The North Shore Weekend, November 11th, 2023

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INDEX

NEWS

6 saluting america's heroes Four North Shore teens honor local veterans by serving as guardians on a recent Lake County Honor Flight

8 record breaker Highland Park Community Foundation issues a record-breaking $784,825 in grants

9 tax analysis What you need to know about the property taxes that are due December 1

LIFESTYLE & ARTS

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CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

12 nyad

A gritty movie about marathon swimmer Diana Nyad gets a rare 4-star review

13 what happens next Meg Ryan and David Duchovny's talents are wasted in this mediocre rom-com

14 #hashtag

Lake Forest native Robert Reaumond and his family join together to fight pancreatic cancer

Mitch Hurst, Bill McLean, Monica Kass Rogers

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PHOTOGRAPHY AND ART

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16 north shore foodie

Our Harissa Roasted Carrot and Beets recipe features crispy spiced chickpeas and lemonzested yogurt

17 material pursuits

Get ready for Thanksgiving with this See's Candies Signature Gift Pack, luxe linens by Yves Delorme, and an interior design tome by Paloma Contreras

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17 ask dr. e Dr. Elizabeth Lombardo shares advice for parents of teens in her ongoing column

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SALUTING AMERICA’S HEROES NEWS

Four North Shore teens served as guardians for veterans on the most recent Lake County Honor Flight.

BY MITCH HURST THE NORTH SHORE WEEKEND

When Kathryn Petty’s girls were young, she began taking them to Midway Airport to welcome veterans home from Lake County Honor Flights to Washington, D.C. She wanted her daughters to understand and appreciate the sacrifices veterans have made to contribute to our freedoms. It’s a tradition that has carried on for more than 10 years.

The ritual led Petty and her youngest daughter, Nora, to join a mission of their own last month, accompanying veterans on the 23rd Lake County Honor Flight. Three other local teens—Timothy Rukavina, Teresa Claire Gerber, and Caroline Gerber—also participated in the flight.

North Shore teens pictured with veterans in Washington, D.C.

The four high school students each raised $1,400, mostly from local businesses, to cover the expenses for themselves and the veterans for which they served as guardians.

“One reason we started welcoming honor

flights was partly to show them who the real celebrities are, or should be,” Kathryn says.

“The pomp at the homecomings is so incredible, you’d think Taylor Swift was getting off of the plane. One of the things Lake County Honor Flight does so well is overwhelm the veterans with love and gratitude, which then provides a fertile ground for healing to take place.”

Petty says it was Rukavina who first planted the seed for the teens (all seniors at Lake Forest High School tutoring for the ACT with Kathryn at College of Lake County) to participate in the honor flight. Rukavina aims to attend the Air Force Academy, and he was looking for a way to honor veterans in addition to welcoming them home from their flights.

“The trip was an amazing experience and I had so much fun connecting with my guardian, Arnold Greenfield. He served in the Navy during Vietnam and shared many stories about being sent on a little boat for three weeks,” Rukavina says. “I had a lot of laughs with other veterans and guardians, and I also was honored to share with them that I was applying to the Air Force Academy.

“It's a very long application process but after taking a tour there, I realized it is a one-of-a-kind place where I can further my disciplined mentality and proudly serve my country afterward.”

Kathryn says it was lovely to watch the banter between the veterans and the teens, and they quickly took to each other during the trip.

There was a lot of laughter, and the veterans loved teasing the kids in a playful way.

“The kids thought the veterans were absolutely hilarious. They were just crying, laughing so hard sometimes,” Kathryn says. “Of course, some very serious, somber things were shared too. The kids have received notes and gifts from the veterans. One of the really amazing things to see was intergenerational friendships come about, which you wouldn’t expect.”

Teresa Claire Gerber, who joined the Honor Flight with her twin sister, Caroline, says she wanted to get involved with Lake County Honor Flight to show her appreciation and give back to the brave men and women who made sacrifices for our country.

“I love that the Honor Flight chapter of Lake County goes on a three-day trip, which allowed me to form a wonderful friendship with my veteran and many others,” Teresa says. “During the trip, I got to hear stories

Lake Forest High School students served as guardians for military veterans last month on Lake County Honor Flight 23.

about their time in the war, their experiences, and their return home. Many stories left me shocked and made me even more thankful for the Honor Flight program for allowing veterans the chance to be properly honored.”

Teresa says she was impressed with all the planning and detail that went into the trip.

Everything was thought out to make the trip meaningful and special for each veteran.

From the moment they stepped off the plane, the veterans were showered with praise; everyone in the airport was clapping, shaking their hands, and thanking them.

“The whole experience was very powerful and moving. I am proud of what these veterans did for our country and grateful to have gotten to be a part of honoring their service,” she says. “It was one of the most amazing experiences I have had in my life, one that I will always remember.”

Teresa’s twin sister, Caroline, says that in addition to raising funds for the Honor Flight the high schoolers also collected hundreds of gratitude letters from classmates at Lake Forest High School and other local schools. She was thankful for the opportunity to share her appreciation to the veterans.

“Over the three days on Honor Flight 23 we developed a true sense of camaraderie with the veterans. Though we met as strangers, we parted as family,” Caroline says.

“Through our shared experience we forged bonds that transcended the decades between us.”

Caroline says she felt compelled to participate in the Honor Flight because she believes that Americans are indebted to the men and

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women who have served, and it is our responsibility to try and repay that debt.

“I volunteered to become a guardian on Honor Flight because I wanted to serve those who have served for us and recognize their courage and the sacrifices they made on our behalf,” she says. “Being on an Honor Flight was an incredible, once-in-a-lifetime experience. I learned more about history from the real-life recounts of the veterans than I have ever learned from a book or a movie.”

