Chicago Sun-Times: All posts by Phyllis Cha

Rideshare drivers push for passage of Chicago Rideshare Living Wage and Safety Ordinance

2023-12-14T18:40:36.642-06:00

Protesters gather outside Uber’s Greenlight Hub, 1401 W. North Ave., Thursday to call on city officials to pass an ordinance to increase pay and safety for rideshare drivers.

Anthony Vazquez/Sun-Times

More than 35 rideshare drivers gathered outside Uber’s support center for drivers in West Town Thursday to call on City Council to pass an ordinance aimed at improving working conditions, pay and safety.

Rideshare drivers with the Chicago Gig Alliance, which works to improve the conditions of gig workers in the city, were joined by the family of Mohammed al Hejoj, an Uber driver who was killed this month while on the job, and Ald. Lamont Robinson (4th) outside Uber’s Greenlight Hub, 1401 W. North Ave. If passed, the Chicago Rideshare Living Wage and Safety Ordinance would raise drivers’ wages, create a transparent system to handle driver deactivation and improve driver safety.

The ordinance is currently supported by 30 members of the City Council and Mayor Brandon Johnson. Organizers of Thursday’s protest said they were told that chief sponsor Ald. Mike Rodriguez (22nd) said the goal was to bring the ordinance to a vote in City Council within the next two months.

“All Chicagoans, including our rideshare drivers deserve to have their rights protected, deserve to have their pay protected and as a member of the city of Chicago, we will make sure we get there,” Robinson said.

Al Hejoj was driving his black 2017 Cadillac Escalade ESV with four passengers in the 1700 block of North Lotus Avenue in the Austin neighborhood on Dec. 3 when a witness saw the car stop, then heard several gunshots and spotted the four passengers jumping out of the car and fleeing, Chicago police and one of his friends said.

His sister, Kawkab al Hejoj, 45, believes her brother would still be alive if Uber had had more safety protections for its drivers.

“The driver’s life means a lot,” she said. “They have kids, they look for a better future for their kids, for their families, for their parents, for their wives, their sisters, siblings. They’re human beings like us, and they deserve to be safe too when they do their job.”

Sam al Hejoj (left) and Kawkab al Hejoj attend a protest outside Uber’s Greenlight Hub Thursday. Their brother Mohammed al Hejoj was killed earlier this month when dropping off passengers in Austin. “They’re human beings like us, and they deserve to be safe too when they do their job,” Kawkab al Hejoj said.

Anthony Vazquez/Sun-Times

Kawkab al Hejoj said that although Uber does a lot to protect passengers by requiring identification and background checks on drivers, the company doesn’t do enough to protect drivers.

“It’s a tragedy, and basically, no one is taking responsibility for it,” said Ayub Julany, 29, a friend of Mohammed al Hejoj. “His 6-month-old infant is the one who’s gonna pay for it. Throughout his whole life they’re gonna grow up without a father.”

Recent research from The Strategic Organizing Center (SOC), the Chicago Gig Alliance, and The People’s Lobby found that 74% of Illinois drivers surveyed reported experiencing threats, harassment or assaults in the last year. The SOC is a coalition of unions that advocates for workers and consumers. The Chicago Gig Alliance is a project of the Chicago-based activist organization The People’s Lobby.

Drivers also demanded a base pay rate comparable to rates in other major cities and “due process” when drivers are deactivated by Uber or Lyft, stripping them of the ability to pick up passengers.

Nolberto Casas, an organizer and driver, said there is currently no base pay for rides in Chicago. Instead, Uber pays based on “dynamic pricing,” in which rates change based on location, time of day and other factors. Pointing to base pay in Seattle and New York City, Chicago drivers are seeking 64 cents per minute and $1.85 per mile.

Drivers also want to be able to appeal deactivations. Maurice Clark, a former rideshare driver, was deactivated by Uber in 2016 for what he said was a false allegation of drinking while driving and then by Lyft in 2021 for allegedly sleeping behind the wheel. Clark drove more than 9,000 rides with Uber and 6,000 rides with Lyft, he said.

Maurice Clark, a former rideshare driver, speaks about being deactivated by Uber and Lyft. “One day I got a job, and the next day I can’t pay my bills,” he said.

Anthony Vazquez/Sun-Times

Clark said he bought a car to drive for Uber and struggled to pay for it after losing his job.

“One day I got a job, and the next day I can’t pay my bills,” he said.

Uber and Lyft deactivated nearly 10,000 drivers since 2020, with almost 4,000 driver accounts permanently deactivated in 2022, according to Chicago city data analyzed in a recent report by the Chicago Gig Alliance and The People’s Lobby.

In a statement, Lyft said it has a dedicated safety team, but executives are aware “there is more work to do and are always looking for ways to improve.”

Uber is “constantly building features that help enhance safety,” an Uber spokesperson said in an email Thursday. The spokesperson also said Uber has a process that works to “provide drivers with important deactivation information, allow drivers to dispute deactivations and enable them to submit relevant information that would support their reactivation.”

“Last month, we announced plans to further expand the verification of rider identities and inform drivers when they’re picking up verified riders,” the spokesperson said.

Protesters demonstrate outside Uber’s Greenlight Hub at 1401 W. North Ave., Thursday.

Anthony Vazquez/Sun-Times

Correction: A previous story misspelled the name of Uber driver Mohammed al Hejoj.

QR code scams put personal data at risk, FTC warns

2023-12-13T18:22:24.128-06:00

The Federal Trade Commission released a consumer alert Dec. 6, warning of QR code scams, where scammers use fraudulent QR codes to send consumers to a harmful link where they can steal personal information.

