What’s New

Welcome to our highlights of events and entertainment in Chicago for kids and families to enjoy. Bookmark this page and check back for updates on the latest activities.

Pullman National Monument

Pullman Clock TowerEric Allix Rogers/Historic Pullman Foundation

When: 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Sept. 4, 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Sept. 5

Where: 11001 S. Cottage Grove

What: Labor Day marks the grand opening of the Pullman National Monument site and 12-acre campus. The National Park Service plans an entire weekend of activities for people of all ages. Included are guided tours of the visitor’s center, Hotel Florence and Pullman-built rail cars as well as self-guided walking tours of the site. The National A. Philip Randolph Pullman Porter Museum and the National Park Service host a series of programs featuring songs and stories of the National Parks, railroad and labor songs and more. Admission is free.

More information: For more information on events and COVID-19 vaccination and/or mask policies, visit www.nps.gov/pull/

Fall at the Morton Arboretum

Tails on the TrailsMorton Arboretum

When: To Oct. 31

Where: 4100 Illinois 53, Lisle

What: The arboretum kicks off its fall programming in September with a variety of outdoor events including the dog-friendly Tails on the Trails (Sept. 12), Destination Asia Cultural Festival (Sept. 25), the walking play “A Haunting in Sherwood Forest” (weekends through Oct. 31), the Fall Color 5K Run and Walk (Oct. 2), Cider and Ale Fest (Oct. 23) and more. There is a long list of other activities including wellness programs, family hikes and informational programs. Admission: $8-$16.

More information: For vaccination and/or mask policies, visit mortonarb.org.

Pilsen Fest

Pilsen FestProvided

When: Sept. 5

Where: Blue Island between 18th and 21st

What: Pilsen Fest, celebrating Latinx music and Pilsen’s rich cultural heritage, returns with a two-day event. First up is !Subelo!, a free 18-and-over concert in partnership with the city’s Protect Chicago Music Series, featuring Molotov, Kinky and more from 1-9 p.m. Sept. 4 in Harrison Park, 1824 S. Wood. The next day, the festival returns to the streets of Pilsen with music, food and art. Among the performers are Sammicee, Mariah Colon and Aya Ito; visual artists include painter Alma Dominguez and printmaker Carlos Barberena.

More information: For vaccination and/or mask policies, go to pilsenfestchicago.com

Chicago SummerDance in the Parks

Chicago SummerDance in the Parks.DCASE

When: Aug. 18-Sept. 15

Where: Parks throughout the city

What: Dancers of all ages and skill levels are invited to take part in introductory dance lessons by professional instructors followed by live music and dancing. Lessons begin at 4:30 p.m. followed by dancing from 5:30-7:30 p.m.

More information: chicagosummerdance.org.

Loop Mural Walk

“Make It Good” by Shawnimals on the Loop Mural Walk.Chicago Loop Alliance

When: Through Sept. 6

Where: Online

What: As part of an initiative to encourage people to return to downtown Chicago, the Chicago Loop Alliance has created a free self-guided tour of the colorful artwork tucked into alleys and side streets. A mural guide, which features three different routes of artwork by both well-known and emerging artists, can be accessed on smartphones.

More information: loopchicago.com

Chicago Fireboat Tours

Chicago Fireboat Tours offer great views of Chicago’s waterways.Courtesy Chicago Fireboat Tours

When: Ongoing

Where: DuSable Harbors, 111 N. Lake Shore Dr.

What: Built in 1936, the Fred A. Busse was the largest, diesel-powered fireboat in the world at the time and served the Chicago Fire Department from 1937-1981. The current owners renovated the retired fireboat, which is now in its second season cruising Chicago waterways. Tickets: $35-$40, $19.50 ages 4-12.

More information: fireboattours.com

Adler Planetarium

“Imagine the Moon”Adler Planetarium

When: Ongoing

Where: 1300 S. Lake Shore Dr.

