“I’m just thankful that I have the flute in my hand, that I can make music again and I can make people smile,” said Donald Rabin.
Following days of searching, the mystery of a missing $22,000 flute that was left on a CTA Blue Line train has been solved.
Donald Rabin, a flautist from Missouri who was visiting Chicago, frantically began searching for the flute after leaving it on a train seat when he hopped off last Friday in Logan Square. As Chicago police searched for the pricy woodwind, left to Rabin by his grandmother, the musicians’ pleas for help on Facebook grabbed the attention of local and national news outlets — and led to a break in the case.
Rabin said a man who scooped up the flute commented on one of his Facebook posts Tuesday with a photo of the instrument.
After that man texted him saying he found the flute and sent a receipt showing he had used the flute as collateral for a $550 loan at a pawn shop, Rabin grew leery.
“He was telling me that we needed to go to the pawn shop together. I would need to pay the $550 and I’ll retrieve the instrument that way,” Rabin told the Sun-Times. “But I did not want that to happen.”
Ultimately, Rabin alerted the detectives on the case, who went to the pawn shop and picked up the flute. During a celebratory news conference Thursday at the 14th District police station, Rabin offered his gratitude to those detectives and other cops as he was reunited with his cherished instrument.
“Not playing the flute every day is something that I’m not used to. I’m used to always practicing and I just have to say thank you to all these amazing, wonderful human beings who are here today that helped me along the way,” he said before closing out the event by playing “Over the Rainbow.”
Rosie, a 9-month-old shepherd mix, from Oak Park will take part in Puppy Bowl XVII on Sunday. | Ashlee Rezin Garcia/Sun-Times
The shepherd mix, Rosie, will be among dozens of rescue and shelter dogs featured during the Puppy Bowl to raise awareness for local no-kill shelters and fostering programs.
After surviving a deadly house fire, recovering from a contagious disease, flourishing in foster care and finding home with a family in Oak Park, a shepherd puppy mix will appear in Sunday’s broadcast of Puppy Bowl XVII.
The 9-month-old puppy, formerly known as Foofur, will be featured in a segment during the three-hour Puppy Bowl special airing at 1 p.m. Feb. 7 on Animal Planet and streaming via the Discovery Plus platform.
Hosted by Snoop Dogg and Martha Stewart, the Puppy Bowl will see rescue and shelter puppies from northeastern states on Team Ruff and Team Fluff face off for the Chewy Lombarky Trophy.
Ashlee Rezin Garcia/Sun-TimesRosie, a 9-month-old shepherd mix, will be featured in a segment during the three-hour Puppy Bowl special airing Sunday on Animal Planet and streaming via the Discovery Plus platform.
Meg Gordon, an Oak Park resident who has adopted with PAWS before, said the pandemic and the ability to work from home provided her family with the perfect opportunity to adopt Foofur, who they renamed Rosie.
“She was just so adorable,” Gordon said. “We met her and immediately thought, ‘Oh, yeah, this is the one for us.”
In the incredible tale of an underdog, Rosie was rescued from a house fire in rural Tennessee along with her littermates and brought to PAWS Chicago Medical Center & Lurie Clinic in Little Village to recover from a burn mark on her abdomen.
There, she was diagnosed with parvovirus, a deadly illness that attacks the gastrointestinal system. Sarah McDonald, spokesperson for PAWS Chicago, said after a month of healing at the clinic with an IV, oxygen and supplemental feeding, Rosie was moved to a foster home.
Lake View resident Betsy Moore, who has fostered five dogs through PAWS Chicago, said Rosie was an especially lovable foster puppy.
Moore said her dog Penny, a husky boxer mix, loved having a foster sibling to run around with and enjoyed teaching Rosie how to play with toys, sleep on the couch and be a dog in the big city.
In October 2020, an Animal Planet crew came to Moore’s house to film a segment for the Puppy Bowl highlight on Rosie adjusting to life in her foster home, including shots of her playing with Penny and cuddling on the couch.
Just a few weeks after filming the Puppy Bowl highlight, Rosie was adopted by the Gordon family.
Once a shy puppy, Rosie is now very sweet, snuggly and social, Gordon said. Rosie’s favorite activities include playing soccer, running in the snow, hiking, rock climbing, and co-existing with the family’s two older cats, Shaka and Ciris, she said.
For the Puppy Bowl on Sunday, Gordon said the family is planning a virtual watch party with friends and will celebrate with a peanut butter treat for Rosie.
Ashlee Rezin Garcia/Sun-TimesJeremy Gordon, 41, stops to give treats to his family’s puppy Rosie, a 9-month-old shepherd mix, on a walk Thursday near his home in west suburban Oak Park.
The Puppy Bowl’s digital campaign will also include Senior Spotlight stories to highlight older dogs “who are ultimately puppies at heart,” according to the Animal Planet.