Photo by Darrian Traynor/Getty Images

QR codes — the black-and-white boxes that ordinarily connect smartphones to legitimate links to track packages and pay bills — can sometimes hide dangerous scams.

In a blog post published earlier this month, the Federal Trade Commission warned that some of the seemingly ordinary QR codes consumers come across every day can send them to harmful links that hoover up personal information.

“A scammer’s QR code could take you to a spoofed site that looks real but isn’t,” wrote Alvaro Puig, a consumer education specialist at the FTC, in the post. “And if you log in to the spoofed site, the scammers could steal any information you enter. Or the QR code could install malware that steals your information before you realize it.”

A researcher at Trellix, a cybersecurity company, told The New York Times this week the company saw more than 60,000 samples of attacks in the third quarter of 2023.

“It seems to be every year we hear more and more scammers using this software,” said Steve Bernas, President of Better Business Bureau of Chicago and Northern Illinois.

QR code scams are nothing new, Bernas said, but they became especially commonplace during the COVID-19 pandemic. The commission noted that QR codes from fraudsters might cover legitimate ones on parking meters, or come in a text message.

Bernas added that scams might also look like a romantic email from someone in “dire need” of money, or a utility company asking after a bill.

“But there’s no way to know if a QR code is a scam by looking at it,” he said.

“The scams are insidious, and we can all be victims,” said Neil Klingensmith, an associate professor of computer science at Loyola University Chicago. QR codes in phishing emails, which targets consumers by appearing to be from a well-known source like Amazon, can infect phones with malware, allowing scammers to access the victims’ personal information. While people with less tech savvy might be more susceptible, a well-crafted scam that looks like an email from Google has the potential to fool most people.

“A few years back, a good friend of mine from college clicked on a link from a phishing email and was about to type in his Google password before I stopped him,” he said.

The best way to avoid QR code scams, Bernas said, is to avoid using QR codes or links when their origin is unknown. Don’t use QR codes from strangers or from emails or texts that weren’t expected. Always go to the website of utility or government entities to pay bills. Check for tampering on QR codes found in public areas.

Consumers should also use strong passwords and two-factor authentication to protect any online accounts so that it’s harder for scammers to access personal information even if they access the system, he said.

“The only reason scams keep increasing is because it works,” Bernas said. “I’ve been doing this for 36 years and every year I see the same thing. It’s like every year it’s the wild west all over again.”

Families of fallen firefighters receive $460,000 through assistance fund

2023-12-11T19:05:08.675-06:00

Flanked by supporters and family members of fallen Chicago Fire Department firefighters, CFD Capt. Anthony Martin speaks during a news conference at the Quinn Fire Academy about the EMWQ Retirees’ Widows’ and Children’s Assistance Fund, which presented $460,000 to 418 families of fallen CFD firefighters and EMTs on Monday.

Ashlee Rezin/Sun-Times

Jared Pelt lost his father earlier this year when Jermaine Pelt died of smoke inhalation while battling a blaze on the South Side. But the firefighter’s legacy lives on through a fund that will help support the young family he left behind.

On Monday, the Chicago Fire Department presented Jared Pelt, 6, with $11,000 from the Jermaine A. Pelt Memorial Fund at the Robert J. Quinn Fire Academy in the West Loop neighborhood.

The fund in Pelt’s honor was created by the Chicago Fire Department’s Ende, Menzer, Walsh & Quinn Retirees’, Widows’ and Children’s Assistance Fund, which also presented $460,000 to 418 families on Monday.

Jared’s mother, Ariana Roby, said the money will go a long way, including for living expenses and college.

“We’ve really had the support we needed over the past year now,” Roby said. “It feels really good to know that they’re thinking about us.”

Roby said she’s received hundreds of phone calls, emails and texts from firefighters and community members extending condolences.

Pelt, 49, joined the Chicago Fire Department in 2005 and was based on the South Side his entire career. He was a registered nurse, paramedic and instructor at the fire academy. Fellow firefighters remembered him as “the kindest person” at work and a great firehouse cook.

He is one of four Chicago firefighters who have died in the line of duty this year, believed to be the most in nearly a quarter-century.

Ariana Roby, wife of fallen Chicago Fire Department firefighter Jermaine Pelt, hugs their 6-year-old son Jared. She said the $11,000 her son received on Monday will help pay for living expenses and college.

Ashlee Rezin/Sun-Times

The EMWQ fund aims to help the families, many of whom have historically struggled financially after the loss of a family member, said Tony Martin, captain of Truck 45 and secretary of the assistance fund. The fund works to provide support for those whose loved one has died, even if it wasn’t in the line of duty.

Martin said most of the money in the fund comes directly from former or current firefighters who send in donations.

The EMWQ Fund was created as a nonprofit in 2007 and named after four firefighters who donated to widows and children, said Daniel Fortuna, president of EMWQ.

“I think it’s important, we’re a family right?” Martin said. “We’re trying to take care of those kids, remembering their parents who were our brothers and sisters.”

For 11 years, the EMWQ fund has given a gift to the wife and children of firefighter Jason Mayoski, who died of a heart attack in 2012.

Every year, Jennifer Mayoski said the money helps buy gifts for her children that “bring back the holiday cheer,” but most importantly it helps her feel continued support from the fire department.

“Even though it’s been 11 years, they don’t forget about us,” Mayoski said.

Mayoski said she has stayed in contact with firefighters her husband worked with and still sends Christmas cards to the firehouse because she remembers how much he loved those he worked with.

