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.

Summer Salon 2021

Photo by GlitterGuts

When: 7 p.m. July 31

Where: Tallmadge Park, 927 Noyes, Evanston

What: The Actors Gymnasium presents a free evening of circus acts under the stars. Curated by artistic director Sylvia Hernandez-DiStasi, it features performers from a cross-section of Actors Gym programs. Now celebrating its 25^th year, the Actors Gym remains at the forefront of teaching students of all ages and levels while also producing daring circus-theater, most notably at Lookingglass Theatre, where the circus arts have been key to many productions. Donations appreciated.

More information: actorsgymnasium.org.summer-salon/

Physical Theater Festival

Physical Theater Festival

When: 2-8 p.m. July 31

Where: Nichols Park, 1355 E. 53^rd in the Hyde Park neighborhood

What: Physical Theater Festival, in a collaboration with the Chicago Park District, presents a family-friendly outdoor event featuring Chicago’s Era Footwork Crew performing “She Pick the Speed,” which takes audiences to a space where men and women both meet and support one another equally, and New York’s 3AM Theater with “Mindful Manipulations,” a piece in which umbrellas fly, brooms have a mind of their own and juggling balls turn into a light sculpture. There are also four short pop-up acts from Chicago artists with backgrounds in circus, puppetry, mask and music. Admission is free, reservations recommended.

More information: physicalfestival.com

Neighborhood Festivals

Courtesy Special Events Management

The Chinatown Summer Fair features a dragon and lion dance procession, artisans, food, tours and activities for children. From noon-10 p.m. July 31 and 10 a.m.-7 p.m. Aug. 1., at Wentworth and Cermak. Admission is free. Visit chicagoevents.com … The Mexican festival Fiesta Del Sol includes carnival rides, artisans, food, a children’s area, health and housing expos and a soccer tournament. From 5-10 p.m. July 29, 11 a.m.-11 p.m. July 30-31 and 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Aug. 1 on Cermak, from Ashland to Morgan. Visit fiestadelsol.org. … Art Walk at the Glen features more than 140-juried artists from across the country. From 10 a.m.-5 p.m. July 31-Aug. 1 at Glen Town Center, 2030 Tower Drive, Glenview. Admission is free. Visit amdurproductions.com

Chicago Fireboat Tours

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

Merit School of Music

Courtesy of Merit School of Music

When: To Aug. 28

Where: Various locations

What: In July and August, the music school hosts a family-friendly series of interactive pop-up events throughout Chicago neighborhoods from Pilsen to Lincoln Park. “Pop-ups in the Parks” offers free instrument tunings, demos and performances by students and faculty, “Music at the Markets” features performances and giveaways at outdoor markets and “Musical Storytimes” is filled with stories and activities.

More information: meritmusic.org

‘Mother Goose Lost’

Andrew Pond

When: 10 and 11:30 a.m. July 24 and 31

Where: Athenaeum Theatre, 2936 N. Southport

What: Children will enjoy Eclectic Full Contact Theatre’s adventure-filled tale that finds Mother Goose forced into retirement and the dastardly Solomon Grundy rewriting all the nursery rhymes. Can friends Frank, Mandy and Detective Joe Saturday find her and save the rhymes? Tickets: $12.

More information: athenaeumtheatre.org

Adler Planetarium

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

Courtesy Tempel Lipizzans

When: Ongoing

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’

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. Admission: $18-$32

More information: fieldmuseum.org

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

Courtesy 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

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’

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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The last three weeks have felt like a swan song for the Cubs as the team prepares for a major shakeup. With the trade deadline two days away, the team being a seller is not a position the Cubs have taken in quite some time.

It’s been a long time since the Cubs have had a season like this. Even when they missed the postseason in 2019, they went for it and were a buyer, acquiring outfielder Nick Castellanos at the deadline.

Not only has winning been the model on the North Side over the last six years, it’s become the expectation. The Cubs have done a lot of winning since the last time they were a seller in 2014 and of their current roster, only first baseman Anthony Rizzo and starter Kyle Hendricks were on the team the last time it happened.