Kathryn’s daughter, Nora, says she wanted to attend Honor Flight and serve as a guardian to show veterans from the Vietnam War, in particular, that they are appreciated.

Vietnam veterans were disrespected and mistreated, and she wanted to show them, not just tell them, that they are worthy of respect and gratitude.

“Serving as a guardian was a way for me to show them the appreciation that they seldom got from the public upon coming home,” Nora says. “I enjoyed every minute of the trip—not just because I was getting to serve those who have served me, but because of the people on the trip.”

The veterans made the trip fun and memorable, she says, and she already misses the those she was fortunate enough to spend time with.

“It proves their humble character that when asked about their service, they made light of their sacrifices,” she says. “I think the way that they downplay what they did for our country is the best testament to their character. Their joyful smiles on the trip made it worth it for me.”

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SATURDAY NOVEMBER 11 | SUNDAY NOVEMBER 12 2023 |

7

RECORD BREAKER NEWS

The Highland Park Community Foundation recently made the largest round of grants in the philanthropy’s history.

BY MITCH HURST THE NORTH SHORE WEEKEND

The Highland Park Community Foundation (HPCF) broke its own record late last month when it announced that it had issued $784,825 in grants to support local nonprofits.

That figure is the highest annual distribution of grants in the organization’s history— an achievement to be celebrated.

HPCF Executive Director Terri Olian says the record-breaking number is based on an uptick in community needs, partly due to the lingering social and economic effects of the pandemic and last year’s Fourth of July shooting.

This year, the foundation received more than $1 million in requests. While the organization was not able to meet all of those needs, the grants they did distribute are being used to address the educational, human service, creative, and cultural arts needs of young children, teens, families, single adults, individuals with disabilities, and seniors in the community—all while expanding opportunities for all residents.

“By and large our grant recipients make very reasonable requests, so it’s a reflection of needs in the community,” Olian says.

“Human service needs and mental health needs have increased substantially.”

She says we’re living in a world right now

Grant recipients of the Highland Park Community Foundation pictured at its October Grant Awards Distribution event.

other communities on the North Shore have a reputation of affluence, many are left behind when it comes to being able to afford to live here.

Amy Kaufman, Director of Development and Community Relations for Community Partners for Affordable Housing—one of this year’s HPCF grant recipients—

Community Partners for Affordable Living helps individuals and families with limited incomes find housing on the North Shore.

where there is a lot of uncertainty and lot of troubling circumstances, and that is reflected in the focus of the foundation’s 2023 grantmaking.

One area of need worth noting is affordable housing. While Highland Park and

says economic conditions at the moment are challenging for those seeking an affordable

place to call home.

“Rents and home prices are increasing faster than incomes, so the need is growing,” Kaufman says. “We always see a changing and dynamic need and I can’t remember a time when the need goes down. It’s always feels like it’s going up.”

HPCF’s grant to Community Partners for Affordable Housing funds the organization’s Community Land Trust, a program that creates permanently affordable (mostly homeownership but some rentals) in the community that stay affordable in perpetuity. It’s an innovative program that helps household after household.

“Whatever development cost that goes into that unit stays in that unit. On the side of home ownership, if we develop a home and sell it for an affordable price, when that person moves another low-income household gets the home at an affordable price, and the subsidy stays with the home,” Kaufman says. “Homeowners build wealth by paying down the mortgage.”

At the same time, the program develops more and more desperately needed affordable housing in the community. Finding funding

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for land trusts can prove difficult, and when the foundation supports its efforts, it’s a permanent investment in the community.

Kaufman says while the needs are growing, her organization is also supporting individuals and families with varying circumstances.

“People need affordable housing for such a wide range of reasons. It may be low wages but also a divorce or a wage earner passing away,” Kaufman says. “Somebody may have to stay home with a sick child or parent and cut back their working hours.”

She says of all of the day-to-day needs in Highland Park and the North Shore housing is unique because it’s so expensive.

People and families just don’t have access to housing because of the high cost.

“If you don’t have diverse housing stock and diverse prices, it’s hard to see how communities can be managed in the long term,” adds Kaufman. “Because not only do you need places for people who work here to be able to live here, you want a diverse group economically and in every other way to able to have access.”

For more information or to donate to the Highland Park Community Foundation, visit hpcfil.org.

THE NORTH SHORE WEEKEND

TAX ANALYSIS NEWS

Research shows that local school districts hiked property taxes on Cook County homes and businesses, resulting in higher bills that are due December 1.

An analysis of Cook County’s 1.8 million property tax bills for 2022 shows that school districts are chiefly responsible for hefty tax bills that are due Dec. 1, according to Treasurer Maria Pappas.

The median residential tax bill in the north and northwest suburbs increased 15.7 percent, the largest percentage increase in at least 30 years, an analysis of tax bills found. These higher tax bills are the result of increased levies—the amount of money sought by taxing districts—and a shift of the tax burden onto homeowners from businesses as a result of reassessments in the northern suburbs.

Treasurer’s Office researchers Hal Dardick and Todd Lighty led the analysis.

Pappas hired the former investigative journalists to head up her office’s think tank.

The analysis is the latest addition to the Pappas Studies, a series of examinations of the complex property tax system available at cookcountytreasurer.com.

Key findings of the analysis show: • Of 940 taxing agencies in the county, 676—or 71.9 percent—increased taxes.

• The amount of taxes billed to property

owners countywide rose more than $909 million from $16.7 billion to $17.6 billion, a 5.4 percent increase over 2021. Homeowners are shouldering $599.1 million, or two-thirds of the increase, while commercial properties are picking up one-third and owe an additional $314.4 million.

• In newly reassessed north and northwest suburbs, taxes rose $331 million— with a $387 million, or 12.9 percent, increase on residences and a $56 million, or 2.7 percent, decrease on commercial properties.

