The North Shore Weekend EAST, Issue 117 by JWC Media

No. 117 | A JWC Media publication

sundaY breakfast

Find us online: DailyNorthShore.com

out & About

We ask residents: Have you ever considered moving to a warmer climate? P.11

A man nicknamed ‘Diesel’ followed a bumpy road in Baja. P.18

saturday january 03 | sunday january 04 2015

Sports

New Trier’s Tay Munson is drawing more and more attention. P.14

local news and personalities of Wilmette, Kenilworth, Winnetka, Northfield, Glencoe, Highland Park, evanston, Lake Forest, Mettawa & Lake Bluff

Five with North Shore ties who are worth watching in 2015. P9

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index

THe North shore weekend

1/03 – 1/04/14

Interiors

Limited

Inside This

North Shore Weekend NEWS 08 All together now

A couple guides the North Suburban Chicago chapter of Rebuilding Together, which helps low-income elderly and families with disabled members to preserve their homes.

09 On the watch list

Bruce Rauner, Tom McAfee and three others are among the North Shore names to watch in 2015.

LIFESTYLE & ARTS

p09

11 Social Whirl

Take a look at some of the top parties attended by North Shore residents recently.

11 Out and About

Discover the answers our roving photographer received to our weekly question to North Shore residents.

The North Shore’s Carpet Cleaning Experts

REAL ESTATE 12 North Shore Offerings

p11

Intriguing houses for sale in our towns are profiled.

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14 Drawing Raves

New Trier girls hockey player Tay Munson packs a punch on the ice. According to one teammate, “Tay is a weapon of mass destruction.”

p12

LAST BUT NOT LEAST… 18 S unday Breakfast

North Shore native Chuck “Diesel” Busetari survived a 36-hour off-road race through Baja California.

p14

first word

1/03 – 1/04/15 THE NORTH SHORE WEEKEND

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Black Monday becomes day of sunshine

or 40 years, the Chicago Bears have trained on the North Shore. A few decades ago, they constructed a massive headquarters off the tollway in Lake Forest. Thousands of season ticketholders descend upon Soldier Field from the North Shore for games, and a few well-known businessmen in the area (beyond the McCaskeys) hold significant investments in the franchise. So it was with a giant sigh of relief and sense of righteousness from Lake Bluff to Evanston to Deerfield on Black Monday — the day infamous in the NFL for firings after the season — that the Bears relieved key officeholders (general manager Phil Emery and coach Marc Trestman among them) of their duties. Fans and others can now hope for the sort of rebuild prompted by Jim Finks in 1975 (yes, that long ago). I was stunned when I looked back on the executive’s No. 1 draft picks —they were all winners, from Walter Payton to Dan Hampton to Otis Wilson. Not a Shea McClellin among them. The Bears are basically at the low point the Cubs reached once the Ricketts grabbed command and started to rebuild — hefty contracts for average veterans sinking the team and a need to retool through the draft. The Blackhawks have proven a team can

John Conatser, Founder & Publisher Jill Dillingham, Vice President of Sales TOM REHWALDT, General Manager David Sweet, Editor in Chief Bill McLean, Senior Writer/Associate Editor Kevin Reiterman, Sports Editor KATIE ROSE MCENEELY, Online Content Editor

build around a few studs and win consistently — no reason the 5-11 Bears cannot. The Black Monday moves stunned so many because the Bears had never before initiated such sweeping changes (even 91-year-old Virginia Halas McCaskey is fed up). Used to be they’d bring in a general manager such as the now-departed Emery and demand he keep the incumbent coach (Lovie chicago Smith) for a year — so the Bears wouldn’t be forced 773 404 2020 to eat his contract after firing him. Now, the franchise will pay millions of dollars to Emery and Trestman not to work — yet, let’s not forget, the franchise receives north of $200 million a year through the NFL’s lucrative media deals. That’s before selling1.3.15 BSM NSW Bright and Beauty.indd one ticket. They can afford it. I write all of this during early deadlines for the New Year’s holiday — by the time you have turned to this page, the Bears may have transformed themselves even further. Whatever the case, it’s good to know accountability and hope is alive at 1920 Football Drive.

Enjoy the weekend.

David Sweet

Editor in Chief david@northshoreweekend.com Twitter: northshorewknd

Contributing Writers Joanna Brown sheryl devore Sam EIchner Bob Gariano Scott Holleran

Jake Jarvi Angelika Labno simon murray gregg shapiro jill soderberg

Joel lerner, Chief Photographer Larry Miller, Contributing Photographer Robin Subar, Contributing Photographer BARRY BLITT, Illustrator

LINDA LEWIS, Production Manager Eryn Sweeney-Demezas, Account Manager/ Graphic Designer sara bassick, Senior Graphic Designer Paula Heming, Graphic Designer September Conatser, Publishing Intern

COURTNEY PITT, Advertising Account Executive M.J. CADDEN, Advertising Account Executive Karen Mathis, Advertising Account Executive

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8 | news Volunteers ensure low-income homes are in good repair

Rebuilding Together directors (back row left to right) John Diedrich, Linda Baudhuin, Jim Riley, and Kevin Faley join Ron Calandra, Sharon Riley and Wendy Podolsky. photography by

george pfoertner ■

by joanna brown

It’s a big job — but not necessarily a difficult one — Winnetka resident Don Trieschmann tackles each spring, recruiting up to 100 volunteers from Saints Faith, Hope and Charity Church to rake leaves, wash windows and conduct minor repairs for a needy homeowner.