“CFD is our second family,” she said.

Jennifer Mayoski, wife of Jason Mayoski, a firefighter who died in 2012, looks at the commemorative wall of CFD history with their children Jason, 13, and Brooke, 12. Jennifer Mayoski said the support from the fund helps to bring the kids some holiday cheer.

Ashlee Rezin/Sun-Times

Bronzeville Trail to receive $5 million in funding in 2024

2023-12-08T20:43:50.251-06:00

John Adams, founder of the Bronzeville Trail Task Force, is shown near the embankment of the abandoned Kenwood L line. The task force wants to create a two-mile biking, running and walking trail on the South Side, with a monument that pays tribute to Major Taylor, a Black cycling champion. Their effort will receive a $5 million funding boost next year from local and federal governments.

Pat Nabong/Sun-Times

A planned two-mile-long biking, running and walking trail on the South Side, with a monument that pays tribute to a cycling champion who blazed a trail in sports for other Black athletes, will receive a boost of funding next year, including more than $5 million from local and federal governments.

How exactly that money will be used has yet to be determined, John Adams, founder of the Bronzeville Trail Task Force, said Friday.

The task force, started in 2020, received a $75,000 grant from the Chicago Community Trust in April 2022.

The trail will be good for the health of the Bronzeville community, Adams said. It would run from 40th and Dearborn streets east to 41st Street and Lake Park Avenue, with public art displayed along the route.

“It’s going to be the most transformative, catalytic project in the history of Bronzeville,” Adams said. “You can put a skyscraper at the heart of Bronzeville but it would never be as transformative as the Bronzeville Trail.”

Announced in 2022, the goal of the task force is to create a trail for the South Side that will be like the North Side’s wildly popular Bloomingdale Trail, commonly called “The 606,” which opened in 2016.

A 400-foot mural honoring Black cycling champion Marshall “Major” Taylor decorates a pedestrian bridge on the Little Calumet River. Plans call for a monument to Taylor on another trail, planned for Bronzeville.

Brian Rich/Sun-Times

The plan is to use the abandoned Kenwood “L” embankment for the Bronzeville Trail. Adams expects the trail to be complete in six to seven years.

The Bronzeville Trail is expected to cost nearly $100 million, which is about as much as the 606.

The task force has been working closely with city planners, Adams said, and met with the city two weeks ago to talk about allowing access to parts of the trail even before the entire route is completed.

There are also plans to have a monument built on the western end of the trail for Black cycling champion Marshall “Major” Taylor, who won a world championship in 1899 as well as two national sprint cycling titles in 1899 and 1900. He was the first African American sports hero and the first Black athlete to regularly compete in integrated competitions.

“He literally accomplished all of this during the throes of Jim Crow. He did not have Black fraternities or major civil rights organizations to advocate on his behalf,” Adams said.

During his career, Taylor faced intense racism. Cyclists intentionally crashed into him and he received death threats.

A photo of cycling champion Marshall “Major” Taylor displayed at an event in January to kick off an effort to have Taylor awarded a Congressional Gold Medal.

Sun-Times file

Taylor spent his final years living in the YMCA Hotel in Bronzeville before his death in 1932. He was buried in an unmarked grave before his body was exhumed and reburied at Mount Glenwood Cemetery 16 years later.

“He’s forgotten, so it’s way past time for him to have his rightful place in U.S. sports and civil rights history with respect to the impact he’s made in this country,” Adams said.

In January, the task force announced a plan to bring attention to Taylor’s accomplishments in cycling, including asking Congress to award Taylor with a Congressional Gold Medal.

A bill introduced in the House of Representatives on Thursday would do just that. Backed initially by Rep. Jonathan Jackson, D-Ill., and Rep. Jim Baird, R-Ind., it had 31 additional co-sponsors as of Friday night.

The task force worked with Jackson’s congressional staff to draft the resolution, Adams said.

Karen Donovan, great-granddaughter of Marshall “Major” Taylor, speaks about the legacy of the cycling champion at an event in January to kick off an effort to win congressional recognition for Taylor.

Anthony Vazquez/Sun-Times

Kennedy Expressway lanes to fully reopen. Here’s what motorists need to know

2023-12-07T18:09:05.804-06:00

A reopening of the inbound Kennedy Expressway is expected to begin Thursday and continue through Tuesday, when the entire expressway will fully reopen after months of repairs to patch the surface and revamp bridges.

Pat Nabong/Sun-Times

Motorists weary of crawling for six months through construction on the Kennedy can expect relief in the coming days.

After almost nine months, the entire Kennedy Expressway will fully reopen by Tuesday, according to a news release from the Illinois Department of Transportation.

The reopening comes as the first year of a three-year, $150 million rehab of 7.5 miles of the expressway nears completion. The first phase of the project, which began in March on the heels of the 10-year Jane Byrne Interchange Project, focused on the inbound Kennedy.

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Work entailed roadway patching, bridge rehabbing and new lighting, signs and paint between Ohio Street and the junction with the Edens Expressway near Montrose Avenue.

The reopening will take place in phases over the next few days, with overnight lane and ramp closures, IDOT said.

Weather permitting, by 5 a.m. Friday the inbound Kennedy will reopen from Kimball Avenue south. The next phased opening will be at 8 a.m. Saturday when lanes and ramps will fully reopen from Keeler Avenue south. By Tuesday morning, all inbound lanes will be clear just in time for the morning commute, and reversible express lanes will be back to normal.

Drivers will have to bear with some occasional lane closures as the work zone is cleared.

