After a biking spill along the lakefront path, I did what I could to regain my confidence, riding up Cricket Hill — twice — then, just to be safe, riding the brakes all the way down.

I was riding my bike along the lakefront path early one morning this past week, standing up out of the seat and pedaling as hard as I could to gain speed on a slight incline when my right foot slipped off the pedal.

Suddenly, I found myself seated on the bike frame instead of the seat as I careened out of control across the oncoming lane and into the grass, my legs spinning wildly as I tried to stay upright.

Somehow, I never really crashed to the ground, which doesn’t explain how I still managed to come away with a bloody left knee and cuts to both shins.

It was all over in a few seconds, and I was on my way. But it’s amazing what can go through a person’s mind in such a short time.

On another day or at another time of day, I likely would have crashed into an oncoming rider, and we’d have both been lying there, waiting for an ambulance — and it would have been my fault. Somehow, I managed to think about all that while, at the same time, feeling embarrassed that somebody must have witnessed the spectacle I had just made of myself.

It even occurred to me that I might have got myself killed, which was not a new thought on the often hectic lakefront bike path, though I usually associate it with someone else’s reckless behavior instead of my own.

Just like that, my self-confidence ebbed away, and I was feeling my age.

Part of me thinks a guy ought to do something every few years to get his knees skinned up just to remind himself he’s still alive. Another part questions how much sense it makes to be doing something for health reasons that could possibly get you killed.

I swear I really don’t ride all that fast. Other riders regularly pass me, and that doesn’t bother me (unless they’re on a Divvy.)

My hybrid bike is built more for comfort than speed anyhow, and the legs aren’t quite what they used to be.

But it’s also true that I ride pretty much as hard as I can from start to finish in hopes of replicating the exercise benefits I used to receive from running before I had the right knee replaced.

My younger brother was always the kid who would roll up to the crest of a hill on his bicycle, release the brakes and let her rip, no consideration to slowing down before he reached the bottom. Fearless.

I would apply the brakes all the way down a hill, more worried about feeling out of control and losing my balance than about bringing up the rear.

Mark Brown / Sun-Times

These days, my brother, who is two years younger, is a mountain biker. Last year, he talked me into riding on a trail through the woods in a hilly area. He’d zip through the turns as if the trees weren’t there to catch you in a mistake. Like always, I went as slow as possible on the downhill, inching my way through the curves.

Our dad was 68 when he died. Our grandfather 67. I’m 66.

I don’t dwell on that set of facts, but I do think about it from time to time. I’m in better health than they were. But if heredity is half the battle, it bears noting that everyone always said I took after my dad.

I thought about all that, too, as I finished the last five miles of my ride, taking it considerably more slowly than before.

To regain some confidence, I rode twice up Cricket Hill, the pint-sized sledding hill at Montrose that passes for elevation change in Chicago. That’s something old guys do to prove to themselves they still can.

On the way back down, though, I rode the brakes.

Because old guys ought to be smart enough to know their limitations.

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The government of the state of Puebla finally was able to rescue the dogs — trapped for four days — from the sheer ledge of the crater after animal lovers’ emotional pleas.

A giant, water-filled sinkhole that appeared in late May at a farm in central Mexico has grown larger than a football field, begun swallowing a house and trapped two dogs in its depths.

“It’s a very hard time for us,” said Magdalena Xalamigua Xopillacle, whose brick-and-cinderblock house was slowly collapsing into the sinkhole. “It hurts because this is all that we have. At times, we feel sick from so much sadness.”

The government of the central state of Puebla managed to pull the dogs out of the sinkhole after emotional pleas from animal lovers to rescue them. The dogs had been trapped for about four days on a ledge on the sheer sides of the hole, which drops 50 feet to the water.

Because the loose soil at the edges keeps collapsing into the water at the bottom of the pit, for days it was considered too dangerous to try to rescue the animals.

Fernando Llano / AP

On Thursday, a firefighter descended into the pit, in part by using a ladder to steady the soil on the edge. His colleagues were seen standing farther back using ropes and a pulley system to haul up cages carrying the two dogs.

The state government distributed photos of the dogs, named Spay and Spike, looking alert and in the care of veterinarians.

The dogs apparently were playing in the farm field surrounding the sinkhole when they fell in.

The sinkhole in the town of Zacatepec in Puebla state, east of Mexico City, is now over 400 feet across in some place and could be 150 feet at its deepest point, though it’s hard to tell because water fills the crater.

