New Eastside News February 2016

VOL. 4 NO. 2

Got a story tip or question? Call 708-628-3652

A NEWSLETTER FROM THE NEW EASTSIDE COMMUNITY

February 2016

www.neatside.com

Consulates of the New Eastside

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Pedway’s oldest shop

Keys To Time celebrates its 40th year at 233 N. Michigan Page 9

Sidewalk solicitors

Braving the cold to form a charity’s front line.

Page 7

Skating lessons in the park

Roy Norton, PhD, Consul General of Canada, in the library of the consul residence at The Buckingham, 360 E. Randolph St. Photo: Daniel Patton.

By Daniel Patton | Staff Writer When they’re not battling global intrigue or issuing visas, which is most of the time, foreign consulates in the United States are promoting the interests and spreading the culture of the countries they represent. In Chicago, the New Eastside is home to the Midwestern diplomatic offices of Canada, France and the Czech Republic. We sat down with the Consuls General from each organization to find out what exactly they’re up to. Turn to page 6.

Lessons available at Millennium Park rinks on weekends Page 3

2 / FEBRUARY 2016

NEW EASTSIDE NEWS

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Page 4

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FEBRUARY 2016 / 3

NEW EASTSIDE NEWS

NEWS

By Daniel Patton | Staff Writer

GEMS Academy preschool program GEMS World Academy will launch an Early Childhood unit for 3-yearolds beginning next Fall. The full-day, five-days-a-week program will educate young students in the Lower School, where the existing pre-kindergarten and kindergarten classes are located.

Enrollment is open to children who will turn 3 by December 31, 2016.

For more information, contact GEMS admissions office at (312) 809-8910.

2016 Halloween Parade announced The Chicago Cultural Mile will host this year’s creative and family-friendly Halloween celebration on October 22, 2016. The event will begin as an afternoon festival from 2 to 5 p.m. at the Sir George Solti Garden in Millennium Park and then transmogrify into a spectacle parade along Columbus Dr. from Balbo St. to Monroe St. The occasion is designed to thrill both kids and adults by celebrating Halloween as an “artist’s holiday” that will

include “craft and dance workshops, live performances and a kids’ costume procession.” Participating institutions include the Field Museum and The Art Institute of Chicago; artists and organizations include Louder Than a Bomb and Silent Theatre Company.

Visit www.chicagoculturalmile.org for more information.

1st District issues theft/robbery alert The Chicago Alternative Policing Strategy (CAPS) issued on January 28 an alert notifying taxicab and uber drivers in the 1st Central District that an increased amount of theft and robbery has been reported during the month of January. The incidents frequently involve perpetrators working in groups, the report notes, on both sides of the vehicle. While a “ruse” distracts the driver (such as someone “handing out flyers”), accomplices on the opposite side of the car “open the front passenger door and take the driver’s phone.” Citizens who wish to report additional information should call the Bureau of Detectives at (312) 747-8384.

Commissioner of Streets & Sanitation addresses concerns Charles L. Williams, Commissioner of Chicago’s Department of Streets & Sanitation, toured the New Eastside with resident David Sudler to investigate the neighborhood’s infrastructure on Wednesday, January 28.

“David is an extremely knowledgeable individual,” said the Commissioner, who also reviewed several of Sudler’s photographs of “drainpipes on Wacker Drive that are supposed to be transporting water away from the streets.”

Although he discovered that many of the issues fall under the responsibility of other departments like CDOT, the Commissioner told New Eastside News that “We’re going to connect him to the right department and get the job done.” He also may contact building owners to initiate additional repairs for which they are responsible.

“We try very hard in the city of Chicago to be proactive,” he explained. “But if a citizen sees something, he or she is welcome encourage he or she to reach out to 311.”

Sudler, the neighborhood’s unofficial gardener and builder of the Wacker Drive igloo that created a sensation in January, enthusiastically reported that CDOT had begun repairing some of the drainage pipes within two days.

“They were true to their word,” he said.

CAPS Wrap The January CAPS meeting concluded with residents expressing concerns about drag racing on Lower Wacker Drive and marijuana use within highrise condominiums. Below is a summary of their comments: · The sound of “cars doing donuts” still emanates from the lower streets despite city efforts to deter the illegal automobile activity; · The affects of marijuana smoke that seeps into residential hallways is not only illegal but also a health risk.

CPD officers indicated that they can patrol the lower streets more strictly but encouraged residents to contact their building associations about marijuana smoke because the time and expense required to obtain proper search warrants is frequently unavailable.

Ice-skating lessons at McCormick Tribune Ice Rink Foundation, the lessons start one hour before the rink opens: 11 a.m. on Friday; 9 a.m. Saturday and Sunday.

Po-An Tsai, a student at UIC, has been taking hockey lessons for the past two years. “They teach you to skate more powerfully, to turn and to stop,” he says. “Figure skaters learn to spin.”

Ice ReachDirector Ann Marie Shipstad instructs a child on the rink.

Photo: McCormick Ice Rink

By Angela Gagnon | Staff Writer The extraordinary outdoor ice-skating venues that offer New Eastsiders a festive way to keep active during the cold winter months are also equipped to help beginners stay upright on the slick, frozen ice. Millennium Park’s

McCormick Tribune Ice Rink offers free lessons for hockey and figure skating on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays throughout the winter.

Funded by a grant from McDonald’s Active Lifestyles Endowment and managed by the Millennium Park

Besides hockey and figure skating, beginners can simply use the lessons to increase their confidence.

According to Katy McKinnon, a coach and instructor through Ice Reach, a nonprofit outreach organization dedicated to promoting the participation and involvement in ice sports. One of the first things beginners are taught is how to fall and get up. Once they master those important skills, they can learn to skate.

“First, it’s marching, then pushing,

and learning how to glide to pick up speed,” says McKinnon.

