I’m Jerry Partacz, happily married to my wife Julie for over 40 years. I have four children and eleven grandchildren. I’m enjoying retirement after 38 years of teaching. I now have an opportunity to share my thoughts on many things. I’m an incurable optimist. I also love to solve crossword puzzles and to write light verse. I love to read, to garden, to play the piano, to collect stamps and coins, and to watch “Curb Your Enthusiasm”.
The fact that Brees now gets it drew the ire of the President of the United States, and that’s what brings us to Michael Bradley. The Captain of the United States Men’s National Team, and MLS’ Toronto FC, sounded off on Trump and I don’t disagree with anything he had to say.
The son of former Team USA and Chicago Fire Coach Bob Bradley, who spent his teenage years in suburban Palantine, said that Donald J. Trump is completely empty and doesn’t have a single moral bone in his body. Bradly, 32, also pointed out that essentially we have no leadership at the top right now in this country. (Bradley also called out the GOP senators that have continually enabled Trump too)
It’s a popular sentiment on social media these days- the USA really has no President. We have a former game show host who does nothing but divide, stage pointless photo-opps and call out quarterbacks on Twitter.
“We have a president who is completely empty. There isn’t a moral bone in his body,” Michael Bradley said on a conference call with the media.
“There’s no leadership. There’s no leadership from the president, there’s no leadership from the Republican senators who have sat back and been totally complicit in everything he’s done for the last three-and-a-half years.”
“I just hope that people are able to go to the polls in November and think about more than just what is good for them, more than what is good for their own status, their own business, their own tax return. I hope that people can go to the polls and understand that in so many ways, the future of our country and the future of our democracy is at stake.
“We need as many people as possible to understand that at a real level, to think about what four more years with Trump as president, what that would mean, how terrible that would be for so many people. If we want any chance to start to fix those things, then Trump can’t be president, it’s as simple as that.”
Bradley doesn’t pretend to be a sociopolitical expert. He acknowledges that he doesn’t know everything he needs to know about the racial and law enforcement issues that have currently set our nation ablaze. However, much like Brees, he’s taking the time to educate himself, and encourages others to do the same.
That’s key- taking the time to listen, watch, learn and grow.
“I have spent the last 10 days watching, listening to it all and I don’t even know where to start,” Bradley said of the Black Lives Matter protests that are going on all across the nation.
“There is so much that needs to be said. I’m horrified, angry, disgusted and embarrassed we live in a world where Black men, women, children fear for their lives daily.
“We have to find real ways to front this head-on. What we have been doing, the way we have been living is not good enough.”
“We all have to do more, we all have to educate ourselves more, we all have to have more difficult conversations, we all, especially, especially white men, white women need to listen, need to put themselves, need to do the best that they can to understand that there is a perspective and a world totally different than the one that they’re used to.”
“I have strong feelings on this. I can’t pretend to know everything, and I could never begin to understand what it’s truly like for Black families, but I want to understand more, I need to understand more, I need to listen, I need to read, I need to educate myself more.”
There are a lot of athletes giving their take on all that is going on in this country right now. The bigot Laura Ingrahan’s “shut up and dribble” idea is long dead. For the perhaps the strongest take, against Trump, Michael Bradley is certainly right up there.
Paul M. Banks runs The Sports Bank.net and TheBank.News, which is partnered with News Now and Minute Media. Banks, a former writer for the Washington Times, NBC Chicago.com and Chicago Tribune.com, currently contributes regularly to WGN CLTV and ChicagoNow.
He’s been a featured guest in dozens of media outlets including The History Channel. His work has been cited in hundreds of publications including the Wall Street Journal and Washington Post.
As demonstrations and protests have run rampant across the country, many seem to have forgotten that the Covid-19 pandemic is still very much a part of everyday life. As hundreds/thousands of people have gathered in large groups to rightfully protest the brutal death of George Floyd, our attention has turned away. This is ok. We understand that voices absolutely need to be heard to challenge this behavior. But we need to remember this one thing regarding the pandemic:
NOTHING HAS CHANGED.