“You can not believe how many people have so little money to make the repairs their homes need, and there is no one out there to help them,” said Treischmann, a longtime volunteer with Rebuilding Together’s North Suburban Chicago chapter. “The elderly, disabled and veterans we work with have no resources to hire someone

to do the jobs they can’t do themselves.” The Glenview-based chapter of the national not-for-profit organization assembles volunteers to help low-income residents complete repairs and home improvements. Volunteers paint, repair railings, organize and dispose of unwanted possessions at no cost to qualified applicants. Grant funds and larger donations occasionally allow for more significant work, like roof repairs and kitchen rehabilitations. “It’s humble work, but our volunteers are respectful and kind,” said Executive Director Sharon Riley of Glenview. “The greatest reward for us at the end of the day is to have a happy homeowner. We want them to feel cared for and respected — and proud of our work.” Riley’s husband, Jim, was one in a group of friends from the Men’s Club at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Church that traveled into the city to work on homes each April some 20 years ago. Their Chicago sponsor was another chapter of Rebuilding Chicago, and the gentlemen were impressed. “But they were busy, young dads with a lot going on who felt they were losing time because they were traveling to sites — some were in Chicago — when they knew there was a similar need locally,” Riley explained. By 1996, their core group of volunteers had started its own, suburban affiliate of the same national organization and planned days working on homes between Evanston and Zion. “Each fall we ask leaders in the community and social service providers for referrals,” Riley said. “We also accept applications by mail and Internet, based on income guidelines and the occupancy of

the home we will be working at. “Many times, we are working with senior citizens on fixed incomes, people with disabilities, and the families of adult children with disabilities. But largely our applicant pool represents people who have worked hard throughout their lives and for one reason or another find themselves with needs they just can not address.” Rebuilding Together’s board members include volunteer attorneys, bankers, architects, builders and retirees, working out of a home office to keep overheard low. In 2014, they organized 500 volunteers for more than 50 projects; half occur on April’s National Rebuilding Day. Trieschmann annually serves as a house captain on Rebuilding Day, leading teams at Highland Park’s Glenkirk facility, the Center On Deafness in Northbrook, Orchard Village in Skokie, and many private homes. “It takes weeks to prepare: organizing equipment, securing materials and making assignments so that everyone is ready to get to work as soon as they arrive at our site,” he said. Some of the volunteers have special skills, such as installing toilets or ripping up tile floors. But most, Trieschmann said, bring only their enthusiasm. “What we need most, though, is money,” he said. “For every $10,000 we receive in donations, we can turn it into $20,000 through discounts we receive on skilled labor and materials from local businesses. “In some cases, our work to clean out a property and make a few major improvements have saved people from foreclosure.” Find more information at http://rebuildingtogethernsc.com ■

social media

‘I give people their life back’ ■

Dr. Mark Rosenbloom

by katie rose mceneely

Dr. Mark Rosenbloom is the medical director of LifeForce Medical Institute in Skokie. Reading: Two things: One that I find sort of light, and one that I find sort of heavy. I’m reading Suzanne Somers’ book — I’m part of her network of physicians who are qualified in hormone replacement therapy. It’s amazing that she gets so many things right for a non-physician. It’s excellent. The second thing that I’m reading is much more dense: it’s trying to understand the new genetic variations that are becoming more and more commonly known. I’m working with somebody at the University of Michigan to develop a program to determine, given individual genetic variations, how they respond to environmental toxins. What’s exciting about this research is, these are things you can do something about. Listening: It’s very eclectic. When I work out aggressively, I like to listen to hard rock. When I relax I like to listen to desert music or flutes and things like that, to meditate and really calm down. Watching: I like to wait two or three years into a series and then attack it. So I recently discovered “Homeland” and “Scandal.” I’m working my way through those. Following: I follow developments in the field — I get newsletters from consumer labs that regularly evaluate supplements, what works and what doesn’t work, and which manufacturers to avoid. I follow a number of services on medical updates. I like Dr. Mercola’s newsletter — I think he has some excellent articles on how to live a healthy lifestyle. Certainly I follow the news, because it seems to follow me around. Activity: I give people their life back. People come to me because they generally are concerned about their hormones [estrogen, testosterone, etc.]. I also do a lot of work with

thyroid. People who just don’t feel like they’re living the life they want to live. I especially like working with couples. They keep each other honest. It’s good to be able to work with a couple and bring them together, forward, to a higher level, so they’re functioning really well. I like meeting people who want to be a partner in their health. In my own practice, I do do some genetic testing on patients when the labs seem to suggest there’s something I need more information on, or if somebody has a family history of breast or prostate cancer. It’s combining an individual’s genetic profile with their risk factors for various diseases and coming up with a clear-cut plan for how to deal with those risks. My project that I’m working on takes this to a greater level: we want to develop a program where we run everybody’s genetic structure through a program and then know from the individual profile which drug will work for them and which won’t. It comes down to genetic polymorphism. It’s largely a result of how a drug is metabolized, how that enzyme is working. We’re not talking about rare kinds of mutations that cause significant disease; we’re talking about common variations that maybe five percent of the population has. Eating: I eat a lot because I work out a lot. Generally lowglycemic diet, lots of grass-fed beef, wild salmon, free-range chicken, healthy fats. Specifically? I like grass-fed burgers. What is your favorite mistake? I spend too much times with patients. I enjoy talking to them, and before I know it, it’s been an hour and half or two hours. I just want to get all the information: I discuss their diet, their exercise, their symptoms. I enjoy that, but I don’t enjoy playing catch-up afterwards. I try not to schedule more than two or three in a day, just to give me more room. For more information, visit lifeforcemed.com. ■

