Every night man wakes up girlfriend to grouse about the snoring or the machine she’s using to control it.

DEAR ABBY: I’m divorced and dating a man who is 10 years younger. We live together and pretty much have a great relationship. About a year ago, he told me he was losing sleep because of my heavy snoring. I was put on CPAP and use the machine several nights a week. Well, sometimes the air hose may leak and cause a sound, or the mask makes my face sore. I’ve switched several styles, but nothing helped, so I don’t always use it.

Anyway, my nightly torture is him fussing and carrying on about my snoring and/or the CPAP. He is constantly waking me up, shouting at me because it isn’t covering my face properly or, God forbid, I fall asleep before putting it on.

Abby, this has me so frustrated that it’s affecting my entire day, as he says I am affecting his. We have talked about separating because of it. I suggested he get earplugs. He refuses, but continues to torture me almost nightly about the snoring or even during the day if I fall asleep watching TV. I’m beginning to take all this very personally. I feel like I’m too old and sickly for him. He simply can’t accept that I can’t help it. What should I do? — NOISY IN GEORGIA

DEAR NOISY: The first thing you should do is talk to the doctor who prescribed the CPAP because there may be an alternative device that will work for you. The second thing you need to accept is that sleep apnea (which you call snoring) could KILL you if you continue refusing to do something about your very real problem. When people are sleep deprived, they are not at their best, to put it mildly, which may be why your partner is losing his temper.

If you use the CPAP, separate bedrooms may be a solution for HIM. But please check with your physician — and possibly a sleep disorder specialist — about other devices or therapies that might be a better option for you.

DEAR ABBY: I met a senior gentleman (my age) on a dating site. I thought our first date was pretty successful. After dinner, he asked me if I wanted to go and watch some fireworks, so I saw some potential in that. We laughed, communicated well and agreed we had lots to share.

I assumed a text or phone call would be forthcoming. Am I too old school in thinking the man makes the first move? Well, he finally called — four days later — but only to say he isn’t looking for a serious relationship, but would like to see me occasionally. Does that mean I must sit around and wait for the occasion? I am not sure what “occasionally” means these days. — OCCASIONALLY IN MASSACHUSETTS

DEAR OCCASIONALLY: “Occasionally” means when this senior gentleman feels like it. Do NOT sit around waiting! Proceed with your social life. If you feel like accepting his invitation when he calls, go ahead and enjoy his company. But do not count on him for anything.

DEAR READERS: Tonight is Halloween. I hope that any celebrating you do is creative, fun and safe for everyone involved. Happy Halloween! — LOVE, ABBY

Dear Abby is written by Abigail Van Buren, also known as Jeanne Phillips, and was founded by her mother, Pauline Phillips. Contact Dear Abby at www.DearAbby.com or P.O. Box 69440, Los Angeles, CA 90069.

For an excellent guide to becoming a better conversationalist and a more sociable person, order “How to Be Popular.” Send your name and mailing address, plus check or money order for $8 (U.S. funds), to: Dear Abby, Popularity Booklet, P.O. Box 447, Mount Morris, IL 61054-0447. (Shipping and handling are included in the price.)

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Blackhawks coach Jeremy Colliton’s future security is unclear. | AP Photos

With his biggest supporter having resigned and his team struggling on the ice, Colliton’s future as the Hawks’ coach is uncertain.

ST. LOUIS — Until last week, Jeremy Colliton was all but a singular unit with general manager Stan Bowman for the entirety of his Blackhawks coaching tenure.

Bowman handpicked Colliton to replace Joel Quenneville in 2018, conferred with him closely on most of his personnel decisions and stood loyally behind him through every low point.

But after Bowman’s resignation last week — following the Jenner & Block investigation’s confirmation that he helped cover up the 2010 sexual assault of Kyle Beach — Colliton has been left in limbo.

The young coach was playing in Sweden in 2010, nowhere near Chicago and the tragic decisions that occurred at the time, so he’s clear on the moral front. But even as that dark cloud hangs over — and largely renders irrelevant — the Hawks’ on-ice struggles, Colliton at least must be held accountable for his team’s awful performance so far.