What: The planetarium has partially reopened with a selection of its award-winning sky shows. On weekends in July and August two shows will play twice daily: “Imagine the Moon” (10:30 a.m., 12:15 p.m.) and “Skywatch Live” (11:30 am., 1:15 p.m.). The full museum won’t reopen until March 2022. Tickets: $15.

More information: adlerplanetarium.org

Tempel Lipizzans’ stallions

A Tempel Lippizan stallion performs “Airs Above the Ground.”Courtesy Tempel Lipizzans

When: Through Sept. 5

Where: Tempel Farms, 17000 Wadsworth, Old Mill Creek.

What: The stallions return for a new season of equestrian dressage along with interactive, educational events. Performances feature synchronized movements set to classical music that show off the strength, beauty and intelligence of the Lipizzan horse. Following each event, there are self-guided tours through the stables to meet and pet the equine stars and ask questions of riders and trainers about how the Lipizzans are raised, trained and taught to “dance.” Tickets: $35, $25 for ages 4-14.

More information: tempelfarms.com

‘Par Excellence Redux’

When: “The Front 9” (to Sept. 16) and “The Back Nine” (Oct. 13-Jan. 2)

Where: Tee off at the Elmhurst Art Museum, 150 S. Cottage Hill, Elmhurst

What: A fun new exhibit features a fully playable 18-hole mini-golf course created by more than 20 artists, designers and architects from Chicago and beyond. The family-friendly course pays homage to the School of the Art Institute’s wildly popular 1988 exhibition “Par Excellence.” Course themes range from social justice to the occult and include a fortune-telling hole that has the power to dramatically change scores as well as a hole that challenges players with an optical illusion. Admission is $5-$10 (online timed reservations); children 4 and under free.

More information: elmhurstartmuseum.org

Chicago Children’s Museum

Where: Navy Pier, 700 E. Grand

When: Ongoing

What: Fun and learning are on the agenda at the popular family gathering spot, offering a wide variety of exhibits aimed at improving children’s lives by creating a community where play and learning connect. Babies and toddlers can enjoy “Treehouse Trails” and “Kids Town” while “Tinker Lab” and “Dinosaur Expedition” will enthrall older children. Admission: $19.

More information: chicagochildrensmuseum.org.

‘Becoming Jane’

A new exhibit at the Field Museum, “Becoming Jane: The Evolution of Jane Goodall,” follows her journey from her childhood in England to a career as a passionate scientist studying chimpanzees in Africa. Hugo van Lawick/National Geographic

When: To Sept. 6

Where: Field Museum, 1400 S. Lake Shore Dr.

What: Generations have been inspired by the work of primatologist Dr. Jane Goodall who has not only shown the urgent need to protect chimpanzees but also redefined species conservation to include the needs of local people and the environments. A new exhibit at the Field Museum, “Becoming Jane: The Evolution of Jane Goodall,” follows her journey from a curious young child in England to a passionate scientist studying chimpanzees in Africa. Included in the exhibit are a recreation of her field research tent, a hologram-like projection of Goodall who shares her fieldwork memories, augmented reality activities and a projection of Tanzania’s Gombe Stream National Park.

Tickets: Admission: $18-$32

More information: fieldmuseum.org

‘Hello Helios: The warming suns of Chicago’s Greektown’

Detail view of James Mesple’s Sun and Moon Image featured in the “Hello Helios” exhibit in GreektownCourtesy Greektown Chicago

When: Through spring 2022

Where: Halsted from Monroe to Van Buren

What: Welcome summer with a new outdoor exhibit celebrating the start of summer with 24 artworks inspired by the sun and related mythologies from Greek, Aztec, Yoruba, Japanese and Native American cultures.

More information: greektownchicago.org

Kayak for Conservation

The Shedd Aquarium’s popular “Kayak for Conservation” program.Shedd Aquarium

When: Ongoing

Where: Kayak Chicago: 1220 W LeMoyne,

What: Get close to nature via the Shedd Aquarium’s popular Kayak for Conservation program, which features a variety of socially distant kayaking experiences on the Chicago River. Participants learn about the river’s environmental history and discover wildlife living in its ecosystem. Sessions are open to all levels of kayakers (including newbies) and are led by Shedd’s wildlife conservation experts. The cost is pay-what-you-can ranging from $20-$100 per participant, with a recommended $40, the base cost of the program.