The Mexican government has sent in soldiers to keep people 2,000 feet from the hole, which is 50 feet deep.

Some residents believe the sinkhole is the result of excessive groundwater extraction by factories or a water-bottling plant in the area. But the bottom of the hole is filled with water that appears to have strong currents, and the national civil defense office said experts think it was caused by something like an underground river.

“It is highly probable that the origin is associated with the presence of subterranean water flows,” the office said.

Fernando Llano / AP

Puebla Gov. Miguel Barbosa said experts are studying both possibilities. If water extraction is the culprit, Barbosa said he would cancel any permits.

Citing a risk of further ground fractures, the government warned people to stay away from the site, saying, “This is not a tourist attraction or a place to visit with your family.”

Authorities have set up metal barriers and police tape to keep onlookers out and has restricted flying drones over it.

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The winner of the Democratic primary for secretary of state could be the preferred candidate of just barely 20% of the voters. This is stupid.

Five candidates, so far, are running in the Democratic primary to be elected Illinois secretary of state. The winner in the primary, who would move on to the general election, could prevail with as little as 21% of the total primary vote.

That is not only absurd; it is stupid. You would hope the candidate with the widest support wins the primary, but under this system 4 out of 5 voters could prefer someone other than the winner.

The system is broken. It works only when you have no more than two candidates in a race.

SEND LETTERS TO: [email protected]. Please include your neighborhood or hometown and a phone number for verification purposes. Letters should be approximately 350 words or less.

A better way is that if nobody gets over 50% of the vote in a primary, you have a runoff between the two top vote-getters to see who really has more support among all Democratic voters.

But wait. That’s exactly what Chicago did in the last mayoral race. Fourteen candidates ran in the first round. Then a runoff election was held between the two top vote-getters — Lori Lightfoot and Toni Preckwinkle — though neither of them had received more than 18% of the vote in the first round. I’m sorry, but that was wrong.

Chicago and Illinois could instead use ranked-choice voting in primary elections, which allows voters to list all the candidates they could support — not just one — in order of preference. We then would know on the first day of voting who is the best candidate — the one who truly has the most support among the voters — without having to go through the time and expense of a runoff election.

I have no vested interest in ranked-choice voting. I am just tired of seeing elections declaring winners who didn’t win anything.

Larry Craig, Wilmette

Neutral names only for roads and schools

I think renaming Lake Shore Drive for Jean Baptiste Point DuSable is a bad idea, but not for the reasons most people are giving. Yes, it would cost money. And yes, I understand the motivation for wanting to rename the road for DuSable. But all this is short-sighted.

Public property should have neutral names that all citizens can relate to. Public property should not be named in ways that simply reflect who has political power at the moment. It makes people resentful. It creates ethnic and racial divisions. Lake Shore Drive is a neutral name that everyone can relate to.

I would also rename the Kennedy Expressway, making it the Northwest Expressway. I would change the Eisenhower Expressway back to what it once was called, Congress Expressway. And while we’re at it, I’d give public schools new names based on location — or give them numbers. This would really demonstrate social equity.

Jeffrey Rovner, West Rogers Park

If eight beatitudes, why 21 school board members?

Why are people proposing 21 members for an elected Chicago school board? Why are there 50 aldermen, for that matter, on the Chicago City Council?

There are Eight Beatitudes, There are Nine Stages of Hell. There are Ten Commandments.

Can’t we find a number in that range for the size of an elected school board and the City Council?

Michael Sullivan, Avondale

Declare guns state of emergency

I found it disturbing that your otherwise fine editorial about children being shot (“Saving our city’s children from gunfire”) hardly dealt with guns. The sole mention was: “We need to do a better job of keeping guns out of the hands of those who shouldn’t have them.”

Of course. But is that all? Gun violence is clearly a long-term problem, as you say, but we cannot wait another decade, another year, another month, another week, not even another day to halt this carnage.

As I have written before to this newspaper and Mayor Lori Lightfoot, we need to get guns off the streets. I believe the mayor and the City Council should proclaim a state of emergency and require the re-registration of all guns within the city under strict regulations. To start with, no one under 21, no one with documented mental illness and no one convicted of any gun violation could register a gun. No military guns could be registered. With exception of hunting guns and antique gun collections, the number of guns to any single registrant would be limited to a given number. This is not a definitive list, simply an opening suggestion of restrictions.

I urge the mayor and City Council to explore all legal avenues under a formally declared state of emergency. Let the National Rifle Association go ahead and counter-attack. We’ll take it all the way to the Supreme Court and pray!