news

1/03 – 1/04/15 THE NORTH SHORE WEEKEND

Meet 5 ■

TO WATCH in 2015

by bill mclean

Forgive Linda Yonke and Tom McAfee for already thinking about 2017 … in early 2015. They are major players in North Shore construction projects that won’t be completed until then. Yonke — superintendent of New Trier Township High School District 203 — and McAfee — president of Northwestern Lake Forest Hospital — are also two of The North Shore Weekend’s 5 to Watch in 2015. Another North is eyeing more world-class times in pools. Another might have to accept a Screen Actors Guild Award on Jan. 25. And the fifth will move from the North Shore more than 200 miles south to a mansion in Springfield and make crucial decisions on behalf of Illinoisans.

The Public Servant More than a year before the 2014 gubernatorial election in Illinois, Winnetkan Bruce Rauner, venture capitalist, told The North Shore Weekend, “We [Land of Lincoln denizens] need a CEO.” Rauner hadn’t committed to running for governor at the time. The 57-year-old Republican ran. The Republican, a rookie politician, beat Democrat Pat Quinn on Nov. 4. What he will face when his term begins on Jan. 12: a wealth of challenges, none more pressing than the state’s pension crisis. Financial trade publication Institutional Investor named Governor-elect Rauner the No. 1 most influential player in U.S. pensions. Illinois’ pension debt exceeds $100 billion. Rauner does not like how Illinois treats its businesses. The state’s corporate taxes force too many businesses to either relocate to another state — or at least consider such a flight. “Illinois is hostile to business in general,” said Rauner, who will oversee the planned reduction of corporate taxes in 2015. “Most politicians think business is a piggybank to be broken into for money. We’ve got to change the business climate. That’s Job 1.” The Athlete A wide-eyed child at the Glenview Titan Aquatic Club recently asked former Glenbrook South High School swim star Olivia Smoliga to pick her most memorable meet. Easy question, she thought. Two years ago, U.S. Olympic Trials, Omaha, Neb. Smoliga (Class of 2013) was still in high school then. Smoliga finished fourth in the 100-meter backstroke. Had the 6-foot-2 teen from Glenview placed a tad higher she would have been able to march alongside Michael Phelps during the opening ceremony at the 2012 Summer Games in London. “Wow, that was crazy, so close … surreal,” recalled Smoliga, a University of Georgia sophomore and the reigning NCAA champion in the 50-meter freestyle. Her best friend after the Trials was youth. It is still a reliable companion. Now 20, Smoliga will be a legitimate threat to qualify for the 2016 Summer Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. “That’s the dream, definitely,” said Smoliga, owner of the American record (26.75) in the 50-meter backstroke (short course). But she has Toronto on her mind these days. That’s the host city for this summer’s Pan Am Games. The world’s third largest international multi-sport competition starts July 10. “I am so fortunate,” said Smoliga, who set national prep records in the 50-yard freestyle (21.99) and 100-yard backstroke (51.43) at Glenbrook South. “I get to swim for the best college program in the country. My coaches are great. I didn’t lift weights when I was in high school. I lift now. And I’m doing more dryland swimming workouts, more cardio exercises.” The Healthcare Builder The City of Lake Forest approved the $378 million plan in 2012. The groundbreaking ceremony at the site of the new Northwestern Lake Forest Hospital (NLFH) took place in 2014. Tom McAfee, president of NLFH, launched the construction of the three-pronged project. The central piece will be the new hospital — 483,500 square feet of new construction

— with a health and wellness branch to the north of the campus and education and research facilities to the south. The brick hospital started housing patients in World War II. From a distance it could almost pass for an old-school schoolhouse. A large American flag — on a tall pole, implanted in a circular patch of grass — stands sentry in front of the building’s entrance. You almost expect children, at any minute, to spill out of the building at the sound of a school bell. But it is 2015. Time to upgrade, time to expand. “I’m really excited about advancing one of the most significant healthcare projects on the North Shore,” McAfee said. “To break ground, to work with my peers on something this important to Lake Forest and its surrounding communities … it’s rewarding, challenging. What we’re doing requires a lot of logistical support. We’re getting that. We’re making progress. You know what else? The weather is cooperating.”

The Educator Linda Yonke was thrilled — and concerned — as 2015 was about to turn 2014 into a thing of the past. Thrilled about the 28-month renovation New Trier High School is undergoing. Concerned about the disturbing drop in teaching candidates at Big Ten schools and other U.S.

colleges. “It’s going to happen. We’ve started,” the New Trier Township High School superintendent said last week, referring to the school’s refurbishment covering 274,000 square feet, mostly new construction. “One of our challenges during the two school years and three summers is to make sure the New Trier experience is as exciting and as a good as it always has been. The work will not displace students or teachers. Our plan is to keep the programs — all of them — intact, to maintain our quality of education.” A quantity, meanwhile, worries the veteran educator. The number of highly qualified teaching candidates, locally and nationally, is heading south. Big Ten universities have seen a collective 25 percent drop in such candidates, she noted. “It is alarming,” Yonke said. “Big Ten schools have always been outstanding training grounds for teachers. We’re in a critical time; a lot of states are. It’s getting more and more difficult to attract highly qualified people to the teaching profession. It’s an issue that must be addressed.” One of the downsides of serving as a busy superintendent is the dearth of opportunities to interact with students. Yonke knows that. Yonke also intends to unearth opportunities. It’s one of her New Year’s resolutions. “I resolve,” she said, “to find ways to meet with students more regularly. I love working with teenagers. It’s a great way to get a real pulse on what is going on at the school. Teens have a lot to say, and we all need to listen to them more often.”

