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An artist’s rendering of the proposed Rivers Chicago McCormick casino, one of five proposals for the long-sought city gambling temple. | Provided by JAHN

The proposal — one of two Chicago casino bids backed by billionaire Neil Bluhm — calls for “significant capital improvements” to the aging facility, which has only hosted a handful of large shows over the past few years, but has the “perfect” dimensions for a casino, developers say.

McCormick Place’s Lakeside Center would become the “gem” of a south lakefront entertainment district under a proposal to transform the 50-year-old structure into a downtown mega-casino.

A group of developers who are already behind a $4 billion redevelopment of the former Michael Reese Hospital site near Bronzeville said Wednesday they’re ready to go all in with another billion-dollar investment to turn the “iconic” but “sparsely used” convention space into an “entertainment mecca.”

“For years, we’ve been talking about how do we revitalize this thing, even way, way, way before the casino was in the lexicon here,” said Scott Goodman, founding principal of Farpoint Development. “Bringing more and more people to the lakefront has always been a goal of ours, and we think this is something that will help do that.”

Goodman’s firm is partnered with McLaurin Development and the nonprofit Chicago Neighborhood Initiatives on the Lakeside Center proposal, which was one of five bids submitted to Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s office last week to launch the big-city casino that officials and developers alike have coveted for decades.

The developers say minority investors will have a 25% ownership stake.

Also in on the Lakeside Center proposal is billionaire casino mogul Neil Bluhm and his Rush Street Gaming company, which already runs Illinois’ most lucrative casino — Rivers Casino in Des Plaines — and which is hedging bets with different partners on a separate casino bid at another South Loop site.

“Clearly, [Bluhm’s] got competing interests because he’s in two bids, but we are very confident in our bid,” Goodman said. “We think that with all objectivity, we check as many boxes as are capable of being checked.”

Their Lakeside plan calls for “significant capital improvements” to the aging facility, which has only hosted a handful of large shows over the past few years, but has the “perfect” dimensions for a casino, Goodman said.

Sun-Times file
The McCormick Place Lakeside Center.

The so-called Rivers Chicago McCormick would include indoor and outdoor entertainment spaces plus bars and restaurants, as part of a roughly $1 billion plan that would create a “tremendous residual domino effect” of economic growth for the Cermak Road district near McCormick Place, developer Zeb McLaurin said.

The group said they’d add about 2,000 parking spots within the building, which is just south of Soldier Field. Whether the Chicago Bears stay there or take their flirtation with Arlington Heights to the next level with a suburban stadium “doesn’t have any effect on us one way or another,” Goodman said.

“We’d love for them to stay,” said Chicago Neighborhood Initiatives president David Doig, who previously served as the Chicago Park District superintendent under former Mayor Richard M. Daley at the time of the stadium’s controversial overhaul in 2002.

Goodman said they would seek a “very long-term ground lease” lease for the property from the Metropolitan Pier and Exposition Authority, which owns McCormick Place.

The massive convention center, long floated as a viable casino site, is targeted in two of the five casino proposals submitted to Lightfoot’s office. Rhode Island-based Bally’s Corporation put in a bid centered at the truck marshaling yard south of McCormick Place, calling for $1.6 billion investments that include a luxury hotel, indoor and outdoor entertainment center, green space and fine dining.

A spokeswoman for the MPEA, a public-private partnership, said officials there have not yet “discussed any terms of use for our campus properties in relation to a proposed casino.”

Bally’s also submitted an alternate bid proposing to break ground at the Chicago Tribune printing plant site near Chicago Avenue and Halsted Street.

Bluhm’s second hand in the Chicago casino game is a partnership with development firm Related Midwest as Rivers 78 Gaming LLC. That proposal aims to break ground within the 62 vacant South Loop acres near Roosevelt Road and Clark Street. Specifics on that proposal have yet to be announced.

Rush Street Gaming CEO Greg Carlin said in a statement through a spokesman that Bluhm’s company “is offering the city two distinct options on two outstanding sites, with two great local development teams, which take advantage of our expertise developing from the ground up and operating some of the most successful casinos in North America.”

The fifth Chicago casino bid comes from Florida-based gambling giant Hard Rock International, which identified its chosen site as the proposed One Central development that would sit just across Dusable Lake Shore Drive from Soldier Field. Representatives did not return requests for comment.