• In the south and southwest suburbs, taxes rose $173 million from $3.88 billion to $4.06 billion. Residential taxes increased $98 million, or 4.1 percent, from $2.4 billion to $2.5 billion, while taxes on commercial properties increased $75 million, or 5.1 percent, from $1.48 billion to $1.56 billion.

Cook County is divided into three areas for reassessments: the city of Chicago, north suburbs, and south suburbs. The county assessor calculates new values for properties in each region once every three years, a process known as triennial reassessments.

Property values are one factor in the

complex property tax system. Local units of government set tax levies that determine how much money they need to operate. The assessed values of properties and amounts of levies determine the tax rates, which vary widely among communities.

State law allows school districts to hike taxes by the prior year’s increase in the consumer price index, or 5 percent, whichever is less. Because the CPI increased by 7 percent in 2021, school districts were allowed a 5 percent increase. But the overall percentage increase was higher, partly due to a new provision called recapture.

Recapture, which took effect in the 2021 tax year due to a change in state law, allows schools and other taxing bodies to recover money that was refunded to property owners whose assessments were lowered by the Illinois Property Tax Appeal Board, state courts, or county offices.

Recapture accounted for $203.7 million countywide for 2022, a $72.7 million increase from last year.

Significant increases in the amount of money the city of Chicago and Chicago Public Schools said they needed to operate,

coupled with the recapture provision and higher tax increment financing district bills, boosted the overall property tax burden in Chicago by $410 million from $7.65 billion to $8.1 billion. That broke down as a $296 million, or 7.8 percent, increase on commercial properties and a $115 million, or 3 percent, increase on residential properties.

Chicago Public Schools recaptured $50.8 million for the 2022 tax year. As a home rule municipality, the city of Chicago is unable to recapture taxes, as the state law applies only to non-home rule communities.

The Treasurer’s analysis revealed that throughout Cook County in 2022, the amount owed to tax increment financing districts increased $124.6 million from $1.43 billion to $1.56 billion. TIF district increases account for about 13.7 percent of the overall rise in what property owners across the county owe.

Second Installment 2022 tax bills were set to be mailed Nov. 1 and are due Dec. 1. Property owners who don’t wait to wait for their bills to arrive in the mail can pay their taxes online now at cookcountytreasurer.com. Partial payments are accepted.

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9

LIFESTYLE & ARTS IN THE COLOR WEAVE

From PG 1

BY MONICA KASS ROGERS THE NORTH SHORE WEEKEND

Stand in front of a Marcia Fraerman painting and the colors dance. They really do. Step forward, back, or to the side just a bit and the square shapes move, magically shifting in sectional dominance, presenting a kaleidoscope of possibilities. Vividly painted in multiples, Fraerman’s Color Weaves are squares at play, a series of works she started about 15 years ago that continue to be the best expression of the woman she is now: artist, collector, teacher, parent, and leader in Chicago’s art community.

In her studio, located at the tip-top of her Georgian brick Glencoe home, Fraerman points to two paintings from the Color Weaves series entitled Fair and Square that face each other from opposite ends of the room, one larger, one smaller. “I love to experiment with how the eye sees things,” she says. “Working with the color placement, to achieve optical illusion which is multiplied by the fact that each person sees and experiences things differently.” She steps back and gestures, “And the smaller you go with the size of the work, the more the painting moves.”

Fraerman’s work is the product of a life-

sculpture was dedicated at the Federal Plaza, we were there. When The Happening at the MCA happened in 1967, we were there.

It was all food for thought. Ballet, music, museums, and art events. My parents were ‘yes’ people. They’d say, ‘Okay, you want to try something? We are going to support you in that.’”

Such attitudes meant piano lessons beginning at age 6, and painting lessons through the North Shore Art League starting at 13.

One clear through line back to her early paintings? “They have always been very bold,” says Fraerman: “I was never afraid of color or using it in a very strong way.”

Meeting her future husband, Tom, when the two were just 15 at Highland Park High School brought with it the influence of two great female artists: Tom’s mother, Joan Binkley, a talented ceramicist and bead artist, and his grandmother Claire Zeisler, the world-renowned fiber artist. “We spent a lot of time together, and they were very generous in their conversations with me about their art practices,” says Fraerman. “Joan’s studio was in her home, and I remember being honored that she’d even ask to hear my opinions of what she was working on.”

One cherished memory from that time?

“I will never forget showing Claire an op-art piece I had painted when I was 16 that she really liked, telling me it reminded her of Bridget Riley. I had no idea who that was, so I went to the library and looked it up and felt so flattered! But she was right!”

In college, Fraerman majored in art history and education at Washington University, working in the art and architecture library where it was “pure joy to just handle and read all of these books, learn about the artists,

Get Happier 30 x 24 inches. Acrylic paint on canvas 2021. Rough Draft Brewery in San Diego used Fraerman’s Get Happy for their label.

time of influences. From her parents came an open-minded view of the world and the encouragement to experiment and be present for enriching experiences in the city.

“When Martin Luther King spoke, we were there. When Alexander Calder’s Flamingo

and view all of the work.” Throughout, the work she admired most was modern and nonrepresentational and came from artists who thought differently and created things differently, prompting her to do her senior thesis on Marcel Duchamp. Post-graduation,

Haymarket Square 30 x 30 inches. Acrylic paint on canvas 2022. Art Photography by Tom Van Eynde

with her husband in law school and art history jobs scarce, Fraerman spent several years teaching at private primary schools where she was able to shape curricula full of music and art. And then came her two children.