The Entertainer Glenbrook South High School alumnus Steven Levitan spoke at his alma mater’s graduation in 2001. The director, screenwriter and producer did not bring the house down. He flattened it. Quickly and resoundingly. “Huge hit,” Glenbrook South principal Brian Wegley said. “He lit up the audience.” Levitan, 52, has been moving audiences for decades. As an executive television producer, he won an Emmy Award in 1996 for “Frasier” in the Outstanding Comedy Series category. Among the TV series he has created are “Just Shoot Me!” and “Modern Family.” The latter sitcom received four Screen Actors Guild Award nominations last month. “I watch [“Modern Family”] often,” Wegley said. “It’s hilarious. Everything he does is outstanding. He’s a very, very talented gentleman, one of our most distinguished alumni.” Levitan was named Turnabout Dance King at Glenbrook South, Wegley noted. He served as president of the student council his senior year. Variety shows? He performed in those. He probably stole them all, too. I’ve met Steven several times,” Wegley said. “He could not have been nicer. He’s a humble guy, a good guy, a crazy successful guy and a guy with a good heart.” ■

10 | lifestyle & arts love & marriage

Resolutions can be applied to marriages ■

by joanna brown

There are two kinds of people that you meet this time of year: those who have made New Year’s resolutions — and those who hate New Year’s resolutions. The University of Scranton Journal of Clinical Psychology reported at the beginning of 2014 that 45 percent of Americans “usually” make such resolutions and 38 percent “never” make them. That leaves just under 20 percent who only cop to them when they are successful (in my opinion: the research says the remaining 17 percent of Americans “infrequently” make resolutions). The top resolutions in 2014 were largely focused on selfimprovement: losing weight, getting organized, saving more and spending less money, learning something new and getting healthy — especially by quitting smoking. Less than 10 percent of people were expected to successfully achieve their desired outcome. Number nine on the list of the top 10 New Year’s resolutions is to fall in love. “The Book of Odds,” a collection of statistics about everyday life authored by Louise Firth Campbell and Amram Shapiro, reported that more that half of people surveyed believe in love at first sight, and 1 in 4 adults believe they could fall in love with any number of people. Optimism lives. Self-improvement is an admirable goal; looking at yourself and finding flaws that can be improved is neither easy nor fun. I admire folks who are successful in making the changes they desire. Could the same principles, however, be applied to your marriage? As I’ve often considered in this column, every marriage can be improved in some way, shape or form, no matter how minor. I sought advice from Social Worker Lynn Zakeri of Northfield. She recommended a theory promoted by pastor and marriage counselor Gary Chapman in his book and radio program, “The Five Love Languages.” The concept is this: every one of us speaks a different love language which makes us feel the most appreciated and cared for. There are words of affirmation, acts of service, gifts, quality time, and physical touch. Relationships

TRANSFORM YOUR Charles Saxon

work best when each partner understands which of the five languages their partner values most and responds appropriately; spouses don’t necessarily have to speak the same language in order to live happily every after. Zakeri applied the concept to her own life. She loves to hear her husband say, “Thanks for all you did today” and to see him change the light bulb she mentions is out. He, on the other hand, just wants her to sit next to him on the couch for some quiet time together. “What if, in the New Year, we all resolved to learn our partner’s love language and act on it weekly?” Zakeri mused.

“Is that too much work, or is the payoff worth the investment?” Her question is a personal one that requires a few minutes of reflection. As you consider it, however, remember that such an act might further your pursuit of four of the top 10 New Year’s resolutions for 2014: enjoy life to the fullest (#4), help others in their dreams (#8), fall in love (#9), and spend more time with family (#10). Best of luck CoolSculpting is the non-surgical body contouring treatment to you in your endeavors! eliminates fat from your body. No can needles, no surgery and b Love & Marriage columnist Joanna Brown be reached Developed by Harvard scientists, at Joanna@northshoreweekend.com ■ CoolSculpting is FDA-cleare

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1/03 – 1/04/15

lifestyle & arts

THE NORTH SHORE WEEKEND

socials

Let’s Talk Real Estate

Boys Hope Girls Hope Fashion Show photography by larry miller Dress designer Carmen Marc Volvo wowed the supporters of Boys Hope Girls Hope as he presented his 2014 fall collection during a runway show at Neiman Marcus Northbrook recently. The event was a fundraiser to kick off the group’s Black and White Ball to be held at the Four Seasons Chicago on Feb. 21. Stella Boyle and Michelle Palumbo served as co-chairs. boyshopegirlshope.org

by Jean Wright, President/Broker Owner Crs, GrI

UnIted YOU stand

Kathy Braasch, Michelle Palumbo

Buying a new home can be an exciting prospect. You’ve done your homework you know what you want; you just have to find it. Everything is negotiable except the location of the house, and your Realtor® can help you with sorting through the rest of your considerations when choosing a home—provided that you have come to a clear understanding and are able to unify your efforts together. After all—your happiness and successful closing is the end goal for both of you. Your Realtor® will know what to keep an eye out for, what the seller is willing to compromise on and what they are firm on. There are a few things you need to remember when house hunting: • Always be united. If the seller sees that one person loves the house while the other person is on the fence, they may use this information to sway one or influence the other. • Leave your ego at home. If you’re looking at a home and you like it, but there’s something that doesn’t appeal to you, ask the question nicely about it. Being rude gets you nothing except the likelihood of paying more for the home than you would have paid otherwise. It also makes the seller reluctant to try to work with you to reach a compromise. • Be skeptical. Not ‘I don’t believe anything you say’ skeptical, but a little skepticism is healthy and can help with the negotiations.

