Neuqua Valley High School will be putting that message on display in more ways than one this week as a group of students from the Naperville school compete in the Student Silent Film Festival.
Taking place Wednesday night at Tivoli Theatre in Downers Grove, the annual competition invites students from across the Chicago area to create their own original films without the aid of voices or sound effects. Neuqua Valley is one of 11 participating high schools this year and the only competitor from Naperville.
“I’m really excited,” said senior Emma Jenkins, a member of Neuqua Valley’s film team. “I’m just excited to see (our film) in the big theater and to see other people’s reactions to it.”
Jenkins was one of 13 students behind the film. She was also one of three students who acted as a producer on the project, alongside fellow seniors Saanvi Betita and Jillian Mannisto. All students are part of Neuqua Valley’s Media Production 3 class.
Neuqua Valley’s original silent picture is entitled “Friendzone.” Running for 5 minutes and 38 seconds, the film was inspired by this year’s festival theme: “Creativity Unleashed.”
“Friendzone” follows a young boy facing the growing pains of adolescence as he gets older, from struggling to fit in to making friends at school. To cope with the challenges, he relies on a small cadre of imaginary friends.
“What more creative than a kid and their imagination?” Betita said.
A testament to the festival’s theme in content as much as design, the imaginary characters in “Friendzone” are animated. The mixed media approach was thanks to a few students on Neuqua Valley’s team who had animation experience.
“We wanted to make good use of all the kids in our class,” Jenkins said. “Just to bring all our talents together and make something more inventive.”
Neuqua Valley has competed in the Student Silent Film Festival since its inception in 2017, Neuqua’s media production teacher John Gelsomino said. Every year, Gelsomino gives his upper level students the option of participating in the competition. Only one entry per school is allowed.
The festival was founded by Ed Newmann, Bill Allan and Derek Berg. Newmann, who lives in Hinsdale, is an animator and entrepreneur. He founded the Chicago-based Calabash Animation studio. Allan, of La Grange, is founder and supervisor of the television media program at Lyons Township High School. Berg, of Clarendon Hills, is founder and CEO of Clarendon Hills Music Academy.
Their festival was born out of a common interest in educating local media students about the art of creating silent films. For its first few years, the festival was held at Sanfilippo Estate in Barrington Hills. Recently, though, the festival has found a home at the Tivoli.
“We thought it was valuable for young kids to understand what it was like in the early days of filmmaking,” Newmann said, “and what it was like for storytellers to figure out how to engage an audience without sound, without voices. … A filmmaker is a better filmmaker if they learn how to tell a story without (dialogue), where a character can’t just walk on and start talking.”
As part of the festival’s homage to the early days of filmmaking, all submitted films Wednesday night will be accompanied by live music.
In the era of silent films from the 1890s to the late 1920s, music was often played live in theaters to accompany action that took place on screens, according to the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History. To that end, each festival entry will be supplied with a score. Musical arrangements will be performed by Berg on a uniquely designed keyboard rig that employs virtual instrument samples.
“With my keyboard setup, I use a Mac (computer) to access a library of 30 vintage synthesizers, orchestral and acoustic instruments, and rhythmic loops,” Berg said in a news release. “This setup gives me endless ingredients to craft sounds for any film.”
Jenkins, Betita and Mannisto are especially excited to see what Berg comes up with for “Friendzone.”
“We want to see their interpretation of what we worked on, like if it comes through as we want it,” Mannisto said. “I think that’ll be cool.”
They’re also eager to see their competitors’ films.
“(Creativity Unleashed) is such an open-ended prompt,” Mannisto said. “So I’m excited to see what other people came up with, (to see) if we’re similar or different. I’m pumped.”
Newmann says this year’s batch of submissions are some of the best he’s seen submitted to the festival.
“I’m thrilled with the movies that (the students) have come up with this year,” he said. “They’re outstanding.”
Of the 11 competing schools, three winners will be named Wednesday. A panel of judges — composed of professionals from the entertainment or art education industries — will select the top three based on the quality of films’ story narrative, development, camera work, lighting and editing.
Jenkins, Betita and Mannisto say that while they’d welcome kudos, the competitive portion of the festival is more so a bonus to the main reward: getting to share their hard work on the big screen.
The Student Silent Film Festival is open to the public. Advance tickets are $18 and can be ordered at https://www.studentsilentfilmfestival.org/
. Same day tickets are $25 at the door.