Lightfoot’s office has said it will create “a review committee made up of a cross-section of City departments” to recommend a bidder. Lightfoot will have the final call on who’s put up for City Council approval. The Illinois Gaming Board has the final say on issuing a license.

The mayor has said she expects the finished casino-resort to open by 2025.

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From politics to sports to history, we’re listening to these podcasts to get our aural city fix.Read More

The giving season is right around the corner, and many need to survive through the winter. Thankfully, Jet’s Pizza, known for delicious Detroit-style pizza, has taken the initiative to help underserved youth spread cheer with delicious (free) pizzas through the blistery Chicago winter. As they host their 2nd annual Winter Drive throughout the month of November, Jet’s is looking for children’s winter accessories, including new or like-new hats, gloves, scarves, and fresh pairs of socks.

To help rally for as many donations as possible to benefit the children of Chicago Youth Programs, those that donate a requested item within the month will receive a small, one-topping pizza free of charge as a thank you from Jet’s for their kindness.

Jet’s Pizza 2nd Annual Winter Drive

as they welcome the return of their 2nd annual winter drive, Jet’s Pizza® invites customers to join forces in keeping at-risk youth warm this year.

The drive will run from Monday, November 1, through Tuesday, November 30. Supplies raised will support the non-profit organization’s 37-year journey to improve health and life opportunities for at-risk youth ages 3-25. 

For years, Jet’s has earned a reputation for its passion for giving back to the neighborhoods they serve. As a life-long Chicagoan, David Falato, the owner of Jet’s Pizza Chicagoland, has seen our city suffering and realized that our kids are getting left behind the most.

“We have taken young men and women and have given them lifelong careers and have worked to support our community with drives like our annual winter drive for Chicago Youth Programs! ” Said David Falato of Jet’s Pizza Chicagoland.

When asked about the free one-topping pizza, 

Participating Locations

To participate, guests may visit their preferred Jet’s location to donate and receive their free pizza. Redemption must take place in person at a participating location.

Select locations across Chicagoland invite customers to donate new or like-new scarves, hats, gloves, and fresh pairs of socks to benefit Chicago Youth Programs. As a thank you for participating, Jet’s lovers will be treated to a small, one-topping pizza free of charge (limit two (2) pizzas per customer). According to an insider’s tip, the Eugene supreme square pizza is highly recommended! (Psst, it was also the founder’s favorite.)

Naperville-South: 3344 S. Route 59 
Naperville-North: 720 E. Ogden Ave.  
Darien: 2425 75th St.
Skokie: 4112 Dempster St. 
Tinley Park: 17101 88th Ave. 
Aurora: 2849 E. New York St. 
Chicago (Lakeview): 2811 N. Ashland Ave. 
Chicago (River North): 207 W. Superior St. 
Chicago (Irving Park): 3951 N. Kimball Ave. 
Chicago (Galewood): 1805 N. Harlem Ave. 
Chicago (Uptown): 5805 N. Clark St. 
Chicago (Wicker Park/Bucktown): 1811 W. North Ave. 
Chicago (West Loop): 1025 W. Madison St. 
Chicago (Logan Square): 3510 W. Armitage Ave. 
Chicago (South Loop): 1144 S. Wabash Ave. 

Chicago Youth Programs (CYP) endeavors to serve the comprehensive needs of each youth with an asset-based approach that intends to mitigate risks while building strengths. 

By making a long-term investment, CYP strikes for creating a long-term impact. With their unique approach, CYP’s involvement can begin as early as birth. This can last until age 25 when the organization expects young adults to be ready for the real world and establish a fulfilling career of their own.

Additionally, Chicago Youth Programs believes in the pursuit of equity and access on behalf of each of our youth. It is the organization’s mission to create equitable access to quality education, comprehensive healthcare, skill development, and career opportunities.

Jet’s Pizza® was founded in 1978 by Eugene and John Jetts in Sterling Heights, Michigan, and has grown to over 380 independently owned and operated stores in 19 states, continuing to commit to quality at each location.

“The taste and crunch of our square is truly addicting, even as a franchisee for almost 10 years I am still in love with it. In addition, we have built a family with our stores,” said David.