It’s unclear, given the enormous turnover in the Hawks’ front office in recent years, whether anyone is currently in position to do that. But if anyone is, it’s interim GM Kyle Davidson.

Colliton’s relationship with Davidson isn’t anywhere nearly as developed as it was with Bowman, but they do have some familiarity to build on. Colliton insists they’re on the ”same page” about the Hawks’ plan.

”Just like working with Stan, Kyle and I are talking multiple times a day about the team and how we’re going to get better,” Colliton said Saturday. ”That’s an ongoing thing. Kyle was involved in a lot of those conversations before. No one’s happy with where we’re at, and we have to turn this around.”

In the long run, the Hawks’ GM shift from Bowman to Davidson to a potential permanent replacement will leave Colliton’s job security on thin ice.

Bowman, after all, was as faithful and devoted to Colliton as anyone could be. The same can’t be said for Davidson, whose viewpoints are complete mysteries right now, or a hypothetical future GM. One could argue many GMs already would have fired Colliton after three losing seasons and a disastrous start to his fourth, and there’s a very real chance Davidson and/or the future GM would agree with that.

In the short term, however, the Hawks’ GM shift probably buys Colliton a little more time.

The Jenner & Block investigation represented a tornado roaring through and decimating the front office. The Hawks likely will make cleaning up that mess, rather than creating an hole to fill behind the bench, their first priority.

In the meantime, Colliton has continued harping on some of his common emphases this season — defensemen pinching less aggressively, one forward staying high in the zone to limit counterattacks, etc. — and hoping they eventually start clicking.

”We all have to be better,” he said before the game Saturday against the Blues. ”We have to have the mindset we’re prepared to win 1-0. . . . Make it hard on them to create chances. Make it hard on them to create offense.”

He also is using his head-coaching role to reflect on improving hockey culture in the wake of the sexual-assault fallout. By doing that alone, he’s proving himself at least more deserving of his position than Bowman was.

”What I’ve been thinking about is the victims — Kyle [Beach], in particular — and his courage coming forward and what he’s been through,” Colliton said Friday.

”And as far as my own situation . . . those of us in leadership positions, we have to do a better job of taking responsibility to the people we’re serving and creating an environment where they feel like they can come to us with things and that they know we have their best interest at heart.

”That’s what we have to do. That’s what we have to learn from. And we’ve got to deliver.”

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The Chicago Bears aren’t a good football team. Every now and again, they fool us into thinking they are doing something good but it never lasts long. A large reason for that is because they have Matt Nagy as their head coach and he is not good at his job. He isn’t going to be […] Chicago Bears: Playing without Matt Nagy shouldn’t be to spooky – Da Windy City – Da Windy City – A Chicago Sports Site – Bears, Bulls, Cubs, White Sox, Blackhawks, Fighting Illini & MoreRead More

Four people were killed and two teens were among 12 wounded in citywide shootings since Friday evening. | Sun-Times file photo

Two of the four killed were shot in Avondale.

Four people were killed and two teens were among 14 wounded by gunfire in Chicago since Friday evening.

Two men were fatally shot Saturday morning in Avondale on the Northwest Side. About 12:05 a.m., Chicago police found two men, 28 and 26, shot in the 2700 block of West Belmont Avenue, police said. The 28-year-old was found with multiple gunshot wounds throughout his body, and the 26-year-old was found shot in the torso shortly after, police said. Both were taken to Illinois Masonic Medical Center, where they died, police said. They haven’t been identified yet.
Hours later, a man was fatally shot in Austin on the West Side. About 4:15 p.m., the 26-year-old was inside a vehicle in the 900 block of South Monitor Avenue, when he was stuck by gunfire, police said. He was struck in the neck and taken to Loyola University Medical Center in Maywood, where he was pronounced dead, police said. His name has not yet been released.
A man was found shot and killed Sunday morning in Ukrainian Village on the Northwest Side. About 12:55 a.m., a man believed to be 30 years old was found on the ground with a gunshot wound to the torso in the 900 block of North Damen Avenue, police said. He was taken to Stroger Hospital, where he died, police said. His name hasn’t been released yet.
In nonfatal attacks, a teen boy was shot Saturday afternoon in Gresham on the South Side. About 3:45 p.m., the 15-year-old was near an alley in the 7900 block of South Justine Street, when he was shot in the chest, police said. The teen was rushed to Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn, in serious condition, police said.
A 16-year-old boy was shot while waiting for a friend Friday night in the Near West Side. The teen was standing outside waiting for a friend about 7:30 p.m. in the 300 block of South Western Avenue when someone in the back seat of a black Kia fired shots, police said. He was struck in the thigh and was taken to Illinois Masonic Medical Center in good condition, police said.