For weeks now I have watched as cities and states have reopened for business. As I have been temporarily residing in Florida, I see everything opened around me. One would think that everything is back to normal. Not me. I am, as many others should be, staying at home. The reason being?
NOTHING HAS CHANGED.
Back in 1918 the the Spanish Flu followed this same path in the US. This morning after reading the attached article, written by Dr. Howard Markel, Director for the History of Medicine at The University of Michigan Medical School, I realized that we are most definitely headed in the same direction as they were back then. Because instead of learning from this and knowing a spike is completely preventable we continue to reopen and move forward as though there is a cure or a vaccine. Let me remind you:
NOTHING HAS CHANGED.
Believe me, as I continue to be unemployed after my business of 22 years was completely shattered by this virus, I understand how badly we all want to get back to work. To resume some sense of normalcy. Last week I was driving down through the city we are living in and it was as though there never had been a virus. It was eerie to me – all the restaurants were open (I could only see the outdoor seating areas) and they were packed. The only people wearing masks were the servers who when encountering their unmasked patrons, are putting themselves in danger. Many people have returned to work because they have no choice and I understand that fully. However, anything above and beyond what is a MUST do, should be all that we are doing. Because:
NOTHING HAS CHANGED.
In the article I attached, after a time of social distancing during the Spanish Flu, there was pressure to stop doing it. Pressure to get things reopened, much like today. When the virus seemed to peak, people behaved as they are now: no more masks, things began to reopen and life resumed. Kids went back to school, bars reopened, etc. And then the cases rose. And rose. And rose. And in October of that year, nearly 200,000 people died from it in the US alone. IN ONE MONTH. And why?
NOTHING HAD CHANGED.
So here we are. It’s summer and people are tired of feeling like caged animals. I get it. But as things are reopening, cases are starting to climb again. Not a surprise! Florida saw its largest one day increase this week since mid April.
So, here’s the thing – I’m not saying that everything should close again – I’m saying that if we were all really in this together and followed the rules ie: masks (I hate wearing a mask but I feel it is my duty to protect myself AND others), social distancing, sanitizing, washing hands, etc. we may be able to exist in a semi normal (new normal) capacity until there is a cure. This quote from the article particularly struck me:
“As we ponder how to best rescind social distancing measures and return to normal life today, we must work from the premise that as long as this deadly virus stalks the planet, longer is better than shorter. These measures are imperfect and slow to work. They are disruptive and painful to our daily lives and economy. They do not magically end pandemics. But they can save lives.”
So, next time you refuse to wear a mask because it is your civil right not to, next time you complain that you want to go out to dinner or go hang at bars, have large gatherings or walk right up next to a total stranger and stand next to them, try to remember this:
NOTHING HAS CHANGED.
And until we all realize the truth in that, this will go on for a long, long time.
I work as a women’s accessories sales representative. I have 2 daughters and have been married for 30 years. I love to write and talk about life. I also love to find humor in as much as possible. As a two time cancer survivor, there isn’t much you can’t throw at me. For inquiries you can email me at [email protected]
A lot of us are struggling with anxiety right now. I know I am. I find myself needing to take a break from television news and social media. Of course, I will feel anxious if I spend hours watching and listening to what is going on right now. If you are feeling anxious you should not blame yourself. It will only make things worse. You are human and occasional anxiety is a normal part of life. Sometimes when we experience a tough time mentally people will blame us for how we feel. We will get the shake it off speech. Don’t let other people make you feel guilty about your emotions.
In the past, I would use food to deal with anxiety. Nothing was more calming than eating a half gallon of ice cream. I have learned healthy ways to deal with anxiety. I listen to music, pray, watch one of my favorite comedians, write or take a walk. I stay away from things or people that will feed my anxiety. Meditation works for some people. Each of us are different and what works for me might not work for you. You should not use unhealthy mechanisms to cope with anxiety. Overeating, drinking too much, smoking, or taking drugs will only exacerbate the problem.