But with the team clearly picking a direction for the 2021 season after the trades of Joc Pederson, Andrew Chafin and more to come by the weekend, that shift in direction has not only been felt by fans, but also within the organization.

“It’s been a little different for us [this year],” Hendricks told the Sun-Times. “The last few years, we’ve been the team that was inviting guys into this group. We’ve lost a lot of friends over those years, but to have such major pieces being talked about [in trade rumors] and things that could happen, it’s definitely a different time for us than we’ve experienced.”

The Cubs’ 11-game losing streak and abrupt slide in the division quickly changed the course of their season. While the Cubs’ new course has put them in the category of one of baseball’s true sellers at the deadline, it’s allowed them plenty of time for reflection in what may be the team’s core group of players’ final days together.

“I don’t think that the winning mentality is leaving here. That’s gonna remain the same,” manager David Ross said. “The personnel is changing a little bit. Like some guys that have been brought in here to help this group win. We’ve traded two of those guys already [and] that part does stink and probably a new reality for these guys that have been here for such a long time and created this atmosphere.”

“Deep down in my heart, I know I’ve had some of the best memories here and some of the best times of my life,” third baseman Kris Bryant said.

Cubs president Jed Hoyer has plenty to think about over the next 72 hours as he not only decides the team’s future for this season, but the next four or five seasons.

Even if the team doesn’t expect it’s “reload” or “retool” to be a multi-year process like when Theo Epstein and Hoyer arrived in 2011, having buy-in from players who are in Chicago after the deadline will be a major part of making that quick turnaround happen.

“Absolutely,” Hendricks said. “You have to rely on the track record of these guys [in the front office]. They’re the best at what they do in putting teams together and getting the right guys in the group. …

“I think one of the biggest positives that we’ve seen around here this year is the young guys we do have that are going to be around. Between Adbert and what he’s been able to do this year and then between Keegan Thompson and Justin Steele. … They’re going to be guys that are a huge part of this group. And seeing those kinds of flashes throughout the season gives you a lot of hope that it can turn around real quick.”

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Sebastian Pettit was last seen July 24 and is missing from the 2000 block of North Kilbourn Avenue, Chicago police said. He is often at parks and likes to play basketball.

By

Sun-Times Wire

Jul 28, 2021, 9:49pm CDT

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With a 9 ¹/₂ game lead in the AL Central entering Wednesday, the Sox have the luxury of giving their starting rotation of Lance Lynn, Carlos Rodon, Lucas Giolito, Dallas Keuchel and Dylan Cease extra days of rest. Of particular concern are Rodon, who has never pitched more than 165 innings and worked only 42 ¹/₃ over the previous two seasons, and Cease who maxed out at 141 ¹/₃ innings between the majors and minors in 2019.

Cease told the Sun-Times over the weekend he feels strong but acknowledged he’s five or six starts from uncharted territory. It’s his turn Sunday, but the Sox haven’t listed a starter yet, even with an off day Monday.

“Everyone is feeling good,” manager Tony La Russa said. “The key is we want them to continue feeling good.”

General manager Rick Hahn said earlier this month that “how best to maximize the opportunity for potential rest for some of these guys and to have the matchups we need for the second half” would be looked at, especially in the wake of a 60-game season in 2020.

“August is a test,” La Russa said. “We just want to be creative and maintain fresh healthy arms however possible.”

Sox starters entered Wednesday with the best ERA (3.30) in the American League.

Second base market shrinks

The second base market shrunk by one when the Diamondbacks sent Eduardo Escobar to the Brewers in exchange for two prospects.

The Sox are thought to be in the market for bullpen help and perhaps a second baseman as the Friday trade deadline (3 p.m. CT) approaches. Escobar, 32, was on their radar and two weeks ago was reportedly on his way to the South Side, but now they might be looking closer at Rockies shortstop Trevor Story, who would have to play second if acquired with Tim Anderson entrenched at shortstop.

For Escobar, a the Brewers reportedly will pick up the remaining portion ($2.8 million) of his salary. They didn’t give up much, parting with catcher Cooper Hummel and 18-year-old infielder Alberto Ciprian, neither of whom were in their top 30 rankings per MLB Pipleline, for Escobar. Ciprian is playing in the Dominican Summer League.