An unexpected benefit of her years teaching, parenting, and working as a communicator with administration, parents, and teachers alike: Fraerman knew she could speak on topics she was passionate about. This helped as she moved into new leadership roles such as serving on the Women’s Board at the Museum of Contemporary Art (including four years as president.) Relationships built through her work in the arts community naturally deepened the art she and Tom collected—broadening it from the family pieces they owned by Zeisler and Binkley to paintings by artists such as William T. Wiley and Roger Brown. Plus, a growing number of works by established female artists such as Caroline Kent and Anna Kunz, and emerging artists such as Jacqueline Surdell and Ana Villagomez.

And then came a seminal moment in her artistic journey. Grieving the death of her mother-in-law, Joan Binkley, Fraerman faced her canvas one day and felt she wanted to clear everything out. To start fresh without overthinking, “to paint what felt right for who I was now.” From this emerged a much more controlled style of painting, completely devoid of figures. “I love people, but I don’t make or buy figurative art,” she says. “I’m a

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pretty linear person. These paintings are very planned,” she explains. “The process of painting them is very meditative and the creation, very mathematical.”

Some mornings Fraerman wakes with a vision of something she wants to try and then gets to work filling sketchbooks with carefully planned grids, numbers, and color pairings. Creating each painting, Fraerman works with tape strips and is careful to leave imperfections in place. “It’s important to me to show the hand in the work,” she explains.

Beginning at the center, Fraerman adds squares from there, watching to see how the piece will bloom as it expands. “When I plan it out, I anticipate how it will work as I paint, but there is always an element of joy and surprise.”

Currently, Fraerman has the second of three Square Up paintings from the Color Weaves series in place on her easel. This painting is dominated by triangular stacks of squares in a horizontal monochromatic scheme that suggests a cityscape or triad of temples, each rising to a peak. “People read it in different ways, but I think it communicates something joyous as if it’s reaching for something.”

And so, her Color Weaves continue. “I feel myself caught in them,” observes Fraerman.

“They’ve captivated me. I haven’t said all I can with them yet.”

For more information, visit marciafraerman.com.

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MAX GROUP D

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11

LIFESTYLE & ARTS

NYAD

This captivating film about marathon swimmer Diana Nyad is a story of grit, friendship, and tenacity.

BY REX REED ILLUSTRATION BY TOM BACHTELL

RUNNING TIME: 2 HOURS, 1 MINUTE RATING: 4 stars

Fresh from various film-festival victories and still ringing with applause, NYAD arrives at last on both streaming platforms and the commercial screen, as splendid and captivating as ever.

It's the winning tabulate of tenacity, friendship, grit, and drive that catapulted marathon swimmer Diana Nyad to fame as the first person to make the 110-mile, 62hour non-stop trip from Cuba to Florida in shark-infested waters without a shark tank.

Under the aegis of ordinary filmmakers, it might be an extraordinary sports saga about an extraordinary woman beating overwhelming odds. But carefully and meticulously chronicled in their feature narrative debut by the marvelous, prize-winning documentarians Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi and her husband Jimmy Chin (Free Solo, The Rescue) and flawlessly written by Julia Cox, it combines archival material with the powerful passion and pulse-pounding obsession of a woman who did not know the definition of the word "failure."

It’s a story that resonates long after the final frame, served and informed by the two devastating center-ring performances of Annette Bening as Nyad and Jodie Foster as her coach, best friend, and one-time lover, Bonnie Stoll. The result of so much consecration and loyalty to the subject matter is a movie of uncommon exhilaration.

Nyad was 61 years old and retired from her athletic career as a champion swimmer for 30 years when she decided to hit the water again. With Bonnie as her friend and guide, she worked on her muscles, hired a

navigator named John Bartlett (Rhys Ifans) to pilot the boat that accompanied her on the voyage, and ended up hospitalized with exhaustion, exposure, and hypothermia.

At 62, ignoring the warnings of every expert, she started over again and had to be dragged from the briny poisoned by an attack of jellyfish. But still Nyad refused to accept defeat. The film follows her through four tries and four failures, compelled by the courage of the human spirit and her personal motto: "You're never too old to achieve your dreams."

At 64, sick and half-dead from four aborted tries that ended in failure, deserted at last by her crew and even her loving, sympathetic friend and coach, she ignored the sports world that wrote her off as a fool, and resigned herself to one more plunge.

"We're already broke," shrugged her navigator, "so what's a little more broke?"

On August 31, 2013, it started all over again—this time for keeps.

Her crew reluctantly re-assembled and joined her in the project, because if she finally made it, they couldn't bear not to share the stardom. She nearly became shark bait, but destiny miraculously played a winning hand and on September 2, 2013, she heroically achieved her dream at last—35 years and five attempts after she started.

The world rejoiced, and once you experience this captivating film, so will you.

From Christopher Tellefsen's sharp editing to the magnetic Alexandre Desplat score, every element blends with perfec-

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tion to create a masterpiece. But it is still the compelling power of the two stars who turn NYAD into a film that soars to unforgettable heights.

Jodie Foster balances the centrifugal force of Annette Bening's exploding charisma with a winning mixture of tough resilience and understated sensitivity, while Annette Bening admirably avoids every attempt to make Diana Nyad into a lovable cliche of Hollywood heroism.

Bossy, selfish, often insensitive to the needs of others, with an ego the size of South America fueled by pride, she's so real and so complex that you love her, flaws and all. She does all of her own swimming, spending 90 percent of the film soaking wet, but without the glamour of Esther Williams.

Stripped of their natural beauty, all weathered lines and sun-bleached wrinkles, both stars are so masculine you can't imagine either of them in an evening gown, much less a bikini. But the film is so physically challenging and emotionally draining that I was mesmerized by their nuanced naturalism.