Sherman Hospital offering maternal mental health support
Beyond Baby Blues, a free support program focused on maternal mental health, is being offered at Advocate Sherman Hospital and is open to all new mothers, including those who did not deliver at the Elgin hospital.
The program currently meets from 9:30 to 11 a.m. each Tuesday. Beginning March 4, the time will switch to noon to 1:30 p.m.
A peer-led support group, Beyond Baby Blues is a safe space for mothers to talk about the difficulties of motherhood, emotional changes and receive encouragement and validation, according to hospital information. Additional resources, including helpful websites and books, are also available to participants.
Free coffee and hot tea are offered. No registration is required. Anyone interested in participating can check in at the hospital’s main entrance desk.
The hospital is located at 1425 N. Randall Road. For more information, email ashley.koeppen@aah.org.
Former Courier-News writer Chris Bailey dies in Arizona
Former Courier-News writer Andrea Chris Bailey, 71, of Elgin, died suddenly Sunday, Jan. 5, in Scottsdale, Arizona, according to an online obituary.
Bailey was an award-winning journalist who worked as a reporter, columnist and editorial writer for The Courier-News and later for the Arlington Heights-based Daily Herald.
She was born in Herman, Minnesota, graduated from Herman High School and Northern Illinois University and served in the U.S. Air Force, prior to embarking on a career in journalism. Bailey had a passion for travel that took her around the world, according to the obituary.
Bailey is survived by her husband, former Courier-News managing editor Michael Bailey, son John Jeffrey and his wife Ashley; her grandson, Jack, of Crestwood, Missouri; brothers Dana of Red Feather Lakes, Colorado, and Doyle, of Marshall, Minnesota; several nieces and nephews, and her best friend, Sue Mattioli, of Streamwood.
Funeral services were private. Donations in Bailey’s name can be made to the Northern Illinois Food Bank.
Registration underway for PADS of Elgin 5K annual walk/run
PADS of Elgin will host its second annual Home Run 5K Walk or Run on Saturday, April 26, starting and ending in the parking lot of the Gail Borden Public Library, 270 N. Grove Ave., Elgin.
Proceeds will assist PADS in fulfilling its mission to help people and families who are homeless and need shelter, services and professional guidance, according to the nonprofit’s website.
Registration is $50 for runners and walkers and $25 for anyone 12 or younger. There also will be a 100-yard dash for children ages 5 and younger, with a $5 entry fee.
The Chicago Bears have made it official, announcing Ben Johnson as their head coach Tuesday and scheduling an introductory news conference for 11 a.m. Wednesday at Halas Hall.
The team issued its formal news release a day after news broke
that the Detroit Lions offensive coordinator had agreed to join the Bears and was finalizing a deal.
In a statement, general manager Ryan Poles called Johnson “a proven leader with winning pedigree and a mind toward innovation.”
“Throughout our search process, I was thoroughly impressed by Ben’s character, intelligence, leadership and ability to connect,” Poles said. “A progressive offensive mind, Ben’s plan for all three phases of our team, which is centered on creating a winning and competitive environment, became evidently clear.”
“We have so much going for us,” President/CEO Kevin Warren said. “We have incredible ownership. We have the best fan base in the world. We found a franchise quarterback. We have salary-cap space. We have draft capital. We live in a world-class city. We just have a lot of attributes going for us.”
Added Poles: “We’re digging deeper than we ever have before.”
That quick union between Johnson and the Bears was widely lauded across the NFL, with many seeing great potential in pairing an offensive mastermind and proven play caller with talented young quarterback Caleb Williams
.
Last month, as Johnson prepared to face the Bears for the second time this season, he expressed admiration for Williams’ skill set and arm talent.
“There’s no question this guy’s talented,” Johnson said. “I remember standing on the sideline (on Thanksgiving) and you can hear the ball whistle by you. He has quite a fastball. And he has some creativity to him. He can extend plays and is accurate down the field as well.”
Johnson helped the Lions to a 15-2 record and their second consecutive NFC North title this season, guiding an offense that scored 68 touchdowns on the way to an NFL-best 33.2 points per game.
Quarterback Jared Goff was named to the Pro Bowl after throwing for 4,629 yards with 37 touchdown passes and a 111.8 passer rating. Four other Lions offensive players received Pro Bowl honors: running back Jahmyr Gibbs, wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown and offensive linemen Penei Sewell and Frank Ragnow.