What should be working in the Sox’ favor in any deal for a position “rental” player like Story, whose contract expires after the season, is a buyer’s market for position players. Teams are pursuing pitching with more verve.

Including the Sox, who arguably need bullpen help more than they need a second baseman. But with left fielder Eloy Jimenez back from his injury, center fielder Luis Robert coming soon and catcher Yasmani Grandal healing, a lineup with a potent upgrade over Leury Garcia like Story at second base would give the Sox a staunch starting nine from top to bottom.

“If the front office decides there’s something, then they will make a move and we’ll embrace it,” manager Tony La Russa said. “If they don’t, we go with what we’ve got.”

Broadcast news

Announcer Jason Benetti will be NBC’s lead voice on baseball for the Tokyo Olympics, working with Eduardo Perez calling pool play, the semifinals and the bronze- and gold-medal games. Benetti will call games from the NBC studio in Stamford, Connecticut, and will miss six Sox games — Aug. 1 and Aug. 3-7. Radio voice Len Kasper will fill in on NBC Sports Chicago.

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Thousands of hip-hop music fans converging here for Lollapalooza this weekend have been awaiting the delayed release of “Donda,” Chicago hip-hop icon Kanye West’s new album dedicated to his mother, the late Chicago State University professor, Donda West.

Disappointed fans burned up social media after West’s 10th studio album failed to materialize as promised in tandem with his sold-out July 22 listening session at Atlanta’s Mercedes-Benz Stadium.

But at least one fan post that day did not cover the impromptu event or whopping 42,000 fans who bought tickets with two days notice, nor did it critique the highly anticipated album with guest appearances featuring Jay-Z, etc., the $40 hot dogs or the aftermath.

The post by CSU Professor of Educational Policy Studies Garrard McClendon featured a simple photo of him and West, and the words: “Honored to spend time with the Kanye West team, assisting in his philanthropic efforts over the last few weeks to discuss his mother’s educational philosophy + legacy. He is a true follower of the soul’s code. God 1st.”

I called to rib him. “You hanging out with Kanye these days?” McClendon laughed.

Turns out he is, but not in the way I thought. McClendon, author of the 2019 “Donda’s Rules: The Scholarly Works of Dr. Donda West – Mother of Kanye West,” had gotten a call out of the blue earlier this month from Kanye’s people.

“It’s kind of an out-of-body experience when Kanye West’s team calls you and says, ‘Can you get on a plane and come to California? Kanye wants to see you,'” he said. “Of course I said, ‘Yes.'”

West flew McClendon, 55, who has taught at CSU for 11 years, to San Francisco, where West had rented out an entire Silicon Valley resort while working on the reveal of his album, a tribute to his mom, who died in 2007 at age 58 of complications following plastic surgery.

West wanted McClendon’s help with a philanthropic endeavor he’s putting together to honor her.

Provided

All that McClendon can share for now is that a curriculum based on Donda West’s work is being developed for educational purposes, spearheaded by her music and fashion icon son.

“I spent five days out there with him. It was beautiful. It was my privilege to be there. His brilliance, I got to see it. My role was just to be a conduit, a provider of any information he needs on his mother’s work in his effort now to honor her,” he said.

“He is a multifaceted creative, to be sure. But what I saw was a sensitive side that, of course, is piqued by his interest now in honoring his mom.”

West’s mother was a noted scholar who taught at CSU for 31 years — 24 as chair of its Department of English, Communications, Media and Theater.

A Fulbright Scholar and recipient of many awards, she’d helped establish CSU’s Gwendolyn Brooks Center for Black Literature and Creative Writing. After retiring in 2004, she’d moved to California to help with her son’s career.

” I met her twice, and we had discussions about her scholarly works.At one point, I’d said to her, ‘You know, Donda, your scholarly works should be published. Everyone knows Kanye, and many know you have a Ph.D. But no one’s really familiar with your scholarly works, which are phenomenal. Someone should publish them,'” McClendon said.