If there's any justice, they'll both be remembered when the awards season rolls around. Jodie Foster has already won two Best Actress Oscars and Annette Bening has been nominated four times. Isn't it time the film industry stopped wasting time and gave her an Oscar of her own for NYAD? If that happens, I'll be leading the applause.

THE NORTH SHORE WEEKEND

LIFESTYLE & ARTS

WHAT HAPPENS LATER

Meg Ryan and David Duchovny co-star in a different kind of romantic comedy that leaves our reviewer wanting more.

BY REX REED ILLUSTRATION BY TOM BACHTELL

RUNNING TIME: 1 HOUR, 43 MINUTES RATING: 2 stars

THE NORTH SHORE WEEKEND

It's been years since either Meg Ryan or David Duchovny appeared in a feature film, but now that they're back, co-starring in a two-hander called What Happens Later, it's fairly obvious that neither has forgotten anything about charm or how to keep a mediocre movie alive.

They're still appealing. This film is not.

It's a shame because Ms. Ryan co-wrote the tepid screenplay and provided the meandering direction herself. I'm not sure what the title means, but I doubt if What Happens Later implies anyone will want to see it twice.

They play Willa and Bill, a pair of exlovers who haven't seen each other since he walked out on her 25 years ago for no valid reason, and she never got over it, recovered from it, or forgave him for it. Now, in a snowstorm, their planes are re-routed and they find themselves stranded in a regional airport waiting for their canceled connecting flights, with no choice but to pass the time as pleasantly as possible—which, of course, proves impossible.

She lives in Austin and is on her way to Boston to visit her best friend who is in the middle of a divorce. As one of a tangle of coincidences that make no sense, he lives in Boston but is on his way to Austin on business. Awkward conversation consists of old thing from the past—her kooky personality,

his motorcycle, the flaws that irritated them both.

In what attempts to pass for character development, she has an arthritis-induced hip problem that causes her to limp and forces him to carry all of her baggage, and he has been diagnosed with an anxiety problem that makes him to worry about everything.

The incessant talk about nothing of any importance eventually reveals his reason for breaking up years ago, suspecting her of incessantly sleeping around. She says she was totally faithful during their entire relationship and the affair ended because of various other conflicting irreconcilable differences. After hours of unspecific verbal babble, it comes as a shock to discover they were both wrong.

Both of them turn out to have wasted their lives. She is actually on her way to see a daughter she's never met, and he has a wife and 15-year-old daughter but is in the middle of a marital crisis. None of this makes a great deal of sense, and little things like facts, figures, and fictional details are maddeningly contradictory.

No wonder he changes the subject to argue about the bad things that happened since their halcyon days ended (the switch from fun pop-rock music with melodies you could hum to noisy junk without a

dance beat, gun violence, the demise of print journalism) and she counters with the good things (inclusion of minorities, advantages in sports medicine, electric cars, the Internet).

But it's just filler to stretch out a screenplay in which nothing happens, based on a very small play called Shooting Star in which nothing happened. Everything about this movie is small—from the script to the ideas behind the relationship to the cramped, abbreviated look (the whole thing was filmed in an airport in Northwest Arkansas).

What does stick to your ribs is the two stars—daisy-fresh, aging well, and ready for a project that deserves them. Meg Ryan shows enough promise as a director with a confident grip on comedy timing that I am anxious to see her direct a film with more two characters in it.

They've been absent so long that it's a happy event to welcome them back in such good shape. In the space between appearances, they've matured as seasoned artists and developed a touching, intimate rapport.

Everything they say seems natural, no matter how trivial, even if they have to say it again.

Clearly Meg Ryan and David Duchovny are ready for a better, more rewarding film than What Happens Later.

SATURDAY NOVEMBER 11 | SUNDAY NOVEMBER 12 2023 |

13

LIFESTYLE & ARTS #HASHTAG EDITED BY DUSTIN O'REGAN ILLUSTRATION BY TOM BACHTELL

PAUL REAUMOND spent the first 12 years of his professional career focused solely on getting to the top of the Chicago commercial real estate word becoming the youngest Vice Chairman at CBRE, the largest commercial real estate firm in the world. Representing some of the fastest growing and disruptive companies in the world including Uber, Sprout Social, and Nvidia to name a few. To date, he has been involved in over 30 million square feet of global real estate projects valued at nearly $13 billion. In 2017, Paul lost his father Robert Reaumond, at age 59 to pancreatic cancer, the third leading cause of cancer related deaths in the United States with one of the lowest five-year survival rates of 12 percent. The Lake Forest native, along with his siblings, Lauren, Connor, and Tyler decided that the best way to honor their late father was to do what he would do … roll up his sleeves and start working toward a solution. Since 2018, the foundation has raised close to $2 million to fund its grants for “outside of the box” pancreatic cancer research at Northwestern Memorial Hospital, The University of Arizona Cancer Center, and M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, financial assistance to patients, and their newest initiative, Homes of Hope, which provides access to low cost housing next to the top cancer hospital in the U.S.—M.D. Anderson. Since opening in February 2022, Homes of Hope has helped more than 17 patients who on average travel more than 724 miles, ranging from Hawaii to Florida to receive treatment. Homes of Hope aims to ease the financial burden of housing, provide better access to the nation’s top cancer hospitals, and provide a “home away from home” to families during their most difficult days.

To learn more about The Reaumond Foundation and how to get involved, visit bobsencore.org.

#ON MY NIGHTSTAND

#ON MY MOBILE

#IN MY EARBUDS

Elon Musk by Walter Isaacson. Love him or hate him, he is the greatest entrepreneur the world has ever known. His ‘first principles’ approach to solving complex problems is inspiring for anyone trying to think outside the box.

X (formally Twitter) is constantly scrolling on my phone. It is the best source of global real time information on everything going on in the world and is a great place to learn about new ideas.