Johnson is best known for his play-calling prowess and willingness to be both creative and fearless. He also has shown dedication to the running game with the Lions ranking third in rushing attempts this season and sixth in rushing yardage.
Players in Detroit have lauded Johnson’s forward and demanding leadership style, something the Bears hope to tap into.
Said Poles: “Meeting with Ben and gaining an understanding of his process and vision, the more confident we became that Ben is the right leader for our team and that he and I will be great partners in building our team and shaping our franchise for long-term success.”
Wednesday’s news conference will be Johnson’s first opportunity to publicly present his vision and program-building philosophies. He also has been busy building out a coaching staff, with buzz growing, according to ESPN, that the Bears might land former New Orleans Saints head coach Dennis Allen as their defensive coordinator.
“There’s a burning desire in every man to find what he’s made out of,” Johnson said, “to push the limits and see if he’s got what it takes. So, yeah, there’s a fire there.”
In the team-issued statement Tuesday, Johnson breathed some of that fire.
“Having been on the opposing sideline, I can attest to how passionate Bears fans are about this city and their team, and I am honored to be their head coach,” he said. “My family and I are incredibly blessed and fortunate to take this next step in our journey, and I cannot wait to lead our players, our support staff and organization, while doing so at the service of Bears fans.”
Amidst a process of layoffs and cuts, Evanston/Skokie School District 65 held community engagement meetings the week of Jan. 13-17 to discuss cutting expenses further.
At the Jan. 13 Committee of the Whole meeting, district administrators presented to the Board of Education four options to cut at least $15 million in expenses before the end of the school year. .
Across the four plans, the Board has options to lay off between 73 and 81 employees and consolidate bus routes, among other cuts. In all of the scenarios, 22 teachers would be laid off. Varying numbers of administrative staff and non-teaching staff would be laid off across the various plans.
Plans do not call for closing schools in the 2025-26 school year, other than Dr. Bessie Rhodes School of Global Studies, the closure of which was approved by the board in 2024.
According to Superintendent Angel Turner, District 65 originally set a goal of cutting $13.2 million in expenses before the end of the 2024-25 school year. That amount increased to slightly over $15 million to expedite the district’s goal of “getting back to a balanced budget,” she said.
“As I stated before, this isn’t our first time with the structural deficit reduction,” Turner said at a community engagement meeting at Evanston’s South End Community Center on Jan. 17. “We actually began this work back in February 2024.”
Turner said the district laid off 23 employees in July 2024, but later rehired one person after the district’s administration received feedback from community members advocating that they come back.
Evanston/Skokie School District 65 Chief Financial Officer Tamara Mitchell speaks at a community engagement meeting at Evanston’s South End Community Center on Jan. 17, 2025. (Richard Requena/Pioneer Press)
At the community engagement meeting, the district’s Chief Financial Officer, Tamara Mitchell, said the district is projected to be in the financial warning ranking by an independent auditor, which is one ranking away from being in financial watch. Once a school is in financial watch status, they are under greater risk of being taken over by the state, Mitchell said.
“There are several factors that go into the state board’s determination of coming in and taking over a district,” Mitchell said. “What the state board is looking for is a history of substantial deficits. So they would be looking at, ‘How many years did the district run deficits? And is there a plan in place to stop those deficits?’”
Mitchell also said the state board would look at whether a district is requesting short term borrowing through tax anticipation warrants, which she likened to a payday loan.
“We’re not there yet. We don’t project being there for this fiscal year, and with cuts that we’re looking to put into place for fiscal (year) ’26 we don’t anticipate being there either,” she said.
Previously, the district’s financial consultant warned the school board that if it did not make decision to cut expenses, that a state takeover would be likely
. At the community engagement meeting, Turner said if the board doesn’t commit to a deficit reduction plan, that the district’s fund balances would be in the negatives by 2027.
District 65 used federal funds meant for COVID-19 pandemic relief in the last couple years to avoid learning loss, Mitchell said. Funds were used on an academic skill center, counselors and a teacher residency plan. Now that those funds are expiring, the district will need to consider cutting some of those expenses.
“Coupled with that, as we started to get out of the pandemic… there was increases in everything,” Mitchell said. “Everything from food costs to services that the districts are paying for.”
Evanston/Skokie School District 65 Superintendent Angel Turner spoke at a community engagement meeting at Evanston’s South End Community Center on Jan. 17, 2025. (Richard Requena/Pioneer Press)
Because the district does not offer special education services, it must pay for students to attend special education classes elsewhere, and it only gets partially reimbursed for that expense, Turner said.