Ann Marie Shipstad is the Program Director of Ice Reach. “We’ve been doing the (free Millennium Park) lessons for about five years now, and we are thrilled to be back every year,” says Shipstad.

Shipstad has a staff of professional instructors who also teach at various indoor ice rinks around the city and offer private lessons. For private or semi-private lessons, contact Shipstad at amshipstad@icereach.com.

The ice-skating lessons program will continue, weather permitting, until March 6. Skating is free and open to the public. Skate rental costs $12.

For hours and more information, visit www.millenniumpark.org.

4 / FEBRUARY 2016

How to Contact Us info@neweastsidenews.com (708) 628-3652 Editor: Elaine Hyde info@neweastsidecommunity.com

Community Contributors NEW EASTSIDE NEWS

New Eastside residents give us their presidential picks

By Daniel Patton | Staff Writer

Layout/Design: Daniel Patton

An informal presidential poll conducted by New Eastside News in the Village Market Lakeshore East on a recent Saturday afternoon concluded that Senator Clinton will win the Democratic nomination and Senator Rubio or Donald Trump (if the party still claims him) will win the Republican nomination.

Community Contributors: Jon Cohn, Angela Gagnon, Elizabeth Johnston, Tracey Lewis, Shanti Nagarkatti, Matthew Reiss

The thoughts behind the predictions are as dynamic as the race itself. Here are responses from some of the residents surveyed:

Managing Editor: Daniel Patton dpatton@neweastsidecommunity. com Copy Editors: Tracey Lewis, Shanti Nagarkatti, Kari Greczek

New Eastside News is published monthly by Eastside Enterprises LLC. New Eastside News uses and values community writers and contributors.

Views expressed by community contributors are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views of New Eastside News. New Eastside News does not take responsibility for third-party announcements or events. New Eastside News is independently owned and operated.

Copyright @2016.

All rights reserved.

Luke Chandra. Photo: Daniel Patton

New Eastside resident Luke Chandra, a high school student at the Latin School of Chicago, will vote in his first presidential election this year. Chandra describes himself as a Republican.

But, he adds, “I say that with a chip on my shoulder.”

“I support Marco Rubio, but I don’t think he’ll win the primary,” he explains.

“I believe that Trump will win the primary, but I’m not a Trump supporter.

I believe he’s too risky of a candidate, unlike Hillary.”

Chandra believes that the White House will welcome its second President Clinton in November.

Among the things turning off voters, he says, are the candidates’ hawkish tendencies. For example, a recent New York Times article accused Senator Rubio of “stepping away” from his immigration reform bill, and a suspicion that Donald Trump — “as fun as he is” — is “just posturing.”

“I don’t even know if he really wants to be president,” Spiess muses.

“She has the most experience of any candidate and being a woman doesn’t hurt her chances at all,” he says. “I think a lot of voters believe that she’s a very reasonable and safe candidate, so it’s a safe vote to vote for Hillary.”

Another resident, Daniel Spiess, PhD, Assistant Director of Postdoctoral Affairs at the University of Chicago, has “no idea who’s going to win,” but believes that it will, “probably be a Democrat.”

“Everything is so extreme on the Republican side that I think it’s just turning a lot of people off,” he says.

“It makes for great theater, but I don’t think it makes for good leadership.”

Daniel Spiess, PhD. Photo: Daniel Patton

As a former New Yorker, he voted for and lived through the leadership of Senator Clinton. He describes her performance as “totally fine” and says that, “people liked her.”

Maryam, an emergency room nurse from Naperville, who declined to provide her last name, predicts that Donald Trump will win the presidency.

Continued on Page 8.

New Eastside soccer enthusiasts head to West Loop

By Matthew Reiss | Community Contributor As a soccer enthusiast, I appreciate Chicago’s ability to accommodate my obsession. Home to the U.S. Soccer Federation, Chicago has a vibrant soccer scene, even during the cold months. The 12,000-sq. ft. indoor Mercy Soccer Center in the West Loop, where I play in a soccer league, has been my salvation for the past few winters.

Inside the Mercy Soccer Center is artificial turf that contains impact-absorbing rubber pellets. Although these pellets occasionally find their way into

my shoes, it is preferable to braving the snow and ending up with cold, wet feet.

I generally travel to the center by cab and return home to the New Eastside on foot, often without wearing my coat. Since the amount of warmth generated from an hour of sprinting raises my body temperature so much, I can wear short sleeves in a snowstorm and revel in the odd looks of passersby.

One of the most enjoyable aspects of playing in leagues, such as those offered by Mercy Soccer Center, is that games often resemble a United Nations conference. In terms of player

numbers, soccer is the most widely practiced sport in the world. According to FIFA’s most recent Big Count survey, there are 265 million players, or roughly 4 percent of the world’s population, actively involved in soccer.

Oftentimes, a single game will feature players from Western Europe, Eastern Europe, South America, Asia, and Africa. For an hour, we can join together in play and can forget the troubles of the outside world. How can one not love a sport that brings so many people together?

Mercy Soccer Center 160 S. Aberdeen St. · Chicago, IL 60607

Community Contributors NEW EASTSIDE NEWS

Welcome to the neighborhood

Gavin Henry

FEBRUARY 2016 / 5

Wintertime Ode to Buckingham Fountain

By Jon Cohn | Community Contributor

There she sits now quiet and all alone.

Some parts of brick, some parts of stone.

Center of attraction on nice summer days, Now in the winter she has lost her ways.

No water spewing, no colors aglow, Just trying to survive and go with the flow.

Like the girl who was popular, who once ruled the dance, But now aging, older, and just hoping for another chance.