The Tim Ferriss Show. Throughout his career he has shown a unique ability to re-invent himself and develop expertise in new areas of interest has always sparked my curiosity. The ability to constantly adapt is a skillset I want to continue to invest time in.

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THE NORTH SHORE WEEKEND

Our hearts go out to the families and communities of the lives taken by the war started by Hamas. We pray for the safe and immediate release of the Israeli hostages.

ENGEL & VÖLKERS CHICAGO NORTH SHORE 566 Chestnut Street | 2nd Floor | Winnetka | IL 60093 +1 847-441-5730 | chicagonorthshore@evrealestate.com chicagonorthshore.evrealestate.com

©2023 Engel & Völkers. All rights reserved. Each brokerage independently owned and operated. All information provided is deemed reliable but is not guaranteed and should be independently verified.

Engel & Völkers and its independent License Partners are Equal Opportunity Employers and fully support the principles of the Fair Housing Act.

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15

HARISSA ROASTED CARROTS AND BEETS LIFESTYLE & ARTS

NORTH SHORE FOODIE

With crispy spiced chickpeas and lemon-zested yogurt.

BY MONICA KASS ROGERS THE NORTH SHORE WEEKEND

There is nothing like oven-roasting to bring out deep flavors in beets and carrots; flavors rich enough to match their vibrant hues. This dish takes these flavors to another level with the addition of warm spices for pungent depth, lemon-zested yogurt for cool creaminess, a smear of Tunisian harissa paste for heat, and crisp chickpeas for crunchy textural contrast.

Harissa, the bright red hot chili pepper paste that UNESCO lists as part of Tunisia’s intangible cultural heritage, is made with roasted peppers, spices, herbs, garlic, and olive oil.

Because the three main herbs used in harissa paste are caraway, coriander, and cumin seed, we created a spice blend with those three seeds for the roast carrots.

A dollop of dairy—Greek yogurt we’ve mixed with lemon zest, salt, pepper, and lemon thyme—is tangy and cool next to the bright swipe of hot harissa. Or, if you have access to labneh—the creamy Middle Eastern yogurt traditionally made with goat’s milk—that works well in place of the Greek yogurt and has a similarly thick consistency.

Crowning the dish, the crispy chickpeas are very easy to make. Rinsed and dried well, canned chickpeas transform into crunchy golden nuggets when mixed with a little oil and seasoning and oven roasted. Make extra of these if you like— they are great for snacking.

Serves 3 to 4 INGREDIENTS For the vegetables: • 6 slender carrots with the green tops • 3 small beets • 4 tablespoons of olive oil, divided • Fresh cracked pepper • Salt For the spice blend: • 1 teaspoon cumin seed • 1/4 teaspoon caraway seed • 1 teaspoon coriander seed • 1 teaspoon smoked paprika For the chickpeas: • 1 12-ounce can of chickpeas • 1 tablespoon olive oil • Salt and pepper • 1 teaspoon smoked paprika • 1/4 teaspoon cumin For the yogurt: • Zest from one fresh lemon • 1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt or labneh • 1/2 teaspoon salt • 1/2 teaspoon finely ground pepper • 2 teaspoons fresh lemon thyme leaves (plus more to garnish) Garnish: • 1 tablespoon harissa paste • Fresh lemon thyme leaves

Photography by Monica Kass Rogers

METHOD Prep chickpeas: Pour can of chickpeas into a colander. Rinse well. Place rinsed chickpeas on clean, thick cotton cloth and gently roll them around a bit. Blot tops of chickpeas to dry them more with paper towel.

Don’t worry if some of the skins separate.

Set aside.

Season yogurt: In a small bowl, whisk Greek yogurt or labneh with the zest of one fresh lemon. Stir in 1/2 teaspoon salt and pepper and 2 teaspoons fresh lemon thyme leaves. Cover and refrigerate.

Make spice blend: In a spice mill or coffee grinder, pulse caraway and coriander to a fine powder. Place in a bowl and stir in 1 teaspoon of smoked paprika and 1/2 teaspoon of cumin.

Roast carrots and beets: Preheat oven to 400. Cut tops off beets; leave skins on.

Rinse and scrub very well. Make a shallow little boat out of aluminum foil and place on large rimmed baking sheet. Place beets in foil boat, drizzle generously with 2 tablespoons of olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cover the sheet pan with the beet boat with more foil and roast for 20 minutes. Wash and scrub carrots well, leaving skins on. Trim tops leaving 1 1/2 inches intact. Cut carrots in half lengthwise. After beets have roasted for 20 minutes, pull sheet pan from oven, lift foil, and spread carrots on half of the rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle carrots with remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil then sprinkle with the ground spice blend. Flip and roll carrots in the oil and seasoning to ensure they are well coated.

Add several grinds of black pepper and salt.

Completely cover sheet pan with the foil again.

Roast chickpeas and finish roasting carrots and beets: Toss airdried chickpeas with 1 tablespoon of olive oil, a teaspoon of

16 | SATURDAY NOVEMBER 11 | SUNDAY NOVEMBER 12 2023

salt, and a teaspoon of fresh cracked pepper.

Pour chickpeas onto a second sheet pan and place on second rack of oven. Place the foil-covered sheet pan of beets and carrots on the top rack of the oven. Roast beets, carrots, and chickpeas for another 20 to 25 minutes, until beets and carrots are tender and chickpeas are crispy. Remove from oven.

Assemble dish: Lift carrots from sheet pan and arrange on serving dish, reserving the oil and spices from roasting pan. Slip peels off beets; slice beets into chunks, and arrange over the carrots. In a small bowl, whisk the reserved spices and oil from the carrots with 1 teaspoon honey. Dot some of this mixture over the beets and carrots. Add a few more grinds of black pepper and salt.