Martin Deppe, Ravenswood Manor

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The changes follow AP reporting last year that found a series of sexual assault and harassment allegations against senior officials who were allowed to quietly avoid discipline and retire or transfer even after the claims were substantiated.

WASHINGTON — Faced with a #MeToo reckoning, the FBI says it is getting serious about sexual harassment in its ranks, starting a 24/7 tip line, doing more to help accusers and taking a tougher stand against agents found to have committed misconduct.

The changes follow Associated Press reporting last year that found a series of sexual assault and harassment allegations against senior officials who were allowed to quietly avoid discipline and retire or transfer even after the claims were substantiated.

FBI Deputy Director Paul Abbate told the AP that the bureau is sending its strongest message ever that employees who are tempted to engage in sexual misconduct should be scared because if they do so, “we’re coming for them.”

“That’s a strong approach, a forceful shift and we mean it. And it’s coming from the top,” Abbate said. “Individuals who engage in this type of misconduct don’t belong in the FBI and they certainly should not have supervisory oversight of others. Period.”

Among the changes FBI officials detailed to AP in a series of recent interviews was a round-the-clock tip line that provides a centralized mechanism to report abuse, though they would not say how many calls it has received. They also cited a working group of senior executives to review policies and procedures on harassment and victim support, and faster action to investigate allegations and fire or at least demote employees found to have engaged in misconduct to ensure they have no path to management.

To address chronic concerns that the FBI makes it difficult and intimidating for victims to come forward, the bureau is more broadly spreading the word in online and internal communications about where victimized employees can report allegations. And the FBI’s Victim Services Division, which until recently had focused on aiding victims of federal crimes outside the bureau, has been extending the same level of support to employees who are victims of internal misconduct.

Advocates of combating sexual abuse greeted the bureau’s changes with skepticism, calling them long overdue — coming years after the advent of the #MeToo movement — and unlikely to affect lasting change.

“Everyone has gone through this, including the military, and the bureau has managed to skate,” said Jane Turner, a former longtime FBI agent who in 1983 became the first woman named head of an FBI resident agency.

“Until the FBI charges these people and throws them in jail — or at least out of the FBI — and the message gets out that you can’t do this, it won’t stop,” said Turner, who now works with the National Whistleblower Center. “It’s going to take a total cultural shift.”

FBI officials insist sexual misconduct allegations represent a narrow snapshot of the roughly 35,000-member workforce. But the cases that have been identified — by the AP and also by the Justice Department’s internal watchdog — have exposed accountability gaps and startlingly bad behavior.

An AP investigation last year found that several senior FBI officials have avoided discipline — quietly transferring or retiring with full benefits — even after claims of sexual misconduct against them were substantiated.

That includes James Hendricks, the former top agent in Albany, New York, who was alleged to have sexually harassed eight female subordinates, including by asking one to have sex in a conference room. An assistant director also retired after he was accused of drunkenly groping a female colleague in a stairwell.

Those incidents come on top of a class-action lawsuit alleging systemic sexual harassment at the FBI’s training academy in Quantico, Virginia.

And just last month, the Office of Inspector General released a new report to AP alleging an assistant special agent in charge groped a female colleague at an after-work event — a sexual assault captured on surveillance video.

“It was gross and creepy, he was touching the same parts of me repeatedly so not by accident,” the woman texted a friend after the groping. “We put up with a lot so as not to rock the boat.”

The heavily redacted report does not identify the agent but says investigators substantiated allegations he “engaged in unwanted physical sexual contact with three female FBI employees.” The report says an unspecified agency declined to prosecute the official; it’s unclear whether the FBI disciplined him.

Sexual misconduct also has drawn the attention of Congress and advocacy groups, which called for new whistleblower protections for rank-and-file FBI employees and for an outside entity to review the bureau’s disciplinary cases.

FBI Director Christopher Wray said during a congressional hearing in April that this is a subject that “makes my blood boil.”

“There is nothing more important than our people and how we treat each other,” Wray said. “I have tried to make it crystal clear that we’re going to have zero tolerance for that kind of activity at any level within the organization.”

____

Mustian reported from New York.