“She looked me right in the eye and said, ‘Why don’t you publish them?’ That took me totally by surprise, and I laughed it off, never thinking about it again for many years.”

Years after her death, those words haunted him. McClendon became a man on a mission.

In 2011, when he shared the request of the late professor with Che “Rhymefest” Smith, a longtime friend of Kanye’s, Smith urged him to fulfill her wishes and connected him with the rapper.

In 2013, McClendon enlisted the students in his Philosophy of Education classes to help him mine various archives for Donda West’s full body of work. The book was birthed in fall 2019.

” The students did a wonderful job helping me find all of this archival material. We’re talking her scholarly works, her dissertation, her master’s thesis. We found personal notes of hers, poems of hers, hundreds of hours of her audio speeches. So in those six years, we’re compiling, we’re editing, and having conference calls with Kanye,” McClendon recounted.

“This is how her story gets told. Kanye, who stayed in contact through the publishing, LOVES the book. Oh my God, he loves the book. It was a business relationship at first, then it became more of an acquaintanceship, then friendship.”

Donda West, whose 2007 book, “Raising Kanye – Life Lessons From The Mother of A Hip-Hop Superstar,” (Gallery Books, 2007, $16.95), left little question about where Kanye gets his unbridled confidence, was CEO of West Brands, the parent company of his businesses.

The closeness of the single, divorced mother and her son was always evident, as in his tribute “Hey Mama” track on his second studio album, 2005’s “Late Registration.” The Chicago native has included references to his beloved mother on just about every album, and not only is this new album named for her, but so is his design company.

Tell us more about the upcoming curriculum project, I pushed McClendon. No dice.

“Until that becomes full blown, we probably won’t make any comment on that. But I can tell you the book has 70 rules — Donda West’s 70 rules on writing and thinking,” he said.

“Donda West believed children learn by doing, that you can’t tell a child what to learn — they have to do it. She would always say, ‘I didn’t teach Kanye how to rap or how to produce music. What I gave him was the freedom and the tools to do so.’

“See, when you learn all about Donda West — a freedom fighter, a poet, a scholar, a civil rights activist and just an outstanding professor — then you know the outcome in her son, Kanye Omari West, was inevitable.”

Paras Griffin/Getty Images

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Deputy U.S. marshals and Orland Park cops on Wednesday arrested a 50-year-old businessman who failed to report to federal prison for parole violations in a $10 million fraud case.

Lee Anglin was taken into custody at a sports and dining club on 143rd Street in Orland Park after the Orland Park Police Department got a tip he was there.

A man who said he runs the club’s daily operations told the Sun-Times that Anglin’s wife, Jenni, is the president of the facility, called the Riviera Country Club.

Lee Anglin was paroled in 2018 after serving about 12 years in prison for a $10 million real-estate scam.

Anglin violated his parole when he failed to tell his parole agent about business ventures he and his wife were involved with in Utah. He also failed to tell the court he was getting paid for providing legal advice to inmates. He was supposed to report to prison June 29 for a six-month sentence.

Court records involving his parole violation didn’t mention his involvement in the Orland Park facility, which opened in June after closing under previous ownership during the coronavirus pandemic.

Earlier this week, a man who identified himself as Fletcher Handford said he runs the daily operations of the facility and told the Sun-Times that Lee Anglin wasn’t involved in the business, but that Anglin’s wife was president of the venture. “I deal directly with Jenni,” Handford said.

A Facebook post in May, signed by “Lee & Jenni,” said they planned to invest “hundreds of thousands of dollars” in the complex and that “husband and wife are deeply involved in every decision.” Jenni Anglin lives in Utah and Anglin was living in Chicago while on parole, according to court records.

In a statement, the Orland Park Police Department said the village is “reviewing all potential code, business and/or liquor license violations” for the facility.

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Bears nose tackle Eddie Goldman said he had no regrets about opting out of the 2020 season for coronavirus concerns. But, as the next question was being asked at his press conference Wednesday, he interrupted to amend that.

“The only regret that I do have is just the fact that my teammates went to battle without me,” Goldman said. “That’ll be my only regret.”