“We need to get more efficient in the services we provide our special ed students. That’s one thing that the district is looking to see,” Turner said, when asked if the district was considering housing its special education unit in its school system.
Four men with Northwest Indiana ties were among the more than 1,500 people pardoned by President Donald Trump Monday for storming the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021.
Dale Huttle, 73, of Crown Point has served about six months of a 2 ½ year sentence
at FCI Thomson, a federal prison near the Illinois-Iowa border. His original release date was in December 2026.
Michelle Peterson, his federal public defender, confirmed Tuesday he is set to be released, but declined further comment.
Court filings state Huttle had two “violent confrontations” with law enforcement officers on the building’s Lower West Terrace. That afternoon, as the crowd was pulling bike racks used as a barrier, Dale Huttle went to the front of the crowd and hit at least two officers with a long flagpole, according to a release. A half-hour later, he allegedly grabbed another officer’s baton, yelling: “Surrender!”
Crown Point resident Dale Huttle (left), who is holding an American flagpole, was pardoned Monday for his actions during the January 6, 2021, riot outside the U.S. Capitol, in this photo provided by the U.S. Department of Justice. – Original Credit: U.S. Department of Justice
Before his sentencing, U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves in court filings said Huttle was not remorseful for what he did, citing a Chicago TV news interview where he said he acted as a patriot.
His nephew, Matthew Huttle, 42, of Hebron, was also there and served six months in prison — essentially for trespassing.
Graves, the now-former U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia, said in an interview with the New York Times, that it would stop most Jan. 6 cases, but some had already done their time.
“(There) is no undoing these prosecutions, and hundreds have already completed their sentences or completed all or most of their periods of probation,” he told the outlet.
Democratic lawmakers condemned the pardons, saying it threw out one of the most complex and biggest criminal cases in U.S. history.
“Donald Trump is ushering in a Golden Age for people that break the law and attempt to overthrow the government,” Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer said in a statement to the Associated Press.
John Minchillo/AP
FILE – In this Jan. 6, 2021, file photo, violent protesters, loyal to then-President Donald Trump, storm the Capitol, Wednesday, Jan. 6, 2021, in Washington.(AP Photo/John Minchillo, File)
In January 2021, a third man, Kash Lee Kelly of Hammond, was charged in the District of Columbia with two misdemeanor counts, knowingly entering or remaining in any restricted building or grounds without lawful entry, and violent entry and disorderly conduct on Capitol grounds, according to the charging documents.
Authorities proved many were there from cell phone location data or social media posts.
During the investigation, law enforcement, who knew Kelly for several years, were tipped off that he posted pictures on Facebook “scaling the walls” and “posing with a monument inside” the Capitol, documents state.
“The day we let the Traitors who constantly push the divide in OUR country know that we are done playing their games,” Kelly wrote. “All ppl of all colors came together today and I couldn’t be more proud to be an AMERICAN.”
His attorney Carmen Hernandez could not be immediately reached Tuesday.
Kelly was sentenced to 60 days in prison and ordered to pay $500 in restitution. He was released in January 2024.
Another Crown Point man — Gregory Mijares — was set to go to trial in March on a felony civil disorder charge and misdemeanor offenses of assaulting officers, entering a restricted building, and violent entry. On Jan. 6, Mijares made his way to the Lower West Terrace pursuing law enforcement officers, court records said, standing in their path, raising a flag over his head, and fighting with them as they tried to remove him. Video footage shows Mijares and other rioters smashed one of the glass panes of a door, and Mijares flipped off the officers before pulling open the door for the other rioters, records said.
Mijares was able to grab a baton with which an officer hit him. Mijares remained at the front and pushed against police in a couple “heave ho” efforts, passing out riot shields taken from officers to rioters, according to the statement of facts. After one last “heave ho” against police, he left the tunnel about 3:19 p.m. EST, records said.
Fourteen defendants, including several convicted of seditious conspiracy, had their sentences commuted, while the rest of those found guilty of Jan. 6 crimes were granted “full, complete and unconditional” pardons.
More than 1,500 people were charged in nearly every state in connection with the Jan. 6 breach, according to a release. More than 500 were charged for impeding or assaulting police.
Aside from trying to overturn the 2020 Presidential election, the insurrection injured more than 100 cops and caused nearly $3 million in damages, court filings show.
The Associated Press and Post-Tribune archives contributed.