The inbound Kennedy was scheduled to be reduced to one lane Thursday at 8 p.m. between Kimball and Milwaukee avenues, Friday at 8 p.m. between Keeler and Kimball and Monday at 8 p.m. from north of the Edens junction to Keeler Avenue.

Drivers should expect ramp closures in those areas. At midnight Thursday, reversible express lanes will be closed but will reopen Friday. Monday night, reversible express lane entrances at Montrose Avenue will be closed. Drivers can access express lanes at Diversey Avenue.

IDOT will reschedule work if it is delayed because of weather, which could affect lanes reopening.

Construction on the next phase of the project will resume in the spring, focusing on reversible express lanes, IDOT said. Work will get underway on the outbound Kennedy in 2025.

Kennedy Expressway construction began in March

Lanes and ramps on the inbound Kennedy from the Edens to Ohio Street were closed in March for bridge restoration and ramp repairs. Thirty-six bridges were repaired — 22 in the first phase — according to Maria Castaneda, spokesperson for IDOT.

The project aims to improve safety, traffic flow and reliability for the more than 275,000 motorists who use the expressway every day, IDOT said. The Kennedy opened in November 1960, with the last major rehabilitation completed in 1994.

How to tip Chicago service workers the right way this holiday season

2023-12-06T15:53:48.038-06:00

Angie Duarte, a manager at the Bagel Restaurant and Deli, rings up a customer’s order Monday.

Tyler Pasciak LaRiviere/Sun-Times

Sarah Madden has been a nanny in the Chicago area for six years and has received a variety of holiday tips, including what she says is the “typical” one week’s pay in cash. Other holiday gifts she’s received from the families she works with have been considerably more generous — like designer handbags and Tiffany necklaces.

Madden’s 13-year-old son has prune belly syndrome, a chronic and life-threatening illness. Eventually, he’ll need a kidney transplant, she said. One of the gifts she cherishes the most is a Tiffany necklace with a kidney bean pendant her current employer bought her.

“It really showed me that they love me like family and that they put a lot of thought into it,” she said. “I’m very emotional when it comes to things like that, so I cried for sure.”

For those able to give this holiday season, tipping can go a long way. Service workers and etiquette experts told the Sun-Times that money is always helpful for bills and essentials. At the same time, a thoughtful expression of understanding — acknowledging that someone works hard and their labor is seen and appreciated — is useful in its own way.

“It’s because you appreciate the skill set that those people bring,” Chicago-based etiquette coach Akilah Siti Easter said. “If you’re frequently revisiting someone, that means you like what they’re offering to you, and you understand that the holiday season is the time of giving.”

Here are some pointers for tipping from experts and service workers around Chicago.

A general rule of thumb

To start, a good general rule to go by is tipping the price of a service or a service and a half during the holiday season, Easter said.

Kara Gibson (right) and her partner Lesley Carrillo play with dogs at their apartment Friday. Gibson, a dog walker and sitter based in downtown Chicago, said she has received anywhere from $50 to $150 in tips.

Jim Vondruska/For the Sun-Times

Dog walkers and sitters

What to give: Cash or a thoughtful gift equivalent to $50-$200, depending on frequency. And remember: Dog walkers have pets, too.

Kara Gibson, 34, who runs Paws for Walks Chicago with partner Lesley Carrillo, said she’s received cash tips, as well as tips via Venmo or Zelle. Depending on the client, the service she provides and how long she’s been working with them, she said she’s received anywhere from $50 to $150 in tips.

She said she’s also received gifts, like treats for her dog, Lilly.

But one of her favorite gifts was a picture frame a client bought her from the country while they were vacationing. The frame came with a photo of her dog, Leah, who died that July.

“I think that the fact that they think of us when we’re on vacation, that’s a really cool thing,” she said.

Hair stylists and barbers

What to give: Cash or a personal, thoughtful gift equivalent to a session or visit.

Jax Contreras, senior stylist at Milio’s Hair Studio in Lake View, said he’s received holiday tips from clients in the form of cash that made a difference. There has been “a noticeable change in the frequency of clients coming in” post-pandemic, he said, and cash tips also helped him catch up with overdue utility bills and rising rent over the last few years.

“I find myself more and more hopeful for others’ generosity,” he said.

But gifts can be just as impactful. One such gift was a pair of Jordan sneakers he received from a client.

Contreras, who has been a hair stylist for 22 years, said the gift was particularly thoughtful, not only because it showed the client had remembered their conversations, but also because the right shoes keep stylists standing.

“For hair stylists specifically, we’re on our feet all day,” Contreras said. “If you don’t have the right kind of shoes, your feet hurt. … It kind of hit all the different markings of being a great gift for a hairdresser.”

Angie Duarte, a manager at the Bagel Restaurant and Deli, said customers typically tip more for service on Christmas Day, though the amount differs per customer. The extra cash helps, especially during the holidays, Duarte said.

Tyler Pasciak LaRiviere/Sun-Times

Deli clerks

What to give: Cash and/or small gifts for staff to share.

Angie Duarte, manager at The Bagel Restaurant and Deli in Lake View, said regulars often bring homemade cookies, brownies or cakes for the staff, including the kitchen, to share together. Often, the people who bring in the treats have been customers for over a decade.

Customers typically tip more for service on Christmas Day, she said, though the amount differs per customer. Those tips are totaled at the end of the night and split among the people who work front of house.

For Duarte, 33, the extra cash helps, especially during the holiday season.

“You get to buy people extra gifts,” she said. “Or pay the bills.”