Please welcome Gavin Henry, born Jan 24 at 3:25 am to Alexis and Ben weighing 8 lb. 13 oz. and 20 in. long. He joins sister Macie and brother Xander in North Harbor Tower. Nicknamed “Rocket,” he lived up to the moniker as labor lasted only 3 1/2 hours. We are excited to have him join our community!

1st District Community Policing monthly residential meeting The February residential meeting for the Chicago Police Department 1st District will take place at 130 N. Garland Ct. The meeting will address issues and updates within Beats 111,112 and 113, which includes the area between

Clark St and Michigan Ave., Congress Dr. and Wacker Dr. It will begin at 7:00 p.m. and last one to two hours.

Meetings are held the second Thursday of each month. For more information, visit www.chicagopolice.org.

Cute Pet Alert

But do not fear, do not fret, She’ll be back for the best summer yet.

But while we wait, if you get a chance, and if you can try, Don’t forget our fine fountain, and try and stop by!

Doorperson of the month: Betty Smith, The Regatta

By Jon Cohn | Community Contributor

Anytime you walk into the beautiful Regatta building — morning, noon, or night — you are sure to be greeted by a friendly face at the front desk.

One of those is our February Doorperson of the Month, Mrs. Betty Smith.

“What I enjoy the most about the job is the interaction with the people. I enjoy being a friendly face and voice for folks when they come back home after a long day,” says Smith.

Smith has handled the door at the Regatta for nearly seven years. She began as a security person in the area before enthusiastically accepting an offer to join the full-time staff. Since then, she has seen many positive changes in the neighborhood.

“The New Eastside has really improved,” she says. “The beautification and expanded facilities at the park and all the new entertainment options are wonderful to see!”

Wimbledon is a 5-year-old English Bulldog who arrived at the home of a young, married New Eastside couple by way of a Wisconsin breeder. Although his kind is rumored to be inactive, Wimbledon not only loves to run but he has also learned to open doors and play the African djembe drum. Photo: Daniel Patton.

Chicago’s very own treasure, our summertime love.

Like a gift to the city from the heavens above.

But now sitting quiet, no one stops by anymore.

It is painful to see, it does hurt to the core.

Betty Smith. Photo: Daniel Patton

an elevator. They were greeted by a German shepherd and its owner when the elevator’s doors opened. The dogs immediately went into attack mode.

The pit bulls nearly broke free of their leashes but were restrained by a maintenance worker.

There is never a dull moment in the life of a doorperson.

Smith has also witnessed “more than a few” interesting incidents, including one particular afternoon when a vicious dogfight erupted in the lobby.

Of what Betty is proudest, the answer is easy — her family. Betty has a daughter; a son; and two grandsons, one of whom just graduated from North Park College.

It occurred while a female resident and her two pit bulls were waiting for

To nominate your doorperson, email info@neweastsidecommunity.com

6 / FEBRUARY 2016

NEW EASTSIDE NEWS

New Eastside home to Canadian, Czech and French consulates Continued from page 1.

which were in the billions, says Norton.

“It was a very uncharacteristically Canadian thing to do,” he admits. “But we said ‘enough of this, it’s just not fair.’”

Photo: Daniel Patton

Roy Norton, PhD,

Consul General of Canada 180 N. Stetson · (312) 616-1860 Besides inventing hockey, supplying the US with half of its oil and sending more visitors to America than the number of people who actually live there (many Canucks come more than once), Canada’s greatest foreign relations challenge, according to Consul General Roy Norton, is “getting noticed.”

“Americans, I think, have a pretty positive impression of Canada,” he says.

“But we’re not top of mind.”

Culturally, Norton would prefer more time to “sit down and impress upon people why they should care about the relationship.” But politically, he deals in US trade and legislation to a greater degree than perhaps any Consul General in the country, mostly due to the volume of business between the Midwest and his homeland.

After meeting with several Midwestern agribusiness leaders and members of Congress to “impress upon them why they should act to change and what would happen if they didn’t,” Norton helped get the law repealed in the Omnibus Appropriations last December.

There are no hard feelings. Norton is still a huge Chicago Cubs fan and Canadians continue to not only “love” Americans but also remain “fascinated” by them.

“Indeed,” he says, “Maybe we’re obsessed: the entrepreneurialism, the can-do spirit, ‘We Shall Overcome.’”

Among the Americans who have made a lasting impression on Norton is a former classmate from Harvard, where he studied Public Administration as a post-grad. The man was a law student who always struck him as “very sincere, intelligent and inquisitive” named Barack Obama.

“Illinois sells more goods to Canada than (it does) to your next five best global customers put together,” he explains.

At that level, legislation can impact entire industries. The Farm Bill of 2008 introduced a measure called the “Country of Origin Labeling” that wreaked havoc on Canadian agricultural and meat producing interests because, according to Norton, it was discriminatory and illegal.

“We fought it for six years and we kept winning in the World Trade Organization,” he says. “The United States didn’t do anything.”

So Canada retaliated by “introducing tariffs on US agricultural exports to Canada in the amount of the losses,”

Photo: Daniel Patton

Vincent Floreani

Consul General of France 205 N. Michigan · (312) 327-5200 The nation of France inspires and provokes Americans by merely existing, much in the same way that the United States does to everyone else in the world. This similarity bonds the countries together like siblings, especially in Chicago, the sister-city of Paris. According to Vincent Floreani, the French Consul General, “We are at a highest point of very close relations on all topics.”

He mentions the recent Paris Agreement, which President Obama referred to as “the best chance we have” to protect the planet from climate change.

He also praises the “Iran Nuclear Deal,” which was crafted in part by the permanent members of the UN.

the second annual Good France / Goût de France event on March 21 will feature “1,000 chefs on all five continents” presenting a typical prix fixe French meal. Eleven of the participating restaurants will be located in the Midwest; seven will be in Chicago.