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Chicagoans really have it the best. The best sports teams. The best historical landmarks. The best attractions for those coming from far and wide. The best food. I mean, you name it, Chicago has it. And that includes the very best hotel accommodations for weekend staycations with your significant other (or yourself, we’re not here to judge you). Listen, we understand that you’re bucking the trend of a traditional weekend getaway, but as the city of Chicago opens back up to 100 percent as of today, why would you head anywhere else? When you have the abundance of incredible sights, sounds, and events of this city, it’s an easy choice. The Hotel at Midtown is at the epicenter of all of them, making it one of the premiere hotels to nest for your epic weekend staycation.

Located at 2444 N Elston Ave, Chicago, IL 60647, The Hotel at Midtown is perhaps the finest boutique hotel in the entire city. But it’s so much more to that. Attached to the Midtown Athletic Club, a stay at The Hotel at Midtown gives you access to a world-class fitness facility, a brunch restaurant, indoor and outdoor pools, tennis courts, and a spa that is to die for. It’s truly a perfect blend of luxury and wellness, indulgence without having to stay directly in the heart of The Loop.

It’s the perfect weekend oasis. Bucktown and Wicker Park are a short drive down Damen away. Lincoln Park is a short Uber away down Fullerton. Not only are you immersed in luxury at an affordable price with amenities to boot, you’re right in the heart of some of the best dining and entertainment Chicago’s eclectic neighborhoods have to offer. Our perfect Staycation at The Hotel at Midtown includes a morning massage at the spa followed by brunch at Chromium. The Fried Chicken & Waffles is among the best in the city. From there, hop off campus and jet to North Avenue in the Bucktown neighborhood to enjoy tasty libations on one of the many patios or rooftops the neighborhood offers, but don’t stay out too long because a dip in the hot tub on the upper terrace is calling your name as the ideal way to end your day.

In total, The Hotel at Midtown and accompanying Midtown Athletic Club are a home run. They hit on every level from comfort to style to relaxation, it does not miss. To start planning your own weekend staycation at The Hotel at Midtown, check out their website for booking and amenities!

Featured Image Credit: The Hotel at Midtown on Facebook

The post Celebrate Chicago’s Reopening With the Perfect Weekend Staycation at The Hotel at Midtown appeared first on UrbanMatter.

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After being postponed last summer due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2020 UEFA European Football Championship will finally take place beginning TODAY. Twenty-four nations will play throughout Europe for a shot at one of soccer’s top prizes. And with Chicago 100 percent opening today (FINALLY!) it’s time to pick your go-to soccer pub to watch all the matches. The matches for today and Saturday are as follows:

FRIDAY JUNE 11

Group A: Italy vs. Turkey

SATURDAY JUNE 12

• Group A: Wales vs. Switzerland – 8am
• Group B: Denmark vs. Finland – 11am
• Group B: Belgium vs. Russia – 2pm

Here is a full list of matches, courtesy of Cleo’s.

Below is a list of six of the best soccer bars in Chicago to watch the Euro 2021 Tournaments!

The Globe Pub

1934 W Irving Park Rd, Chicago, IL 60613

The Globe is a neighborhood pub & sports bar with European soccer on TV, a jumbo beer list & British fare. I personally have been here for soccer matches and would recommend highly recommend stopping by to catch a match. It’s a smaller cozy atmosphere, but so worth it. 

Cleo’s 

1935 W Chicago Ave, Chicago, IL 60622

East Village mainstay Cleo’s is the kind of bar that is unapologetically dive-y yet is in a class all its own. An ivy-covered, 1,200 square-foot patio offers a respite from game-day crowds (sometimes). It is Chicago’s home of international soccer. They even post schedules of each Euro game that can be found here so you can make your plans accordingly. 

The Atlantic 

5062 N Lincoln Ave, Chicago, IL 60625

Located near the heart of Chicago’s Lincoln Square neighborhood, The Atlantic is a no-frills neighborhood bar that will show any soccer game upon request. Come for the Euro 2021, stay for classic bar-food staples and the cozy atmosphere. 

Heineken Pub 97

3626 N Talman Ave, Chicago, IL 60618

Heineken Pub 97 takes the meaning of a soccer bar to the next level. Not only do they feature multiple 4k TVs, a rotating draft list, and classic pub fare, they also have two full-size soccer fields available for recreational leagues, private parties, or just kicking the ball around with friends while you wait for the match to start. In the North Center neighborhood, Heineken Pub 97’s unique approach to the soccer bar experience makes it a worthwhile stop for any Euro League fan. It’s your home for everything soccer. 

The Galway Arms 

2442 N Clark St, Chicago, IL 60614

A blink-and-you’ll-miss-it Irish pub in Lakeview, The Galway Arms is as discreet as it is welcoming. This basement bar serves in-the-know Lakeview residents with a penchant for Guinness and all things soccer. 