More information: sheddaquarium.org/kayak

‘Take Flight’

The Boeing 747 at “Take Flight.”Museum of Science and Industry

When: Permanent

Where: Museum of Science and Industry, 5700 S. Lake Shore Dr.

What: The MSI’s Boeing 747 reopens with a reimagined exhibit that explores modern aviation and the science of flight. The plane’s interior has been restored and new interactive elements have been added. Tickets: $12.95, $21.95.

More information: msichicago.org

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A 13-year-old boy was fatally shot Wednesday night inside an apartment in Portage Park on the Northwest Side.

About 8:30 p.m., the boy was inside an apartment in the 5200 block of West Byron Street when a male shot him in the chest, Chicago police said.

He was transported to Stroger where he was pronounced dead, police said.

One person was placed into custody at the scene and a weapon was recovered, according to police.

Police sources said the shooting appeared to be domestic related.

Area Five detectives are investigating.

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Three people were arrested Sept. 1, 2021, at a protest demanding justice for Alexis Wilson. | Adobe Stock Photo

Community organizers planned to protest gather outside a meeting held by Dolton Mayor Tiffany Henyard, but said they were blocked by officers guarding the perimeter.

Three people were arrested Wednesday night as a group protested in Dolton to demand justice for Alexis Wilson, the 19-year-old killed by police a month ago in the south suburb.

Community organizers planned to stand outside at meeting held by Dolton Mayor Tiffany Henyard, but said they were stopped short by officers blocking the perimeter.

Groups have previously protested outside Village Board meetings and the mayor’s home to demand the officers who fatally shot Wilson be fired from the department.

Activist Camiella Williams said Wednesday evening officers blocked the group of 15 protesters from getting close to the outdoor meeting.

Wilson was fatally shot by police July 27 near the Baba’s Famous Steak & Lemonade restaurant at Oak and Sibley.

A worker called police and said Wilson was in the drive-thru knocking on the window with a gun, but on surveillance video, it appears to be a long pipe or other object. There is also no mention of a gun on bodycam video from responding officers.

When police arrived, Wilson’s passenger steps out of her vehicle, but she remains behind the wheel, repeatedly telling officers she has no clothes on.

One of the officers appears to then punch Wilson — something the Dolton Police Chief Robert M. Collins Jr has not denied — and she then sped off, allegedly dragging an officer who was getting into the van on the passenger side.

The officer starts shooting at her, and another officer also opened fire. She was pronounced dead at the scene.

Dolton officials have not yet released the names of the officers who fired the fatal shots.

Williams said she and fellow organizers will continue to protest until the officers are off the force.

Three people were arrested Wednesday protesting and charged with interfering with a public meeting, according to Dolton Police Deputy Chief Steve Curry.

Williams said she was also arrested but not booked like the three others.

“I’m going to continue to fight for justice for Alexis,” Williams told the Chicago Sun-Times. “No arrests will deter me from fighting.”

The shooting is being investigated by Illinois State Police, who will not comment on the ongoing case.

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AP Photos

Alzolay’s 106 innings this season are the most he’s thrown as a pro since tossing 126 innings in 2017.

MINNEAPOLIS – The Cubs have been mindful of right-hander Adbert Alzolay’s workload since naming him a starter at the end of spring training, but they haven’t allowed it to hinder him from getting all the experience he could at the major-league level.

But as the season enters its final month and Alzolay gets closer to his workload limit, the team will have him work exclusively out of the bullpen to finish the season. His 106 innings this season are the most he’s thrown as a pro since tossing 126 innings in 2017.

The Cubs’ right-hander was activated from the 10-day injured list before Wednesday’s series finale against the Twins.

“If you look at who he was as a pitcher last year, what he’s become this year is a significantly improved pitcher overall, in terms of what he’s able to do with the baseball,” pitching coach Tommy Hottovy told the Sun-Times.