At least 12 others were wounded in shootings in Chicago since 5 p.m. Friday.

Three people were killed and 26 others wounded in shootings in Chicago last weekend.

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SAN FRANCISCO — Draymond Green is enjoying basketball a lot more these days. And it’s not just because his Golden State Warriors have started the season 5-1 after a 103-82 win over the Oklahoma City Thunder on Saturday.

“Can I also say how satisfying it’s been to watch the game of basketball without all those bulls— calls,” Green said after the win, unprompted. “I’m sorry, I’m not supposed to curse in interviews, right? Can I say how satisfying it is to watch the game without all those terrible calls. Guys cheating the game and grabbing guys and getting the foul. I’ve been really enjoying watching basketball this year.

“I kind of had stopped watching the NBA a bit because it was just too flailing and flopping and guys cheating the game and getting free throws. So I think that’s been great. I would be remiss if I didn’t mention that because I think that’s been fantastic.”

The NBA this summer enacted new rules against offensive players initiating contact or flailing while trying to draw foul calls. Green, one of the league’s most respected defenders, says the adjustment by the officials in the way the game is now being called has been felt by the players.

“You can 100 percent feel it,” Green said. “Because you don’t have guys doing the garbage to try and draw fouls anymore. I think this game was turning into who can draw the most fouls? Nobody wants to watch that and you definitely don’t want to play in a game like that. So you can feel the difference out there for sure. It’s just more pure basketball and that’s great for our game.”

Two-time MVP Stephen Curry agreed with Green’s assessment, saying there’s a lot less “egregious plays,” which makes the games better to watch.

“I’ve been watching around the league and for the most part, I’d say about 9 out of 10 calls that used to go the other way are not, for good reason,” Curry said. “There’s probably some that are still in that gray area where they’ll get more consistent, but it’s great for the game. I know a lot of fans are loving it. The defensive-minded players are loving it, for us to put the ball in the basket, focus on that. I’ve tried to my entire career so I don’t think it’s a huge adjustment, but I like it.”

Green said that the issues have been going on for a long time, but he commended the league for making the shift when it did, noting that watching the Olympics — which are played under FIBA rules — this summer likely helped push the change in officiating.

Green also specifically mentioned Brooklyn Nets guard James Harden as someone who took advantage of the way the game used to be called and inspired some younger players to do the same.

“James is one of the best at it,” Green said. “At driving and drawing fouls, drawing fouls from the three-point line, he’s one of the best at it. So I definitely remember those games of him going 24-for-24 from the free-throw line. And when you got a guy that shifty, and the moment you touch him they can hook and you’re called for a foul, it’s impossible to guard. You started to see a lot of guys master it, but they all learned from James for sure because he was the master before anybody else ever picked it up.”

As a defender, Green said the inability to be more physical with players, and the way the whistles were called, always hovered in his mind. But as both a player and a fan, Green is just happy the adjustments regarding offensive players trying to create contact has been made.

“The game is flowing better,” Green said. “And I think you’re seeing much better basketball. You’re not seeing 147 to 139. I think I saw the Celtics and Washington went to double overtime and the final score was maybe 104-102 or something like that. We went to overtime the other day, the final score was 104-101 and there’s great basketball taking place. So kudos to the NBA on that. It’s been great to see.”