More than 100 volunteers took part in the Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service on Monday, Jan. 20 at First United Methodist Church (FUMCAH) of Arlington Heights in Arlington Heights (1903 E. Euclid Ave.).
All were welcome to participate. Church members, company groups, and anyone interested and not church members attended.
The two-hour morning event included the assembly of hygiene kits to benefit The United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR), a unit of Global Ministries. Dog biscuits were handmade to be donated to local area animal humane organizations.
People at the table are making dog biscuits for local pet shelters. Top, on right, in purple is Sharon Noha of Northbrook, event coordinator, at the Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service on Monday, Jan. 20, 2025 at the First United Methodist Church (FUMCAH) of Arlington Heights in Arlington Heights. (Karie Angell Luc/Pioneer Press)
Project Linus blanket making to benefit children needing comfort during urgent response efforts added color to tabletops and smiles to volunteers.
“To me, this event is wonderful because it’s intergenerational, it brings together all different kinds of people from the community and it gives people the opportunity to serve,” said Sharon Noha of Northbrook, event coordinator, at the Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service, who added seven service projects were included that Monday.
“I think it’s what Martin Luther King’s life and legacy was all about,” Noha said. “It’s a great way to honor him.”
The morning began with prayerful words by David Profitt of Glen Ellyn, FUMCAH associate pastor. People of all ages stood in a large circle around Fellowship Hall with many heads bowed.
Offering prayerful words before volunteer service is David Profitt of Glen Ellyn, FUMCAH associate pastor, at the Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service on Monday, Jan. 20, 2025 at the First United Methodist Church (FUMCAH) of Arlington Heights in Arlington Heights. (Karie Angell Luc/Pioneer Press)
“Everyone has different beliefs and some people may have different feelings about faith, but I feel like what prayer can do is it can remind us to join our hearts together, and remind us that no matter what we believe in, we all have the same core values, those values like compassion and love,” Profitt said.
“If we can sense that that’s something that we all share together, we can create some unity and uplift our spirits a little bit.”
Sharon Olsen of Arlington Heights was here to volunteer with family and, “to teach my grandchildren about service to others.
“With MLK (day), I think of hope for our future.“
If Martin Luther King Jr. were living, Olsen said, “he would be,” pleased with people giving of their time and resources on the Monday federal holiday.
Of MLK’s message, “I think we need to do whatever we can to make it go forward,” Olsen said.
Volunteer Sharon Olsen of Arlington Heights is here with extended family at the Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service on Monday, Jan. 20, 2025 at the First United Methodist Church (FUMCAH) of Arlington Heights in Arlington Heights. (Karie Angell Luc/Pioneer Press)
Parent Andrea Miller of Arlington Heights made Valentine’s Day cards of encouragement to anonymous recipients with children Maggie Miller, 8, a second-grader and Gwen Miller, 5, a kindergartner.
“I think we’re doing a good thing today so it’s nice to know it will make other people happy,” the girls’ mother said.
Delaney Corliss, 12, a seventh-grader from Arlington Heights and her mother Colleen Corliss helped to make blankets, including one that said, “Friends come in all colors.”
It was five degrees outside during a cold snap but people came out, many wearing warm hats while they volunteered in warm Fellowship Hall on a cold Monday.
“We came out because we thought it would be a great way to honor Martin Luther King and do something positive today,” Colleen Corliss said with a smile.
Making a blanket for Project Linus, are from left, Delaney Corliss, 12, a seventh-grader from Arlington Heights and her mother Colleen Corliss at the Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service on Monday, Jan. 20, 2025 at the First United Methodist Church (FUMCAH) of Arlington Heights in Arlington Heights. (Karie Angell Luc/Pioneer Press)
For Delaney, Martin Luther King Jr. inspires, “because he was really positive and he made friends.”
Parent and church member Jennifer Sweis of Arlington Heights spent time with her children Abraham Banyamin, 9, a third-grader and Dagan Banyamin, 10, a fifth-grader,
Abraham was interested in dog biscuit making and helping on MLK Day, “just to be nice to other people and other pets, just by feeding other animals that are in need.”
Jennifer Sweis said about volunteerism for Abraham and Dagan that, “I think it teaches compassion and it teaches them at a young age that it isn’t always just about them.
“It’s also about how they can help other people.
“And so much of our lives are focused around our kids’ activities and their education, which is great,” Sweis said about the boys, but would like for them, “to think about other people and what we can do to help other people.”