Nail technicians

What to give: Cash or a personal, thoughtful gift equivalent to a session or visit.

Eboni Anderson, a nail technician at Nail Issuez in Pilsen, said she gets more tips and gifts around the holiday season. She’s received gift cards, scarves, trinkets like keychains, and once got a pair of designer loafers from a client. Some of her clients, who know she collects shot glasses, will bring her shot glasses from other states they’ve visited.

Anderson said the cash tips help her pay her utilities and rent, including for her business space.

“It’s an unexpected blessing,” she said. “It also helps pay the rent for the suite.”

Tattoo artists

What to give: Cash equal to 20% to 25% of the price of a service, or a thoughtful gift.

Jessica Beck, 34, works at Logan Square Tattoo and has been tattooing in the Chicago area for more than five years. Winter is often the slowest for business for tattoo artists, she said, so any extra financial help is appreciated. Beck said the money helps pay rent and utilities.

“This is probably the couple of months that we do suffer, so during this time it’s super helpful,” she said.

Beck said she’s also received cakes, cookies and gift cards, as well as tips that range in the hundreds of dollars, depending on the scale of the tattoo.

Delaney Lanham, a barista at Elevate Coffee, said tip money is appreciated and helps the most.

Tyler Pasciak LaRiviere/Sun-Times

Baristas

What to give: Cash at the point of sale.

Delaney Lanham, 22, who has been a barista at Elevate Coffee in Northalsted since April, said she’s noticed that customers will give a bit more in tips during the holiday season. When she works at Elevate’s location in Uptown, she said people will come in after buying a Christmas tree at a nearby plant store and tip more.

Lanham was straightforward: Money is appreciated and helps the most.

“Yeah, it’s money,” she said. “We’re working here, we’re broke.”

Mail carriers

What to give: Stick to small gifts.

U.S. Postal Service carriers are allowed to accept a gift worth $20 or less, but cash and cash equivalents, including gift cards, cannot be accepted, according to the USPS website. Carriers cannot accept more than $50 worth of gifts from any customer in one calendar year.

FedEx employees cannot accept more than $75 worth of gifts from any customer in a year and cannot receive cash or cash equivalents, according to company policy.

UPS employees are allowed to accept small cash tips or gifts, but are advised to use their discretion. Company policy says, “All gifts and entertainment, other than infrequent items of nominal value, must be disclosed and approved by the appropriate manager.”

Victor Mihalia, who has been working for FedEx in Chicago for two years, said he’s received small gifts, like cookies and candy, around the holidays. Some customers have written him thank-you notes, he said.

“It’s nice to know people see you doing your job,” he said. “It’s nice to know you’re appreciated.”

Full-time nannies

What to give: A tip ranging from the equivalent of a week’s pay up to a month’s or a thoughtful gift.

Cristian Garcia, 38, who has been a full-time nanny since 2016 in Chicago, said that she’s received holiday bonuses of two weeks of pay, along with gifts, like clothes or jewelry, and handwritten cards.

“I feel appreciated and respected,” Garcia said. “And to me, it makes a big difference. Because I also hear from my other many, many colleagues, they don’t receive as much, and I feel sad for them. They’re not appreciated as they should be.”

Paul Lademthim, a manager of Barry-Regent Cleaners in Lake View, said the same customers consistently bring small gifts, like boxes of chocolates, candies and cookies for the staff to share.

Tyler Pasciak LaRiviere/Sun-Times

Dry cleaners

What to give: Cash and/or small gifts for staff to share.

Paul Lademthim, 58, who has worked at Barry-Regent Cleaners in Lake View for 40 years, said the same customers consistently bring small gifts, like boxes of chocolates, candies and cookies for the staff to share.

Lademthim said the staff enjoys the treats together, and he sees how workers appreciate them. It’s often the people who don’t have the most to give who are the ones giving gifts, he said.

“There’s a lot of people here who take pride in our work,” he said.

Personal trainers

What to give: Cash, a thoughtful gift, or a simple affirmation.

Miriam Plotkin, who has worked as a personal trainer in Lake View for 12 years, said gifts she has received around the holidays have ranged from cash to Trader Joe’s gift cards to cookies. Cash tips she’s received range from $50 to $100.

“You feel like they really are thanking you for helping them in some way,” she said.

She said more personalized gifts she’s received are earrings a client knew she would wear and a David Bowie mug.

Plotkin said her favorite gift to receive is a handwritten note because it shows the person put thought into the gift.

“When somebody goes out of their way to tell you how great you are or how much you’ve helped them, that means so much more to me than getting an actual material object,” she said.

CTA, CDOT proposal to improve bus service includes special lights, lanes

2023-11-30T19:53:21.334-06:00

In the city’s plan, called Better Streets for Buses, the CTA and CDOT plan to improve bus service across 17 corridors, or streets, including DuSable Lake Shore Drive.

Ashlee Rezin/Sun-Times (file)

The Chicago Transit Authority and Chicago Department of Transportation debuted a “citywide framework” Thursday that they say will improve bus service, but some transit advocates say the plan lacks specific goals and timelines.

“The hope is to establish a citywide framework to guide how the two agencies can utilize infrastructure to achieve faster and more reliable bus service, improved access to bus stops and better bus stops — in order to make travel times shorter and more consistent,” Jennifer Henry, CTA’s director of strategic planning and policy, said in an email.

As part of the Better Streets for Buses plan, tools under consideration to improve travel times include adding transit signal priority, which would allow a bus to send a request to a traffic signal to modify light timing and queue jumps, which give buses an early “go” light.