If your anxiety is long term and you consistently feel nervous, fearful or you have a difficult time functioning in your normal activities. You may have an anxiety disorder. If that is the case you should talk with your doctor. Your doctor should be able to recommend a mental healthcare professional that can provide treatment.
I have been interested in preventive medicine since my childhood. In the 70s, my aunt would take me with her to meet with a doctor who emphasized preventive medicine. A lot of the things that doctor discussed then has become standard today.
Well, some of those guys are gone and only Toews and Kane are as good as they were in the glory days right now. They did manage to be the last Western Conference team to squeak into the playoff picture that the NHL’s Return to Play committee has come up with. They are going to match up against the Edmonton Oilers if this gets going. The Oilers come in as the five seed and the Hawks will be playing against them in what should be a very good series.
The Oilers, perhaps more than any playoff team in the National Hockey League, are a star-driven team. If you are old enough, you might remember the days of Wayne Gretzky, Mark Messier, and Jari Kurri leading the Oilers to dynasty status. Well, it is a new chapter in the history of the Oilers but there is still more of the same. They aren’t even close to as complete of a team as those teams from the 80s but they have some comparable stars.
The Oilers have two stars in particular that are considered two of the five best players in the world and then a third guy who is wildly underrated in terms of his impact on a game. These are the three Edmonton Oilers stars that Chicago needs to learn the most about:
DePaul Basketball (Photo by Mitchell Layton/Getty Images)
DePaul Blue Demons’ sports will look a little different next year, as athletic director Jean Lenti-Ponsetto is set to retire this summer.
Lenti-Ponsetto’s planned retirement from DePaul Blue Demons’ sports was confirmed by the campus paper The DePaulia (full disclosure: I’m a DePaul alum and wrote and edited for The DePaulia from 2001-2004) on Thursday night.
“Today is a bittersweet day for me and my husband, Joe,” Ponsetto said in a statement. “DePaul has been a part of our lives for the past 46 years. Our dearest and closest friends were teammates we began our student-athlete journeys with in 1974. It truly has been our privilege and the honor of a lifetime to serve DePaul as athletic director.”
Lenti-Ponsetto has battled cancer in recent years.
“The changing times over these past few months has led me to this decision” Ponsetto said. “Having successfully battled two breast cancer diagnoses and currently in treatment for a third, I thought it was time to step away from the long days, working every weekend and the 24/7 demands that being an athletic director requires.”
She was a long-time fixture around the athletics facilities and campus in general. Before getting the top job, she spent seven years as senior associate athletic director, 12 years as associate director, and two in a role of assistant director.
The DePaul Athletic Hall of Famer was elevated to the top gig in July 2002, replacing Bill Bradshaw.
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Her tenure was a busy one. She oversaw DePaul’s move to the Big East and later was instrumental in that conference’s realignment. She hired three men’s basketball head coaches – Jerry Wainwright, Oliver Purnell, and Dave Leitao. Leitao, the current coach, is in his second stint at the school.
DePaul men’s basketball has been an afterthought for most of her time in charge, last qualifying for the NCAA Tournament in 2004. A strong showing in non-conference play this season raised hopes of a return, but the team struggled in Big East play.
Conversely, the women’s team, helmed by Doug Bruno, has been a consistent tournament contender, having qualified for 18 straight seasons. That team has snagged six Big East regular-season titles and five Big East tournament wins.
Both soccer teams have been tournament qualifiers under her watch, and the softball team has been in the Women’s College World Series twice.
Over 1,400 DePaul athletes have made academic honor rolls during Lenti-Ponsetto’s tenure.