Volunteer Dee Sherwin of Arlington Heights, a church member, sat at a table with others working on fringe making for Project Linus blankets.
Using scissors to make blankets for Project Linus is Alisha Riles of Wheeling at the Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service on Monday, Jan. 20, 2025 at the First United Methodist Church (FUMCAH) of Arlington Heights in Arlington Heights. (Karie Angell Luc/Pioneer Press)
“It’s wonderful to see all these people together, working together,” Sherwin said. “This is really wonderful.”
The football coach at Niles West High School was removed from that post by Niles Township High School District 219 after an investigation into his conduct, according to district documents. The Skokie school’s coach posted on social media in December that he was no longer in the position, but didn’t give details.
After hearing a parent’s complaint in September that her son was injured in the football program, District 219 put its coach, Nick Torresso, on leave while investigating. In October, several football team members told
the board of their support for him. On Dec. 11, the district sent Torresso a document outlining his conduct they deemed unacceptable, including “failure to uphold safety standards,” and saying he “shall be removed from all coaching positions in the district.”
Torresso remains in his main job with the district as a special education teacher.
“All I can tell you is the same I’ve thing that I’ve told my kids,” Torresso said when asked for comment. “They (the board) made a decision, and I disagree with it wholeheartedly, and I have to move forward the best I can.”
Through his lawyer Sabreena El-Amin, Torresso also submitted a statement to Pioneer Press, saying, in part, “This entire situation has been unfortunate for everyone involved. I am most bothered by the impact this has had on the young men that have devoted their time and energy to representing the school on that field all season.
“I am also devastated that an athlete did not feel safe in the program. I pride myself in creating a safe space for my athletes and hate to see allegations like these related to a program that I am involved in.”
He continued on saying that he never received a text message from Tammy Caballero, the parent who told the District 219 school board in September that her son was re-injured from training exercises that Torresso had mandated.
“I wish I had the opportunity to address the allegations and concerns sooner because I feel that the situation festered and boiled over in a way that was unproductive and led to negative outcomes for everyone involved,” Torresso’s statement continued.
The Dec. 11 document that District 219 sent Torresso, called a notice of remedial warning, said that in addition to a failure to uphold safety standards, the former coach allowed ineligible student-athletes to participate in the football program, retaliated against staff and students and used unacceptable language with students.
Torresso’s statement continued, expressing sorrow that the student athlete was injured and hope that he recovers and achieves his athletic goals.
“I wish there was more I could do, but as the varsity head coach, I am not responsible for registration and medical clearance for athletes on the lower level teams. If I was aware that there was ever any athlete at a practice performing anything that was not cleared by trainers I would have surely intervened and removed them immediately,” the statement said.
Elgin-area agencies say they are working with undocumented immigrants as fears of mass deportations escalate with this week’s inauguration of President Donald Trump.
Among the efforts underway have been workshops outlining immigrants’ rights and instructing people what to do if stopped by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents (ICE), both being offered by the Elgin YWCA and Centro de Informacion, based in Elgin.
“There are so many fears. It’s a very stressful time,” YWCA Immigration Services Director Rose Diaz said. “We are all just waiting. All we can do is prepare for the worst and do our best and try to support each other.”
On his first day back in office, Trump signed a flurry of executive orders tightening immigration laws and some anticipate ICE raids in Chicago could begin as soon as this week.
The YWCA has been working with Centro de Informacion to present “Know your Rights” workshops at the Gail Borden Public Library in Elgin and at locations in Batavia. Beyond that, they have a team with two immigration attorneys, a paralegal and a legal assistant to help people individually, she said.
Less publicly, agencies, grassroots organizations and advocates for undocumented immigrants also have been working to provide the same kind of information to people since Trump’s election in November.
Diaz, who is also a life and wellness coach, is worried about the mental health toll this has been having on immigrant families. One woman she recently spoke to says her 15-year-old child is scared they’re going to come home from school one day to find her gone, Diaz said.
One thing Diaz has been doing are restorative practice circles to help undocumented immigrants and their families cope with the stress and fear. There is a need for mental health services, she said. “Ultimately, this is about human beings. You can say whatever you want, but it’s about humans,” she said.
The YWCA continues its classes to help people with green cards through the citizenship process. Classes include assistance with mock interviews, application forms and test practices, Diaz said. Classes are funded through grants, although there’s a question now of whether those grants will still be available under the new administration, she said.
