Category: Chicago

Betty Loren-Maltese Will Now Take Your Order

Posted on by TL

I don’t know what a "high-end pizza parlor" is, but Betty Loren-Maltese is working at one in Oak Park, and she’ll be happy to take you to your table, maybe even take your order.

From the Chicago Sun-Times:

Former Cicero Town President Betty Loren-Maltese isn’t just a story. She’s a headline.

The feisty village chieftain, who spent seven years in a federal prison after a public corruption conviction, has dropped weight, shed the major eyelashes, looks ka-pow and begins a new career tonight: serving as the evening hostess at Salerno’s restaurant, a high-end pizza parlor on Roosevelt Road in Oak Park.

"The owner thought I needed a break and, in turn, it would be good for business," said Maltese, who now lives in a modest apartment in Evergreen Park she shares with two goldfish: "Priscilla and Elvis."

"I love animals, the landlord doesn’t allow pets, and I lost my dog, ‘Punky,’ when I went to prison," she said. "So I have goldfish — and I swear they are synchronized swimmers."

I once described Maltese as a piece of painted shrapnel with a sense of humor.

The paint is now pastel, but shrapnel peppers commentary on her conviction in 2002.

Her mission: "To clear my name and reunite with my daughter, Ashleigh Rose, who is now 13," Maltese said.

"To this day I maintain my innocence," she said. "How much more can they do? I’ve lost Ashleigh. I’ve lost everything I’ve worked for my whole life. And I continue to question the omission of evidence that could have found me not guilty."

I don’t know what to say here. Betty was found guilty. She served her time.

I wish her well.

But, wow, serving pizza?

Never saw that coming.

Are You One Of The Idiots Who Shot 16 — Including Two Fatally — In Span Of About Two Hours?

Posted on by TL

From the Sun-Times:

At least 16 people were shot — including two men who died and six people who were wounded in one chaotic Englewood incident — in a span of about two hours late Thursday into early Friday.

The first shooting occurred at 10:54 p.m. at 7900 S. Anthony Ave. In that incident, a 28-year-old man was shot in the leg, according to a South Chicago District police officer. The victim did not suffer life-threatening injuries.

At 11:15 p.m. officers responding to a call of a person shot and found a 30-year-old man shot in the 6400 block of South Paulina Street, according to police. Brian Moore of 720 E. 70th St. was pronounced dead at 1:38 a.m. at Mount Sinai Hospital Hospital, according to a spokeswoman for the Cook County Medical Examiner’s Office.

At 11:50 p.m. a 21-year-old man was standing with a group in a parking lot at 7859 S. Cornell Ave. when a man and a woman approached. Someone in the group made an offensive comment to the woman and her companion shot the 21-year-old, who was struck once in the buttocks and taken to Jackson Park Hospital in “stable” condition, the South Chicago District officer said.

In the Bronzeville neighborhood about 12:15 a.m. ,a man identified by the medical examiner’s office as Jermaine Streeter, 27, was fatally shot. Streeter, of 3812 S. Michigan Ave., was pronounced dead at 1:04 a.m. at John H. Stroger Jr. Hospital of Cook County.

In the Loop, a woman told police she was sitting in Millennium Park near 201 E. Randolph St. about 12:30 a.m. when two males she did not know approached, according to a police report.

So it goes.

What a country, eh?

Firefighter Brian Carey, 28, of Evergreen Park, Dies a Hero

Posted on by TL

Cook County, IL–(ENEWSPF)– Firefighters in the South Chicagoland area and beyond will be ringing the bell for one of their own soon. The Southtown Star reports that a Homewood man who was in a wheelchair and a firefighter were killed in a house fire Tuesday night. The ceremonial ringing of the bell in memory of those who died in the line of duty is a tradition of the Fire Services that dates back over 150 years.

Another firefighter suffered severe burns fighting the blaze and is hospitalized in critical condition, the Star reports.

The fire was reported about 9 p.m. in the 17600 block of Lincoln Avenue.

Wendell Elias, 84, was dead on the scene, the Cook County medical examiner’s office said.

The man, who was in a wheelchair when found by firefighters, died shortly after he was pulled out of his home, officials said.

Firefighter Brian Carey, 28, of Evergreen Park, died at South Suburban Hospital.

More here

Dems Pick Sheila Simon to Run With Quinn; Does GOP Have a Candidate Yet?

Posted on by TL

Sheila Simon will complete the ticket, and the Dems are ready for November in Illinois.

From the Chicago Tribune:

Shortly before Sheila Simon lost her bid for Carbondale mayor nearly three years ago, incumbent Republican Brad Cole predicted a defeat could end Simon’s political career.