“Nobody’s career ever transitions the way they want it to all the time. Yeah, there’s guys that do and they get in the starting rotation and they take off and they get it. He’s continued to learn and evolve as the season went on and that’s what I like about him the most.”

Alzolay’s first season in the Cubs’ rotation offered a little bit of everything with several successful moments, including a seven-game stretch where he went at least five innings and allowed three runs or less. However, there were also some downs as he was 4-13 with a 5.16 ERA in 21 starts this season.

“I think the new role is just about trying to let him finish the season,” manager David Ross said Wednesday. “Let’s get him through a 162-game season completely healthy. We’ll monitor it out of the pan as far as like, I’m probably not going to be running him back-to-back days.

“I think he’s had some highs, some lows. If you look at the numbers, I think he would want them to be better, the total overall numbers. But it’s a nice first season and the complete body of 162 and getting through that is a positive.”

The Cubs could have gone a couple of different directions in how they wanted Alzolay’s season to end. But ultimately, the idea of him continuing to get him work while dialing back his innings was what the team’s prefered course of action.

“We knew we were limited on how many innings we had with him,” Hottovy said. “So do we let him get two more starts and just let him go through the motions? Or do we let him have shorter stints and see if we can tick [the stuff] back up. Learn how to use more swing and miss stuff. How we can use the slider a little bit differently or maybe be more aggressive, things like that.”

So what does the 26-year-old right-hander’s September look like? For a pitcher, who had a history of injuries, getting Alzolay through the end of the season healthy is a win. Allowing him to refine some things before going into the offseason with a plan for next season will be an added bonus.

“I think it’s a good opportunity for him to kind of push himself,” Hottovy said. “Push himself going into this point of the season and not just say you’re going to make three or four more starts and that’s it. So yeah, I’m interested to see what it looks like.”

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Bears general manager Ryan Pace is the guy who traded up for Mitch Trubisky, so he’s used to being the target of critics’ arrows. But second-round draft pick Teven Jenkins’ back injury that kept Jenkins out of training camp, necessitated surgery and landed him in injured reserve to start the 2021 season put Pace right back on the spot.

Did Pace take a chance on a player who had a previous back injury that prematurely ended Jenkins’ 2021 college season at Oklahoma State? Maybe there was a reason why Jenkins — a highly rated offensive tackle many predicted to go in the first round — was such a bargain in the second round.

Pace, who traded up from No. 52 to No. 39 overall to pounce on the opportunity to get Jenkins, pushed back against that narrative Wednesday. The back injury that popped up after offseason practices was not related to the one that ended Jenkins’ college season. This was just bad luck.

“We knew everything about his back coming out … everybody knew,” Pace said. “When he showed up for training camp he was experiencing different symptoms than he ever had in college, so we kind of worked through that. We tried to go through all of the natural processes … at the end of the day, it did require a surgery. It was a common surgery.”

As for the notion that Jenkins dropped into the second round because other teams red-flagged him for the back injury … “I’m not sure about that,” Pace said. “When we go through the draft, we not only have our medical information, we share medical information with a lot of teams — and I can tell you a lot of teams felt comfortable with him.”

Pace instead accentuated the positive. “Without getting into details, he started having some pain down his leg — I think just from the nerve,” Pace said. “The good thing about it? As soon as we did [the surgery], those symptoms went away. So we feel good about it. … And the good thing is, guys — just because he had a back surgery doesn’t mean he’s not going to have a good NFL career. We’re excited about the player, excited about where he’s heading. Now we feel we fixed the problem.”

We’ll see how that works out, but you can’t blame Bears fans for being a little bit nervous. Jenkins’ plight is awfully similar to offensive tackle Chris Williams, a 2008 first-round draft pick (14th overall) who suffered a back injury on the first day of training camp and had surgery for a herniated disc that cost him most of his rookie season.

As it turned out, Williams had played through a disc problem at Vanderbilt. But the Bears didn’t consider it a pre-existing condition. Williams started 38 games at right tackle and right guard in the next three seasons, but never lived up to his draft status.