But it is the American response to the recent tragedy in Paris, when more than a hundred people perished at the hands of violent extremists, that appears to move him most.

Given Floreani’s appreciation for Chicago — a “beautiful city” with excellent architecture and cuisine that he considers “very European” — the ambience will mix well with the meal.

“We were overwhelmed by the support we received everywhere in the world,” he says. “But especially in the US. Mayor Emanuel came to the French consulate. It was so nice.”

Floreani helps to maintain the kindness by awarding the Legion of Honor medal to American military veterans in the Midwest who saw action in France. Last month, he met soldiers in Ohio. Next month, he’ll be in Kansas City.

“The French people remember that we were freed twice by American soldiers, in 1917 and 1944,” he says. “I meet them and say you are heroes, you came to France and risked your life for us. This is one of the most rewarding things I do.”

On the business end of his post, Floreani pushes French innovation that “many people don’t know about,” especially in the high-tech and automotive industries. “We have giants like Michellin and Valeo and Faurecia, which make automobile parts,” he says. “When you sit in an American car, there is one chance out of two that the seat you are on is made by a French manufacturer.”

This October marks the 20th anniversary of the Chicago - Paris sister city partnership. Floreani hopes to celebrate the occasion with an encore of 2015’s “A La Carte Chicago,” a weeklong feast of French cuisine in more than a hundred local restaurants complemented by wine tastings, speeches and cooking classes in the Alliance Française, the French cultural and learning center on Chicago Avenue.

For those who cannot wait that long,

Photo: Czech Consulate

Borek Lizec

Consul General, Czech Republic 205 N. Michigan · (312) 861-1037 In May 1918, 150,000 people filled the streets of Chicago to cheer for a visitor named Tomas Masaryk, who would become the first president of the newly formed nation of Czechoslovakia by year’s end. Roughly three decades later, the city would support another visiting Czechoslovakian President, Edvard Benes, who came to launch his campaign for Czech independence after the Nazi invasion of World War II. The resulting bond between the Czech Republic and Chicago — the Sister City of Prague and historic center of Czech immigration — is incomparable.

According to Consul General Borek Lizec, “The largest Czech celebration of 2015 in the US was Prague Days Chicago.” Coinciding with the 25th anniversary of the sisterhood between the two cities, the main theme of the festival was “celebrating Czech history in Chicago,” he explains.

The event featured a startling lineup of famous Americans who claim ancestry from the Bohemian and Moravian regions that constitute much of the Continued, nest page.

NEW EASTSIDE NEWS

Consulates, continued Czech Republic. Kim Novac hosted the “Czech That Film” program.

Astronauts Eugene Cernan and James Lovell made personalized YouTube invitations. Ray Kroc, Anton Cermak and George Halas were among the other notables honored.

The event also included a concert at Thalia Hall, the historic music venue modeled after the Prague Opera House and built in the Chicago neighborhood of Pilsen, which was named after a town in the Czech Republic. Since the

majority of the area’s current residents are of Mexican descent, the show was titled “Bohemian Past, Mexican Present” and included both Mexican and Czech artists and musicians.

The emphasis on the past does not reflect some Czech obsession with history; rather, it is a stage in the renaissance of self-determination that began in 1989, when the Czech people launched a protest against their Communist government. Their efforts initiated a non-violent transfer of power known as the Velvet Revolution.

Lizet was a sixteen year-old student at the time. “My high school was the first high school to go on strike,” he says.

“We refused to take classes. We went to Wenceslaus Square to take part in the protests.”

Among the speakers addressing the crowds was writer Václav Havel, who would soon be elected President of Czechoslovakia and, after the peaceful division of the Czechs and Slovacs, President of the Czech Republic.

In the 27 years since, according to the Consul General, it’s been all about

FEBRUARY 2016 / 7

moving forward for the ancient kingdom. “After the Velvet Revolution, to come back to the west was our greatest ambition,” he says.

Since the country’s traditional export is beer, their cultural journey westward has been well received by the United States. Leading brands include Pilsner Urquell, Staropramen, and Czechvar, which also sponsored last year’s Czech days. The Czech Republic is also renowned for its decorative glass, which adorns the lobby of the Langham Hotel in River North.

Soliciting the solicitors We thought we’d stop and ask them a few questions

By Shanti Nagarkatti | Community Contributor They are easy to spot. Waving clipboards and wearing brightly colored vests, lanyards, and smiles, gauntlets of canvassers can be seen lining Michigan Avenue and occasionally State Street, ready to pounce on passersby: Do you have a second for the environment?

Do you have a minute for children in the developing world?

Over the last few years, I have observed an upswing in the number of sidewalk fundraisers for high-profile charities. The fresh-faced young men and women sporting Children International windbreakers used to mark the beginning of spring as clearly as daffodils and tulips budding along the Mag Mile. But now, these “chuggers” — a slang term combining charity and muggers — are out and about yearround.

Chuggers rely on friendliness, emotional appeals and, yes, pushiness to elicit on-the-spot donations. They take their cues from legions of Europeans who have been employing the technique for decades and boast a record of success in raising money for the charities that employ them.

Since most chuggers are younger, they are able to engage with a young donor base. In addition, potential donors who regularly screen telemarketers or throw away direct mail might not be so quick to dismiss an eager street solicitor.

Almost every Chicagoan has a way of reacting to chuggers’ requests for “just a minute of your time.” Some people avert their eyes or adopt a purposeful stride. Others return a noncommittal greeting or begin to sweat as they formulate a nervous excuse in their head. On the other end of the spectrum are those who step up to donate or chat with a chugger.

Sara Tews, fundraising for Children International in front of the Michigan Avenue Ralph Lauren store on a recent chilly Friday, said she “typically signs up one to two people per day.”

Not all donors decide on the spot, and some sign up later through the charity’s Children.org web site.