A lawsuit filed in April against former DePaul softball coach Eugene Lenti – Lenti-Ponsetto’s brother – for verbal and physical abuse of players also made headlines, as did a conflict of interest controversy involving Lenti-Ponsetto. That involved the naming rights of Wintrust Arena, which replaced the Allstate Arena as the home for basketball games.
In response to worldwide protests over the killing of George Floyd and other Black citizens by police, many arts organizations and other nonprofits publicly proclaimed their solidarity with the protesters and the Black Lives Matter movement. Second City tweeted their support on May 31, along with a quote from Dr. Martin Luther King (“There comes a time when silence is betrayal”) and the message “To say nothing is to be complicit. Black lives, stories, art, and souls matter.”
Dewayne Perkins, a Marquette Park native and DePaul grad who worked with the Wells Street comedy behemoth in several capacities, including as a member of a national touring company and in 2015’s Training Center show No Selfie Control before becoming a television writer (he has written for Brooklyn 99, among other projects), retweeted Second City’s BLM statement.
And he added several more of his own. “You remember when the black actors wanted to put on a Black Lives Matter Benefit show and you said only if we gave half of the proceeds to the Chicago PD, because I will never forget.”
A tsunami of tweets from other BIPOC artists and Second City alumni followed, calling out institutional racism. It was reminiscent of the controversy surrounding the 2016 Second City e.t.c. revue A Red Line Runs Through It, when half of the cast quit in response to what actor Peter Kim described in a Chicago magazine essay as an environment where audiences “hurled increasingly racist, homophobic, and misogynistic comments at me and my castmates: comments demeaning my Asian ethnicity, using the f-word to degrade my homosexuality, and shouting ‘whores’ at the women.” In response to the exit of the actors, Andrew Alexander, Second City’s owner, CEO, and executive producer, shuffled around some of the management team.
But after the Twitter backlash, and with the Second City empire (which includes outposts in Los Angeles and Toronto along with the mothership in Piper’s Alley) shuttered by COVID-19, Alexander, 76, announced his departure on Friday, June 5 in a memo now available on the company website. In this valedictory, he appeared to accept responsibility for the failures to address institutional racism in a meaningful way.
“The company has grown significantly–yet culturally homogeneously. There is no excuse for it, and I am not defending it,” Andrews wrote. “I succumbed to (what I now realize was) my unconscious biases, the biases of the theater community, and the biases of the city in which The Second City is embedded. I surrounded myself with people mostly of my own race and culture. As a theater producer, I like to think I have good instincts, not just commercially, but also as it relates to what is right. As an administrator, I have not always had good instincts. While diversifying the theater artistically, I failed to create an anti-racist environment wherein artists of color might thrive. I am so deeply and inexpressibly sorry.”
Alexander went on to say, “I am stepping down and fully removing myself from overseeing The Second City’s operations and policies and will divest myself from the company as it stands. The next person to fill the Executive Producer position will be a member of the BIPOC community. That’s a commitment I’m proud to make.”
Alexander, who produced the legendary sketch television series SCTV, took over the Toronto Second City operations in 1974 from Second City cofounder Bernie Sahlins and then became co-owner of the Chicago original in 1985, also overseeing revues for decades as the executive producer.
Alexander owns 50 percent of the company, and under his leadership, Second City expanded its brand through a range of initiatives, including corporate training and expansion of both the Training Center facilities and additional performance venues in Piper’s Alley. It’s unclear right now how the for-profit enterprise will move forward with changing leadership and who might be in contention to take over Alexander’s role, particularly given the economic turmoil of the coronavirus shutdown that has caused massive layoffs and drops in revenue throughout the entertainment sector.
In addition to the announcement of Alexander’s departure, Second City publicly committed to several other steps to address the problems with lack of diversity and institutional racism called out by the alumni on Twitter and by many others over the years.