For professional advice from an experienced Realtor, call Jean Wright at (847) 217-1906 or email at jwright@jeanwright.com Cindy Trestman, Jennifer O’Shaughessy

out & about

Have you ever considered moving to a warmer climate? photography by robin subar

Jacob Kaiser, Evanston Yes! Oahu.

Olga Kushnir, Winnetka No. I’m staying here with my family.

Sam Cejtin, Evanston

Dana Ciolka, Lake Forest Yes. Florida or Hawaii — my best friend lives in Hawaii.

Yes — definitely California. Great opportunities for filmmakers.

Hannah Faucher and Kate Buettner, Lake Forest Hannah: This is miserable! But I love the change of seasons.

Holly Lesberance and Alex Stensland, Lake Forest Holly: Yes. I’d like to move to Florida, but I think I’m going to stay in the Midwest. Alex: Yes! I’m visiting Florida this weekend and over the holidays but don’t know if I’d live there. Probably a milder climate on the East Coast like Washington, D.C.

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14 | SPORTS

New Trier’s Munson drawing more and more attention in hockey circles

New Trier’s Tay Munson gets ready to shoot during earlier action this season. One of Munson’s teammates describes her as “a weapon of mass destruction.” photography

■ by bill mclean sports@northshoreweekend.com The memories make New Trier sophomore defenseman Tay Munson smile behind her caged hockey helmet following a recent game. She was a tyke at the time, a girl going skate toe-to-skate toe against boys in an official game, in gear that probably weighed more than she did. For the first time. Checks were allowed in the league. First period, all those years ago, Munson was near a board and a puck. So was a boy. Munson checked the boy. Game on. “First shift,” recalls the 5-foot-8 Munson, still smiling. Munson absorbed the receiving end of a check later in the period. Game on … really on. Munson is an ice chip off the old block. Her father, Lenny, is a New Trier Green boys assistant hockey coach. He played goaltender for Loyola Academy and University of Wisconsin hockey teams. He stopped shots. What he could not stop was his daughter’s desire to skate fast, deke, take shots and block shots against any gender. Dillon Munson, Tay’s brother, is a junior D-man for the New Trier Blue hockey club. When big bro and little sis are together, they talk about three things: hockey, hockey, hockey. When they get bored with any of those, more hockey talk. “He’s my best friend,” Tay says. “I look up to him. He’s had a big influence on me; so has my dad. Dillon … he wrecks people

in games. He’s fun to watch. I love going to his games.” In a game against host Glenbrook at Northbrook Sports Center on Dec. 20, Tay Munson scored the first goal of a 7-1 NT victory. It came 37 seconds after the drop of the puck and with her father in attendance. Fast and furious. And fun. The Wilmette resident later assisted on senior Ali Griffin’s goal at the 6:48 mark of the first period. She made everything look so easy. The number of checks she delivered and received? Zero and zero. Checking is not allowed in girls prep hockey. “She learned a lot going against boys all those years, from that young age until her freshman year,” Lenny Munson says. “When she was seven, maybe eight years old, she got the concept of skating down. It’s at that point when you think, ‘We might have something here.’ ” They had something special. Only one New Trier freshman, Munson, played in the state championship game at the United Center last winter. When she took her first stride on the Chicago Blackhawks’ home ice, she saw people. Lots and lots of people. “It was scary, looking around the United Center before we started,” admits Munson, a third-year Chicago Young Americans hockey player. “I was nervous at first. But after the first couple of shifts, the nerves went away. We got more and more comfortable [against Loyola Academy, Dad Munson’s alma mater]. Between periods, we said, ‘We need to go for it.’ ”

NT ended up edging LA 3-2 in double overtime on March 20. New Trier Green won the boys state championship later that night. Lenny Munson had a very good excuse for not showing up at his daughter’s postgame team celebration: He showed up at Green’s postgame team celebration. Tay’s mother, Amy, reveled with the victorious girls. Not many sophomore hockey players could be categorized as “seasoned vets.” Tay Munson is a seasoned vet on another potent NT club (8-3-2). She skates like one, plays like one, talks like one. Hockey had her at hello. “The team aspect of hockey … that’s probably my favorite part of it,” Munson says. “It’s fun getting assists and getting goals. But the best feeling is the feeling all of us get after any player scores.” NT trailed Evanston 7-1 in the third period of a 7-1 loss last month. Not the best feeling. Munson, though, acted and continued to play like it was a 1-1 game in the third period of the most important game of the season. “She’s pretty quiet,” says Maggi Tyska, New Trier’s assistant coach who works primarily with the defensemen. “But she gives pep talks to [her D-mates] on the bench. I hear her do that. That’s nice to hear. Even when we were down by as much as we were against Evanston, there was Tay, pumping up her D partner [junior Grace Hayes] and staying positive.” On the other end of the rink, you don’t want to mess with Munson’s slap shots. A goalie found that out the hard way last month. One of Munson’s shots knocked that