But state Democratic officials jump-started that career Saturday, ratifying Gov. Pat Quinn’s request to make the daughter of the late U.S. Sen. Paul Simon Quinn’s running mate for the Nov. 2 general election. Cole, meanwhile, lost his bid for the GOP nomination for lieutenant governor in last month’s primary.

The vote of the Democratic State Central Committee selecting Simon over veteran state Rep. Art Turner of Chicago reflected the belief that she would bring a pedigree of ethics reform — as well as some geographic balance — to the Chicago-centric fall ticket. After the vote, Quinn hugged Simon, 49, a university law school professor and former Carbondale City Council member.

"I think anyone who’s encountered any of the Simons knows that that’s a family that does believe in the ethics of service, of public service, integrity (and) friendliness," Quinn said. "It’s an honor to be on the same ticket with Sheila Simon."

I’m looking forward to getting to know Sheila Simon.

The New York Times tells me the GOP has a candidate for governor in Illinois, but I really don’t know who he is.

As Bill Brady made his way through a crowded ballroom at the Hilton on Michigan Avenue the other evening, heads did not turn to glimpse a political big shot. The Republican nominee for governor of Illinois, at least for now, is an unfamiliar face in the city.

Mr. Brady, a state senator from Bloomington who won the primary without running a single advertisement in the Chicago market, thrust out his hand and introduced himself to anyone who cared to chat at the dinner for construction executives.

One of the bystanders, Bob Fiascone, could muster only a shrug about the candidate.

“Hey, I only just now met the guy,” Mr. Fiascone said.

And I’ve never met him, but, then, you already knew I was voting for Quinn.

Good luck to Brady and his bunch, but this year will be the year of the Dems.

State Retirement Age Moves To 67 As General Assembly Passes Pension Reform

Posted on by TL

I really don’t have a problem with this, but then, I’m not a state worker.

From the Sun-Times:

A bipartisan Illinois General Assembly handed Gov. Pat Quinn a victory Wednesday, sending him an overhauled state pension system, cutting benefits for new city and state employees to save money for woefully underfunded retirement systems.

The measure requires future workers to work until age 67 to get full retirement benefits, sets a maximum salary on which pensions may be calculated and limits annual increases in payments. There would be no change in benefits for current employees.

Legislative Democrats said the changes would save more than $100 billion — although they didn’t have exact figures from experts — over several decades for 13 state and local pension systems covered by Illinois law, including state programs that are underfunded by $80 billion.

But it has labor unions that represent government employees angry. They point out that slicing future benefits does nothing to reduce the outstanding liability.

With a 92-17 House vote and a Senate tally of 48-6, the action reflected rare agreement between House Democrats and minority Republicans, who have sparred for years over what has become an $11 billion deficit, who is responsible and how to fix it.

"It’s very important to send the signal," said Senate President John Cullerton, D-Chicago. "It’s very important to save the money, billions of dollars that we won’t have to pay into the system in the future."

It’s a political and strategic triumph for Democrat Quinn, who unsuccessfully pursued such a two-tiered pension program last year to reduce the amount of money the state must contribute to retirement systems while it wrestles with a budget deficit.

A statement from Quinn praised the effort to "stabilize the system, protect current state employees and provide attractive pension benefits to future state workers."

Look, I have colleagues who are working happily past 70. Is it fair that the state lost fiscal discipline and hacked into pensions in the past to try to balance the budget? No, not at all. But we’re all living longer now, and work is not a horrible thing to do.

This is only the beginning of the cutbacks for Illinois, and does not close the $11 billion deficit right now. But it’s a start.

Chicago’s Bloody Thursday: 15 People Shot In Six Hours

Posted on by TL

From the Chicago Sun-Times:

Fifteen people were shot — including one man who died — all over the city Thursday night in just under six hours.

At 5:30 p.m. a 16-year-old boy was shot in the arm on the North Side in the 5000 block of North Kenmore Avenue, according to police News Affairs Officer Veejay Zala.

The boy did not suffer life threatening injuries and was taken to Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center, Zala said.

At 6:37 p.m. a 19-year-old man playing basketball in Cole Park, 8500 S. King Dr., was shot after trying to break up a fight. He was taken to Jackson Park Hospital in good condition, police said.

A 21-year-old man was shot in the mid-section at 6:48 p.m. in the 4500 block of West Altgeld Street, according to Zala.

At 7:15 p.m. four men were shot in the 7700 block of South Loomis Boulevard, according to Zala.