“The Second City commits to reviewing internal hiring, casting, and student recruitment practices to ensure we are actively identifying and removing barriers to access and opening the doors to BIPOC in every area of the company. The Second City commits to using our resources to produce art by and for BIPOC artists and diversifying audiences in our theaters. We commit to company wide anti-racist training and education. The Second City will make ongoing financial and in-kind donations to organizations working to dismantle systems of oppression, as well as to Black-owned businesses and schools in underserved communities.”
At this point, I’ve been sitting at my computer for 30 minutes staring at the blank screen. My last Red Cup Adventures blog was written in December 2019. I just had to write a hearty Get To Steppin’ to the disgraced and fired CPD Superintendent Eddie Johnson (click here to read it). In 2020, I haven’t written a new blog or anything else which is a shame because I love to write.
I’ve been sitting here with a blank screen because I started the year 2020 moving in slow motion and haven’t found the motivation to pick up the pace yet. I started the year in slow motion then the CoronaVirus happened so I isolated with my family on the west side and was more than happy to #ShelterInPlace. I’ve been cooking with my mom, walking the family dog, and staying off social media especially Facebook. I get myself in trouble voicing my opinions on Facebook so I decided to give it up. But today, Spirit whispered to jump online and see what’s happening with my Facebook friends. I came upon a post by Brandi Thomas that read “It was just about this time 21 years ago that I got a call from mom saying come home! Not knowing that Bobby was gone (sad face emoji) Robert Russ 22 killed by Chicago Police June 5, 1999.” And then I knew why Spirit whispered to me because I needed to Say His Name: Robert (Bobby) Russ AKA Big Fluffy AKA Big Fluff.
I don’t personally know all my Facebook Friends. I like to friend people who I feel have a good spirit and interesting online presence. I don’t personally know Brandi Thomas, but I definitely knew her brother Bobby Russ. We both started at Northwestern University as Freshmen in the fall of 1994. The Black population at NU in 1994 was around 8% of the student body. It had been 8% decades before I attended and it’s still around the same percentage decades after I graduated. (The Black NU alum dream is for the Black student body to one day hit and exceed the 10% glass ceiling.) Since the Black population at NU is so small, we usually all know each other. Add to that the Black kids from Chicago and the Chicago suburbs all have to get together to play the who-do-we-know-in-common game.
Bobby Russ was a 6 foot 4 inch, 270 pound, defensive lineman on the Northwestern Wildcat Football team (No. 98) from Calumet City. He was a huge guy with a huge personality. His nickname was “Big Fluff” because he was always smiling, joking, and he gave the best hugs. One article published last year by InsideNU to commemorate the 20 year anniversary of his murder accurately described him as “a deeply religious, quick-witted gentle giant.” (Click here to read the full article)
Here are the facts of Bobby Russ’s murder which I’m summarizing from the Inside NU article:
On the night of June 4, 1999, Russ was driving home to Calumet City from Evanston. Chicago police officer Philip Banaszkiewicz saw Russ driving erratically on southbound Lake Shore Dive near Monroe Avenue. Banaszkiewicz approached Russ’ car stopped at a red light. Russ locked the door and drove away. Banaszkiewicz began following Russ to the Dan Ryan expressway and two other police officers joined the pursuit. A police car pulled in front of Russ to block his path, but Russ rammed the police car. The police surrounded his car, began kicking the car, yelling “Get out the fucking car”, and breaking Russ’ rear passenger window because they couldn’t see in the car’s tinted windows. Russ was sitting in the car unresponsive which his hands between his legs as the police shouted at him. Russ turned quickly over his left shoulder and grabbed Officer Van Watts IV’s weapon through the broken window. Russ and the officer tussled with the gun. Watts fired one shot at Russ. The officers dragged Russ out the car, placed him on his stomach, and handcuffed his arms behind his back. The 22-year-old was dead on the expressway before the ambulance arrived.