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SAN FRANCISCO — Draymond Green is enjoying basketball a lot more these days. And it’s not just because his Golden State Warriors have started the season 5-1 after a 103-82 win over the Oklahoma City Thunder on Saturday.

“Can I also say how satisfying it’s been to watch the game of basketball without all those bulls— calls,” Green said after the win, unprompted. “I’m sorry, I’m not supposed to curse in interviews, right? Can I say how satisfying it is to watch the game without all those terrible calls. Guys cheating the game and grabbing guys and getting the foul. I’ve been really enjoying watching basketball this year.

“I kind of had stopped watching the NBA a bit because it was just too flailing and flopping and guys cheating the game and getting free throws. So I think that’s been great. I would be remiss if I didn’t mention that because I think that’s been fantastic.”

The NBA this summer enacted new rules against offensive players initiating contact or flailing while trying to draw foul calls. Green, one of the league’s most respected defenders, says the adjustment by the officials in the way the game is now being called has been felt by the players.

“You can 100 percent feel it,” Green said. “Because you don’t have guys doing the garbage to try and draw fouls anymore. I think this game was turning into who can draw the most fouls? Nobody wants to watch that and you definitely don’t want to play in a game like that. So you can feel the difference out there for sure. It’s just more pure basketball and that’s great for our game.”

Two-time MVP Stephen Curry agreed with Green’s assessment, saying there’s a lot less “egregious plays,” which makes the games better to watch.

“I’ve been watching around the league and for the most part, I’d say about 9 out of 10 calls that used to go the other way are not, for good reason,” Curry said. “There’s probably some that are still in that gray area where they’ll get more consistent, but it’s great for the game. I know a lot of fans are loving it. The defensive-minded players are loving it, for us to put the ball in the basket, focus on that. I’ve tried to my entire career so I don’t think it’s a huge adjustment, but I like it.”

Green said that the issues have been going on for a long time, but he commended the league for making the shift when it did, noting that watching the Olympics — which are played under FIBA rules — this summer likely helped push the change in officiating.

Green also specifically mentioned Brooklyn Nets guard James Harden as someone who took advantage of the way the game used to be called and inspired some younger players to do the same.

“James is one of the best at it,” Green said. “At driving and drawing fouls, drawing fouls from the three-point line, he’s one of the best at it. So I definitely remember those games of him going 24-for-24 from the free-throw line. And when you got a guy that shifty, and the moment you touch him they can hook and you’re called for a foul, it’s impossible to guard. You started to see a lot of guys master it, but they all learned from James for sure because he was the master before anybody else ever picked it up.”

As a defender, Green said the inability to be more physical with players, and the way the whistles were called, always hovered in his mind. But as both a player and a fan, Green is just happy the adjustments regarding offensive players trying to create contact has been made.

“The game is flowing better,” Green said. “And I think you’re seeing much better basketball. You’re not seeing 147 to 139. I think I saw the Celtics and Washington went to double overtime and the final score was maybe 104-102 or something like that. We went to overtime the other day, the final score was 104-101 and there’s great basketball taking place. So kudos to the NBA on that. It’s been great to see.”

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Moon Alert

There are no restrictions to shopping or important decisions. The moon is in Virgo.

Aries (March 21-April 19)

As Mercury dances with Jupiter, conversations with partners and close friends will be upbeat, informative and expansive. Everyone’s got an idea! Everyone wants to get into the act! Why not spitball ideas to see what happens? Everyone can make a contribution.

Taurus (April 20-May 20)

Stay light on your feet so you can respond to changing social plans. Meanwhile, something related to your health, your pet or your job will delight you. It could be an opportunity for you to explore now or in the future. Or perhaps it is about work-related travel? It might be a solution to a concern that you have.

Gemini (May 21-June 20)

Minor interruptions at home might occur. (Be wise and stock the fridge.) Meanwhile, you’re full of creative ideas! Enjoy playful activities with kids, social outings and any chance to express your creative talents. Explore the arts. This is a fun-loving, upbeat day for you to enjoy!