For the soft-spoken Goldman, the regret that he might have let his teammates down figures to be a motivating factor as he re-starts his promising career at 27. Though defensive end Bilal Nichols played well as Goldman’s primary replacement — with five sacks and seven tackles-for-loss — he wasn’t Eddie Goldman.

Without Goldman to plug up the middle at a Pro Bowl level, the defense dropped from ninth to 15th in the NFL in rushing yards allowed per game and from sixth to ninth in rushing yards per attempt. And opponents often had success running where Goldman usually would be in the way. The Bears allowed 62 rushes of 10 yards or more in 2020 — a huge increase from the 35 rushes of 10 yards or more in 2019.

Goldman said it was a tough decision to opt out, but the experience was tougher than he thought. “It was really challenging,” he said. “When I made the decision, I weighed all my options, just thinking I would be away from the game for a year — and it really took a toll on me. Especially when I watched the season play out and how we made the playoffs. It wasn’t really a fun thing.”

But it was never more miserable than on game days.

“There as a lot of anxiety,” Goldman said. “You couldn’t really enjoy it, because I was so much in it. I lived and died with every play, so it was tough. Just being away from it kind of killed me.”

Goldman acknowledged he was concerned about the reaction from teammates who might have felt he let them down. “That was something I was thinking about,” he said. “When I came back, everybody greeted me with love. I feel like everybody’s just happy to be back in the building together.”

Not surprisingly, Goldman’s teammates are thrilled to have him back. Even the mostly stoic Khalil Mack lit up a bit when asked about Goldman’s return.

“Hey man, every time I look at him, I just call his name — Eddie G. He looks and smiles — he doesn’t say much,” Mack said. “It’s a great feeling to have the guy back in the building — just understanding the type of person he is, but the type of player he is as well. I know it’s gonna be a fun one. Any time you’ve got Eddie G, he’s gonna make life easier for you.”

Though Goldman indicated to the Bears that he would return for the 2021 season, he caused some doubt — even for coach Matt Nagy and defensive coordinator Sean Desai — when he sat out offseason practices and the mandatory mini-camp. He said coronavirus protocols and family issues caused him to sit out.

Nagy did not know whether Goldman would play this year until he received a text from vice-president of communications Brandon Faber on Tuesday. Nagy responded with a thumbs up emoji, then double exclamation points. “We like having good players and good people show up and Eddie’s a huge part of this defense. So [Tuesday] was a good day.”

Goldman reported in “great shape” and “did great” on the Bears’ conditioning test. He figures to need more time than most to get back into football mode. But once he does, at 27 he is hopeful to pick up where he left off in 2019, when he was a Pro Bowl alternate.

“It’s definitely doable,” he said. “I feel like I’m gonna do it.”

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Two men were critically wounded in a shooting Wednesday afternoon at a salon in Lawndale on the West Side.

Paramedics picked up two gunshot victims around 2:20 p.m. at a salon in the 3900 block of West 16th Street, according to the Chicago Fire Department.

One man in his 20s and another in his 30s were taken to Mount Sinai Hospital in critical condition, the fire department said.

Chicago police did not immediately release details.

Read more on crime, and track the city’s homicides.

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GREEN BAY, Wis. — Aaron Rodgers has returned from a tumultuous offseason of uncertainty eager to get the Green Bay Packers to the Super Bowl after falling a step short the last two years.

Nobody’s making any promises regarding the 37-year-old quarterback’s future beyond 2021.

The reigning MVP participated in the Packers’ first training-camp workout Wednesday, Then he made it clear in a news conference that some of the issues that caused him to skip the team’s organized team activities and mandatory minicamp remain unresolved.

Does he expect to be back with the Packers next season?

“I really don’t know,” Rodgers said. “I think I’m just going to focus on this year. There’s a lot of moving pieces besides myself, expiring contracts from a number of guys, so there’s going to be a lot of tough decisions at the end of the year. I’m just going to enjoy this year and then revisit that conversation at the end of the season.”

Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst offered a similar response. Both the quarterback and the general manager described their relationship as “professional.”

“Right now, we’re just really focused on 2021,” Gutekunst told reporters. “It’s kind of a year-to-year business, as you guys know.”