As a 43 year old Black woman who has lived in Chicago my entire life, made the drive from Evanston to the SouthSide of Chicago more times than I can count, and personally knew Bobby Russ as a classmate and friend, here’s my perspective on what happened:
Depending on your mood and your demographics, the hour plus drive from Evanston to Calumet City can be beautifully exhilarating especially as Navy Pier and the downtown Chicago skyline come into view or it can be scary and deadly. I don’t know what Big Fluff was thinking driving home. Was he excited because he was days away from graduating? Was he tired from a long day and late-night drive home? Was he driving fast because he was trying to get home quickly or cause its fun to drive fast when you’re pretty much alone on LDS? Was he thinking about his unborn child due to be delivered in the fall? I don’t know. But I know he was a 6’4″ big, Black guy driving a late model Buick with tinted windows down lakeshore drive late at night. And since I know how a lot of Chicago cops are I’m going to guess he saw a late model Buick with tinted windows (CPD HATES tinted windows) and decided to fuck with the driver. The cop didn’t know Big Fluff was a Northwestern University scholar and student athlete. The cop didn’t know he may have even cheered for Big Fluff when NU Football went to the Rose and Citrus Bowl. Since his windows were tinted, the cop may not have known he was a big, Black guy.
But considering Big Fluff was driving a late model Buick with tinted windows and the cop probably ran his plates, I’m going to assume he knew the occupant of the car was Driving While Black and decided to fuck with him. And honestly “fuck with him” is the absolute best description I give you because that’s what CPD loves do to Black people especially big, Black guys. I’m further going to give my friend the benefit of doubt that Big Fluff didn’t see or hear or understand some confusing command the first officer gave him on LSD so he drove away. The officer got pissed (CPD really hates tinted windows and when they think they are being disrespected) so he decided to really fuck with Big Fluff and calls in “fuck him up” back up. When the now three police cars met up with Big Fluff on the Dan Ryan, I’m going to give my friend the benefit of the doubt that he tried to follow their commands. But once Officer Watts broke the back window and saw a big, Black guy, Watts escalated, over reacted and murdered this big, Black man he perceived as a disrespectful threat…this big, Black man we all called Big Fluff. The officer who fired on Big Fluff and the other two officers who helped murder my friend all lied to paint Big Fluff as the aggressor. Ask anyone who knew Bobby…the story the officers told made no sense especially considering that Big Fluff had a torn rotator cuff. It was shown in court that with his limited shoulder mobility, there was no way 6 foot 4 inch, 270 pound Big Fluff could have quickly turned around in the driver’s seat to reach out the back driver’s side window to wrestle for the officer’s gun.
21 years ago today Robert “Bobby” Russ AKA Big Fluff was murdered by the Chicago Police Department for Driving While Black. CPD’s civilian oversight board, which Mayor Lori Lightfoot previously headed from 2015-2018, found Big Fluff’s death was an accident. The City of Chicago paid $9.6 million in damages to Big Fluff’s 4-year old son for the “accident” they condoned and continue to allow to happen. And we have had ENOUGH! Being a big, Black guy shouldn’t be a death sentence frequency inflicted by the Chicago Police Department. This is why NCAA and NFL players take a knee. Because there are a bunch of big, Black guys on those teams who have had police officers point guns at them and threatened to murder them. And they all have friends who have not been as lucky as them. They have had ENOUGH! We have had ENOUGH!
As we demand justice for George Floyd, I agree with Reverend Al Sharpton that we need to demand justice for all the families who have had loved ones assassinated by and then lied on by police departments around the country. We also demand justice for everyone who has been murdered, brutalized, and victimized by police departments around the country. We demand justice for all the violence inflicted by the police that wasn’t caught on video or was caught on video but was dismissed and disregarded for the systemic lies and cover-ups facilitated by police departments, police unions, and government officials. We Demand Change and the first step is to say the names of the victims AND the names of the victimizers. We need to re-tell their stories and point out the lies that have been pressing on our necks for too long.