Fire Media Affairs Director Larry Langford said one 31-year-old man was taken in critical condition to John H. Stroger Hospital of Cook County, one 19-year-old was taken to Loyola University Medical Center in Maywood in an unidentified condition and a 24-year-old suffered a graze wound and was taken to Stroger.

A fourth man was taken to Advocate Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn with a gunshot wound to the leg, Langford said.

What the hell are we doing to each other? What kind of world are we leaving to our children? This is not about them shooting those people. This is about us and the world in which we have decided we wish to live.

What the hell are we doing with the time we’ve been given?

Springfield About to Lighten-Up on ‘Sexting’ Teens

Posted on by TL

Some common sense from Springfield via the Chicago Trib:

Students under 18 who use computers or cell phones to share nude photos of their peers would earn little more than a scolding under a measure the Illinois Senate approved Thursday to address the “sexting” phenomenon.

Offenders would not face criminal charges, but would get juvenile court supervision that could result in counseling or community service. The bill doesn’t address youths who send or receive racy photos if they don’t distribute them.

“We’re not trying to prosecute them if they keep it between themselves,” said Rep. Darlene Senger, R-Naperville, who got a similar bill through the Illinois House last week. “It’s when the third party is involved. That’s when you get the situations where so-and-so committed suicide because the picture got up everywhere.”

No, I do not think it is wise at all for young people to send nude pictures of themselves to each other, regardless of the medium they use. But face it: kids are stupid sometimes. They make incredible mistakes as juveniles, and that’s why the law treats them differently until they reach the incredible old age of 17 in Illinois, and even then law enforcement and prosecutors have discretion. The current law is insane. No adolescent should be marked for life as a registered sex offender for sexting.

I hope after this law passes, there will be reconsideration for those lads and lasses who have been condemned to a life of humiliation because of their stupid, but typically youthful, indiscretions.

Coward Shoots 7-Year-Old Desiree Sanders on Chicago’s South Side (Video)

Posted on by TL

This is as sad as sad gets.

From ABC 7 News Chicago:

A 7-year-old girl is in critical condition after being shot on the city’s South Side.

It happened on the southeast corner of the intersection of 80th and Manistee.

Desiree Sanders was out playing on the sidewalk outside of her home when she was shot.

Police were combing the area Wednesday evening for evidence and trying to talk to any witnesses in the neighborhood.

She was not the intended target, police say.

Seven years old.

Disturbing Video: Metra Releases Footage of Woman, Godchild Killed By Train

Posted on by TL

Just yesterday, I was driving through Park Forest, stopped at the tracks on Western Avenue. The train was moving very, very slowly.

A boy around 11 or 12 walked north to the train, jumped up on a step of one of the cars, climbed between the moving cars, and jumped down the other side. I dialed 911 as soon as I saw him jump on to the train. By the time the call went through, he was safe on the other side of the tracks. I just had visions of this little one slipping just a bit, and that would be it for him.

The above video is chilling. The scoop from the Sun-Times:

Metra has released a chilling video showing a 1-year-old child and her godmother getting hit — and killed — by a train.

The commuter rail service decided to release the video, taken from the front cab of the train, to highlight the danger of crossing the track when a train is approaching,  Metra spokeswoman Judy Pardonnet said today.

“Seeing this video is very bone-chilling,” said Pardonnet. “It’s very startling, but it also reminds us that there are only a few seconds to get across the track when the train is coming. It’s literally a matter of life and death, sadly.”

Killed Saturday were Blanca Villanueva-Sanchez, 34, and Maria Cruz, 1, both of North Chicago.

Remember, the train will win.

I’m praying for Blanca and poor Maria.

Coming In June: The Summer of Blagojevich

Posted on by TL

Rod Blagojevich’s flying circus continues this summer: a judge ruled today there will be no delay in the former governor’s trial.

From the Chicago Sun-Times:

Former Gov. Rod Blagojevich won’t be able to delay his trial on public corruption charges, a federal judge said today.

U.S. District Judge James Zagel said the trial should go forward as planned on June 3. He called a pending U.S. Supreme Court decision that could redefine a statute that some of Blagojevich’s charges are based on a “red herring.’’

“I don’t see any reason to continue this case,’’ Zagel said. “This is more than a year to acquaint yourselves with the evidence.’’

Last week, lawyers for the indicted governor made a formal request to continue the June trial to November, saying they’ve been snowed under by recently turned over evidence, and they still await the Supreme Court ruling. Prosecutors opposed any delay for Blagojevich, who debuted on the television show “Celebrity Apprentice’’ on Sunday. They said the ex-governor has had plenty of time to prepare for trial.

The circus comes to town in June.