But wait, there’s more. In 2011, first-round pick Gabe Carimi was a Week 1 starter as a rookie but suffered a dislocated right knee in his second game — a repeat of a previous injury. He returned the next season but was never the same and was traded to the Buccaneers for a sixth-round draft pick.

And in 2002, first-round pick Mark Colombo was starting his fifth game at left tackle as a rookie when he suffered a dislocated knee cap that included nerve damage. Colombo missed most of the next two seasons because of complications and was cut in 2005. In yet another unkind cut to Halas Hall, Colombo amazingly recovered after the Bears let him go — he started 88-of-96 games over the next five seasons with the Cowboys and Dolphins.

Compared to those dreadful Bears stories, anything Jenkins does at this point is almost found money. Pace effusively praised the players next in line at left tackle — 39-year-old, nine-time Pro Bowler Jason Peters (“It’s exciting … a savvy vet that’s moving well.”) and fifth-round rookie Larry Borom (“He probably has exceeded expectations a little bit.”).

Pace is still hopeful that Jenkins can play this season. But, considering the history, Bears fans will have to see it to believe it.

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Another failure for renewable power in Illinois cannot be an option.

Early Wednesday, the state Senate passed a bill for clean energy that could put Illinois among the nation’s leaders. But it is missing a critical component: a timeline for reducing emissions from municipal-owned coal plants before they are closed for good along with natural gas-fired plants in 2045.

The House will have a chance to fix that. It should do so, and send the bill back to the Senate, which should concur with the House. The future of the planet depends on lawmakers and others in positions of influence reducing greenhouse gases, which trigger the climate change that already is ravaging the planet.

This is not a time when business interests or concerns about preserving every last job in the fossil fuel industry should take precedence. As a state and nation, we finally must get serious about combating climate change and not bequeathing an environmental disaster to our children and grandchildren. We don’t have time for political deals that put other interests first.

That said, there is in fact much to like in the Senate’s bill.

It eliminates fossil fuels from the power sector by 2045. That is a huge step toward fixing one of largest existential problems facing Illinois. The downstate Prairie State coal-power plant southeast of St. Louis is the nation’s seventh-biggest emitter of carbon pollution.
It nurtures renewable power by requiring that 40% of the state’s power come from renewable sources, such as solar and wind, by 2030 and 50% by 2040.
It supports – at a level no other state will do — jobs and a chance to start companies for people from disadvantaged communities in such clean energy areas as installing electric vehicle charging stations, building rooftop solar projects and retrofitting buildings to be more energy efficient.
It includes an energy code communities can adopt that reduces carbon emissions from buildings.
It aims to put 1 million electric vehicles on the roads.
It encourages large vehicles such as buses and delivery trucks to go electric to improve air quality in environmental justice communities.
Unlike laws in some other states that proclaim lofty goals without explaining how to achieve them, the 980-page Senate bill spells out how the state plans to meet its objectives.

If it feels we have been close to a deal on clean energy legislation before, only to see deadlines slip by without action, it’s because that is what has happened over the past 31/2 years of work, which was started by the Illinois Clean Jobs Coalition. And there are challenges this time as well. The bill must pass with super-majorities in both chambers.

Fortunately, only a quorum of senators and representatives have to be in Springfield to vote. Others can vote remotely, which gives the bill a better chance of getting the elusive 36 votes needed in the Senate and 71 needed in the House despite possible opposition from some downstate Democrats and most Republicans.

But lawmakers must act with due dispatch. Exelon says it will start closing nuclear power plants on Sept. 13 unless legislation is enacted, and the nuclear plants are needed to provide reliable, zero-carbon energy while the state ramps up renewable energy. Because of such constitutional requirements as reading a bill on three separate days, there is little time for delay.

In one of those arcane legislative twists, the Senate used one of its own bills as a vehicle instead of one the House sent over. That suggests the Senate is inviting the House to fix the bill and send it back. If the House does so, the Senate can vote only yes or no, without any new amendments. If the House does send a corrected bill back, it’s hard to see the Senate killing it.