by joel lerner

goalie down — the hockey equivalent of picking up a one-pin bowling spare. “She has a great all-around game,” NT coach Nelson Forsberg says of NT’s top scorer among defensemen. “She’s awesome and young, with a lot of energy. Good hockey sense, fearless. It’s tough to get around her. You don’t have to worry about a thing when she’s out there. “I like it when she makes a stop in our zone, gets some room on the ice and then takes off with the puck.” That’s also what other teams don’t like. Being forced to deal with Munson in one zone is tough. Being forced to deal with Munson in more than one zone is cruel. Meghan Talbot gets to deal with Munson … as a teammate. One of the most thankful hockey players on the North Shore has to be Talbot, a sophomore wing. “Tay is fun, energetic,” Talbot says. “Her shot … amazing. It’s amazing, that slap shot of hers. And she can get around any player. Tay does a lot for us, does a lot of damage out there. Tay is a weapon of mass destruction.” Talbot smiles. She had just described Tay, hockey player, to a tee. Notable: Junior Johanna Glaaser and senior Ivy Dynek each scored two goals in NT’s 7-1 defeat of Glenbrook on Dec. 20. Munson, Griffin and senior Barrett Sullivan tallied the others. The only goal against NT goaltender Katie Donovan came with 12 ticks left in the third period. ■

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sports

h at

THe North shore weekend

1/03 – 1/04/15

lete of the M on th

evan boudreaux •

lake forest high school basketball player •



In focus

Regina’s Degnan stays sharp even after painful defeat Maeve Degnan. photography

by joel lerner

■ by kevin reiterman sports@northshoreweekend.com

The LFHS senior broke the school’s all-time scoring record of 1,496 points with a 21-point performance against Libertyville on Dec. 13. Then, on Dec. 27 in a tournament game at York, Boudreaux became the school’s all-time rebound leader (1,007). The 6-foot-8 forward/center currently is averaging 24.9 points and 12.0 rebounds per game for the Scouts.

For his sensational efforts, Evan Boudreaux will receive a special gift from

It’s hard to take away Maeve Degnan’s focus. Shortly after a miserable, hard-to-take fourth quarter in a 58-29 setback to the Flyerettes of East St. Louis in Day 3 of the St. Viator Snowflake Tournament on Dec. 26, the Regina Dominican High School senior shot out of the gym, headed straight to the parking lot and jumped into her car. A red 2001 Ford Focus. “I was really upset (with that game),” said the highly competitive Degnan. “I needed some time alone. That was a rough game. I needed to figure out how I was going to fix things.” How’s this for fixing things? Less than 24 hours later, Degnan returned to Arlington Heights. She scored 26 points — including 18 in the first half — in a 56-30 win over Leyden in the third-place game of the Snowflake Tournament on Dec. 27. “I don’t know. We might have been a little overconfident going into that game (against East St. Louis),” said Degnan. “We got into a slump. Our body language dropped. “But today,” she added, “we were able to turn it around.” Highlighted by that 26-point effort, Degnan was a handsdown all-tournament pick for the second year in a row. She finished the four games with 80 points. “She’s got that aggressive mentality,” said Regina head coach Kerry Durham. “She’s got a scorer’s mentality.” And what makes her even tougher to defend is her ambidexterity. Degnan, a predominately left-handed outside shooter, is skillful with both hands — on drives to the basket. “She’s got the ability to finish with her left or her right,” said Durham. “She’s very hard to guard.” Asked if she was always a good outside shooter? Degnan’s face crumbled a little. “I’m definitely better now,” said the animated guard.

“In grade school, I shot with two hands.” That technique … didn’t last. “When Coach Durham saw me shoot like that, she said, ‘Nope, we’re getting rid of that,’ ’’ said Degnan. Not many (two-handed) shooters could have done what Degnan did in last year’s Snowflake Tournament. In a win over Fenton, she put up a career-high 37 points. Degnan didn’t exactly come from a traditional basketball family. She has six sisters — and none of them play hoops. “I actually owe a lot to Coach Durham,” said Degnan. “She’s the one who inspired me to continue playing basketball.” With that 26-point outburst against Leyden, Degnan has eclipsed the 200-point mark for the season. Currently, she’s averaging 15.5 points, 4 rebounds, 3 steals and 2 assists per game. Degnan definitely is a stalwart on defense. Her quick hands were on full display in the Snowflake Tournament. She had five steals against Leyden. And she had six swipes in her team’s 49-28 win over Fenton in Day Two action. “Maeve is a well-rounded player,” said Durham. “And she’s at her best when she steps up on defense.” Notable: The Panthers (7-7) opened tourney play with a decisive 52-23 victory over Glenbrook North on Dec. 22. Degnan finished with 17 points and three assists. Senior Maggie Palmer had 14 points and 12 rebounds. … Palmer had a fine tournament. She had 22 points and seven rebounds against Fenton. Against East St. Louis, she battled hard and wound up with 13 points and nine rebounds. And in the finale against Leyden, she had 10 points, eight assists, six rebounds and three blocks. For the season, Palmer is averaging 13 points, 7 rebounds and 2.9 steals per game. … Senior Audrey Jahns also had a solid final game. She had 10 points and five rebounds against Leyden. ■

