I’m from Highland Park.

Yeah, my time there wasn’t my happiest. My high school years were filled with angst, insecurity and immaturity. As I found out later, I wasn’t the only one. Far from it. Damn, I wish I knew that then. Still my life was full of privilege growing up in that community. I also wish I knew that then.

While I haven’t lived in Highland Park for more than five decades, I spend plenty of time there now. Between grocery shopping, eating at their restaurants or seeing a concert at Ravinia, I’m in H.P. almost every week of the year. I feel a part of their community.

I also belong to a few Highland Park Facebook groups. This morning, someone posted the above photo. This is the original Stash’s, which was a hot dog stand in Highland Park’s downtown area. Great dogs and French fries. The fries came in a small brown paper bag with the grease dripping out of the bottom. DELICIOUS!!

More than fifty years later, I can remember this clearly. The memories help bring a touch of peace and calmness after the events of yesterday. I know it doesn’t change a thing. We’re mourning the six who senselessly died yesterday. Our thoughts and prayers go out to the twenty-plus who were injured. This will continue for a long time to come. But, the memory of a hot dog stand from long ago, brings a smile on a day filled with tears. On July 5, 2020, in Highland Park, Illinois, a quick smile is a much needed thing.

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Bird’s eye view of the construction site of the future Barack Obama Presidential Center along 6100 South Stony Island Avenue in Chicago on Sept. 28, 2021.  (Antonio Perez / Chicago Tribune)

Federal appeals court refuses to halt Obama Center construction in historic Jackson Park.

The U.S. Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals has turned aside the latest effort by Friends of the Parks to stop construction of the Obama Presidential Center in leafy and historic Jackson Park on Chicago’s South Side.

Friends of the Parks has been fighting a valiant legal campaign since 2016 to stop the “wanton” destruction of some 800 trees and the uprooting of 19 acres to build the monstrous 21-story center that will destroy the ambience of the revered park whose origins date back to the 1993 Columbian World’s Fair.

The decision, handed down on July 1, apparently escaped the attention of the Chicago media that have lost their guts to report the news in obeisance to the Obama mystic.

It didn’t escape the attention of the Cook County Record, which reported fully today (July 5) on the decision.

The Friends had argued that the federal government failed follow regulations that required an assessment of its environmental, locational, transportation impacts.

A protest sign reading “Stop cutting down trees. Move OPC.” is towed by an airplane near the site for the official groundbreaking of the Obama Presidential Center in Chicago’s Jackson Park on Sept. 28, 2021. (Terrence Antonio James / Chicago Tribune)

The appeals court surprisingly ruled that in assessing the suitability of the site the feds had no responsibility to find a better one. I could be wrong, but as a transportation reporter for two Chicago dailies, I recall that alternative sites for such major projects had to be routinely evaluated.

An aerial view of the proposed site for the Obama Presidential Center in Jackson Park on May 13, 2020. (Zbigniew Bzdak/Chicago Tribune)

Well, I guess the judges know the law better than I do. But the fact remains that the Center’s construction already is devastating the park. Just wait for the hulking, 21-story to rise far above the trees that are left and the destruction of the park’s human scale. “How the hell did that happen,” fair minded park visitors will wonder. Not wondering are the mainline Chicago environmental groups who apparently forgot the history in which one “tree hugger” went so far as to chain herself to a Jackson Park tree to save the trees.

So now, with liberals backing off of their traditional goals, it is up to a conservative (me) to oppose the Center. Pathetic.

By the way, Diane Wood, who wrote the opinion deep sixing the opposition to the Center, was appointed by Democratic President Bill Clinton. In concurrence was Judge David Hamilton, who was President Obama’s first judicial nominee. Not that it matters. Incidentally, the third judge on the panel, Michael Kanne, was appointed by President Ronald Reagan. Not that it matters. He did not participate in the decision because he died in June.

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As a small business owner, planning your move to a new office is essential. The last thing you want to do is assume you can do everything the day of. On the day of the move, everyone will be stressing about what they’re supposed to pack and making sure they don’t forget anything. Discovering what steps to take can help ensure your move goes as smoothly as possible.

