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DESIGN
1909 Edgewater Covenant Church Yours For $1.4 Million
Coldwell Banker Realty has the listing here. “We are pleased to present for sale this beautiful Church and Rectory House. Located on the northwest corner of Bryn Mawr and Glenwood in the heart of Andersonville, this beautiful red brick Church and Rectory has been a fixture in the neighborhood since 1909. The Church has seating for approximately 158 on the main floor with an additional 148 seats in the balcony, for a total seating capacity of 306. The Rectory House has been tastefully remodeled and updated with a contemporary kitchen and bathrooms.”
Billionaire Bears Suburb-Shopping For Best Breaks?
“The city of Naperville is launching its own bid to try to lure the Chicago Bears to the sprawling western suburb—with the team admitting a stadium in Arlington Heights is no longer its ‘singular focus,'” reports Tina Sfondeles at the Sun-Times. “The new competing proposal comes as talks with Arlington Heights have stalled amid disagreements between the team and surrounding suburbs about taxing and school districts.”
El Anticuario Stands As Pilsen Time Machine
“When clientele step into El Anticuario on 18th Street, in the heart of Pilsen, their senses are set in motion as they navigate a collection of memories: the smell of baked goods, jazz music blaring from the record player, an assortment of vintage postcards with photos of classic Hollywood films, antique dolls, and even the so-called ‘cemetery of books,'” reports South Side Weekly. A new business that some feared would supplant the storefront, a cosmetics “brow factory,” is in fact a separate space behind the store.
Soil Salvaged From Bell Bowl Prairie Sprouts Rare Flora
“After environmentalists lost their high-profile battle to reroute the road in March, the Chicago Rockford International Airport, which owns the prairie and is building the road, allowed the Forest Preserves of Winnebago County to haul away about twenty dump trucks of topsoil that had been removed during construction,” reports the Trib. “Violet wood sorrel has started to grow. The low-lying Illinois native with delicate, trumpet-shaped flowers is a sign of hope for those involved in a last-ditch effort to save some of the soil disturbed by a new road that will run through the heart of Rockford’s ancient Bell Bowl Prairie.”
Chicago Housing Authority Sued Over Chicago Fire Deal With Lightfoot
Chicago Housing Authority has been sued over deal to lease twenty-three acres of public land, reports Bloomberg via Crain’s. A “no-bid deal” for the site was made with Lightfoot billionaire donor and Morningstar chairman Joe Mansueto, owner of the Chicago Fire, “even though the land has long been earmarked for public housing, according to the suit.”
Only Chicago Inn On Best Small Hotels List Is The Guesthouse
TripAdvisor writes that they “award Travelers’ Choice Best of the Best to hotels with a high volume of above-and-beyond reviews and opinions from our community over a twelve-month period.” Chicago gets a nod at number twenty: “A family-owned, boutique hotel, The Guesthouse Hotel Chicago is a unique Chicago boutique hotel combining the best features of a vacation rental property with the personal attention of a boutique hotel. The Guesthouse Hotel Chicago is in the vibrant Andersonville neighborhood”—some say Uptown—”one of Chicago’s most beloved areas to shop and dine.”
Hank Obrzut Of Skokie’s Hairem Salon Was Eighty-Seven
“In the 1960s, Henry ‘Hank’ Obrzut made customers happy at Skokie Hairem, his hair salon, by giving them Jackie Kennedy bouffants, mod Beatle cuts and shaggy hippie looks,” writes Maureen O’Donnell at the Sun-Times. “In the 1980s, he would give them the same big hair as their favorite MTV stars. For a while in the 1970s, ‘He tried to be like Warren Beatty in “Shampoo,”‘ according to his son Mike. He’d sport a concho belt and gold chains as he zoomed to the Hairem on his motorcycle… Beneath the disco dash, he was a guy who married his high school sweetheart and went to all of his kids’ special events. ‘If I could write a thing on his gravestone, it would be, “He was always there,”‘ his son said—’any play performance, any football game, any dance recital.'”
Logan Square’s The Meadowlark is introducing its second themed menu, “The Magic City,” described as an exploration of the Chicago World’s Fair of 1893 on the 130th anniversary of the fair. Beverage Director Abe Vucekovich and his bar team took their research to the Newberry, the Chicago Historical Society, as well as The Smithsonian to understand “the fair that changed Chicago” before creating sixteen craft cocktails inspired by the fair’s exhibits and attractions.