1/03 – 1/04/15

THE NORTH SHORE WEEKEND

Your attention, please

sports

Coach’s message is well-received by Satter and her LA teammates ■ by kevin reiterman sports@northshoreweekend.com Well played. At least, that was the Liz Satter’s take. The Loyola Academy senior hailed her coach’s unconventional — and motivational —decision of not starting the team’s regular five starters in the third-place game of the Mundelein Holiday Classic on Dec. 27. “He definitely got our attention,” said Satter, referring to Loyola Academy head girls basketball coach Jeremy Schoenecker. “He’s going to the play the girls who will hustle and play 100 percent all of the time. He definitely got his point across.” A night earlier, points were painfully hard to come by for the Ramblers (7-6) in a 28-18 semifinal loss to Conant. “My mom keeps stats, and she told me that we shot 15 percent from the field,” Satter said. “That’s not good. I think we hit rock bottom.” In an effort to clear some heads, Satter, who made the all-tournament team along with senior teammate Sarah Elston, said that a “players-only” meeting was held prior to the team’s third-place game against Rolling Meadows. “We haven’t been pushing ourselves as hard as should be,” said Satter. “I’m trying to get them to play tougher mentally and physically,” said Schoenecker, following his team’s 39-30 setback to a solid Rolling Meadows team. “Right now, we’re not there.” LA’s first five sat out the first four minutes of the game — and the Ramblers fell behind 12-0. But things got better. Following a steal and fast-break layup by Alexa DeLeo, the Ramblers were within three points, 33-30, with 3:58 left to play. DeLeo had one of her best games of the season. She not only led the team in scoring (10 points), but she also shined on the defensive end. She was a lockdown defender against Rolling Meadows’ Meghan King, who went scoreless in the final three periods after hitting five three-pointers in the opening quarter. Satter, meanwhile, did a lot of things well against the Mustangs. She wound up with eight points and 13 rebounds. Freshman Lilly Wehman finished the game with four rebounds and three blocks. She received extended minutes, when Elston left the early in the third quarter with a head injury. “Lilly is real athletic,” said Schoenecker. “We need to get her more minutes.” Notable: Satter’s best outing in the tournament came in

Liz Satter, seen her during player introductions during Loyola Academy’s game against Regina Dominican earlier this season, and fellow teammate Sarah Elston made the all-tournament team at Mundelein.photography by joel lerner

a quarterfinal win over Grant 65-33. She tallied 20 points and nine points. DeLeo scored 12 points against Grant, while Elston had nine points and three assists. Tyra Mills had six assists. … In the tourney opener against Hoffman Estates — a 59-26 victory — Megan Bonner led the team with 12 points. Elston had 10 points and eight rebounds. Wehman had eight points and five rebounds. Lake Forest Grace Torkelson was rewarded for her solid play in the Warren Tournament. The senior center, who averaged 12.8 points and 11.0 rebounds in the five-game set, was named to the all-tournament team. Torkelson helped the Scouts to 3-2 tourney record. They are 9-7 overall. Coach Kyle Wilhelm also received solid tourney play from Brooke Green, Delaney Williams and Maeve Summerville. Green averaged 11.2 points, 7.2 rebounds, 3.2 assists and 2.0 steals per game. Williams averaged 7.6 points,

5.8 rebounds, 3.8 assists and 2.2 steals per game. And Summerville helped out with 6.8 points and 8.8 rebounds per game. The Scouts capped off the tournament by downing Carmel 56-47 on Dec. 27. Williams had 17 points, six rebounds, four assists and three steals. Torkelson had 13 points and nine boards, while Green had 10 points and eight rebounds. Freshman Audrey Kaus contributed seven points and nine rebounds. On Dec. 26, Lake Forest took care of Deerfield 64-47. Green (18 points, 10 rebounds, 4 assists) and Torkelson (17 points, 14 rebounds) and Katie Hanson (11 points) led the way. On Dec. 23, the Scouts topped Phillips 49-37 behind Torkelson (12 points, 13 rebounds), Green (10 points, 8 rebounds, 6 assists), Hanson (10 points) and Summerville (7 points, 12 rebounds). The two losses came against Grayslake Central 52-46 and Wheeling 49-23. Torkelson had 16 points and 15 rebounds against Central, while Summerville had 11 points and 13 rebounds in that loss. ■

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18 | Sunday breakfast Rugged 36-hour race is a gas for ‘Diesel’