What should you remember when moving to a new office? Here are eight tips your small business can use to plan your transition.

1. Talk With Your New Landlord About Moving Times

Your new building’s owner might have specific times when they would prefer you move in. Some might want you to only bring things in during or after business hours. Others could enforce rules about what kinds of appliances they allow in the space. Check with them about any restrictions they may have before you move.

2. Pick a Moving Manager 

Someone should be in charge of making sure everyone does what they’re supposed to. Whether it’s you or another employee, delegating someone as the moving manager can make packing efficient. Just make sure the person in charge knows everything that needs to come with you in the move. If an employee has experience in small business relocation, they will be a big help.

3. Measure Your New Space

The things you’re planning on bringing might be too big for your new office. To avoid packing things you’ll end up throwing out, take measurements before you plan what you’re going to take. It could make a big difference in your moving arrangements. If you go back and see that certain tables or appliances won’t fit where you originally had them, it could create some different layout ideas or give you an idea of what not to take.

4. Figure Out What Needs to Move

If you’ve been renting your current office space, it might have come with a few supplies. The landlord likely wants to keep these, so ensure you know what can go with you in the move. Organize things by what you want to take, items that should stay and ones you can throw out. Some places also take office-supply donations, so find one near you if you have a lot that can go to a new space.

5. Gather Moving Supplies

You’ll want to get everything you need to make the move together once you’ve created a plan of action. Take stock of the items you’re taking with you and judge how many boxes and packaging supplies you’ll need. Additionally, you’ll need to decide if there are few enough things that you can use a few cars or if renting a moving truck is in order. From there, check and see if you need cargo control tools to keep everything in place.

6. Find Safe Ways to Move Electronics

Businesses that rely on their technology should do their best to protect it during the transition. You should wrap computers and monitors in something that absorbs shock, like bubble wrap or a few layers of soft blankets. If you have an IT team, let them know when the move is going to be so they can start the process of disconnecting everything securely. They may also have some helpful ideas for how to pack everything effectively.

7. Let Employees Know What to Pack

The people working for you will likely be a part of your business’s move to a new office. When packing their desks, ensure they know what they’ll need to take and if anything should stay. Consider creating a list so they can follow the moving instructions accurately. You should give them a few hours during the day to pack up and do check-ins so you can make sure everything they need is going with them.

8. Update Your Address

In the hustle and bustle of moving, you might forget to change your business’s address online and on your business permit. Along with updating your customers and collaborators, there are some official changes you need to do as well. Make sure you know who you need to tell legally so you can keep everything in order — this will save you a lot of confusion and headaches.

Follow These Pointers When Moving to a New Office

As your small business is transitioning to a new office, you need to make a plan in order to keep the move efficient. You want to make sure everything gets there safe and sound as well. Using these ideas can help you get where you need to go efficiently.

Narciso Crook (photo by Dylan Heuer)

AAA

Indianapolis 5, Iowa 4 (10 Innings)

Top Performers

Narciso Crook: 2-5, HR (10), R, 2 RBI (.272)Tyler Payne: 2-4 (.350)Erick Castillo: 2-4 (.291)Dixon Machado: 2-5, R (.288)Jackson Frazier: 1-3, RBI, BB (.195)Javier Assad: 4.1 IP, 8 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 2 K (4.15)Wyatt Short: 2 IP, 3 H, 0 R, BB, 3 K (5.11)Brendon Little: 1.2 IP, H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K (6.08)

AA

Tennessee 9, Birmingham 5

Game Recap

Up 3-2 heading into the 8th, Tennessee batted around, and broke the game open with six insurance runs.

Top Performers

Alexander Canario: 3-4, 2 2B, R, RBI, BB, CS (3) (.222)Yonathan Perlaza: 1-3, 2B, R, 2 RBI, 2 BB (.238)Matt Mervis: 2-4, 2B, R, 2 RBI, HBP (.305)Luis Vazquez: 1-3, 2 R, RBI, BB, CS (6) (.212)Brandon Leibrandt: 3 IP, 0 H, 0 R, BB, 6 K (3.31)

High-A

Wisconsin 9, South Bend 1

Game Recap

Drew Smyly threw three scoreless innings on his rehab assignment before Wisconsin got to him for three runs in the 4th.