“I would prefer people sign up directly with me,” says Tews, as that way she gets credit for donors.

Last year, Tews “personally signed up 178 people and the charity as a whole signed up 33,600.”

When asked about data protection,

Tews said she uses an iPad “with an encrypted system similar to ordering online through Amazon,” to accept donors’ credit cards.

Since many potential donors do not budget for large, one-off donations, fundraisers typically urge them to accept a payment plan. In the case of Children International, it takes 90 cents per day to sponsor a child. This can be paid in monthly, quarterly, or other installments. Tews says the charity asks for a two-year commitment, but it is “up to individual donors to decide how long they want to continue.”

Despite the exasperation chuggers can cause, it is worth keeping in mind that their day is probably worse than yours. Several articles have chronicled long hours, constant rejection, and an unstable pay structure. Tews, who worked in alumni fundraising while attending DePaul University, has been employed with Children International for two years. She is quick to point out that her boss is “awesome,” but admits that schedules can be intense. Tews says, “Shifts last from 10am-6pm most days and I am out in pretty much all weather conditions.”

Whatever your reaction to chuggers, it is important to be informed. The City Council’s Finance Committee has a list

Children international fundraiser Sara Tews.

Photo: Shanti Nagarkatti

of 33 groups that hold the required charitable solicitation permits. These groups have shown proof that they’re registered with the Illinois Attorney General’s office as legitimate charities, though it is up to consumers to request to see a permit. The city recommends dialing 311 to report a suspicious charity.

The independent watchdog CharityWatch.org encourages donors to “find out how much a charity is paying to solicit you, take the time to check out a charity before giving, and never feel pressured to give on the spot in the street.”

8 / FEBRUARY 2016

NEW EASTSIDE NEWS

An emergency trip to the Lurie Children’s Hospital with my daughter

By Ophelia Dodds | Community Contributor As parents, we’ve all been there. It’s the day before vacation, you’re harassed and tired and you need to pick up supplies. In the store, your two year-old won’t stop running around, despite your increasingly loud requests not to. Then, suddenly, the inevitable: she slips, bangs her head on a shelf, and lies screaming on the floor covered in blood.

Though not as bad as she looked, she obviously needed stitches. Unsure exactly how to proceed, we went down to the cab rank outside our building and asked him to take us to the ER. Luckily, he knew that the fantastic Lurie Children’s Hospital was only five minutes away.

The Lurie Children’s Hospital is the largest paediatric provider in the region, with 1,353 physicians in 70 paediatric specialties. In fiscal year 2014, they served children from all 50 states and 48 countries. In 2015, they were ranked as the 11th best children’s hospital in the US. The waiting room is orderly, the staff is attentive, and we were seen within ten minutes.

ite song at the time, “Call Me Maybe,” over and over again. The nurses, who were expecting “Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star,” were amused.

When the ordeal was over, my daughter was so delighted to be watching the hospital’s TV and enjoying a popsicle that she asked if we could go back, several times, over the following weeks.

Luckily, she hasn’t managed to figure out that she needs to hurt herself in order to do so.

Above: photo by Cal’s Angels.

Below: recovering nicely. Photo: Ophelia Dodds

Mr. Trump’s negative portrayal of immigrants, a particularly sensitive topic for the first-generation American, fuels the ignorance she refers to. “My family is from Iran,” she says. “We are Muslim.”

Nike Whitcomb, Executive Director of the American Writers Museum, has created a thrilling level of anticipation for the country’s first and only national monument to the written word, which is scheduled to open next year in Chicago. Now, all she has to do is find the money to build it.

“We raised about $2.4 million last year,” she says. “We need $10 million altogether.”

When completed, the museum will occupy the entire second floor of 180 N. Michigan Ave., joining Millennium Park and the Cultural Center along the city’s prestigious Cultural Mile. It’s 8,500-square-foot space will include a Readers Hall, a Writers Hall, dedicated exhibits for local as well as national authors, and a room-sized digital “Word Waterfall” where, according to the downloadable interior plans, “Magic Happens” as “Words float down and assemble in interesting ways.”

It will also benefit from massive pedestrian traffic along Michigan Ave. “We are looking at 45,000 hotel rooms within about a half mile,” says Whitcomb. “150,000 people walk by that site every day.”

Residents make presidential picks “The sad truth is that America is completely ignorant and that’s exactly who they want to run their country.”

AMW Executive Director Nike Whitcomb describes the process of paying for the Michigan Avenue Institution

By Daniel Patton | Staff Writer

Watching my daughter receive stitches was a traumatic experience. Her body was strapped to a plastic board to prevent movement and her head was wound in paper to increase precision.

I clutched her hand and sang her favo

Continued from Page 4

Raising funds for the American Writers Museum

If she “had to” cast a vote right now, Maryam, whose boyfriend lives in Lakeshore East, would support Senator Bernie Sanders because he addresses the “basic humanitarian” issues that are important to her.

A President Sanders, she says, “would help save us a little bit from this mess we’re in.”

Nike Whitcomb, Executive Director of the American Writers Museum Photo: Daniel Patton

Whitcomb’s fundraising technique combines thorough research with flexible presentation. After learning as much as possible about potential donors through online search, news sources and personal networks, she attends meetings with full confidence but also understands that none of her preparations might matter.

“It is like improv,” she says. “You cannot predict what’s going to happen.”

Whitcomb is uniquely qualified to get the job done. Before accepting the position last January, she had operated her own fundraising company, Nike B. Whitcomb & Associates, for 36 years. During that time, she generated hundreds of millions of dollars for the likes of the Evanston Art Center, the National Multiple Sclerosis Society and the National Public Housing Museum. In one decade alone, she raised more than $125 million for Millikin University, her alma mater.