■ by simon murray

Francesco’s Hole in the Wall is anything but a hole in the wall. It’s a Mediterranean paradise in minima forma, tucked away off of Skokie Boulevard in Northbrook — and it’s completely packed. “It’ll be a 15-minute wait,” the hostess tells me. But time and space suddenly bend when Chuck “Diesel” Pusateri walks through the door. “This is the friend you’re meeting?” says the stunned hostess, who embraces Diesel and asks the million-dollar question: Did he drive the truck to lunch today? Instantly, a table materializes in front of the menu, which is a looming chalkboard on the far wall. We order a bottle of wine and enough food to rival a Coney Island eating contest: a combination of Diesel’s favorites that include chicken parm, mushroom and sausage thin-crust pizza, capellini, and Italian sausage. And then we begin to eat like we’re sharing our last meal. Or — as in the case of Diesel — a first meal, after returning home from an offroading odyssey across the second-longest peninsula on earth, Baja California, which is oftentimes referred to as, simply, the Baja. It’s a rugged, sun-dried stretch of terreno escabroso with at least four deserts and steep, mountainous cliffs along the coast. From Tijuana to Cabo San Lucas, bandits and cartel members huddle together in the dark recesses of tourists’ minds. And yet, on the third week of November, an international community descends on the peninsula for the Baja 1000 race: a ragtag medley of off-road vehicles that gives the dusty race a mechanical, post-apocalyptic vibe not unlike Mad Max. “The Baja is Mars,” Diesel says between bites, emphasizing the red planet. “It’s not very populated, so you eat where you can.” The meal of choice for the 36 hours they were behind the wheel? “Power Bars, Coca-Cola, and water. A lot of water.” That’s because, during the day, temperatures climb to over 110 degrees. When he’s not co-piloting team Truck 66’s trophy truck — the fastest class of off-road racing vehicles that look, in all honesty, like pickup trucks on steroids — the Glenview native is a high-end real estate developer with a serious penchant for extreme sports.

This adds a touch of flavor to his vocabulary banded together to accomplish Hepler’s that would find him comfortable in most, if hitherto unaccomplished goal of finishnot all, surfer-bro communities. Words like ing the race. Hepler had entered the race “craziness,” “gnarly,” “sick,” “aggressive,” twice before, and both times went home to “rock n’ roll,” “dope,” “mad,” Lansing, Mich. sore, tired, and defeated “hammer,” and “cruise” after not crossing the finish line. — as in, “We’re going to Before Diesel knew it, he was cruise to San Felipe” — in a truck with Hepler, pulling roll off his tongue, mid the black trophy truck with sentence, and hit its yellow decals behind them through the mountains near their target with genuine feelings the city of San Felipe. They of expression. were ostensibly there for Less than a test run, but there was also something more a month or so ominous happening. before the race, Diesel was being tested. Diesel happened “You take these twoto be out in Napa lane roads with hairpin turns Valley for one of his best friend’s wedthrough the mountains and dings when his phone Harry’s doing, like, 120 [mph]. rang. His friend Harry And I’m like, ‘Why’s he driving Hepler was on the other so fast? What’s the hurry, dude?’ end of the call with imporThese roads, people get killed on tant news: Hepler’s cothem all the time.” Hepler, who has been friends driver and navigator had just dropped out of the race. with Diesel for years — after “And you’re first on the list,” he learning of their shared interest in motocross and told Diesel. Like a “Mission Impossible” extreme sports — movie, Hepler gave Diesel three was testing his days to consider the offer. friend to see (Your mission, should how he would you choose to react. “I’ll tell accept it … is to help you what, me navia lot of g at e a people 1,275-mile wou ld n’t course, have been cutting able to be in the car with a w i ndhim,” says Diesel. ing path “You can’t take somethrough a one you don’t trust.” hot landscape After a moment’s from Ensenada Chuck “Diesel” Pusateri illustration by barry blitt contemplation, he in the north down to Le Paz.) adds: “You learn real quick if it’s meant for “What lunatic would do something like you or not.” that?” he says, smiling. Then he gets very Hepler saw in Diesel a good problemserious. “They’re going to think this is a solver, an organized individual who had joke, and nothing is a joke regarding this ran his own renovation company since he sport.” was 19 years old. Still, Diesel later found “They” are the Truck 66 team, a dedi- out through a team member that the team cated group of mechanics and experts that had placed bets on whether he would make

it through training or not. But the dude abided, and Hepler’s prescience came true. On one of the pre-runs they blew a tire but forgot a jack, so they resorted to pushing the truck onto a mound and rolling rocks under it to get some lift to change the tire. They carried two jacks during the race and two tires. “We had two, then we had one … then we had none,” says Diesel, who remembers at one point getting out and seeing only a frayed edge of dark plastic around the rim where one of the tires should’ve been. Going into the second night, after already going 24 hours with no sleep, they came across a guy stuck in an arroyo (riverbed). He was in a buggy with most of his vehicle submerged in water. “We basically just rammed him to dislodge him,” explains Diesel. That did the trick, but at the cost of at least one of the front headlights. (Adding to their troubles: they had already had problems with a malfunctioning GPS at the starting line.) Plus, there was plenty of the course left to go. The plates seem like the size of truck tires, and as endless as the llanura. We’ve been served dish after dish, glass after glass (polishing off the bottle of wine), and two shots of — I kid you not — Hot Sex, until the restaurant is completely empty save for Diesel, myself and the owner of Francesco’s, a man by the name of Frank Gallo and a close friend of Diesel’s father (and who is affectionately referred to by the nickname Movie Star for starring in a John Cusack film). Movie Star has taken the reins of the interview, asking Diesel questions and then nudging me in the ribs, “How’s that for a question, huh? Huh?” He asks Diesel if they finished the race. He tells him — us — they did, coming in 17th place with a time of 36:59:11. Movie Star then asks him a question that has probably been burning the back of Diesel’s mind ever since returning home. Will you be the one driving the truck next? “Yeah, you want to drive it,” acknowledges Diesel, with a nonchalance earned from surviving a brutal, unforgiving race. “But the navigating part is key because, for me, learning about the truck and the mechanical part, once you really get it — the more you know, the faster you go. And that’s our motto.” ■

THe North shore weekend

1/03 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 1/04/15

the north shore weekend | saturday january 03 2015 | sunday january 04 2015