While quality and taste are number one, Jet’s Pizza also strives to make customers happy with every order they make. Better, Because It Has to Be. 

For more information, visit www.jetspizza.com and follow Jet’s Pizza® on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. 

Featured Image Credit: Jet’s Pizza

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Chicago House Athletic Club returns to SeatGeek Stadium this November for three home games at The House: 11/6 vs Los Angeles Force, 11/13 vs Stumptown AC, and 11/20 vs California United Strikers. The House is also putting together a series of fan appreciation themes for each home match starting with Polish Heritage Night on the 6th.

Here’s what fans can look forward to at the park this Saturday night:

The FIRST 50 ticket orders will also receive an autographed photo of our Polish stars: Wojciech Wojcik, Michael Kozielek, and Brandon Barnes! And that’s not all we’ve got in store for you — on 11/6, come celebrate Polish Heritage Night with us! You’ll get to enjoy a halftime performance from Studio Jump, partake in a pierogi eating content, and have the opportunity to meet our Polish players after the match. Secure your tickets below.

Chicago is rich with Polish culture and much of it is rooted in food, music, and sport. With three players of Polish descent on the side, The House is paying homage to the culture by hosting an evening honoring its flag here in The Windy City. But that’s not all, if you cannot Pack the House on the 6th, the matches on the 13th and 20th are a perfect opportunity to support your newest professional sports team. On the 13th the House will host Youth Soccer Night and a final Fan Appreciation Night on the 20th. More details to come on those in the coming weeks.

To purchase single-game tickets to Chicago House AC at SeatGeek Stadium, check out the links below!

ABOUT Chicago House AC

Founded in 2020, Chicago House Athletic Club is a community-based professional soccer team that plays its home matches at the 20,000 capacity SeatGeek Stadium at 71st and Harlem in Bridgeview, Illinois. The team competes in the National Independent Soccer Association (NISA,) a U.S. Soccer sanctioned third division league. Led by Managing Partner, President & CEO Peter Wilt, Chicago House AC is a Public Benefit Corporation (PBC) committed to using its platform for social justice, diversity, equality, inclusion and community improvement. The club’s name is a tribute to House Music, which was created in Chicago in the early 1980’s. Fans can help #BuildTheHouse by purchasing tickets at www.chicagohouseac.com/tickets or by calling our Ticket Sales Team at (312) 444-0976. For more information on Chicago House AC, please visit www.chicagohouseac.com and follow the club on social media @ChicagoHouse_AC. Our City, Our House.

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Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers will miss Sunday’s showdown against Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs. | Rick Scuteri/AP

Jordan Love, the 2020 first-round pick who has only seven pass attempts in mop-up duty in his career to date, will start Sunday against the Chiefs.

GREEN BAY, Wis. — Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers is in the NFL’s COVID-19 protocol, leaving the NFL’s hottest team without the reigning MVP.

Packers coach Matt LaFleur confirmed Wednesday that Rodgers was in the protocol, but would not say if Rodgers had tested positive nor if Rodgers has been vaccinated. LaFleur acknowledged that Rodgers won’t be available Sunday when the Packers (7-1) put their seven-game winning streak on the line at Kansas City (4-4).

“It was just crazy, man,” Packers defensive tackle Kenny Clark said. “Got to have that next-man-up mentality. That’s the leader of our team, so yeah, it was just crazy news.”

NFL officials are planning to review how the Packers have handled COVID-19 related protocols.

“The primary responsibility for enforcement of the COVID protocols within club facilities rests with each club,” NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy said in a statement. “Failure to properly enforce the protocols has resulted in discipline being assessed against individual clubs in the past. The league is aware of the current situation in Green Bay and will be reviewing with the Packers.”

Before the NFL issued its statement, LaFleur defended the way the Packers have followed health protocols within their facility.

“I watch what these guys do,” LaFleur said. “You know, I can only speak to our football space, but yeah, absolutely. We’ve got cameras everywhere. I think our guys do an outstanding job with it. And it’s just unfortunate. It’s not like this thing can’t happen to anybody. It’s happened to a lot of people outside of this building.”

LaFleur didn’t speculate on how long Rodgers might be out.