During one recent meeting, a gentleman asked if she had talked to a certain “so and so.” Upon learning that she had not, he launched a conversation that yielded 15 more potential donors in 15 minutes.

Since embracing her new role, she has successfully shaken some of the tallest philanthropic trees in the country. To date, she has procured an antique writer’s desk from an individual donor and funding for the Readers Hall, which will accommodate 75 people, from a family foundation.

“I was at a party and a little boy was making paper airplanes with his brother. I asked him, ‘what do you like to do when you’re not making paper airplanes?’ He said, ‘I like to read.’ So I asked, ‘who’s your favorite author?’ He said, ‘Oh man, I have more than one.’”

“You don’t want to pitch and not listen,” she explains.

She is also reviewing artifacts, developing the first 100 authors to be honored by the museum, and keeping a lookout for literary fans of all ages.

FEBRUARY 2016 / 9

NEW EASTSIDE NEWS

Making Keys to Time

The story behind one of the Pedway’s oldest shops

By Daniel Patton | Staff Writer In 1976, newlyweds Art and Kathy Alekno opened a key-copying service in the Pedway under the lobby of 233 N. Michigan Ave. Having turned a profit doing similar business in flea markets near Marquette Park since their high school days in the late 1960s, they felt ready to try the newfangled, indoor retail thoroughfare.

This March, just a few steps away from the place where it all began, they’ll celebrate the 40th anniversary of Keys To Time.

“I was working at an industrial plant and I wanted to go out on my own,” says Art. “I wanted to do something for myself.” Art had learned the key-copying trade while working at a local Sears store in high school. He had also noticed that Sears was successful despite its flaws, namely a lack of personalized customer service and an overall disregard for precision.

“When I came down here, it was like, ‘yeah, this might work,’ Kathy remembers. “If it doesn’t, we crash it.” Kathy had earned a BS in Chemistry from UIC and was working in Walgreen’s quality control department when they launched the business. She helped run the store part-time for a few years before leaving Corporate America to join Art in the Pedway for good.

When they set up shop, the concourse was far from becoming the labyrinthine retail marketplace that it is today. “There were only three buildings,” Art recalls. “This building, One Illinois Center and what is now the west tower of the Hyatt.”

A hundred yards east of their kiosk, the Pedway abruptly came to an end where a few doors opened to a field that extended to Lake Shore Drive.

Besides the tracks of the Illinois Central railroad, there was little else. Over the next four decades, the landscape would transform into a three-par golf course and, eventually, The Aqua, Lake Shore East Park and an urban nook full of upscale high-rise condominiums

Above: Keys to Time in the Pedway; Below, right: Owners Kathy and Art Alekno. Photos: Daniel Patton

and shops. The Pedway would grow to nearly connect them all.

Among their shop’s neighbors were handful of food operations and a few regular stores, but most have since moved on. “The bank and the barbershop are the only two that are the same as when we first opened,” Art says.

Business picked up so quickly that they soon added watch repair and maintenance to the list of services. Besides customizing the sizes of individual bands, Keys To Time now stocks 70 different types of batteries for replacing garage door openers, car remotes — “anything that uses batteries like that” says Art — as well as watches.

“This building at the time wanted kiosks in the middle,” Kathy says.

In 1980, Kathy decided to investigate a nearby residential building under construction at 233 E. Wacker Dr. “I thought I’ll go over and see what they’re charging,” she remembers. She liked the units, calculated the amount they’d save from not commuting to work every day and convinced her husband to move into a rental in what is now Columbus Plaza. The geography and the neighborhood were so agreeable that, six years later, they bought a place of their own a few blocks east on Upper Wacker Drive.

Before long, Art’s knack for the process paid off. “We ask the customers if they ever have problems with their keys,” he explains. “Then we make modifications to help the new key insert or turn more easily.”

As the business became something like a second home for the Aleknos, the customers grew into something like a family. “We’ve been here so long, we have people who have retired and moved out of the city but will make a

The Aleknos had learned from their flea market days that foot traffic generated business. “It’s an impulse type thing,” Kathy explains. “People walk by and they see us and think, ‘oh, I need a key.’” Since the Illinois Center was less than two years old, they knew that many Chicagoans had yet to discover the Pedway. Fortunately, the location of their shop is highly visible as an open kiosk along a thoroughfare.

special trip down with watches,” says Kathy. People from as far away as Florida stop by when they visit Chicago, and flight attendants frequently drop off watches and keys during layovers in the area’s hotels.

For some, the success of a business that started in a flea market stall with a machine powered by two 12-volt marine batteries may seem remarkable.

But according to Art, it’s nothing more than hard work and quality service.

“The concept is very simple: you are tracing the original key,” he says. “But we can make new keys that work better, which very few places do.”

Keys to Time 233 N. Michigan Ave. · Chicago, IL 60601 (312) 861-1294

10 / FEBRUARY 2016

NEW EASTSIDE NEWS

Events

Schedules are subject to change. Call venues to confim event information.

Through Feb. 27, 2016

February 7

Pedway Walking Tour & Brunch Explore underground Chicago in sublevel passageways from the Radisson Blu to Macy’s. Brunch at Hyatt Regency American Craft kitchen. $50 - $70.

9:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. Saturdays Radisson Blu · 221 N. Columbus Dr. www.chicagosfinesttours.com/winter-tours/pedway-brunch-tour/

Superbowl Sunday at Filini Bar 50-cent wings, three dollar hamburgers and draft beer specials.

Filini Bar Chicago 221 N. Columbus · (312) 477-0249

Through April 24 Present Standard art exhibition at The Chicago Cultural Center Works that address the word “standard” as “a flag, pennant, measurement or principle” by artists with Chicago Latino connections.” Free.

Monday - Thursday, 10 a.m. - 7 p.m.

Friday - Sunday, 10 a.m. - 7 p.m.