“Certain drinks, such as the Fisheries Building, lean into experimental flavors and techniques that draw in more seasoned cocktail enthusiasts, but the menu as a whole remains approachable with libations like the easy-drinking Ferris Wheel, a refreshing sipper over a snow-cone like bed of crushed ice that features spirits sourced from mountainous regions like génépy from the French Alps and Singani 63 from the Andes Mountains. The end result is a floral, alpine cocktail.” More here.
Next French Cafe Opens On Fulton Market Patio
“Next, a sibling restaurant to Alinea, has launched a Parisian wine café on its Fulton Market patio. The café offers a limited menu full of French wines and a la carte bites, such as oysters in the shell, a cheese board and beef tartare. The café serves as an accompaniment to Next’s current Paris-themed menu,” reports Crain’s.
Gina’s Italian Ice In Berwyn Is For Sale
“After forty-six years in the business, Gina Tremonte is hanging up her scoop,” reports Wednesday Journal. Tremonte and her son Pat have listed Gina’s Italian Ice in Berwyn, business and building, for $850,000. “Within reason, Pat would stay on to show folks how the business is run.”
Right Wing Comes For Chick-Fil-A
Archconservative chicken outlet Chick-fil-A “has become a surprise target of right-wing ire following the discovery that the company has an executive overseeing its diversity, equity and inclusion policies,” reports CNN. “In a series of tweets, including one that made a transphobic comment, a right-wing political commentator… asked if people will ‘boycott’ the chain because of the company’s DEI efforts.” On its site, where the activists apparently found the years-old position, Chick-fil-A says it is “committed to being better at together.”
McDonald’s Shareholders Rebuff Audit Of Diversity And Equity Initiatives
An advocacy group “demanded McDonald’s do an audit analyzing the effects of its diversity policies,” writes Crain’s. McDonald’s shareholders voted down the proposal by the National Center for Public Policy Research. “The proposal requested a report of the audit be made public on the fast-food giant’s website.” Among newer policies, “McDonald’s has pushed to diversify its franchisee ranks, pledged to increase its spending with Black-owned media companies and tied some executives’ pay to diversity goals.” The proposal by the right-wing nonprofit raised “concerns that such diversity programs ‘are deeply racist, sexist, otherwise discriminatory and potentially in violation of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.'”
Applebee’s Owner Nabs Corner Bakery From Bankruptcy
Dallas-based SSCP Management, the owner of more than 400 restaurants, bid more than $15 million to buy Corner Bakery Café, once a Lettuce Entertain You property, out of bankruptcy, reports Crain’s. The company’s four brands are Cici’s Pizza Buffet, Sonic Drive-In, Applebee’s and Roy’s.
World’s Wheat Supply Endangered By Heat, Drought
“Extreme heat waves and drought due to climate change have the potential to shock the global food supply and send prices soaring,” reports NBC News. “The research, published in the journal npj Climate and Atmospheric Science, assesses a worst-case scenario in which extreme weather hits two breadbasket regions in the same year, hammering winter wheat crops in both the U.S. Midwest and northeastern China.”
FILM & TELEVISION
Netflix Shareholders Say No To Execs’ Retroactive Pay, But It’s Not Binding
“In a rare rebuke of corporate executive compensation, Netflix shareholders rejected the pay packages for top executives at the company, including co-CEOs Ted Sarandos and Greg Peters and former co-CEO Reed Hastings,” writes the Hollywood Reporter. “The vote is non-binding, but could spur engagement from the company with shareholders.” Yahoo News reports on a letter to shareholders from WGA West President Meredith Stiehm: “In the midst of a disruptive labor dispute, Netflix is asking shareholders to give retroactive advisory approval of the company’s 2022 reported executive compensation totaling over $166 million. By contrast, the proposed improvements the WGA currently has on the table would cost Netflix an estimated $68 million per year.”