On Wednesday, clean energy supporters voiced cautious optimism, while saying outstanding issues must be resolved. The Path to 100 coalition called it “the strongest clean energy, pro-climate legislation in the country.” The Sierra Club Illinois said it represents “real progress toward a comprehensive climate and equity bill that delivers the future we want for Illinois and our planet.”

Because the Legislature acted too late to seize a chance to offset the costs of the energy bill, it will raise the average residential monthly electric rates by $3.51 a month. But if the Legislature acts quickly now, it can at least protect most of a $300 million kitty set aside to fund solar rooftop projects, which is being returned to ratepayers at a rate of $1 million a day, starting Wednesday.

We can’t say it strongly enough. Fix, and enact, this bill.

Send letters to [email protected].

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NEW YORK — One of R. Kelly’s accusers testified on Wednesday that he kept a gun by his side while he berated her as a prelude to forcing her to give him oral sex in a Los Angeles music studio.

“He had a weapon, so I wasn’t going to step out of line,” the witness said while recounting the 2018 episode at the R&B singer’s New York City trial.

Later in the day, the jury also heard brief testimony from a pastor who secretly wed Kelly and budding musical artist Aaliyah when she was 15 years old. He described publicly for the first time how they wore matching “jogging suits” — each with one pant leg pulled up — for a 10-minute ceremony at a Chicago-area hotel.

The previous witness said that at the time she spotted Kelly with a gun, he demanded to know, “How many men have you seen naked?” He also instructed her to act “excited like a puppy” whenever she saw him, adding, “I still have a lot to teach you.”

She testified the last time she saw Kelly at a New York City hotel suite, she resisted having sex with him. She said he responded by warning her not to defy him, saying, “I’m a f—ing legend.”

Kelly’s alleged intimidation tactics were all part of an abusive sexual relationship that started when the woman was 19 and resulted in her getting herpes from him, she said. After she filed police reports and sued him for failing to disclose an STD, he and his supporters threatened that they would release nude photos and other compromising material about her if she persisted with her allegations, she said.

The woman testified while only using her first name to protect her privacy.

The pastor, Nathan Edmond, testified he was recruited to marry Kelly and Aaliyah in 1994 as a favor for a friend after he was shown a marriage license claiming she was 18. He said he didn’t recognize the groom or the bride, who was wearing her hair down over her face.

“I didn’t know it was anyone special,” Edmond said.

Prosecutors say Kelly wanted to use the marriage, which was later annulled, to shield himself from criminal charges related to having sex with a minor and to prevent her from testifying against him.

Aaliyah, whose full name was Aaliyah Dana Haughton, worked with Kelly, who wrote and produced her 1994 debut album, “Age Ain’t Nothing But A Number.” She died in a plane crash in 2001 at age 22.

Kelly, 54, has repeatedly denied accusations that he preyed on victims during a 30-year career. His lawyers have portrayed his accusers as groupies who are lying about their relationships with him.

The trial has so far featured a steady stream of accusers claiming Kelly began sexually degrading them when they were still in their teens. They said he used his stardom to lure them into an insular world where he watched their every move and doled out perverse punishments, spanking them and isolating them in hotel rooms if they broke a vow to never speak about him to anyone else.

Kelly’s personal physician has also testified, saying he treated him for herpes for several years.

The trial is unfolding under coronavirus precautions restricting the press and the public to overflow courtrooms with video feeds. That’s made it difficult to discern the reactions of Kelly, who has been jailed since his federal indictment was announced in 2019.

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A Gold Coast hotel has gotten what an influential alderman called a “weak slap on the wrist” — a $10,000 fine and a pledge to implement a “nuisance abatement plan” — after its patrons were accused of committing criminal acts at the hotel, its parking facility and adjacent property.

Downtown Ald. Brendan Reilly (42nd) said the settlement agreement that allows the Eurostars Magnificent Mile Hotel to continue operating is an insult, considering the severity and duration of the violations at the hotel, 660 N. State St.

