Taste Chicago

As far as neighborhood transformations go, Fulton Market is way up there in terms of starkness of change: the onetime meatpacking, food-processing district has been thoroughly transformed into a playground of design firms, upscale hotels, buzzy restaurants and tech upstarts. If the radical transformation needed any punctuation, it just arrived in the form of a mammoth, multimillion-dollar mixed-use development proposal, reportedly the largest yet—if realized—to hit the neighborhood.

As reported by Crain's, the proposed block-long (!) development would include office space, a retail component and—say it with us—a boutique hotel. The 24-story development, which is heavy on dramatic, glassy protrusions (see rendering above) and represents a team-up between developers IBT Group and Lamb Properties, would tower on 1200 block of West Fulton Street. The 1.2-million-square-feet project would reportedly cost $500 million.

If such a large-scale development proposal in the heart of Chicago's tech country has you anticipating the "A" word, well, you're correct: developers told Crain's they hope the complex could play a role in Fulton Market's potential to house Amazon's HQ2. A person involved in the project said the site could potentially be included with neighboring properties for a headquarters. (The city and Illinois included Fulton Market as one of its 10 possible sites in their bid to Amazon, although somewhat ambiguously, as "Fulton Market" encompasses a lot.)

Amazon or no, the proposal would be a massive one for a neighborhood that shows no signs of slowing its whirlwind metamorphosis. (Developers even reportedly said there's been chatter of a new Metra station, near Fulton and Ashland, from officials.) The mixed-user would of course require a zoning change from Ald. Walter Burnett (27th) and a thumbs up from the community—the latter of which isn't always a sure thing for big ambitions in the West Loop/Fulton Market corridor.

[H/T Crain's]

“The Conjurer,” 1475–1480, by Hieronymus Bosch or his workshop. Notice how the man in the back row steals another man’s purse while applying misdirection by looking at the sky. The artist even misdirects the viewer from the thief by drawing the viewer to the magician.

ARIES (March 21-April 19): You have officially arrived at the heart of the most therapeutic phase of your cycle. Congratulations! It’s an excellent time to fix what’s wrong, hurt or distorted. You will attract more help than you can imagine if you summon an aggressive approach toward finding antidotes and cures. A good way to set the tone for your aggressive determination to feel better is to heed this advice from poet Maya Angelou: “Take a day to heal from the lies you’ve told yourself and the ones that have been told to you.”

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): U2’s singer Bono, born under the sign of Taurus, says that all of us suffer from the sense that something’s missing from our lives. We imagine that we lack an essential quality or experience, and its absence makes us feel sad and insufficient. French philosopher Blaise Pascal referred to this emptiness as “a God-shaped hole.” Bono adds that “you can never completely fill that hole,” but you may find partial fixes through love and sex, creative expression, family, meaningful work, parenting, activism and spiritual devotion. I bring this to your attention, Taurus, because I have a strong suspicion that in the coming weeks you will have more power to fill your God-shaped hole than you’ve had in a long time.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): “Most of our desires are clichés, right? Ready to wear, one size fits all. I doubt if it’s even possible to have an original desire anymore.” So says a character in Gemini author Tobias Wolff’s short story “Sanity.” Your assignment in the coming weeks, Gemini, is to refute and rebel against this notion. The cosmic rhythms will work in your favor to the degree that you cultivate innovative yearnings and unique urges. I hope you’ll make it your goal to have the experiences necessary to stir up an outbreak of original desires.

CANCER (June 21-July 22): If you’re a typical member of the Cancerian tribe, you’re skilled at responding constructively when things go wrong. Your intelligence rises up hot and strong when you get sick or rejected or burned. But if you’re a classic Crab, you have less savvy in dealing with triumphs. You may sputter when faced with splashy joy, smart praise, or lucky breaks. But everything I just said is meant to be a challenge, not a curse. One of the best reasons to study astrology is to be aware of the potential shortcomings of your sign so you can outwit and overcome them. That’s why I think that eventually you’ll evolve to the point where you won’t be a bit flustered when blessings arrive. And the immediate future will bring you excellent opportunities to upgrade your response to good fortune.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): “Each of us needs something of an island in her life,” said poet John Keats. “If not an actual island, at least some place, or space in time, in which to be herself, free to cultivate her differences from others.” According to my reading of the astrological omens, Leo, you’ll be wise to spend extra time on your own island in the next two weeks. Solitude is unlikely to breed unpleasant loneliness, but will instead inspire creative power and evoke inner strength. If you don’t have an island yet, go in search! (P.S.: I translated Keats’ pronouns into the feminine gender.)