Asked about the issues that led to his frustration, Rodgers gave a reply that lasted nearly six minutes.

The three-time MVP wanted to have a voice in the decision-making process and believed the organization didn’t treat departing high-character veterans with enough respect — mentioning more than a dozen former Packers, including Charles Woodson, Jordy Nelson and Julius Peppers.

He also hoped the Packers would commit to him beyond this season and asked to help recruit free agents. Rodgers indicated he didn’t get the answer he wanted and that the organization instead offered him more money.

“I felt like if you can’t commit to me past 2021 and I’m not part of your recruiting process in free agency, if I’m not a part of the future, then instead of letting me be a lame-duck quarterback, if you want to make a change and move forward, then go ahead and do it,” Rodgers said.

Rodgers emphasized that he wasn’t asking for the final say in personnel matters. He just wanted to be in the loop. Without mentioning the receiver by name, Rodgers cited the Packers’ decision to cut Jake Kumerow last year and wondered why team officials couldn’t have given him the chance to talk them out of making that move.

“The rules are the same for most people, but every now and then there’s some outliers, guys who’ve been in the organization for 17 years and won a few MVPs, where they can be in conversations at a different, higher level,” Rodgers said. “I’m not asking for anything that other great quarterbacks across the last few decades have not gotten, the opportunity to just be in conversation.”

Gutekunst said Rodgers would be involved in the team’s decision-making process, but added that’s not a change from how the Packers have operated in the past.

“Aaron’s had kind of the same input he’s always had, I think, which has been a lot,” Gutekunst said. “He’s earned a place at the table. I think he always has. I think one of the things to this offseason I think is learning how to incorporate that.”

One potential transaction could indicate Rodgers is getting a bigger role.

Veteran receiver Randall Cobb sent out a tweet Wednesday with the message “I’M COMING HOME!” along with a picture of himself in a Packers uniform. Cobb spent his first eight seasons in Green Bay before playing for Dallas in 2019 and Houston in 2020.

Gutekunst said he couldn’t comment on Cobb because a trade with Houston hasn’t been finalized, but Rodgers noted that “I’m really excited Randall’s coming back.”

Rodgers threw for a league-high 48 touchdown passes with only five interceptions last season while helping the Packers lead the league in scoring. He led the NFL in passer rating and completion percentage.

No wonder the Packers were celebrating Rodgers’ arrival in camp. Packers coach Matt LaFleur conceded that “quite frankly we were very unsure” about whether they’d have him back.

Rodgers said conversations with current and former teammates “refueled the fire” as he prepares for his 17th season with the Packers, one year longer than the Green Bay tenures of Hall of Fame quarterbacks Bart Starr and Brett Favre.

“I love my teammates,” Rodgers said. “I love the city. I love my coaches.”

The Packers understand what’s at stake this season with their most notable players facing uncertain futures.

All-Pro receiver Davante Adams, who is entering the last year of his contract, says he’s disappointed in the progress of negotiations and believes he should be the league’s highest-paid wideout. But the biggest questions surround Rodgers and whether this will be his final season in Green Bay.

“I’m definitely not closing the door on anything,” Rodgers said. “I’m always optimistic in the ability to change. I would never want anybody to give up on me, and I feel like I’ve made a lot of changes over the years to try and improve myself both as a person, as a teammate, as a player, and I’m always going to be optimistic in change being possible.

“But you know, (former Packers assistant coach) Darren Perry said a quote one time that has always stuck with me … ‘You can’t motivate people, but you can inspire people.’ And true motivation ultimately comes from within. So people have to be willing to make those changes.”

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A man was fatally shot Tuesday in South Chicago.

Allard Warren, 32, was in the 8400 block of South Escabana Avenue about 4:05 p.m. when someone opened fire, striking him in the chest, Chicago police and the Cook County medical examiner’s office said.

He was taken to the University of Chicago Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead, police said.

An autopsy released Wednesday found he died of multiple gunshot wounds and ruled his death a homicide, the medical examiner’s office said.

No arrests have been reported. Area Two detectives are investigating.

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