Chicago Cultural Center 78 E. Washington St. · (312) 744-6630 www.chicagoculturalcenter.org

February 5 Family Valentine Dance at Maggie Daley Park A Valentine’s Day treat for Moms, Dads and kids from 2 to 11-years-old. $10 per family.

5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.

337 E. Radolph St. · 312 742 3918 www.chicagoparkdistrict.com

February 5, 12, 26 Friday Assembly at GEMS Students from kindergarten to fifth grade exhibit work or give performances for the shcool community.

2:45 p.m. to 3:15 p.m.

360 E. W Water St. · (312) 809-8900 www.gemsworldacademy-chicago.com

February 7 Atlantis: an undersea voyage at the Radisson Blu Aspire’s Big City Night Gala includes a cocktail reception, dinner and at Poseiden’s Ball After Party.

6 p.m. - Midnight Radisson Blu Aqua Chicago 221 N. Columbus · (312) 565-5258 www.aspirechicago.ejoinme.org/atlantis

February 7 Spread The Love Valentine’s Day Party at GEMS Valentines-themed party featuring live music and Valentine-making for the patients at Lurie Children’s Hospital.

2:45 p.m. to 3:15 p.m.

360 E. W Water St. · (312) 809-8900 www.gemsworldacademy-chicago.com

February 6 Beads, Beers and Bars — The World’s Largest Indoor Bar Crawl Travel with a tribe of revelers through eight bars in Navy Pier. Presented by Players Sport & Social Group and My Drink On. $10 - $20 2 p.m. - 8 p.m.

Crystal Gardens at Navy Pier 600 E Grand Ave. www.mardigrasbarcrawl.com

February 11 Club Colmbia presents Drinks, Dancing & a DJ The Goodman Theatre transforms its Polk Rehearsal Room into a Colombian night club for a celebration to follow the performance of Another Word for Beauty. Includes regional dancing, food and music. $35 with promo code COLOMBIA. 10 p.m. - 11:30 p.m.

Goodman Theatre 170 N. Dearborn · (312) 443-3800 www.goodmantheatre.org

February 11 Mardi Gras Booze Cruise Celebrate Fat Tuesday on an afternoon boat ride on Lake Michigan. Hosted by Chicago Party Boat. $25-$50.

Noon - 3 p.m.

Navy Pier 600 E Grand Ave. www.ChicagoPartyBoat.com

Chinese New Year The Year of the Monkey February 8 marks the Year of the Monkey on the ancient Chinese Zodiac.

Curious and clever, the Monkey loves practical jokes, but never intends to hurt those on the receiving end of his mischeif. However, this is not always the case.

February 6 · 5 p.m. to 9 p.m.

Asian American Coalition’s Lunar New Year Celebration Dinner, music, entertainment and awards at the Hyatt Regency. $85.

151 E. Wacker Dr. · www.2016lunarnewyear.com · (312) 391-8809 February 8 · Noon - 1 p.m.

Chinese New Year Kick Off at the Chicago Cultural Center Annual tradition featuring artists and entertainers. Free event.

78 E. Washington St. · www.chicagoculturalcenter.org · (312) 744-6630 February 8 Chinese New Year menu at MingHin Restaurant MingHin’s New Eastside restaurant will be serving a Chines New Year menu with traditional entrees including Pork Hocks with Shiitake Mushrooms, Steamed Lobster and Salt and Pepper Shrimp.

333 W Benton Pl. · www.minghincuisine.com · (312) 228-1333 February 6 · 10 a.m. - 7 p.m.

Chinese New Year Party at 900 N. Michigan Shops Live music, lion dance performances, calligraphy demos, food tastings, traditional hongbao (red envelope) prizes and more. Free event.

900 N Michigan · www.shop900.com · (312) 915-3916 February 21 · Noon to 3 p.m.

Chinese New Year Lantern Festival at Navy Pier A festive Chinese marketplace in the Crystal Gardens with displays of traditinoal dance, music and martial arts. Free event.

600 E. Grand Ave. · www.navypier.com · (312) 595-7437

Dame Myra Hess Memorial Concerts at the Chicago Cultural Center The international music foundation presents free weekly concerts under the exquisite dome of Preston Bradley Hall.

February 3, 2016 · 12:15 p.m.

Gorgojo-Tsomaia Duo performs Beethoven’s Sonata No. 7 in C Minor and Tsintsadzes Two Pieces for Violin and Piano.

February 17, 2016 · 12:15 p.m.

Bass-Baritone Richard Ollarsaba, and Pianist Maureen Zoltek perform several pieces including Finzi’s Let Us Garlands Bring, Op. 18.

February 10, 2016 · 12:15 p.m.

Cellist Jay Campbell and pianist Conor Hanick perform DeBussy’s Cello Sonata in D minor and Stravinsky’s Suite italienne.

February 24, 2016 · 12:15 p.m.

Pianist Asiya Korepanova performs Hess’s Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring, Beethoven’s 32 Variations in C minor, and Schubert’s Fantasie in C major.

The Chicago Cultural Center 78 E. Washington Presented by the international music foundation (312) 670-6888 · www.imfchicago.org/hess/main#/hess/schedules/395

FEBRUARY 2016 / 11

NEW EASTSIDE NEWS

Events

Schedules are subject to change. Call venues to confirm event information.

February 13, 14 Valentine menu at Filini Restaurant Four courses made with love by Chef Carolina Diaz. Entrees include Filet, Scallops or Lamb. $75 or $95 with wine paring. Reservations recommended.

Filini Chicago 221 N. Columbus · (312) 477-0249 www.filinichicago.com.com

February 13, 14 The Naked at the Art Museum Public Scavenger Hunt An “unblushing look at nudity” by using “witty, tricky questions in fastpaced games” to guide participants. $38 includes Museum admission.