The Pony Inn 

1638 W Belmont Ave, Chicago, IL 60657 

The Pony Inn is hosting a watch party THIS weekend, starting today. Come cheer for your team, watch the best of the game and soak up the atmosphere of international football, LIVE. Reservations are encouraged. Opens at 2 pm today and early Saturday. 

Featured Image Credit: UEFA

The post Best Soccer Bars in Chicago to Watch the Euro 2020 Tournament appeared first on UrbanMatter.

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It’s a time for celebration! With restrictions being lifted and summer almost here, what better way to celebrate the end of an unprecedented year than by treating yourself to a night of fine dining? We have three Chicago restaurants to treat yourself at that are absolutely perfect for those who missed on celebrating special occasions.

“TREAT YO SELF!” — Tom and Donna, probably.

SMYTH

This Michelin-starred culinary hotspot pays homage to the depth and richness of Chef John Shields and Karen Urie Shields’ five inspiring years in the farmlands of Smyth County, Virginia, where they expanded their knowledge and vision and found their voice. Diners can taste the narrative for $225.00 a person and also choose from various beverage pairing add-ons to enhance the experience.. The Smyth’s dishes feature balance and warmth, and is a special treat for the senses. Guests can expect to enjoy award winning dishes and flavors during this 2.5 hour experience.

SEPIA

Chef Andrew Zimmerman’s Michelin-starred destination has been a staple in the West Loop since 2007. Sepia’s tasting menu is also affordably priced with four courses for $75, making it one of the best-valued fine-dining restaurants in the city, for a great celebratory dinner that won’t break the bank. Sepia is one of six original Michelin-starred restaurants since the Chicago guide was announced in 2011.

PROXI

This border-blurring destination from Chef Andrew Zimmerman and proprietor Emmanuel Nony opened its first patio last summer, perfect for imbibing on craft cocktails and taking in the buzzing West Loop atmosphere. The new menu features the infamous tempura elotes, as well as newer items like the smoked, double-cut Berkshire pork chop with roasted knob onions and sauce vindaloo, the Thai street food dish Khanom Krok, and a show-stopping coconut panna cotta, made with pandan gelee, tropical fruit, coconut crumble and topped with a beautiful Thai dok jok cookie.

Restaurants to Treat Yourself Featured Image Credit: Proxi Chicago

The post 3 Restaurants to Treat Yourself At For a Special Meal This Summer in Chicago appeared first on UrbanMatter.

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Now that the city of Chicago and state of Illinois are, as of Friday, fully reopened for business, some people are eager to get back out. And some say: Not yet.

With the city of Chicago and all of Illinois now fully reopened for business, we asked whether readers plan to go out to bars and restaurants going forward as much as they did before the pandemic. Some answers have been condensed and lightly edited for clarity.

“Yes, absolutely. I realized how much I took hanging out with friends for granted and doing more work than play. It’s time for balance.” — Jimmy Vidaurri

“Absolutely. Life is too short to keep on worrying. Enjoy your time with friends and family.” — Kathleen Compton

“Yes — but I also didn’t stop going to restaurants during the pandemic.” — Lisa Stripling

“Nope. I decided I like sobriety. There’s a big world out there to see.” — Guy Williams

“I plan to be out about the same to cultural performance events — theater, shows, concerts, exhibits. For restaurants and bars, I will try to limit the dollars spent to only quality, interesting, experiential food and limit the takeout and casual dining, as I have rediscovered the pleasure, satisfaction and price convenience of cooking your own food.” — Ovidiu George Pristavu

“No. Service blows, and food has been awful lately at many places. The pandemic ruined everything.” — Kathleen Alcantar

“I plan to be out and about probably more because I didn’t realize how much I took it for granted. But will mask up if there are a lot of people in a smaller space. It’s been great not having so much as the sniffles for the past year with the mask/hand sanitizer combo! Vaccinated and ready to go!” — Cheryl Wisniewski

“I plan on going to outdoor cafes this summer. I had a steak-and-egg breakfast at a outdoor cafe last week. It was amazing.” — Brian Anderson

“No, not until I am sure this has gotten to the stage of any other virus. There will be people out carrying the virus unmasked and won’t care. I also don’t believe that it is suddenly safe to rush out into huge crowds all of a sudden just from last month, when it wasn’t supposed to be wise to do so just because the government now gives it the OK.” — Patty Gayden

“Probably not. If it’s something this pandemic and lockdown has truly taught me, it’s that I hate people.” — Ana Argueta

“I plan to go much more than I did before because I’ve been reminded that no restaurant lasts forever. Many bars and restaurants that I always said I’d go to sometime in the future have closed for good due to being, quite understandably, unable to weather this storm.” — Julia Harris

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Freebies such as Lollapalooza passes, gift cards to Chicago restaurants and retailers and a hip-hop version of the “Protect Chicago” music series and more were announced Friday.