Top Performers

Luis Verdugo: 2-4, 2B, HR, R, RBI (.272)Jake Washer: 2-3, BB (.288)Yohendrick Pinango: 2-4 (.266)Drew Smyly: 4 IP, 4 H, 3 R, 0 BB, 6 KMichael McAvene: 1.1 IP, H, 0 R, BB, 2 K (3.86)

Low-A

Columbia 9, Myrtle Beach 8 (10 Innings)

Top Performers

Josue Huma: 3-5, 2B, 2 R, RBI, BB (.328)Juan Mora: 2-4, 2 R, RBI, 2 BB (.267)Kevin Alcantara: 2-6, R, 3 RBI (.269)Armando Rivero: 2-4, 2 R, RBI, BB (.353)Ezequiel Pagan: 1-4, BB, SB (9) (.287)Tanner Jesson-Dalton: 2 IP, H, 0 R, BB, 3 K (3.38)

ACL

White Sox 8, Cubs 2

DSL

Marlins 5, Cubs Blue 0

Pirates 5, Cubs Red 3

If we learned anything from the Supreme Court’s June 24, 2022 release of their decision to overturn the 49-year precedent of Roe v Wade, it’s that one woman’s day of infamy is another woman’s reason to celebrate.

While the 6-3 decision brought out pro-choice defenders in droves, there were still plenty of so-called pro-life juggernauts out to greet them.

Franklin Delano Roosevelt famously said, Yesterday, December 7, 1941—a date which will live in infamy—the United States of America was suddenly and deliberately attacked by the naval and air forces of the Empire of Japan.

On December 7, 2021, President Joe Biden signed Public Law 103-308 declaring every December 7th to be National Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day.

For most Americans, December 7 is, indeed a day to live on in infamy. For Japanese Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto, it was a date of internal conflict. In his diary, Admiral Yamamoto, who planned the attack on Pearl Harbor, said, I fear all we have done is to awaken a sleeping giant and fill him with a terrible resolve.

While enthusiastically favoring a war with America, Yamamoto knew that a prolonged war with the blossoming industrial nation would be disastrous for Japan.

Yamamoto never saw his fears realized, as he was shot down in April of 1943 on a flight from Rabaul to Balalae over the Pacific Ocean.

On the other side of the world, Brits may have slyly smirked as news of the Pearl Harbor attack reached their shores. They had already been reeling from Hitler’s Blitz air attacks for more than a year and were probably more than a little relieved that America would be pushed into active participation in the war now engulfing Europe.

Japanese-Americans may remember the day their families were rounded up and shipped off to internment camps as days of infamy. For Japanese nationals, August 6, 1945, the day that the United States unleashed the first nuclear weapon on Hiroshima is, understandably a day to live on in infamy.

Same with August 9, 1945, when nuclear destruction rained down on Nagasaki. September 2, 1945, the date of Japan’s official surrender still lives in infamy for many Japanese.

Franklin D. Roosevelt declared war on Japan and Harry S. Truman attacked them with nuclear destruction. Between the two, there are plenty of days living on in infamy.

For many of us, the dates September 11 (2001), January 6 (2021) and June 24 (2022) are all dates we can readily add. And now, July 4 (2022) for residents of Chicago suburb, Highland Park, Illinois.

As we have seen though, we don’t all share the same feelings about those dates. Right wing Breitbart has already begun attacking Highland Park for an ineffectual assault weapon ban.

Some think the entire past term of our rogue SCOTUS will live in infamy. Protections and rights were stripped away with abandon, like old wallpaper. Women, children and minorities of all description were cast aside and left to fend for themselves, often against helmeted citizens carrying weapons of war.

Even the planet, itself was not spared the effects of hyper-partisan, lobbyist interference. The party without a platform assaulted relentlessly, hammering away at the most vulnerable in our society.

Well, drink up folks. We’ve got from now until October to drown our sorrows and steel ourselves for the Court’s next term, which will undoubtedly continue to scorch the soul of our nation and strengthen the grip of religious rule in America.

Welcome to the age of the American Taliban.

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