Writers Strike In Second Month
Veteran showrunner Warren Leight has, “along with a growing number of WGA counterparts, helped organize a series of successful labor actions—small groups assembling within hours, whose protest lines are often respected (and sometimes joined) by Teamsters, IATSE members and other sympathetic allies,” writes the Hollywood Reporter. “The whole idea is to empty the pipeline,” Leight says. “The closures have crossed the country, from ‘Loot’ and ‘Good Trouble’ in Los Angeles to ‘Evil’ in New York and ‘The Chi’ in Chicago.”
“The King James Version of the Bible has been removed from many Davis School District schools after a committee found it contained ‘vulgarity and violence,'” reports Fox Salt Lake City. “The Bible, which was challenged for sexual content, is still available for sale, so Heritage and Moms For Liberty may claim this isn’t a ban. But it’s a ban,” posts PEN America.
Then “the Utah school district that just banned the Bible in elementary and middle schools received a new request Friday targeting another religious text: the Book of Mormon,” reports the Salt Lake Tribune, “The request calls for the book to be reviewed for containing violence, which includes battles, beheadings and kidnappings among its stories.”
MEDIA
Gannett Journalists Strike Nationwide Today
“Gannett, the country’s largest newspaper chain, will hold its annual shareholders meeting today—and ‘hundreds’ of Gannett union journalists across the U.S. will walk off the job,” reports Nieman Lab. “Hundreds of staffers for twenty-four Gannett newspapers, including the Arizona Republic, Austin American-Statesman and the Palm Beach Post, say they will not report to work for a day or two starting Monday, forfeiting pay and forgoing assignments ranging from city council meetings to high school sports championship games,” reports the Washington Post. Their aim is “to call attention to budget cuts and put pressure on shareholders, who are expected to take up the issue of executive pay at a meeting Monday. Demonstrating journalists want shareholders to take a no-confidence vote against CEO Mike Reed, whom they fault for the company’s financial struggles.”
MUSIC
Navy Pier Unveils Chi-Soul Fest
Navy Pier will commemorate Black Music Month with the return of Chi-Soul Fest, the Pier’s annual celebration of Chicago’s soul music legends and traditions. The two-day, four-stage outdoor music festival will feature free performances by Isaiah Sharkey, Farley “Jackmaster” Funk, Aniba & The Sol Starz, Chi-Brations, Ivan Singh, Chi-Soul Old School R&B Comedy and Next Showcase USA. Saturday, June 10, 1pm-11pm; Sunday, June 11, 2pm-8:30pm. More here.
STAGE
City Lit Names Executive Artistic Director
City Lit has announced that Brian Pastor will succeed City Lit’s producer and artistic director Terry McCabe after his retirement next summer, taking up the title of executive artistic director. Pastor was hired at City Lit in February 2005 as business manager, one week after McCabe was hired as artistic director. Pastor was promoted to managing director in 2006, a position in which they served through June 2015. They became City Lit’s resident director in 2019. This coming season, Brian will direct City Lit’s world premiere adaptation of Davis Grubb’s gothic thriller “The Night of the Hunter,” adapted by Shawna Tucker.
Malkovich Cancels January 2024 Auditorium Gig
“The Auditorium Theatre and Steppenwolf Theatre Company regret to announce that the previously announced presentation of John Malkovich starring in ‘The Infernal Comedy’ has been cancelled due to an artist scheduling conflict. The performance was to take place at the Auditorium Theatre, January 26-27, 2024. Refunds will be available at the point of purchase.”
In The Dark Times, Will There Also Be Theater?
“A lot of people who have noted that the pandemic was devastating for theater in the last three years were very optimistically putting that devastation in the past. Off Broadway and in non-profit, I think the next two years is when the devastation will become most apparent,” posts cultural critic Mark Harris. “From early 2020 to late 2021, we had no theater. Late 2021 to now was basically the ‘We’re back!’ era. And now, Broadway’s doing okay, but nothing else has bounced back nearly as well, and the economic toll is, I think, likely to be seen. for at least the next couple of seasons in fewer productions, shorter runs, shows with more modest casts and budgets, and maybe some theaters going away altogether. The smaller Met Opera season feels like a bellwether. And nonprofits need butts in seats and money in the bank.”