That includes 16 allegations of criminal conduct by hotel patrons beginning last fall and continuing until early March this year. Among those allegations: armed robbery, criminal sexual assault, aggravated domestic battery, narcotics possession and numerous instances of unlawful use of weapons and failing to report lost firearms.

Under the abatement plan, the hotel will: install a video surveillance system and alarms on stairwells and emergency exits; block access to the elevator from the ground floor; and limit elevator access to people with room keys.

Guests will be required to sign and abide by a “no-gun and no-party policy.” They also can’t pay for their room in cash — a credit card with an embedded computer chip will be required. Also, balconies must be made inaccessible to guests.

The hotel also must monitor noise levels and outdoor premises; close the doors to the outdoor patio after 7 p.m. when music is playing; and prohibit live or amplified music. Also, the outdoor patio at the hotel’s 26th floor lounge will “cease operation” at 11 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and at midnight on Friday and Saturday.

“I’m not satisfied at all,” Reilly wrote in a text message to the Sun-Times. “I think $10K is a weak slap on the wrist for the hotel, considering it’s been a constant source of problems for the neighborhood over the past 18 months.”

Noting that, “I don’t sign off on these things,” Reilly added: “I would’ve preferred a lengthy license suspension or a revocation to send the message that irresponsible hotel license holders will be held accountable and penalties will be stiff. It’s a disappointing outcome and I’m as disappointed as my constituents are.”

The settlement was announced at Wednesday’s virtual meeting of the Mayor’s License Disciplinary Commission.

Chris Leach, an attorney representing the hotel, and Patricia Cereijo, the hotel’s general manager, could not be reached for comment.

In a newsletter to his constituents previewing the hearing, Reilly said the city conducted “eleven task force inspections” at the hotel over a one-year period.

He pointed to “numerous reports” of large gatherings, guests throwing bottles from and lighting fires on balconies and a River North traffic stop that culminated in the arrest of six people for handgun possession. All were guests at the Eurostars Magnificent Mile, Reilly said.

Last fall, Reilly warned that Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s decision to close restaurants and bars to indoor patrons had driven partiers underground.

Reilly argued then that “lots of kids” were taking advantage of “cheap” rates at Chicago hotels and Airbnb properties to hold parties that could become “super-spreader” events.

“A few hotels have turned this into a business model,” the alderman said then.

Michael Jacobson, president and CEO of the Illinois Hotel & Lodging Association, responded to Reilly’s complaints by saying his members are doing all they could to rein in partygoers.

“We have to be very careful around discriminating in any way. If they’re above the age required to check in, we can’t say, ‘You carry certain tendencies that make us think you might party, so we’re not letting you check in,'” Jacobson said.

“If you call from a room and say, ‘There’s a loud noise next to me. I think there’s a party going on,’ the hotel immediately sends security up there to investigate and kick the people out if it is, indeed, a party. I don’t think it’s happening as much as [Reilly] necessarily says. But it is happening, don’t get me wrong. And as soon as a hotel finds out about it, they kick out that party.”

At the time, Jacobson pointed to “instances of crime and violence outside” Chicago hotels as evidence of the security crackdown inside.

“Once we’ve evicted a group out of a hotel and put them on the street, there’s fights that happen in front of the hotel,” he said.

“Of course, the headline reads that violence has happened outside of that particular hotel. But that was a result of us actually kicking that group out. We can’t escort them home afterwards.”

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Cristiano Ronaldo missed a penalty but still broke the men’s international scoring record before adding a second goal as Portugal beat visiting Ireland 2-1 in World Cup qualifying on Wednesday.

Ronaldo grabbed his 110th goal in the 89th minute to move ahead of former Iran striker Ali Daei.

Six minutes into stoppage time, Ronaldo made it it 111 in 180 games to break Irish hearts after defender John Egan gave his nation the lead in the 45th.

But Ronaldo, who has returned to join Manchester United, is still 76 goals behind the game’s most prolific international scorer. Christine Sinclair, who is 38 years old, scored her 187th goal for Canada last month at the Tokyo Olympics.