Church members hold hands together during a service Sunday at St. Rita of Cascia Parish in Chicago as fears of mass deportations grow among those in Hispanic communities. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)
Trump’s administration faces some challenges in doing mass deportations, including the fact that sanctuary cities are not cooperating, funding for the process is uncertain and the immigration court system has a years-long backlog, experts say.
Beyond that, there are certain to be legal challenges to Trump’s executive orders, including one focused on birth rights outlined in the Constitution’s 14th Amendment.
Regardless of if or when deportations actually happen, Centro de Informacion is preparing for them, Executive Director Dianha Ortega-Ehreth said.
Centro has sought new grants to increase its capacity and add services to assist undocumented immigrants, Ortega-Ehreth said. They’ve also become part of a regional group of agencies providing immigration services, like legal clinics, and have added an additional attorney to its staff, she said.
Along with general Know Your Rights workshops, Centro is providing information on how to make an emergency plan for possible deportations, Ortega-Ehreth said. This includes having paperwork prepared to transfer parental rights, if necessary, and what to do with your home, she said.
It’s similar advice advocates gave when Trump assumed office in 2016.
Ortega-Ehreth said she remembers what it was like then. She was working with undocumented people for a different nonprofit agency, but the fear feels different now “because we all know Trump has a running start in plans,” she said. “Last time, it really seemed like it took him almost four years to get a plan.”
Fear is often based on the unknown and worrying about the worst-case scenario, Ortega-Ehreth said. Knowledge is power, she said, so knowing what to expect and knowing your rights can help undocumented immigrants.
She goes through “a roller coaster of emotions” these days. As an immigrant herself, she said, “It’s a very sad thing to think about people being taken away and not being given due process. I don’t know how far the administration will go. It makes me scared because it becomes a very slippery slope.”
But she finds inspiration and hope within the Elgin community, she said. There are a lot of resources and people willing to help legal and undocumented immigrants, she said.
Gloria Casas is a freelance reporter for The Courier-News.
The Indiana Arts Commission could be up for a new logo or a tweak that reflects an important part of Northwest Indiana.
After Executive Director Miah Michaelson’s presentation to the Northwestern Indiana Regional Planning Commission about the economic importance of the arts on Thursday, Portage Mayor Austin Bonta asked why the state agency’s logo didn’t include a notch in the upper corner of the Indiana outline to reflect Lake Michigan’s presence.
“We’re a Great Lakes state,” he pointed out.
“That’s such a great question to ask,” Michaelson said. The logo predates her tenure at the Indiana Arts Commission, and there has been talk at the agency about an update or a new logo.
In fact, the logo was gifted to the agency by the Indiana Gaming Commission years ago after a discussion about the two agencies sending a similar message about improving Hoosiers’ lives, she said.
Michaelson urged NIRPC members to not discount the importance of art in economic considerations.
Quality of life matters more for communities’ population growth than other measures of economic vitality, she said, citing a study of Midwestern communities by Ball State University economist Michael Hicks.
That includes recreational opportunities, cultural activities, community service, transportation options and quality of life indicators, she said.
“Quality of life matters in people’s decisions to move or stay someplace and drives how attached they feel to where they live,” she said.
“When they are more attached to their communities, they are more likely to stay there. They’re more likely to volunteer together for public benefit opportunities. They’re more civically engaged, and they run for office. They may be one of those people that shows up at your meetings during public comment,” Michaelson said.
When communities are trying to solve a problem, include artists in the group because they’re accustomed to creative thinking that can suggest solutions and approaches that might otherwise be missed, she said.
Michaelson offered numbers to illustrate her points about art.
“Youths who have access to arts opportunities consistently are two times more likely to graduate from college,” she said.
In addition, 68% of tourism is driven by arts, heritage and history, she said.
Visual arts can communicate messages well, she said, making the point that storm drain murals are better than pamphlets at making the point that anything poured into a storm drain affects rivers and lakes.
“Think about committing resources for things like arts,” she said, including green spaces for farmers markets. “An artist who sells something at your farmers market or at an art fair is a small business. Are you engaging them at all? Are you thinking about them as part of your small business development strategy?”
The Indiana Arts Commission is active in Northwest Indiana, partnering with the Northwest Indiana Forum and others on various projects.
“We have become more and more aware of the impact of arts on the economy,” NIRPC Executive Director Ty Warner said.