Tennessee Drag Ban Ruled Unconstitutional
“A federal judge has struck down a Tennessee law that banned drag shows in public or where children could watch them, writing that the unconstitutional measure was passed ‘for the impermissible purpose of chilling constitutionally-protected speech,'” reports the Washington Post. “The law, which Tennessee Republican Governor Bill Lee signed in March, would have criminalized ‘adult cabaret entertainment,’ punishing first-time offenders with misdemeanors. Repeat offenders could face felony charges and prison sentences of up to six years if convicted.” An analysis of the ruling, by legal writer Chris Geidner, is here.
ARTS & CULTURE & ETC.
Longtime Head Of Illinois Commerce Todd Maisch Was Fifty-Seven
Todd Maisch, president and CEO of the Illinois Chamber of Commerce, was fifty-seven. He “was a stalwart advocate for the state’s business community for decades and, despite serving in an era of sharp political divisions, his work as well as his character were respected across the political spectrum in Springfield,” avers the Tribune. Maisch “started working at the Illinois Chamber of Commerce in 1994 and rose to become its president and CEO two decades later.”
South Loop Walgreens Locks Down All But Two Aisles
“Walgreens claims the South Loop store, which forces customers to order items digitally, is about ‘convenience'” and not shoplifting,” reports Block Club. “The new design at the Walgreens, 2 East Roosevelt, places most of the merchandise in aisles behind staffed counters, with two interior aisles—covered by anti-theft detectors—where customers can browse and grab items themselves.” An employee directs potential customers to a digital kiosk. A sign then tells you to “place your order and relax” “while an employee fetches items from aisles now blocked by the counters.” A spokesperson said in a statement, “We are testing a new experience at this store with new concepts, technologies and practices to enhance the experiences of our customers and team members.”
New Venture Challenge Winner Named
Alnair Therapeutics, an oncology startup developing a platform technology to improve the delivery of drugs to difficult-to-treat cancers, has won first place in the twenty-seventh annual Edward L. Kaplan New Venture Challenge, a program founded at the Chicago Booth School of Business. More here.
Allina Day’s Work: Nonprofit Health System Shuts Out Indebted Patients
“Doctors at the Allina Health System, a wealthy nonprofit in the Midwest, aren’t allowed to see poor patients or children with too many unpaid medical bills,” reports the New York Times. The company, “which runs more than one hundred hospitals and clinics in Minnesota and Wisconsin and brings in $4 billion a year in revenue, sometimes rejects patients who are deep in debt… Although Allina’s hospitals will treat anyone in emergency rooms, other services can be cut off for indebted patients, including children and those with chronic illnesses like diabetes and depression. Patients aren’t allowed back until they pay off their debt entirely.”
Wisconsin pasteboard mogul (and Schlitz heir) Richard Uihlein now pours his substantial bankroll into another right-wing cause, reports the American Independent. The donors identified as major supporters of anti-trans groups in their investigation “are among the most powerful and wealthy on the American right: Leonard Leo, the conservative judicial activist who helped former President Trump pick his Supreme Court nominees and who controls a billion-dollar funding apparatus; Richard Uihlein, the GOP megadonor who has bankrolled far-right and election-denying candidates; and members of the Koch donor network of nonprofit political organizations spearheaded by the conservative billionaire Charles Koch and his late brother, David. The proximity of influential and powerful right-wing figures to these groups shows the close ties between the newer, vocal wave of anti-trans political groups and the conservative establishment.” (Uihlein’s family foundation also made donations to groups “on or around the January 6 insurrection.”)
Ken Griffin Takes On His Chosen 2024 Candidate DeSantis Over “Don’t Say Gay” Legislation
While billionaire Citadel founder (and former Chicagoan) Ken Griffin is backing presidential aspirant Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, reports the Harvard Crimson, the “Republican megadonor [is] opposing a new Florida law that expands a ban on teaching sexual orientation and gender identity in public schools… Griffin, whose recent $300 million donation to Harvard renamed the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences in his honor, has come under fire from Harvard students and affiliates… ‘like the vast majority of Americans, Ken believes that discussions on gender identity and sexual orientation should be led by parents with their children at home, rather than by teachers in elementary schools,” his spokesperson wrote. “However, as a steadfast supporter of open discourse, academic freedom, and free speech, Ken disagrees with Florida’s recent rule extending the prohibition of classroom instruction on these topics through twelfth grade.’ Griffin still supports the original version of the law, which remains in effect.”