SAY HIS NAME: ROBERT (BOBBY) RUSS AKA BIG FLUFF, beloved son, brother, father, Northwestern University 1999 graduate, Northwestern football defensive lineman (No. 98), teammate, friend, comedian, gentle giant. His life mattered. #BlackLivesMatter
Thank you Brandi Thomas for the reminder, for speaking with me, and for giving me permission to share your photos.
In the comments, please leave the names and tell the stories of your loved ones who deserve justice! #SayTheirNames
To read more on Bobby “Big Fluff” Russ and sign the Change.org petition to Mayor Lori Lightfoot, click the following links:
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Man oh man, it was a busy week. I know, it usually is in the age of Donald Trump, but this one was extra intense. Besides Trump, you had moments with the Mayor of D.C., the police, some former general, a few Senators and more.
Take a look in the latest issue of The Week In Review:
My so called friends think it’s time to edit this section. After four years, they may be right, but don’t tell them that. I’ll deny it until they die!
I can’t believe I’ve been writing this blog for four years.
It started as a health/wellness thing and over the years has morphed to include so many things that I don’t know how to describe it anymore.
I really thought this was going to be the final year of the blog but then Donald Trump came along. It looks like we’re good for four more years..God help us all!
Oh yeah…the biographical stuff. I’m not 60 anymore. The rest you can read about in the blog.
The exact date we will be able to eat at a restaurant is still unknown, but Chicago is already started to prepare for that glorious day. Of course, how restaurants and guests act will be very different than pre-coronavirus. The city released guidelines that restaurants must follow if they want to reopen.
Photo Credit: Twisted Spoke
Here are some of the highlights:
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Contactless pickup will still be available.
People are encouraged to use contactless payment.
Outdoor dining will be allowed, as long as social distancing protocols are followed.
Signs regarding hygiene, social distancing, PPE, and more should be posted throughout the facilities.
Employees are required to wear a face mask at all times, and guests are required to wear a mask when not seated.
Social distancing of at least six feet is still encouraged.
Employees should frequently wash their hands and disinfect the facilities.
Flexible time off is available if employees are feeling sick.
No more self-serving drink and food stations.
In addition, you won’t be able to go out to eat with a huge group of friends. All gatherings must be limited to no more than 10 people, with only six people allowed at each table that are spread at least six feet apart. You also likely won’t see any menus in restaurants — many restaurants will either switch to digital menus or fixed menu boards whenever possible.
Chicago restaurants will be a bit cleaner; employees are required to clean and sanitize the entire restaurant before opening and as frequently as every 30 minutes. Bathrooms should be monitored, cleaned, and sanitized, often.
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The state is also suggesting that restaurant owners monitor the health of their employees and recommend that employees do a wellness check before coming to work every day. The guidelines also say that restaurants could take temperature checks or do other health screenings before allowing employees to work.
Photo Credit: Wells on Wells
One of the biggest topics still up for debate is regarding capacity. The maximum number of people allowed on a patio will be dictated by how many tables can fit within the space while still adhering to social distancing rules. While there were rumors of shutting down sidewalks for patios, the guidelines don’t make any mention of this. Right now, the guidelines merely suggest that whenever possible, a restaurant should set up an “impermeable barrier” from the sidewalks.
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Another decision that still needs to be made is what is considered an indoor space or an outdoor space. Currently, the language in the guidelines indicates that “dining areas considered outdoors include rooftops, rooms with retractable roofs and indoor spaces where 50-percent or more of a wall can be removed via the opening of windows, doors, or panels provided that dining tables are within eight feet from such openings.”
One of the main concerns of Mayor Lightfoot, restaurant owners, and Chicagoans, in general, is the city’s unpredictable weather patterns. A day of rain or extreme wind might put a damper on outdoor seating availability. By allowing indoor dining spaces that can be opened to the outdoors, it might allow restaurants to resume service with minimal disruption from the weather.
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Before restaurants can reopen, Mayor Lori Lightfoot is waiting for Chicago to hit certain health benchmarks, but it is expected to happen by June 10.
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