Ronaldo’s night had been frustrating up until the late heroics.

His 15th-minute spot kick was well saved by goalkeeper Gavin Bazunu, who was just 2 years old when Ronaldo scored his first for Portugal as a skinny winger at the 2004 European Championship.

Ronaldo’s only title with Portugal came at Euro 2016.

Although he was the top scorer at this year’s European Championship with five goals in four games, his team’s title defense ended in the round of 16.

So did France’s bid.

Coach Didier Deschamps vowed his side would hit back strongly.

But Les Bleus had to settle for a comeback 1-1 draw at home against Bosnia and Herzegovina thanks to Antoine Griezmann’s 39th international goal.

France had defender Jules Kounde sent off in the 50th for protesting to the referee after he was cautioned for fouling Sead Kolasinac.

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Every morning, Raji Vela rolls out of bed, then heads down the block to water a newly planted garden. It’s a therapeutic job, one that gives him time to meditate and reflect on the day ahead.

Vela started watering the garden in the mornings and evenings three weeks ago, after artist Theaster Gates reached out and asked for his help. Vela’s garden is part of a much larger project Gates has been working on for years: Kenwood Gardens.

Over the course of six years, Gates and his teams at his art studio and at the Rebuild Foundation bought 13 contiguous vacant lots in the 6900 block of South Kenwood Avenue. Gates said he wanted to create “an opportunity to produce additional beauty” in the Greater Grand Crossing neighborhood.

The gardens, which run along the Metra Electric tracks just east of Oak Woods Cemetery, create the illusion of being on a prairie in the middle of the city.

Artist and Rebuild Foundation’s founder Theaster Gates at Kenwood Gardens, 6929 S. Kenwood Ave., on Wednesday. The vacant lot is being turned into a space intended for food, art, music and performance.Ashlee Rezin/Sun-Times

“It looks like it’s in some other kind of time zone and it feels quite rural,” Gates said.

On Thursday, Kenwood Gardens is scheduled to officially open to the public.

The gardens are intended to serve as an oasis and meeting space for artists and residents from all over the South Side. In addition to the gardens, Gates and his teams have established a new arts incubator at the formerly abandoned St. Laurence School, 1353 E. 72nd St.

Residencies with a monthly stipend will be offered to eight to 10 South Side artists. Alongside those artists-in-residence, there’s room for up to 150 other people to work on their own creative endeavors in the building.

Artist workshops, tutorials, and critiques will be held at the incubator. Gates called it “grad school for emerging artists.”

The seemingly different projects both highlight “the ability that Black and Brown people have to help determine the futures of the neighborhoods and the spaces where they live,” Gates explained.

“The first goal is to demonstrate that Black space is not vacant. It is not abandoned,” he continued. “It may need care, but, once cared for, Black space is the hottest space in the city.”

The former St. Laurence School, 1353 E. 72nd St. in Greater Grand Crossing, is being turned into an arts incubator.Ashlee Rezin/Sun-Times

And, he added, the projects remove the stigma of vacancy. The gardens are across from the Dorchester Community Gardens.

“You don’t have to go up north to find beauty when it’s right here in your backyard,” Vela said.

He added that the repurposed spaces offer relief from the vacantness that has plagued his neighborhood for so long.

“For the last 20 years … there have been vacant lots, with rules and restrictions and that’s why Black and Brown individuals aren’t able to obtain (lots) easily,” he said.

Community transformations like Kenwood Gardens can spread hope throughout the neighborhood for the next decade, Vela said.

“It will provide what the community needs, which is space, opportunity, cultivation and therapy,” he said.

Gates plans to have the gardens open year-round, with winter activities soon available. The incubator’s first class of artists-in-residence is invitation-only, and will start next fall.

Cheyanne M. Daniels is a staff reporter at the Chicago Sun-Times via Report for America, a not-for-profit journalism program that aims to bolster the paper’s coverage of communities on the South and West sides.

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