Rodgers isn’t the only Packers player to deal with the coronavirus recently. Wide receivers Davante Adams, a 2020 All-Pro, and Allen Lazard missed last week’s victory at Arizona because of COVID-19 protocols.

The Packers placed both Rodgers and cornerback Isaac Yiadom on the reserve/COVID-19 list Wednesday.

“It’s going around, and it happens,” running back Aaron Jones said. “I’ve had COVID. Many others in the locker room have had COVID. It’s just unfortunate.”

Green Bay’s backup quarterback is 2020 first-round draft pick Jordan Love, who has thrown seven passes in his short career. The third-stringer, Kurt Benkert, is on the practice squad but was placed on the COVID-19 reserve list on Tuesday. That leaves Love as the lone available quarterback on Green Bay’s roster, at least for now.

Defensive coordinator Joe Barry tested positive last week and also missed the Cardinals game. LaFleur said he’s hopeful that Barry and Adams will both be back at practice Thursday.

Love’s lone regular-season game appearances came when he played the fourth quarter of a 38-3 season-opening loss to New Orleans, and took three kneel-downs at the end of a 35-17 victory over Detroit. LaFleur said Love has been working primarily with the scout team since the start of the season.

LaFleur says he liked the way Love responded to the likelihood of starting Sunday’s game.

“We talk about having that no-flinch mentality and I didn’t see any flinch in him,” LaFleur said. “I think he’s excited about the opportunity. I think he’ll prepare the right way and give it everything he has.”

Love will try to lead his team to victory in his first career start, something Dallas’ Cooper Rush and the New York Jets’ Mike White both did last Sunday. Chiefs coach Andy Reid was quick to point that out Wednesday.

“You just watched this last weekend,” Reid said. “Two quarterbacks came in that hadn’t had an opportunity to play much, if at all, and won games. So, our guys are aware of that. You get yourself ready to play.”

Vaccinated players who test positive are allowed to return after they have two negative tests that are taken at least 24 hours apart. Unvaccinated players who test positive are isolated for at least 10 days.

Rodgers was asked at an Aug. 26 media session whether he had been vaccinated.

“Yeah, I’ve been immunized,” Rodgers replied. “You know, there’s a lot of conversation around it, around the league, and a lot of guys who have made statements and not made statements, owners who have made statements. There’s guys on the team that haven’t been vaccinated. I think it’s a personal decision. I’m not going to judge those guys. There are guys that’ve been vaccinated that have contracted COVID. It’s an interesting issue that I think we’re going to see played out the entire season.”

LaFleur would not comment on Rodgers’ Aug. 26 use of the “immunized” and if it might be seen as misleading if the quarterback was unvaccinated.

“That’s a great question for Aaron,” LaFleur said. “I’m not going to comment on it.”

Jones, whose father died April 6 from of complications from COVID-19, declined comment on Rodgers’ vaccination status. But the Pro Bowl running back added he wouldn’t consider it selfish if a teammate opted against getting vaccinated.

“I don’t think it’s a selfish decision,” Jones said. “I mean, there’s guys across the league who are not vaccinated. And to say that they’re not committed to their team, I think that that’s not true. He’s our leader … he’s 100% committed to this team, just like anybody else is in this locker room.”

Green Bay owns a 3 1/2 -game lead over the Minnesota Vikings (3-4) in the NFC Central, giving the Packers a nice cushion as they deal with their quarterback’s absence.

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It’s all about the fa-la-la at WLIT-FM as the Chicago radio station kicks off its 21st season of holiday music. | stock.adobe.com

It’s a Chicago radio tradition celebrating its 21st consecutive season this year.

We’ve not yet turned back the clocks, but Christmas holiday music is returning like clockwork to WLIT-FM, it was announced Tuesday.

The non-stop extravaganza kicks off at 4 p.m Wednesday at 93.9 F.M. It’s a Chicago radio tradition celebrating its 21st consecutive season this year. The seasonal music will be broadcast through Dec. 31.

As always, the news was made official on air Tuesday as well as via the radio station’s social media accounts. In the official tweet, station personality Melissa Forman and her adorable pup Nola spread the word.