In the city’s plan, called Better Streets for Buses, the CTA and CDOT aim to improve bus service across 17 corridors, or streets, including DuSable Lake Shore Drive.

Provided

The CTA and CDOT, the nation’s second-largest transit system and the city’s department that oversees public infrastructure, aim to improve bus service across 17 corridors, or streets, including DuSable Lake Shore Drive. This includes adding bus lanes, making intersections more bus-friendly and upgrading bus stops. Some of the proposed improvements at the bus stops include building more shelters — as opposed to a pole with a sign — and adding heating, lighting and signs that track arrival time.

CTA and CDOT will work to combat “bus slow zones” that make travel times longer and more unreliable in three of the corridors.

The three haven’t yet been chosen, Henry said. Public outreach for which corridors to select will start in 2024, but how long it will take for improvements to move from conceptual design to implementation is unknown.

Other infrastructure changes being considered are adding crosswalks and improving sidewalks, expanding bus stops so buses have more space to merge back into traffic, and providing longer green-light times for streets that serve buses.

Kyle Lucas, co-founder of Better Streets Chicago, said he was glad to see the CTA develop a toolkit of different features that it can use at any bus stop or along any route instead of “having to reinvent the wheel all the time.”

Is CTA service getting better? What Chicago commuters told us.

But he and other transit advocates said they had hoped the plan would have more specifics, including a timeline.

“There’s no commitment made; calling this a plan is a little bit misleading. We’re still pushing for them to start making some real commitments and goals,” Lucas said.

He said he was glad to see the plan identifies corridors that are underserved by rail services, which most often affects Black and Brown riders who “get left behind in terms of services.”

Luca Harsh, co-founder of Commuters Take Action, said the group would like to see more transparency on how public feedback would directly lead to improvements.

“As we have seen in the past couple of years, ‘we’re gonna do it’ isn’t worth very much. We want to be able to see how far along they are in the plan,” Harsh said.

The CTA did not provide specifics on which improvements would be implemented or when.

“We will be developing a more specific timeline as we move forward,” Henry said. “There are a number of other advocacy groups that have been really supportive of” the plan.

Amy Rynell, executive director of the Active Transportation Alliance, said in a statement that her organization looks forward to supporting the implementation of the plan to create “a more equitable and reliable bus-riding experience for all Chicagoans.”

“We stand ready to support CTA, CDOT and the city in prioritizing making that vision a reality, as the economic and environmental health of our region depends on this investment in the bus-riding experience,” Rynell said.

When asked how long it would be before riders would see improved service through the plan, Henry said, “Better Streets for Buses is intended to be a long-term framework plan, and as such, implementation will be an ongoing and long-term effort.”

How much service will improve for riders isn’t yet clear. Different tools improve service at different rates, Henry said, and where these tools are implemented depends on community reception.

The public outreach effort and the development of the Better Streets for Buses plan were primarily funded by a $300,000 grant from the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning. Additional funding for construction will be needed, Henry said.

The plan was created with input from the public in 2022 with more than 1,300 residents providing feedback, which was “a key element” in choosing which corridors were included in the plan.

Why CTA service stinks: Nearly 2,000 regular bus, L riders sound off

The proposal comes as the CTA struggles to address reliability issues and staffing shortages.

In 2022, CTA annual ridership was 243.5 million, with 140 million in bus ridership, according to the CTA’s website. As of October, bus ridership had increased 22% in 2023 compared to 2022.

The current numbers are far below prepandemic levels. In 2019, annual CTA ridership totaled 455.7 million with 237.3 million bus rides.

Bus riders, many of whom said they have had service issues in the past, said they were excited to hear about the possible improvements.

William Mendoza, 62, who has been using CTA buses since 1979, said he has waited more than 30 minutes to catch the No. 147 back home from work.

Over the past few years, he says, he believes bus service has gotten worse.

“I’m hoping to see improvement,” he said.

Laura Faletti, 27, says she takes the bus every day to commute to work. Faletti said she had dealt with “ghost” buses — the buses that electronic trackers show are coming but never arrive — and that she had been late to work before because of bus unreliability.

Once or twice a week, she said, she deals with a bus not showing up or being late.

“I’m glad to hear they’re working on it,” she said.

Teddy the Turkey and Kermit the Frog return to Chicago’s 89th Thanksgiving Parade

2023-11-22T13:56:07.758-06:00

Giant balloons are returning to Chicago’s 89th Thanksgiving Parade, including Teddy the Turkey, Rudolph the Reindeer and Peppa Pig.

Sun-Times file photo

Giant balloons are returning to Chicago’s 89th Thanksgiving Parade on Thursday, including Teddy the Turkey, Kermit the Frog, Rudolph the Reindeer and Peppa Pig.

The balloons hadn’t been a part of the parade since 2018 for financial reasons. A shortage of helium was, in part, what made it too costly to have the inflatables, said Dan Mulka, executive director of the Chicago Thanksgiving Parade Foundation.

“If you took all the aspects of the parade, that is probably the most expensive aspect of producing the parade,” Mulka said.

The balloons were able to make a return this year thanks to a Tourism Attraction and Festivals Grant from the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity.

Mulka said the balloons, which each take 20 to 40 people to control, were the first thing he wanted to bring back because he’s seen the balloons garner the most “visceral reaction” from the crowd.

“When I see the families and the crowds and everybody lined up, you see all the faces turn and smile and point, and you can just see the reaction, the actual reaction on their faces,” he said.