After 15 months of suffering and sacrifice, Mayor Lori Lightfoot celebrated Friday’s reopening of the Chicago and Illinois economies as the liberation day that it was.

On a gorgeous summer-like day, Lightfoot held a celebratory news conference, complete with a grab bag of giveaways aimed at luring Chicagoans off their couches and away from their home offices.

One thousand free, one-day passes to Lollapalooza. Hundreds of $250 gift cards redeemable at over 4,000 Chicago restaurants and retailers. A hip-hop version of the “Protect Chicago” music series for vaccinated Chicagoans.

The pep rally of a news conference was held outside Gibson’s Italia, a riverfront restaurant with one of the most picturesque spots in Chicago.

Construction cranes hummed in the background. The sounds of a city coming back to work and to life, thanks to the stay-at-home sacrifices made by so many.

“Residents of Chicago, for the past year and some change, have endured so very much. But at every step of the way, you still made sure to do your part to stop the spread of this deadly disease,” Lightfoot said.

“You masked up. You got vaxxed up. And now, it’s time for you to get up, get out of the house this summer and fully and safely enjoy the events of the best city on the planet, our beloved city. … There’s no better place to be in summertime than the city of Chicago.”

Throughout the pandemic, Lightfoot has not hesitated to play the heavy.

She closed down the lakefront when she determined Chicagoans could no longer be trusted to maintain social distance and avoid gathering in large groups. That inspired a never-ending and hysterical string of memes she was smart enough to embrace.

She cut off citywide liquor sales at 9 p.m. and drove around the city breaking up large groups.

All of that was forgotten Friday.

Lightfoot pointed to “rebounding travel numbers,” rising hotel occupancy and jampacked restaurants.

“We are strong. We are resilient. And we are back. … We are poised to roar back,” she said.

Chicago Federation of Labor President Bob Reiter characterized Friday’s reopening as a “new beginning — a giant step out of the darkness.”

“People are working behind us. They’re building buildings. They’re out there on the street. It feels like the city is humming again,” he said. The CFL has an ownership stake in Sun-Times Media.

The $250 gift cards come courtesy of a partnership between World Business Chicago and Ray’s Marketplace. They will be distributed starting today through July 4.

To qualify, walk into a participating business with a sign in the window and say, “Open Chicago.” The cards can be used on Ray’s Marketplace and “more than 4,000 brands,” many of them Chicago-based.

The 1,000 passes to Lollapalooza are courtesy of C3 Presents, organizers of the annual music extravaganza in Grant Park. The freebie is available only to people who have been vaccinated.

“To get yourself the best chance to get one of those passes, go to the website Chicago.gov/covidvax, and on Saturday June 26, we’ll be turning four of our city of Chicago sites into a Lollapalooza experience. Each will be featuring DJs spinning music, custom Lollapalooza giveaways. And each of the sites will offer a pass to a different day of the music festival,” said Chicago Health Commissioner Dr. Allison Arwady.

“We’ll be pairing this with a concert … at the House of Blues. They’ll also be sponsoring one of the Lolla artists.”

Arwady also announced another concert in the “Protect Chicago” music series — on July 1 at Chicago State University. It will feature artists from “Save Money,” a popular hip-hop group based in Chicago.

“If you want to guarantee yourself a ticket to that concert for free on July 1, you can sign up to get a vaccine at Chicago State University this coming Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday,” the commissioner said.

Business Affairs and Consumer Protection Commissioner Rosa Escareno thanked Chicago business owners who are “sick of hearing from me” about the ever-changing regulations and capacity limits they have been forced to endure over the past fifteen months.

She urged Chicagoans to support their local businesses.

“They need you. … There’s been a lot of headache and heartache” as scores of businesses have closed and many of them “staying closed,” she said.

Escareno also pointed to the trouble many hotels and restaurants are having in rehiring enough workers to fully reopen.

“We want workers back. The businesses need you back in order to succeed,” she said.

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