Add a dollop of the seasoned Greek yogurt on top of the vegetables. Smear a tablespoon of harissa onto the yogurt. Sprinkle handfuls of crispy chickpeas all over. Add a few more lemon thyme leaves. Serve immediately.

THE NORTH SHORE WEEKEND

ASK DR. E.

LIFESTYLE & ARTS

MATERIAL PURSUITS This weekend’s curated luxury trends

TUCK IT

The houseguests are coming, and they’re hoping for luxe linens. Pop into Yves Delorme for a sumptuous refresh to any suite. The Fugues Collection is a whimsical favorite, printed with a design celebrating herbs and the link between humans and nature. Renditions of chamomile, angelica, and thyme weave their way over the long staple combed organic cotton batiste comforter. Coordinate it with neutral sheets and top with (not too many) throw pillows for a welcoming haven they’ll appreciate. usa.yvesdelorme.com.

GIFT IT

To truly dazzle your Thanksgiving hosts, arrive with See’s Candies Signature Gift Pack.

Four pounds of decadent chocolate, buttery toffee, and brittle, plus lolly pops will garner a great deal of good will. The classic brand is comforting in its familiarity. From the checkerboard floors to the uniformed shop assistants who always offer a sample, See’s is delicious nostalgia. For cocktail parties or an open house, a smaller box is absolutely appropriate, but for turkey dinner or overnights, go big. sees.com.

READ IT

In her new book, The New Classic Home, beloved designer Paloma Contreras answers the most perplexing home design question: how does one design a space that successfully mixes traditional and modern elements? After all, the perfect home is harmonious and getting the balance correct can be challenging. Contreras walks readers through her four main techniques—color, texture and pattern, scale and proportion, and tension. With these in check, Paloma creates harmonious, balanced interiors even when the individual pieces are from different eras and styles. A forward by India Hicks makes this a must-add for any design library and an excellent gift for stylish friends.

Available at Barnes & Noble and other bookstores.

THE NORTH SHORE WEEKEND

Elizabeth Lombardo, Ph.D.

Speaker and Peak Performance Consultant

Dr. Elizabeth Lombardo is a Lake Forest psychologist and concierge life coach who is famous for her work with professional athletes.

Her career as a best-selling author, keynote speaker, and media guest have made her one of the most sought-after experts in the world for those who seek to harness the power of mindset. In 2019, she founded EleVive, a business that helps teens and their parents navigate life’s challenges. Her new column in The North Shore Weekend addresses these issues and more.

What mindset are you modeling?

Dear Dr. E— Sometimes I’m concerned about my child’s mental wellbeing. With all the pressures they face these days, what’s the best thing I can do to support them?

—Worried in Wilmette Worried, Your question is thoughtful—and crucial.

Between school and sports (not to mention social media and television!) kids can feel the pressure to perform coming from a hundred different directions. That’s why it is our job, as parents, to address our own mental well-being and psychological health first.

It’s common for chronically stressed or anxious parents to unintentionally pass on their distress to their children. Kids are emotional sponges—they don’t just read the room, they absorb it.

When you find yourself in what I call the “Red Zone,” a state of heightened distress, you cannot be the best you—and neither can your child. The key to strengthening your own emotional health, and modeling mental well-being to your child, is to learn and practice the skills you need to keep yourself out of the Red Zone.

Here are two good places to start: • Set an intentional morning routine. Practice healthy morning habits, like going for a quick walk or jotting down a good intention for the day, to set a positive tone from the start.

• Reset your responses. We each have the power to control our reactions to setbacks, challenges, and stress. When things go wrong, practice slowing down, focusing on the positives, and acting from your strengths—not stress.

Remember, children often mirror the behaviors, emotions, and habits they see at home. By demonstrating positive well-being, and actively

working to stay out of the Red Zone, you’re teaching your child the valuable mental and psychological skills they need to handle real life—pressures and all.

Dr. E

Can’t get your teen to talk? Try this.

Dear Dr. E— How do I get my teen to open up to me? They used to share everything, but lately, I’m lucky to get more than a one-word answer before they’re off to their room. What should I say?

—Silent Treatment in Skokie Silent Treatment, As the mother of two teen daughters, I get it.

The transition from a chatty child to an independent young adult is a tricky one for both kids and parents—especially when your teen is more interested in their friends, phone, or homework than in an engaged conversation.

So, why the sudden silence? One word: Independence.

When they are young, our children rely on us for support, guidance, and feedback. As they mature, these needs are increasingly met by peers, teachers, and coaches. For parents, it can be hard to let go and let grow, further widening the communication gap between you and your teen.

When you want a conversation, but get the cold shoulder, it’s important to avoid anger.

Don’t criticize your teen for their newfound independence; instead, let them know that you genuinely care about them and are interested in what they are experiencing—but respect their need for independence. That’s the key to open communication.

Beyond these muted moments, look for additional—and natural—opportunities to give your teen the chance to share: • During a long car ride • At the dinner table • While walking the dog When your teen is ready to talk, be mindful of your response. Criticism and uninvited advice are two of the fastest ways to shut down a positive conversation, especially when they just want a listening ear.

The teen years are undeniably challenging. But by respecting your teen’s need for independence, and offering them a safe space to share, you can keep the communication channels open—and encourage real conversations.

Dr. E

SATURDAY NOVEMBER 11 | SUNDAY NOVEMBER 12 2023 |

17

ALL HEART S U N D AY B R E A K FA S T

Annie McAveeney’s Fill a Heart 4 Kids—a nonprofit based in a new Lake Forest location—has been a source of invaluable hope for thousands of homeless and foster children since 2007.

BY BILL MCLEAN ILLUSTRATION BY BARRY BLITT

Annie McAveeney often asks acquaintances to imagine.