Cancer (June 21-July 22)

Family discussions will be positive. People might gather where you live, perhaps to discuss home repairs. Or you might have a home gathering for another reason. Meanwhile, you’re open to big ambitious ideas! (Stay light on your feet because your daily routine might change.)

Leo (July 23-Aug. 22)

Keep an eye on your money and assets because something unexpected could affect them. You might find money; you might lose money. You’re enthusiastic about short trips, errands and discussions with others. Ah yes, God’s in his heaven and all’s right with the world.

Virgo (Aug. 23-Sept. 22)

You feel eager and excited about something, which is why you might be impulsive. The reason for your excitement could be that you’re pleased with financial news. Perhaps a better-paying job, a raise or a major coup when shopping will make your day!

Libra (Sept. 23-Oct. 22)

Mercury is in your sign dancing with Jupiter, which promotes positive thinking about the future. This is an excellent day to make plans because you feel hopeful about whatever is around the next corner. Vacation plans might also appeal. “Gotta blow this pop stand!”

Scorpio (Oct. 23-Nov. 21)

A friend might surprise you today or you might meet someone who is different or unusual. Meanwhile, you feel restless with excitement because you’re anticipating something positive in your future. You’re open to philosophical and spiritual ideas.

Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec. 21)

Pay attention to what you’re doing because you might have a surprise encounter with a boss, parent or someone in authority (including the police). This is a perfect day to join a club, a group or organization that endorses your ideas because any kind of group activity will favor you. You might enjoy some physical sports?

Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 19)

You will impress bosses, parents and VIPs because you have big ideas that are futuristic and ambitious. You will be effective when discussing plans with other countries or foreign interests or people from different backgrounds. You can multitask today.

Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 18)

This is a fabulous day to make travel plans. It’s also a great day to make plans for further education or training in postsecondary schooling. Some of you will explore big ideas in publishing, the law and medicine. Meanwhile, check banking details to avoid a glitch.

Pisces (Feb. 19-March 20)

Discussions about shared property, inheritances or how to divide or share something will go well today because all parties will be happy with the results. (Including you.) This is a good day to make financial plans that include partners or joint efforts.

If Your Birthday Is Today

Actor Dermot Mulroney (1963) shares your birthday. You are strong-willed, perceptive and intelligent. Not only are you astute and persistent, you are courageous. These qualities help you to achieve what you want and deal with obstacles when they arise. This year is the first year of a nine-year cycle, which means you can explore many areas and open any door! You might take on a leadership role.

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Steppenwolf Theatre Company’s new Liz and Eric Lefkofsky Arts and Education Center, designed by architect Gordon Gill FAIA of Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill Architecture, will open to the public on Nov. 11. | James Steinkamp Photography

The $54-million Liz and Eric Lefkofsky Arts and Education Center will feature a wine bar, a teen loft area and a 400-seat in-the-round theater.

The new Steppenwolf Theatre campus is all about collision.

Glass panes collide with ribbed concrete panels. Traditional playwriting collides with a new style of art for performers to imagine. In the new in-the-round theater, artists collide with audiences, who sit close enough to see the sweat bead on actors’ foreheads.

“What we have is an investment in the theater that we are today with the architectural investment in our legacy to come,” said E. Brooke Flanagan, Steppenwolf’s executive director. “We have space to grow into the theater company that we will be. But it’s founded in the principles of ensemble, innovation and the commitment to being a Chicago-based theater.”

Victor Hilitski/For the Sun-Times
Steppenwolf Theatre’s new education and arts center building on North Halsted Street is photographed earlier this month.

Steppenwolf’s new Liz and Eric Lefkofsky Arts and Education Center is a $54-million project designed by Gordon Gill, of Chicago’s Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill Architecture.

The space is outfitted with a wine bar, an outdoor sidewalk lounge, a two-story atrium lobby and a teen loft area spanning the entire fourth floor.

But the heart of the new campus, Flanagan said, is the Round Theater, a six-row, 400-seat room where the stage sits in the center and no audience member will be more than 20 feet from the actors.