“This year marks our 21st celebration as Chicago’s Christmas music station,” said LITE FM program director Mick Lee in the official statement. “93.9 LITE FM is ready to spread holiday cheer, joy and hope across Chicagoland by playing everyone’s favorite Christmas tunes.”

The question remains, as Forman giddily inquires: What will be this year’s first song?

What do you think it should be? Take our poll and let us know your choice from the 10 listed!

UPDATE 4:05 P.M. Nov. 3: This year’s kick-off song was “All I Want for Christmas” by Mariah Carey.

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Police oversight agency released body-worn camera video showing officer shooting 61-year-old after 911 caller reported Craig was being attacked with a knife by his wife.

Body-worn camera footage showing 61-year-old Michael Craig being fatally shot by a Chicago police officer was released Wednesday by the city’s police oversight agency, along with recordings of police dispatcher calls that show Craig called for help after his wife attacked him with a knife.

Video released by the Civilian Office of Police Accountability shows the officer as he arrives at Craig’s apartment building in the 7700 block of South Carpenter Street in the Gresham neighborhood the morning of Oct. 4.

Craig’s 7-year-old son is waiting outside when the officer arrives, and tells the officer that his mother has a knife and is threatening his father. The video shows the officer walking up the stairs to Craig’s second-floor apartment with a Taser in his right hand. From the stairwell outside the door, the officer announces “Chicago police,” and Craig can be heard yelling back “She got a butcher knife to my neck!”

As the officer prepares to step through the door, Craig’s wife screams and the officer draws his pistol, switching the Taser to his left hand.

He fired the first shot almost immediately after crossing the threshold of the apartment door, as Craig and his wife appear to struggle in a narrow hallway between the kitchen and bathroom. Craig and the woman fall to the floor, and the officer fires a second shot as Craig tries to sit up, as the officer shouts “Stop! Stop! Stop touching her.”

The snapping sound of the Taser can be heard, but it is not clear if the darts struck Craig.

Craig shifts slightly on the floor, sprawled on his side in the doorway beside his wife, a pool of blood growing underneath him. His wife lies a few feet away, limp on the floor as the officer asks if she has been cut. A knife lies on the floor between Craig and his wife.

A second officer, standing behind the officer who shot Craig, asks “Who had the knife?” The officer replies, “He did. He was poking her with it.”

“He was, st-stabbing her with it?” the officer asks.

The officer repeatedly asks the woman where she was cut or if she is hurt, but she gives no response.

Michael Oppenheimer, an attorney who viewed the video with Craig’s family and COPA staff on Tuesday, said it did not appear clear that Craig was holding a knife as the officer opened fire.

“These police officers are woefully undertrained [in] domestic violence. This man called the police, he depended on them to help him, and he wound up dead,” Oppenheimer said Wednesday. “They fired twice — once when they went through the door, and once as he was laying on the floor. There was no sign that he was holding a knife. It was on the floor behind him, closer to her.”

Craig was stabbed “at least” four times, Oppenheimer said, while Craig’s wife was unhurt.

“He was the victim here, and they knew that. They made him a victim again.”

The first call to 911 came from a neighbor who said Craig’s 7-year-son had woken him up with a knock at the door. Craig himself called police and gave a detailed description of the situation officers would encounter when they arrived, according to dispatcher recordings also released by COPA.

Ashlee Rezin/Sun-Times file
Chicago police investigate inside an apartment in the 7700 block of South Carpenter Street after an officer shot and killed a man Oct. 4, 2021, while answering a call of a domestic disturbance in the Gresham neighborhood.

“I need the police over here, my wife’s got a knife on me, on the bed, on my throat… Can we get some officers out here?” Craig told dispatchers.

“My kid is here and he’s scared. … One [kid] here, another is gone to school. She’s got a knife on my neck, I can’t move. If I move she’s gonna kill me. I’ve got the front door open, tell the officers the door is open, my kid is opening the door. Go downstairs so you can let the police in. Go. Do like I said, go downstairs.”

The day after the shooting, Deputy Chief Rahman Muhammad told reporters that officers were dispatched to Craig’s address after getting a call about a “domestic disturbance” between a man and a woman.

“The officers observed a domestic altercation coming from within,” Muhammad said. “The responding officer discharged his service weapon, striking an individual.”