11 a.m.; 2 p.m.

Art Institute of Chicago 111 S Michigan · (877) 9-GO-HUNT www.watsonadventures.com

February 13-21 Chicago Auto Show The nation’s largest auto show. $7 - $12.

McCormick Place 2301 S. Lake Shore · (312) 791-7000 www.mccormickplace.com

February 20 Winter Bike Swap The Chicago Bicycle Coalition and Women Bike Chicago create a temporary marketplace of peddling pedalers.

Buy, sell, browse or mingle. $5.

11 a.m. - 4 p.m.

Jaks Tap 901 W Jackson · (312) 666-1700 www.thechainlink.org/events/winterbike-swap-2016

February 22, 25, 28 Romeo And Juliet at the Lyric Opera The timeless classic in Frenh with projected English subtitles.$20 - $239.

Feb 22 - 7:30 p.m.; Feb 25, 28 - 2 p.m.

Lyric Opera of Chicago 20 N. Upper Wacker · (312) 332-2244 www.lyricopera.org

February 28 Chicago Volunteer Expo More than 85 non-profit organizations present and explain volunteer opportunities in fields ranging from the arts,

the environment, social justice and more. Free event.

10 a.m. - 4 p.m.

Peggy Notebart Nature Museum 2430 N Canon Dr. · (773) 755-5100 www.naturemuseum.org

February 23 - March 6 If/Then at the Oriental Theatre A contemporary Broadway musical about living in New York. $20 - $147.

Oriental Theatre 24 W. Randolph · (844) 854-1450 www.broadwayinchicago.com

February 26, 27 The Hamburg Ballet: Third Symphony of Gustav Mahler John Neumeier’s original. $35 - $125.

7:30 p.m.

Harris Theater 205 E. Randolph · (312) 334-7777 www.harristheaterchicago.org

February 27 Polar Beer Festival at Rock Bottom Rock Bottom Brewery’s sixth annual rooftop celebration of winter ales. $40.

11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Rock Bottom Brewery 1 W. Grand · (312) 755-9339 www.rockbottom.com/locations/chicago

February 27 Cider Summit at Navy Pier Binny’s presents the 4th annual largest cider tasting event in the region. $40.

11 a.m. - 3 p.m.; 4 p.m. - 8 p.m.

Grand Ballroom at Navy Pier 600 E Grand Ave. www.cidersummitnw.com

February 28 Culture of Africa at Navy Pier Traditional African music, dance, food, and crafts presented by Navy Pier’s Neighborhoods of the World program.

Free event.

11 a.m. - 3 p.m.; 4 p.m. - 8 p.m.

Crystal Gardens at Navy Pier 600 E Grand Ave. · (312) 595-7437 www.navypier.com

Chicago Theatre Week February 11-21

Discount tickets may sell out

while regular price admissions are still be available. Consult www. choosechicago.com or call theater box offices or access websites directly.

2666 European intellectuals confronted by murder and intrigue in Mexico. $15.

February 11-21 The Goodman Theatre 170 N. Dearborn · (312) 443-3800

Prospero’s Storm Adaptation of Shakespeare’s The Tempest for children ages 8 and up. $5.

February 11-20 Theatre School of DePaul University 50 E. Balbo · (312) 922-1990

Another Word for Beauty Drama about a beauty pageant in a Columbian female prison. $30.

February 11-21 The Goodman Theatre 170 N. Dearborn · (312) 443-3800

The Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center: Trio Concert Beethoven’s Trio in G and Dvorák’s Trio in E minor. $5.

February 16 Harris Theater 205 E. Randolph · (312) 334-7777

The League of Chicago Theaters and Choose Chicago offer discounts for over 100 performances.

Beautiful — The Carole King Musical Award-winning story of Carole King’s rise to stardom.” $27-$122.

Through February 21 Oriental Theatre 24 W. Randolph · (844) 854-1450 Bold Moves The Joffrey Ballet presents three international performances. $30.

February 11-21 Auditorium Theatre 50 E. Congress · (800) 982-2787 Cabaret Performed by the Roundabout Theater Company. $30.

February 11-21 PrivateBank Theatre 18 W. Monroe · (800) 775-2000 Der Rosenkavalier Extravagant performance of the original Strauss opera. $30.

February 13, 16 Lyric Opera of Chicago 20 N. Wacker · (312) 827-5600 Romantic Sonatas Bach, Schubert, Widerkehr and Rachmaninoff performed by the Rembrandt Chamber Players. $30.

February 15 PianoForte Studios 1335 S. Michigan · (872) 395-1754

The Knights Classical music group is joined by violinist Gil Shaham. $15.

February 18 Harris Theater 205 E. Randolph · (312) 334-7777 Ziryab, The Songbird of Andalusia A musical journey through 9th century Islamic Spain. $15.

February 18-21 House Theatre of Chicago 17 E. Monroe · (773) 769-3832 Othello Directed by Jonathan Munby of Shakespeare’s Globe and Royal Shakespeare Company. $48-$53.

February 18-21 Chicago Shakespeare Theater 800 E. Grand · (312) 595-5600 Sir András Schiff: Last Sonatas Select sonatas by haydn, Beethoven, Mozart and Schubert. $30.

February 14 Chicago Symphony Center 220 S Michigan · (312) 294-3000 Sir András Schiff: Last Sonatas Evening of classical magic with Dennis Watikns. $79.

February 12-21 House Theatre of Chicago 17 E. Monroe · (773) 769-3832

12 / FEBRUARY 2016

A World of Opportunities

NEW EASTSIDE NEWS

Apply now to become part of the only private school in Chicago offering personalized, international education to 15 grades of students under one roof. Applications for the 2016-17 school year are due January 4, 2016. www.bischicagosl.org/admissions