. The Gary Community School Corp. will host the Power of Partnership Parent Conference, a free conference, from 8:30 a.m. to 1:15 p.m. May 31 at the West Side Leadership Academy, 900 Gerry St., Gary, a release said. The event will be packed with engaging sessions, exciting activities and opportunities to connect with community resources that support education and family well-being, the release said. Included in the day will be a resource fair, massages and self-care opportunities, food and a keynote address by Crystal Melton, First Lady of Gary. Childcare will be provided. Those interested in attending can secure their spot by visiting the GCSC website and completing the registration form. For information, visit or contact jadams@ Three innovators earned investment capital for their startup concept pitches presented on May 3 during the 14th annual The PNW Big Sell pitch competition, a release said. The PNW Big Sell is sponsored by Northern Indiana Public Service Company and PNW's College of Business and Commercialization and Manufacturing Excellence Center. Nabeel Rabie earned first place and $10,000 in seed funding for their pitch, Scent Seal. Allyson Straka earned second place and $3,000 for Frozen Garden. Paul Walczak received third place and $1,000 for Yuda, an invoicing and billing app for small service providers. An on-demand recording of the 2025 PNW Big Sell can be viewed on For more information about The PNW Big Sell, visit Families with infants in the neonatal intensive care unit at Franciscan Health Crown Point now have a variety of children's books to read to their children thanks to a donation from the Northwest Indiana Literacy Council, according to a release. The new mobile lending library was donated recently by members of the Northwest Indiana Literacy Council. The mobile library was made possible in part through a $2,500 Transforming Lake County grant from the Legacy Foundation, funded by Legacy Foundation Grant Committee member Bob Spajer of Crown Point. More information about the Franciscan Health Family Birth Center Crown Point and the NICU are available online or by phone at 219-757-6330. Franciscan Health is hosting a free car seat safety event May 29, according to a release. The event — co-hosted by the Trauma Services Department and the Prenatal Assistance Program — is scheduled to take place from 3-6 p.m. at Franciscan Health Michigan City, 3500 Franciscan Way. A nationally certified child passenger safety technician will work with participants to teach them how to properly install a car seat. The child who uses the car seat must be present at the appointment in order for the technician to provide appropriate guidance. The car seat safety check is free, but reservations are required, the release said. Registration is available online or by calling 219-488-1380. The Recycling & Waste Reduction District of Porter County is inviting qualified contractors to submit quotes for the grinding of organic brush and wood waste, along with the removal and hauling of materials from four locations within Porter County, according to a release. To provide interested parties with detailed information on the project requirements, a pre-bid meeting will be held at 9 a.m. Monday at the Valparaiso Compost Site. This meeting will cover specific requirements for each location, followed by a guided site visit to Valparaiso Compost Site, Crocker/Chesterton Compost Site, Portage Compost Site and Boone Grove Compost Site. For further information, or to request additional details about the grinding/hauling process, contact the Recycling & Waste Reduction District of Porter County via email at info@ The Porter County Sheriff's Office has created a new program for full-time college students looking for part-time employment, a press release said. C-StEP is an employment opportunity designed to give the full-time college student majoring in a law enforcement-related field, real-life experience by working inside the Porter County Jail. The student must be 18 years or older and will work 24 hours per week at a rate of $17 per hour and must remain a full-time student to participate, the release said. Interested students should visit to apply and any inquiries can be sent to rtaylor@ or 219-477-3065.