It’s a highly effective visual exercise. It’s also jolting and harrowing, given the subject matter that concerns McAveeney every day.

“Imagine being a couch-hopping child staying in a garage in the middle of the winter and then waking up with no access to a shower,” she says.

“Imagine,” she adds, “not having toiletries or decent clothing and staying away from school because you’re worried about being shamed by your peers.

“Imagine,” McAveeney continues, “knowing a girl who keeps going back to her abuser only because he feeds her.”

McAveeney, a Lake Forest resident, doesn’t have to imagine any of the above scenarios. They’re all real to her. Too real.

The children have names. They’re also just a few of the reasons she continues to run Fill a Heart 4 Kids (FAH4K), a lifesaving and life-changing organization—it’s now a nonprofit—she formed in 2007.

It supported 38 at-risk children 16 years ago.

Today, FAH4K supports more than 2,400 foster and homeless children annually by providing critical necessities, food, clothing, educational support, life skills opportunities, and enriching hands-on volunteer opportunities to build brighter futures for kids. In partnership with teachers, social workers, principals, and vetted social service organizations, FAH4K works to help the most vulnerable children heal, feel valued, and receive critical resources from the community.

“We’ve never seen so many children in need as we do now,” McAveeney says, alluding to the approximately 25,000 unaccompanied homeless youth and nearly 3,400 foster youth waiting to be adopted in Illinois. “Do you know what a $10 gift card (to a fast food restaurant) means to a child we support? It means eight meals, and each visit allows them to sit in a warm place and use a washroom to wash their hands. A full stomach then enables them to focus at school, which, for many, is a safe haven when they’re not being bullied for failing to hide their homelessness.

“We’re thrilled when we see increases in confidence and attendance at school. One

good deed can change a child’s future, can give a child hope.

And if a child feels loved, they succeed in school.”

Fill a Heart 4 Kids recently opened its new two-story location at 1 Market Square Court in Lake Forest. Chicago-based New City Moving moved the organization there from its temporary space—a pop-up shop at 270 Market Square—in June.

“The moving

other fields, have inspired wide-eyed, grateful children at FAH4K’s warm home, which was transformed into Santa’s Workshop on November 8.

“Most are convinced they’re at the North Pole as soon as they walk in,” McAveeney says.

Craig Nielsen, of NielsenMassey Vanillas, has filled the kitchen’s cabinets with pots and pans and mixers.

Riverwoodsbased Discover Financial Services has sponsored more than one thousand FAH4K meals.

Attorney Jennifer Guy has been finding time to assist McAveeney and

Annie McAveeney

One good deed can change a child’s future, can give a child hope. And if a child feels loved, they succeed in school. company’s owner, Brian Slater, was homeless off and on as a child,” McAveeney says. “He didn’t just help us move; he also sponsored our tech room.”

That room is not far from the kitchen, where cooking classes are taught to budding chefs. Fields Auto Group sponsored the construction of the kitchen. Dan Fields serves as the dealer’s president, and his wife, Amy, teaches cooking classes at FAH4K each Saturday.

“Amy loves to teach and would go to the ends of the earth for our children,” McAveeney says, adding a neurologist and a nutritionist, among professionals from

help organize FAH4K’s wide range of projects and programs for the past two years.

Her FAH4K title?

“Angel,” McAveeney says.

At-risk children need coats now. So FAH4K launched Project Warm. Among FAH4K’s other critical offerings are Weekend Food Bags, Toiletries 4 Dignity, Healing Art classes, and Glow Project Cocoa ™.

“We learned of a four-year-old boy who had lived in 12 homes in a year,” McAveeney says. “One of his ‘homes’ was an attic, if you can believe that. What helped him a lot was the glow-in-the-dark thermos in our Glow project.”

18 | SATURDAY NOVEMBER 11 | SUNDAY NOVEMBER 12 2023

Individuals can sponsor a Thanksgiving meal for $35 this year. McAveeney and a host of volunteers plan to welcome and feed children at the FAH4K location on November 22, the day before Thanksgiving.

“Children who enter our building never want to leave it,” McAveeney says. “They see the balloons and the decorations, all kinds of bright colors everywhere, and then they feel safe, instantly. They feel empowered here, too. A group of our children made jewelry and sold items worth $2,400. Now they want to invest the money and make more jewelry.

“They’re going to meet with a financial adviser at Lake Forest Bank & Trust,” adds the Woodlands Academy of the Sacred Heart graduate. “Isn’t that wonderful? And they’re even putting together a field trip (to Shedd Aquarium) for themselves. How great is that?”

The McAveeney family—Annie, husband Jay and their daughters, Ellorie and Lilly— welcomed an infant in need of a temporary home in 2007. “The experience,” according to the FAH4K website, “exposed them to a world of vulnerable children couch-hopping, living in abandoned buildings, cars, and garages, or living in underfunded foster care facilities and group homes.”

Now a teenager, and a FAH4K volunteer, that adored addition is a permanent member of the McAveeney family today.

“There are two worlds, with too many homeless children suffering in one of them,” McAveeney says. “Their stories are dark ones. But we who live in the other world can brighten those lives. It doesn’t take much to do that. We have thousands of volunteers, including those at our contracted schools, but we need sponsors, especially during the holidays.

“The holiday season,” she adds, “can be a frightening time for homeless children.

School is out, which means no meal at school. They’ll be hungry and desperate, and close to finding themselves in dangerous situations. We need to be there for them. We need to rally.”

Fill a Heart 4 Kids is located at 1 Market Square Court in Lake Forest, behind the Starbucks on Western Avenue and near Williams Sonoma. For more information about FAH4K, or to sponsor any of its projects, visit fillaheart4kids.org or call 847-867-1000.

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