Newly elected NIRPC Chair Wendy Mis, who also serves as Munster’s clerk-treasurer, acknowledged her town’s commitment to the arts. “We are very much an arts/culture community.”
At its meeting Thursday, NIRPC gave Don Ensign, of Hebron, its Norman E. Tufford Award for excellence in public service. Tufford was NIRPC’s first executive director.
Ensign, a member of the Porter County Regional Development Commission, has been active in a number of boards and commissions, including NIRPC.
“I always tried to be a voice for south of U.S. 30 because sometimes we get forgotten,” he said.
Doug Ross is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune.
Hot soup makes for a great way to warm up on a cold, cold day, and that concept is being harnessed once again to help keep warm hundreds of people who are experiencing homelessness.
Tickets are available for the 13th Annual BEDS Plus Soup and Bread fundraiser, set for Feb. 2 at Holiday Inn West Banquets, 6201 Joliet Road, Countryside.
The benefit, which last year drew 1,000 people, will last from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. All proceeds will go towards the La Grange-based nonprofit dedicated to helping those facing homelessness and housing instability.
“Every year we try to keep it the same and make it a little different, all at the same time,” said Erin Molek, BEDS Plus development manager. “This year, most importantly, we have 23 local restaurants supplying soup. It’s just just a great array of different soups that we’re really excited about this year.”
Molek said organizers have also gotten the support of adult beverage purveyors, who will be providing “our spirits, our breweries, our libations, and our mixed cocktails.”
“It’s just so great to get the community behind it, because that allows us to do an event and still keep our prices down so people can attend,” she said. “We can still raise a good amount of money to help those in need who struggle with housing insecurity.”
Antonino’s Ristorante in La Grange will be one of the soup purveyors at the BEDS Plus fundraiser Soup and Bread on Feb. 2, at the Countryside Holiday Inn. (Hank Beckman/Pioneer Press)
Molek said about 90% of the funds raised at Soup and Bread would go toward helping the people served by BEDS Plus.
Tickets for the event are $30 and include a ceramic soup mug. Children under 8 will be admitted free of charge. Tickets can be purchased at www.classy.org.event/beds-plus-soup-and-bread-2025
. The ticket price covers the soup and complimentary coffee and soft drinks. Alcoholic beverages are $5 per ticket, or 5 for $20.
The 23 different soups will be prepared and donated by participating restaurants, many from the La Grange area, but also from as far away as Summit and Evergreen Park. Many participating restaurants have been regulars at Soup and Bread over the years, and include Antonino’s, Blackberry Market, Irish Times Pub, and Prasino.
But others will be participating for the first time, including Happier Now Cafe in La Grange Park and Marco’s Kitchen in La Grange’s downtown business district.
Andrea Slivka, owner/chef at Happier Now, talked about the Polish chicken soup she will bring to the fundraiser and the process of creating it.
“Growing up, my dad did a Slovak style matzo ball soup,” she said. “The Polish chicken soup I actually had a few years ago at a restaurant near where I live in Ukrainian Village. Then I started Googling different recipes, and it’s sort of a combination of different soups, with me adding different ingredients and kind of making it my own.”
Slivka, a La Grange Park native, wanted to do the Soup and Bread benefit last year, but was in the process of opening the business and didn’t have enough time.
“We are about the community and I want to make sure everybody has a warm place to stay, especially in this weather,” she said.
Guests will be entertained by musical artists such as The Vaughn Building, the August James Band, Crows of Fury, and an open mike session, and there also will be kid-friendly activities.
Molek spoke of the growing need for services in the southwest suburbs for people challenged by housing insecurity, noting that when she first started with BEDS Plus a decade ago, their shelter usually kept about 35 people protected from the elements.
“We were serving a smaller population, and we’ve just exponentially grown,” she said. “We’ve impacted over 5,000 lives this year with services and housing, part of that safety net we’re always talking about in the community.
“We want to be able to keep doing that, and those private dollars and the help of the community really makes a big difference. Now we’re literally putting someone in housing every 24 hours. We housed over 360 people last year.”
The event relies on more than participating restaurants, and its sponsors include presenting sponsor Linda Sokol Francis, E.A., Marquette Bank, Rockpile Strategies, Lyons Township Mental Health Commission, C.J. Erickson Plumbing, Stantec, Burger Night Out, Towers Racing, and the First National Bank of Brookfield.
More information on BEDS Plus, including how to make donations,is at beds-plus.org.
Hank Beckman is a freelance reporter for Pioneer Press.