Victor Hilitski/For the Sun-Times
The new upstairs bar area at the Steppenwolf Theatre’s education center is situated directly across the Steppenwolf History Wall, which boasts a collection of artifacts and memorabilia. The exhibit is sponsored by Steppenwolf co-founder Gary Sinise.

Bookending Steppenwolf’s renovation fund-raising campaign have been two global calamities — the 2008 financial crisis, which came just as talks of the project were getting underway, and the COVID-19 pandemic, as construction wrapped up. Those challenges required Steppenwolf to “drill down to our core values,” Flanagan said.

“It’s been a testament to the grit and resilience of this company, which is reflective of Chicago,” Flanagan said. “Out of great limitation comes creation. Out of tragedy comes resiliency and a determined focus on the future.”

The new campus is “a love letter to the city and a promise to our next generation of artists,” she added.

Steppenwolf Theatre Company was founded in the mid-1970s in a church basement in Highland Park by three young actors who wanted to change the world through their art. The renowned ensemble group moved to the city and then settled at a permanent home at 1650 N. Hasted Street in 1991. Quickly expanding, the company outgrew the space and started envisioning how to transform the existing building into something greater in the early 2000s.

Victor Hilitski/For the Sun-Times
The new Ensemble Theater in Honor of Helen Zell sits at the heart of Steppenwolf’s new Liz and Eric Lefkofsky Arts and Education Center. The round theater places the actors at the center of a 400-seat audience.

A meeting in 2007 with architect Gill kickstarted the $73 million campus expansion plan, for which Steppenwolf has raised more than three-quarters of the money.

Gill said he was drawn in by the people at Steppenwolf even before the architectural structure.

“It was the mutual respect that, ‘Let’s try to figure something out together,'” said Gill, who lives blocks from the theater. “I love that. There were no preconceptions. There was no ‘do it my way or else.’ It was a very open dialogue.”

The expansion began by transforming what used to be an Ethan Allen furniture store into a small black-box theater and the Front Bar, a social stop for coffee and drinks, with that work wrapping up in June 2016. What followed was iteration after iteration of design ideas, a process to find what would best serve Steppenwolf’s 49-person ensemble and its audience, Gill said.

Victor Hilitski/For the Sun-Times
Brooke Flanagan, executive director for Steppenwolf Theatre Company, and architect Gordon Gill of Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill Architecture, are photographed earlier this month at the new Steppenwolf Theatre campus on Halsted Street.

The bulk of the funding has gone toward the new Arts and Education Center, built around the new Round Theater, officially named the Ensemble Theater in Honor of Helen Zell, a longtime backer of arts in Chicago. The ability to open the stage floor combined with removable ceiling grids and catwalks give the stage 45 vertical feet — flexibility to produce sets of all shapes and sizes.

A handful of Steppenwolf ensemble members got to see the new theater ahead of the center’s upcoming ribbon-cutting on Tuesday, said Audrey Francis, who was named co-artistic director with Glenn Davis earlier this year.

“Every time we walk in, there’s an audible gasp,” Francis said. “We all have the same sense of awe and reverence for what this space actually means for us as artists coming off of 19 months of being told that we’re not essential” during the pandemic.

Victor Hilitski/For the Sun-Times
Steppenwolf co-artistic directors Glenn Davis and Audrey Francis are photographed inside the new Round Theater, which places the stage at the center of a 400-seat audience.

A central walkway connects the Round Theater to the Downstairs Theater — which has been home to ensemble productions for more than 30 years — and continues through to the Front Bar at the northernmost part of Steppenwolf’s building. A back-of-house walkway likewise connects the backstage areas of all three theaters. What used to be the Upstairs Theater will now hold two dedicated rehearsal spaces for the ensemble.

It won’t be until February that Steppenwolf will welcome theater-goers to a play in-the-round. But Steppenwolf will continue to perform in the Downstairs Theater.

The new education and arts center officially opens to the public on Nov. 11, with the return to in-person performances with Tracy Letts’ “Bug.”

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