Fire Department officials later confirmed that Craig had died, and that his wife had been taken to a hospital.

Oppenheimer said Craig’s wife was unhurt but was hospitalized for mental health issues. The couple’s 7-year-old son now is living with relatives. Craig’s wife was not among the family members present to watch the video Tuesday at COPA offices, Oppenheimer said.

Craig and his wife had been married for 10 years, and neighbors said police had come to the apartment because of loud fights many times over the years. Craig’s wife was arrested in 2016 after stabbing him, but those charges were dropped, Oppenheimer said. A police report released by COPA states that there were three past incidents of domestic abuse.

In a use-of-force report, in the section listing the “subject’s actions,” the officer checked the boxes for “did not follow verbal directions” and “physical attack with a weapon.”

A Chicago police spokesman did not immediately respond to questions from the Chicago Sun-Times about the officer’s duty status. Department policy is that officers involved in fatal shootings move to administrative duty while a COPA investigation is pending.

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The Hockey Hall of Fame said it covered up the name of former Blackhawks assistant coach Bradley Aldrich on the Stanley Cup. | Charles Rex Arbogast/AP

Aldrich’s name was covered with X’s after Blackhawks owner Rocky Wirtz asked that his name be removed.

The Hockey Hall of Fame has covered the name of an assistant coach engraved on the Stanley Cup after the assistant was accused of sexually assaulting a player during the Blackhawks’ run to the 2010 championship.

Bradley Aldrich’s name was covered with X’s on Sunday, the same day that the names of the 2020-21 champion Tampa Bay Lightning were added to the Cup, according to the Toronto-based Hall.

Blackhawks owner Rocky Wirtz wrote Hall of Fame chairman Lanny McDonald last week to ask for the removal of Aldrich’s name. In the letter, Wirtz said Aldrich’s conduct disqualifies him from being included on the Cup, and the team made a mistake by submitting his name.

“While nothing can undo what he did, leaving his name on the most prestigious trophy in sports seems profoundly wrong,” Wirtz wrote.

Wirtz pointed to the case of Basil Pocklington, the father of the former Edmonton owner who had his name engraved on the trophy after the Oilers won the 1984 title, but then it was covered at the NHL’s request because Basil Pocklington had nothing to do with the team.

A message was left Wednesday seeking comment from the Blackhawks.

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Chicago Park District Board President Avis LaVelle speaks to reporters at a news conference Tuesday at Jesse White Park. | Tyler LaRiviere/Sun-Times

Two of Lightfoot’s closest City Council allies — Scott Waguespack and Michele Smith — don’t buy Park Board President Avis LaVelle’s assertion that she relied on then-Supt. Mike Kelly to tell the truth about the investigation of complaints from two young women.

Pressure mounted Wednesday on Mayor Lori Lightfoot to dump Chicago Park District Board President Avis LaVelle for her “tone deaf” response to the sexual harassment and abuse of lifeguards at the city’s pools and beaches.

Two of Lightfoot’s closest City Council allies — Finance Committee Chairman Scott Waguespack (32nd) and Ethics Chair Michele Smith (43rd ) — said they don’t buy LaVelle’s claim she relied on then-Supt. Mike Kelly to be truthful about steps he was taking to respond to complaints from two young women who were victims of the abuse.

“The inspector general reports directly to her — and only to her. And therefore, she had to have known certain things that were going on during and in the run-up to the investigation,” Smith told the Sun-Times Wednesday.

“The first responsibility as a matter of good governance and lots of experience is to report your findings and do something. And nothing was done. Nothing was shared. That’s her responsibility.”

As for LaVelle’s claim that she had no choice but to trust the reassurances she got from Kelly that he was cleaning up the scandal, Smith said: “She knew that these allegations were there and she took no action. That’s what she did. That alone is enough for her to resign. … She has an ultimate personal responsibility.”

Smith said the jury is still out on whether or not LaVelle also played a behind-the-scenes role in the decision to suspend, then fire Deputy Inspector General Nathan Kipp, who was leading the lifeguard abuse investigation.

Special counsel Valarie Hays found “no evidence” to substantiate Kipp’s claim he was fired to “whitewash” the lifeguard investigation he was leading.