Scoobert, an 8-year-old Chihuahua boxer mix with medical needs and a “special zest for life,” will be first dog from Young at Heart Sanctuary in Chicago showcased as part of the Puppy Bowl.
McDonald said PAWS Chicago is able to take in about 5,000 homeless dogs and cats a year through its partnerships with shelters in 13 states.
Over the course of the pandemic, McDonald said interest in adopting and fostering animals has surged. PAWS Chicago has averaged 76 adoptions per week.
Moore said she recommends fostering because it is a win-win situation for the foster parent and the pet.
“It’s great for the animal because it provides a warm, loving environment where they can heal and grow,” Moore said. “While doing that, it opens up another space for an animal to be saved. So you’re really helping save two lives in the process of fostering.”
This is PAWS Chicago’s second time to be part of the Puppy Bowl after one of its puppies made Team Fluff’s starting lineup in 2016. McDonald said she hopes the coverage of the foster program will inspire people from all over the world to consider fostering or adopting a pet from their local shelter.
“It’s such a wonderful way to really showcase the variety of amazing animals that are available at your local shelter,” McDonald said. “They’re just so deserving of a loving home. And I think they reward you with a lifetime of love and companionship.”
Those who want to adopt can visit PAWS Chicago’s website to fill out a compatibility quiz to match them with a pet.
Ashlee Rezin Garcia/Sun-TimesJeremy Gordon, 41, plays with his puppy Rosie, a 9-month-old shepherd mix, on the homemade ice skating rink in his backyard at the family’s west suburban Oak Park home Thursday.
An elderly couple died after their house caught on fire Feb. 4, 2021 in Arlington Heights. | Arlington Heights police
Lewis Smith and Joan Smith were pulled from their home Thursday morning on Spruce Terrace, police said.
An elderly couple died after a fire broke out in their Arlington Heights home Thursday morning, the third fatal fire in the northwest suburbs in recent weeks.
A neighbor called 911 about 8:20 a.m. to report smoke and flames coming from the back of a single-family home in the 1900 block of North Spruce Terrace, Arlington Heights fire officials said in a statement.
Lewis Smith, 75, and Joan Smith, 72, were pulled from the home by firefighters and taken to Northwest Community Hospital, where they were pronounced dead, Arlington Heights police and the Cook County medical examiner’s office said.
Autopsy results haven’t been released.
Firefighters found the couple on the top level of the home, Division Chief David Roberts said in an email. One victim was in a hallway and the other in a bedroom.
The fire, which likely started in the kitchen, took about 25 minutes to extinguish, Roberts said. There were no other injuries.
Attention: stop what you’re doing and give yourself a high five. Because you made it through January during a pandemic. And a lot of other intense stuff (we won’t go into details). So feel free to reward yourself. Maybe explore a museum. Go ice skating. Dine in at a local restaurant. You deserve it, friend. Here’s what’s open now or reopening in Chicago this February.
Mark your calendars! Downtown Chicago’s top art museum reopens to the public on February 11. Expect the normal COVID safety protocols (face mask, keep your distance, sanitize, etc.). Also, advance ticket purchase is required for the public. Of course if you’re a member, you don’t need to reserve tickets.
Been missing Sue the T-Rex? Well great news, Chicago’s favorite history museum officially reopened to the public on January 23rd. Stop in to see your favorite prehistoric animals and more by booking your tickets here.
Oh the adorable penguins, cheeky beluga whales, colorful sea creatures. It’s been waaay too long since we connected with our favorite aquatic life. Thankfully, the Shedd reopened to the public on Saturday, January 30. So go ahead, plan a fun family day or treat your S.O. to something different.
Hungry for some red meat? This family-owned steakhouse was limited to delivery and pick-up for the last few months. And now, the staff is excited to welcome guests back in! Steak 48’s two-level floor plan not only provides ample space for social distancing, but also offers multiple dining rooms, in addition to a unique collection of semi-private dining suites for an intimate experience.
Prepare your eyeballs for stunning, panoramic views of Chicago! The CHICAGO 360 observation deck started welcoming back guests on January 29th. See out the sights 1,000 feet above the famed Magnificent Mile and learn more here.
Grab a friend and lace up your skates for a chilly day at the Skating Ribbon! An hour and half session costs $16 per person with skate rental included. Book tickets online here. But hurry, the Skating Ribbon will close for the season on February 28th!
Looking to reconnect with nature? Turn off your brain and take in the quiet solitude at the Chicago Botanic Garden. Don’t forget your binoculars and camera! You could catch a glimpse of birds, geese, and other animals. The Garden is open daily from 8 a.m. – 5 p.m. (last entry 4 p.m.) through the end of February. Get your timed tickets here.
Featured Image Credit: Maggie Daley Park on Facebook
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