Mulka said he hopes people create cherished memories with their families at the Thanksgiving parade this year and hopes the parade represents Chicago, with its mix of cultures and nationalities.

Thousands of people are expected to watch the parade from the streets. The parade will also be streamed on Pluto TV for those who want to watch at home. Actors Jen Lilley and Jesse Hutch will be co-hosting the parade this year, with special appearances from HGTV’s Lauren Makk and Chicago’s poet laureate avery r. young.

The free parade is from 8 to 11 a.m. Thursday and will travel up State Street from Ida B. Wells Drive to Randolph Street.

Other performances include cultural groups, 16 high school marching bands and equestrians. For the full lineup, visit the Thanksgiving Parade’s website.

Lincoln Park Zoo warns of wildlife trafficking during holiday travel season

2023-11-21T18:11:46.289-06:00

Lincoln Park Zoo works with 272 trafficked animals that were confiscated over a 25-year period at O’Hare Airport by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, according to curator Dan Boehm.

Kamil Krzaczynski / Getty

Chicagoans are expected to fly in the largest numbers on record this holiday season, but advocates are asking travelers to help address a different kind of travel that also increases this time of year that’s putting wildlife at risk.

Wildlife trafficking is prevalent during the busy holiday travel season, according to Lincoln Park Zoo, which is working to raise awareness of the issue with the public and enforcement agencies.

Lincoln Park Zoo announced that it would be the first North American zoo to partner with Monitor Conservation Research Society, which researches wildlife trafficking and trends, according to a news release Monday. Lincoln Park Zoo will support Monitor, which is based in Canada, with research that will help identify threats to wildlife and trends among trafficked animals.

“The [illegal wildlife] trade has already wiped out a lot of species,” said Chris Shepherd, executive director of Monitor Conservation. “So if something isn’t done, if the public doesn’t become more aware and conscious of this and more responsible with their behavior and their buying, we’re going to lose a lot more species.”

Commonly trafficked animals include snakes and freshwater turtles from Southeast Asia and South America, which are smuggled into the United States to be sold as exotic pets, Shepherd said.

Most recently, Lincoln Park Zoo received confiscated box turtles that were going to be exported out of the United States from O’Hare Airport, said Sunny Nelson, vice president of conservation and science, at the zoo.

Lincoln Park Zoo works with 272 trafficked animals that were confiscated over a 25-year period by U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) from O’Hare, curator Dan Boehm said at a Tuesday press conference.

Animals that are smuggled often can’t be reintroduced to their habitat for various reasons, such as their origin is unknown or most countries don’t have a system for “repatriating” animals, or returning them to their natural habitat.

And, perhaps surprisingly, animals smuggled through airports like O’Hare aren’t detected as frequently as expected. Due to the volume of people moving through airports, as well as skills that traffickers use in hiding animals, many traffickers are able to avoid detection, Shepherd said. Some traffickers may also use falsified permits, he said.

Lincoln Park Zoo works to mitigate this with USFWS, which has wildlife detection dogs that are trained to sniff out animals and animal products, including those of the critically endangered black rhino, Nelson said.

Trafficking animals doesn’t just contribute to the extinction or endangerment of species but also can lead to fines and potential prison time for those caught with them.

To raise awareness this holiday season, Lincoln Park Zoo unveiled an exhibit in Terminal 5 at O’Hare that explains the dangers of wildlife trafficking. The exhibit asks travelers to “Pause Before Posting” and avoid taking pictures with exotic animals, especially those kept in poor conditions, and to “Ask For the Origin” to avoid buying illegal products or animals.

Lincoln Park Zoo has unveiled an exhibit in Terminal 5 at O’Hare Airport that explains the dangers of wildlife trafficking.

Provided

Shepherd said the thought of trafficking makes him think of the breakdown of the ecosystem.

“We’re seeing ecosystems start to crumble and disintegrate and fall apart because of the loss of species, and that’s gonna affect all of us,” he said.

For those traveling this season, Shepherd said they should do research before buying any “exotic pets” or animal products.

“If they can’t be sure that it’s from a legal source, or from a sustainable source … then really they should just not buy it, just avoid it and ensure that they’re not going to be part of the problem,” he said.

A Carlsbad green tarantula that was confiscated at O’Hare by U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service officials came to Lincoln Park Zoo in 2022. The tarantula died this summer.

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Dog bites hit Chicago’s South and West Sides hardest — areas that lack dog parks and other resources

2023-11-20T20:44:01.047-06:00

Alionna Murphy holds Galaxy as he is fitted during a collar and leash giveaway by the Animal Care & Control, held at the POPCourts! Community Plaza in the Austin neighborhood in late October.

Anthony Vazquez/Sun-Times

The wounds from a dog bite Krysten Kelly suffered over the summer are scarred over, serving as a painful reminder.

On a late-August evening, a woman and a man with two kids and two dogs, leashed, were walking past her at Sunnyside Avenue and Clark Street in Uptown. Kelly had her dog, a Chihuahua, in a bag slung over her shoulder.

The woman walked by and a dog jumped up. Kelly thought it was friendly until it bit her left breast. The dog jumped up again toward her face, which she blocked with her left arm, getting bitten again.

Then, Kelly said, the owners turned and walked away, leaving her in “complete shock” and bleeding on the sidewalk.

“I honestly thought the dog was going to be a friendly, put its arms on your shoulder type of a dog because there was no growl. ... There was nothing, no warning at all.”

Krysten Kelly, who was bitten by a dog in the Uptown neighborhood in August, at the Ohio Place Dog Park this month.