Tyler LaRiviere/Sun-Times
Attorney Valarie Hays speaks to reporters at a news conference on Tuesday at Jesse White Park.

“One gap in the report is that they did not have the charge to look into communications between or among Ms. LaVelle and Ms. Little,” Smith said. “That’s a failing of that report that deserves further investigation because we don’t know … who knew what when. … That will shed light on the termination of Mr. Kipp.”

Waguespack said LaVelle “had a lot more information than she was letting on” during Tuesday’s news conference to release the special counsel’s report and announce the firing of three top executives.

“She was getting reports directly from the OIG. She was managing the IG Elaine Little. She was very well-versed on what was happening,” Waguespack said.

“Yes, you could argue that Mike Kelly didn’t tell her everything. But she had more than enough knowledge to know that the board … should have taken immediate action.”

Kelly was found to have sat on complaints from a teenage lifeguard about physical abuse and sexual harassment on the job. Three of Kelly’s aides were fired Tuesday for breaking Park District rules on reporting sexual misconduct and workplace violence.

Waguespack said when he and Smith met with LaValle shortly before Kelly was ousted, LaVelle characterized the complaints of sexual harassment and abuse as the product of “disenchanted staff and sour grapes,” Waguespack said.

“It was trying to make it sound like it wasn’t as big a deal as the media was making it out to be,” Waguespack said.

“Disrespect for the victims. I was very angry. I realized at that point that this was far more serious than they were letting on.”

In an email to the Sun-Times, LaVelle did not the respond to the mounting pressure for her resignation.

Instead, she wrote that “sour grapes” and “disenchanted former staff” was not a reference to the young women’s allegations, “nor were those assertions made by me.”

“In the meeting between the aldermen, Superintendent Kelly and me, I personally assured the aldermen that the womens’ allegations were taken very seriously and being investigated,” LaVelle wrote.

“I urged the alderman to let the facts as uncovered in the investigation dictate the discipline. I have concurred with every disciplinary recommendation to Park District HR brought forward by the IG’s office as soon as allegations against employees were substantiated.”

When former Chicago Public Schools CEO Barbara Byrd-Bennett was caught stealing from the school district and shaking down a CPS contractor, the entire Board of Education resigned for failing to watch closely enough.

But Waguespack said there are more recent examples with closer parallels to the lifeguard scandal of boards that paid the price for lax oversight.

“The two [scandals] that … they should have learned from because we were all watching it was, first of all the women gymnastics [scandal with Larry] Nassar. And the second one was the National Women’s Soccer League, where two board members resigned immediately because they waiting eight days to respond to an email about women who were being abused,” Waguespack said, noting that Kelly waited six months. –

“This is on the level with those two recent scandals and even the Blackhawks [scandal]. And there is no recognition here that the ultimate level of accountability for her is resignation.”

LaVelle was appointed to the park board by former Mayor Rahm Emanuel and has served as board president since March 2019.

Before that, she served as former Mayor Richard M. Daley first press secretary before moving on to accept a top job in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services during the Clinton administration.

Juanita Irizarry, executive director of Friends of the Parks, said her group has taken no “specific vote” on whether to demand LaVelle’s resignation.

She would only say that Friends of the Parks “doesn’t buy her excuses” for doing nothing.

“There’s been a long history of problems with the level of oversight that this board has had during Mike Kelly’s administration. He has often been dishonest and not transparent. And we have watched this board allow him to go unchecked for a long time, including under Avis LaVelle’s leadership,” Irizarry said.

Contributing: Lauren FitzPatrick

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Former Blackhawks coach Joel Quenneville (left) and former general manager Stan Bowman have tried to deflect blame for the mishandling of Kyle Beach’s allegations. | Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images

Stan Bowman, Joel Quenneville, Kevin Cheveldayoff and Gary Bettman all spreading the blame.

The Blackhawks scandal has created a self-preservation campaign of epic proportions. Lots of people are scurrying to jump off the ship of accountability, their life jackets strapped on and their eyes peeled for the dorsal fins of subpoenas.