Chicago Tribune
18-05-2025
- Health
- Chicago Tribune
Business news: Mobile library donation and doula workshop
Franciscan Health Crown Point is hosting a doula certification workshop over two weekends in July, according to a release. Doulas are trained professionals who provide continuous physical, emotional and informational support to their clients before, during and shortly after childbirth, the release said, but does not perform clinical tasks. The Franciscan Health Crown Point Family Birth Center offers free doula services to families through a volunteer doula program. The doula certification workshop will take place from 8:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. July 19-20 and July 26-27 at Franciscan Health Crown Point, 12750 St. Francis Drive. Participants must be 18 years old or older and attend all four days of classes to receive a certificate of completion. Registration must be completed by July 8. For more information, call 219-746-9134. Valparaiso University recently announced that LeAnn Hughes will be senior vice president of enrollment and marketing, according to a release. Hughes comes into the position after a nine-year tenure as the vice president of enrollment management and marketing at Illinois Wesleyan University. She starts at VU July 1. In this role, Hughes will oversee Undergraduate and Graduate Admission, Financial Aid, and Strategic Enrollment and Marketing Initiatives. Hughes brings 20 years of experience to the position on campus, having taken her first VP role at Tusculum University in 2005. Prior to working in enrollment management and marketing, Hughes served as the director of communications at King University, and as the director of marketing and sports development for the Kingsport Area Chamber of Commerce. The Gary Community School Corp. will host the Power of Partnership Parent Conference, a free conference, from 8:30 a.m. to 1:15 p.m. May 31 at the West Side Leadership Academy, 900 Gerry St., Gary, a release said. The event will be packed with engaging sessions, exciting activities and opportunities to connect with community resources that support education and family well-being, the release said. Included in the day will be a resource fair, massages and self-care opportunities, food and a keynote address by Crystal Melton, First Lady of Gary. Childcare will be provided. Those interested in attending can secure their spot by visiting the GCSC website and completing the registration form. For information, visit or contact jadams@ Three innovators earned investment capital for their startup concept pitches presented on May 3 during the 14th annual The PNW Big Sell pitch competition, a release said. The PNW Big Sell is sponsored by Northern Indiana Public Service Company and PNW's College of Business and Commercialization and Manufacturing Excellence Center. Nabeel Rabie earned first place and $10,000 in seed funding for their pitch, Scent Seal. Allyson Straka earned second place and $3,000 for Frozen Garden. Paul Walczak received third place and $1,000 for Yuda, an invoicing and billing app for small service providers. An on-demand recording of the 2025 PNW Big Sell can be viewed on For more information about The PNW Big Sell, visit Families with infants in the neonatal intensive care unit at Franciscan Health Crown Point now have a variety of children's books to read to their children thanks to a donation from the Northwest Indiana Literacy Council, according to a release. The new mobile lending library was donated recently by members of the Northwest Indiana Literacy Council. The mobile library was made possible in part through a $2,500 Transforming Lake County grant from the Legacy Foundation, funded by Legacy Foundation Grant Committee member Bob Spajer of Crown Point. More information about the Franciscan Health Family Birth Center Crown Point and the NICU are available online or by phone at 219-757-6330. Franciscan Health is hosting a free car seat safety event May 29, according to a release. The event — co-hosted by the Trauma Services Department and the Prenatal Assistance Program — is scheduled to take place from 3-6 p.m. at Franciscan Health Michigan City, 3500 Franciscan Way. A nationally certified child passenger safety technician will work with participants to teach them how to properly install a car seat. The child who uses the car seat must be present at the appointment in order for the technician to provide appropriate guidance. The car seat safety check is free, but reservations are required, the release said. Registration is available online or by calling 219-488-1380. The Recycling & Waste Reduction District of Porter County is inviting qualified contractors to submit quotes for the grinding of organic brush and wood waste, along with the removal and hauling of materials from four locations within Porter County, according to a release. To provide interested parties with detailed information on the project requirements, a pre-bid meeting will be held at 9 a.m. Monday at the Valparaiso Compost Site. This meeting will cover specific requirements for each location, followed by a guided site visit to Valparaiso Compost Site, Crocker/Chesterton Compost Site, Portage Compost Site and Boone Grove Compost Site. For further information, or to request additional details about the grinding/hauling process, contact the Recycling & Waste Reduction District of Porter County via email at info@ The Porter County Sheriff's Office has created a new program for full-time college students looking for part-time employment, a press release said. C-StEP is an employment opportunity designed to give the full-time college student majoring in a law enforcement-related field, real-life experience by working inside the Porter County Jail. The student must be 18 years or older and will work 24 hours per week at a rate of $17 per hour and must remain a full-time student to participate, the release said. Interested students should visit to apply and any inquiries can be sent to rtaylor@ or 219-477-3065.