Tyler Pasciak LaRiviere/Sun-Times

Citywide, there were a total 5,952 dog bite complaints fielded since 2019, according to a WBEZ analysis of 311 data. Complaints had dropped during the pandemic but have recently gone back up; there have been 1,054 complaints in 2023 through mid-October.

In Uptown, where Kelly was bitten, 127 complaints have been filed in the last four years, a higher number than all but a dozen of the city’s 77 community areas.

Dog bites over the past few years have occurred all across the city, including in communities such as Uptown where there are several dog parks, but communities with the highest number of complaints are largely on the South and West sides, which offer fewer resources for dogs and their owners.

Through mid-October, the Lower West Side, which includes most of Pilsen, saw the highest number of complaints with 260. Austin, on the West Side, was second highest with 252 complaints. Those two communities don’t have any public spaces where dogs can run free and unleashed.

Austin “has been historically underserved by the city of Chicago,” said Armando Tejeda, a spokesperson with the city’s Animal Care and Control.

“When you compare it to places like Lake View, there’s almost a pet store on every other corner, there’s vets all over the area, but everyone that lives in Austin, they’re secluded from all these pet resources that other neighborhoods do have,” he said.

From left, Toya Reed and Alionna Murphy watch as Susan Cappello, acting executive director of Chicago Animal Care and Control, displays dog collars at the POPCourts! Community Plaza in Austin in October.

Anthony Vazquez/Sun-Times

Addressing inequity in Austin

To provide more resources for pet owners in Austin, Roseland and West Lawn, ACC partnered with Rescue Chicago to launch the Leash and Collar Campaign.

Lashawna Britton, 23, who brought her 6-month-old dog, Prince, to a recent leash and collar event to get him treats, said she wished there was a dog park or communal dog walking group in the area.

“These dogs don’t know each other,” she said.

Often when she’s walking her dog, there’s no opportunity for the dogs to stop and greet each other. Sometimes, she said, dogs will growl and bark at her dog on a walk. She said a communal dog space would help dogs in the neighborhood hang out together.

Jonathan Polich, a dog trainer at K9 University Chicago, said dog bites often stem from fear of stimuli or the environment the dog is in, but training and socialization can help prevent bad behavior.

Another issue is stray dogs.

“If there’s an area you’re getting the majority of strays from and then bites are happening, I mean, something definitely needs to be addressed on our part,” Tejeda said.

The number of strays in the 37th Ward, where Austin is located, increased by the hundreds in 2023, according to Ald. Emma Mitts’ office. As of October, Austin had 454 stray animal complaints.

Other communities that saw a higher number of strays included Roseland, which had 396, and Chicago Lawn, which had 368 in 2023, according to data from ACC. In terms of dog bites, Roseland and Chicago Lawn had 144 and 142 reported complaints, respectively, according to WBEZ’s analysis.

Mitts’ team said several residents have complained about the number of strays, a problem exacerbated by flooding this summer, the alderperson said.

“The tragic, once-in-a-lifetime, disastrous flooding which occurred in late June and early July this summer also impacted the number of dogs which became suddenly unhoused due to flooded basements and houses,” Mitts said in a statement.

West Side flooding prompts deluge of complaints at budget hearing

ACC is hoping that offering free leashes and collars, as well as other pet resources, in areas that lack quick access to pet stores will help bring the number of strays down.

ACC started with outreach in Austin, with staff going door-to-door and asking pet owners what resources they would like to see in the area. Staff also went to CTA bus and train stops to talk to community members, Tejeda said.

Austin residents mentioned that the most helpful things would be access to collars and leashes, vaccine and microchip clinics, pet stores and communal spaces where dog owners could meet each other.

ACC is working with Mitts to coordinate the opening of Austin’s first dog park — one request ACC staff has heard over and over again from community members.

Opening a dog park would not only give the community a space to get to know each other, but would also help dogs in the neighborhood get to know each other, said A.L. Smith, Mitts’ spokesperson.

“We want to be able to provide to the 37th Ward residents some of the civic advantages that can help make their lives more peaceful and more enjoyable,” Smith said.

Alionna Murphy holds Galaxy as he is fitted for a dog collar during a leash and collar event in late October.

Anthony Vazquez/Sun-Times

In the Southwest Side communities of Wentworth Park and West Lawn, organizers successfully advocated for dog parks in their communities.

Ald. Marty Quinn (13th), who helped coordinate the opening of two dog parks, at 4233 W. 65th St. and 5625 S. Mobile Ave., in his ward this year, said he started the process when constituents mentioned wanting more dog-friendly spaces on the South Side.

Quinn formed committees for the two parks — Woof Lawn and Wentwoof — and started knocking door-to-door to get public input. It was important for him to “work collaboratively” with the communities, he said. Both petitions garnered more than 1,000 signatures.

Quinn says he believes there are many more opportunities to make pet resources more equitable on the South Side.

“I believe we’re just touching the surface on the opportunities for collaboration with local veterinarians and with businesses … like pet shops that sell dog food or dog toys,” he said.

Contributing: Alden Loury and Amy Qin, WBEZ

What to do if you have been bitten by a dog

Advice on what to do if you are bitten by a dog

Get medical treatment to prevent infection
Treatment is also important to document the bite in case the victim decides to bring a claim against the dog owner
Victims can file a claim with Animal Control by calling 311 or file a police report at a district station
In most cases, a person’s homeowners or renter’s insurance will be responsible for damages
If you do not know the owners name, you can consider filing a Doe complaint to try identifying the owner

For more information read: What to do if you’ve been bitten by a dog