Statements have been made, quotes delivered and explanations offered about the Hawks’ horrendous treatment of former prospect Kyle Beach, but allow me to whittle down all the words to a few phrases that sum up their intended meaning:

“This is what I get for counting on other people …”

“Imagine my surprise …”

“What I really meant to say was …”

Former general manager Stan Bowman, former coach Joel Quenneville, former assistant general manager Kevin Cheveldayoff and NHL commissioner Gary Bettman are just some of the people who have offered variations on those themes. What they would really like you to know is that they didn’t know nothin’ about video coach Brad Aldrich’s alleged sexual assault of a 20-year-old Beach in 2010.

Take the recent comments of Cheveldayoff, who is now Winnipeg’s general manager. He, along with then-Hawks team president John McDonough, then-vice president of hockey operations Al MacIsaac, then-executive vice president Jay Blunk, then-mental skills coach James Gary, Bowman and Quenneville, took part in a meeting on May 23, 2010, to discuss the Aldrich matter.

“What I heard in the room, though again not acceptable, was some allegations that in my non-legal mind was along the lines of harassment … and my understanding was it was going to be investigated and dealt with,” Cheveldayoff said in a press conference Tuesday. “Had I known that there was any sexual assault involved, I would like to think that it would have risen to a different level.”

His non-legal mind sure sounds like it’s ready to take the bar exam.

In the middle of what has become a resignation tsunami due to the scandal, Cheveldayoff has managed to keep his job. How? Bettman said Monday that Cheveldayoff “was such a minor player in this” and “had no responsibility for” the Hawks’ dismal response to Beach’s allegations.

Try telling that to Beach.

And try getting Bettman to take responsibility for anything to do with the Aldrich situation. He’ll start his who-knew-what-when spin cycle, and your head will hurt.

When Bowman released a statement about his resignation as Hawks GM on Oct. 26, he wanted everyone to know that the seriousness of Beach’s claims was news to him in 2010.

“Eleven years ago, while serving in my first year as general manager, I was made aware of potential inappropriate behavior by a then-video coach involving a player, ” said Bowman, who might have added, I was such an innocent back then! Did I mention it was my first year as GM? “I promptly reported the matter to the then-President and CEO who committed to handling the matter. I learned this year that the inappropriate behavior involved a serious allegation of sexual assault. I relied on the direction of my superior that he would take appropriate action. Looking back, now knowing he did not handle the matter promptly, I regret assuming he would do so. (Dear lawyers: I have McDonough’s contact info! Signed, Stan.)”

According to the team-led investigation into Beach’s allegations, Quenneville suggested in the 2010 meeting that the matter be tabled while the Blackhawks chased a Stanley Cup, which they eventually won. It wasn’t until three weeks later that Aldrich resigned as video coach. None of that was mentioned in the statement Quenneville released last week explaining his resignation as coach of the Panthers.

“I want to express my sorrow for the pain this young man, Kyle Beach, has suffered,” he said. “My former team, the Blackhawks, failed Kyle, and I own my share of that. I want to reflect on how all of this happened and take the time to educate myself on ensuring hockey spaces are safe for everyone.”

There’s not much to reflect on, if the Jenner & Block report is to be believed. Quenneville said no to doing the right thing in favor of winning hockey games. If he needs time to educate himself on what’s wrong with ignoring a victim of sexual assault and allowing a sexual predator to remain employed by a team, then he’s truly a lost cause. Apparently, the way to ensure that “hockey spaces are safe for everyone” is to ensure that Quenneville isn’t near them.

Blackhawks star Patrick Kane, although not part of the blame-deflection tour, deserves mention for his initial public response to Bowman’s resignation and his subsequent apology. He called Bowman a “great man” who “did a lot for me personally.” There’s not a hearing aid in the world that could have helped his tone deafness.

So, oops!

“I feel bad about the last time I talked,” Kane said Monday. “Obviously, I put my personal experience with management ahead of the way Kyle was treated by them.

“[I] don’t want to diminish or overshadow anything that Kyle went through with our organization. Listen, it takes incredible courage and pride for him to come forward and deal with what he’s dealt with. We’re all thinking about him.”

Teammate Jonathan Toews made a very similar pivot Wednesday.

Count me among the mass of people who would like to hear from McDonough, who ruled over everything and everyone with an iron fist while he was the team president from 2007-20. But I don’t know how much more deflection I can take.

He’ll probably tell us that “mistakes were made.”

Right. And a person was hurt.

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