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): I’m rooting for you to engage in experimental intimacy, Virgo. I hope you’ll have an affinity for sweet blends and incandescent mixtures and arousing juxtapositions. To get in the right mood for this playful work, you could read love poetry and listen to uplifting songs that potentize your urge to merge. Here are a few lyrical passages to get you warmed up. 1. “Your flesh quivers against mine like moonlight on the sea.” —Julio Cortázar 2. “When she smiles like that she is as beautiful as all my secrets.” —Anne Carson 3. “My soul is alight with your infinitude of stars… The flowers of your garden blossom in my body.” —Rabindranath Tagore 4. “I can only find you by looking deeper, that’s how love leads us into the world.” —Anne Michaels

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Of course I want you to have more money. I’d love for you to buy experiences that expand your mind, deepen your emotional intelligence, and foster your ability to create inspiring forms of togetherness. My soul would celebrate if you got access to new wealth that enabled you to go in quest of spiritual fun and educational adventures. On the other hand, I wouldn’t be thrilled about you spending extra cash on trivial desires or fancy junk you don’t really need. Here’s why I feel this way: to the extent that you seek more money to pursue your most righteous cravings, you’re likely to get more money.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): “Penetralia” is a word that means the innermost or most private parts, the most secret and mysterious places. It’s derived from the same Latin term that evolved into the word “penetrate.” You Scorpios are of course the zodiac’s masters of penetralia. More than any other sign, you’re likely to know where the penetralia are, as well as how to get to them and what to do when you get to them. I suspect that this tricky skill will come in extra handy during the coming weeks. I bet your intimate adeptness with penetralia will bring you power, fun and knowledge.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Sagittarian poet Rainer Maria Rilke suggested that we cultivate an alertness for the ever-present possibility of germination and gestation. On a regular basis, he advised, we should send probes down into the darkness, into our unconscious minds, to explore for early signs of awakening. And when we discover the forces of renewal stirring there in the depths, we should be humble and reverent toward them, understanding that they are as-yet beyond the reach of our ability to understand. We shouldn’t seek to explain and define them at first, but simply devote ourselves to nurturing them. Everything I just said is your top assignment in the coming weeks.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): You’re in a phase of your cycle when your influence is at a peak. People are more receptive than usual to your ideas and more likely to want the same things you do. Given these conditions, I think the best information I can offer you is the following meditation by Capricorn activist Martin Luther King Jr. “Power without love is reckless and abusive, and love without power is sentimental and anemic. Power at its best is love implementing the demands of justice, and justice at its best is power correcting everything that stands against love.”

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Aquarian environmentalist Edward Abbey spent much of his life rambling around in the great outdoors. He was an emancipated spirit who regarded the natural world as the only church he needed. In an eruption of ecstatic appreciation, he once testified that “Life is a joyous dance through daffodils beneath cerulean blue skies and then, then what? I forget what happens next.” And yet the truth is, Abbey was more than a wild-hearted Dionysian explorer in the wilderness. He found the discipline and diligence to write twenty-three books! I mention this, Aquarius, because now is a perfect time for you to be like the disciplined and diligent and productive version of Abbey.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): For renowned Piscean visual artist Anne Truitt (1921–2004), creating her work was high adventure. She testified that artists like her had “to catapult themselves wholly, without holding back one bit, into a course of action without having any idea where they will end up. They are like riders who gallop into the night, eagerly leaning on their horse’s neck, peering into a blinding rain.” Whether or not you’re an artist, Pisces, I suspect your life in the coming weeks may feel like the process she described. And that’s a good thing! A fun thing! Enjoy your ride.

Homework: What gifts and blessings do you want? Express your outrageous demands and humble requests. Freewillastrology.com.

Related

After speaking with Eric Trump, Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot on Thursday called for stricter discipline against the Aviary server who allegedly spit on the son of President Donald Trump. Lightfoot called Tuesday night’s incident at the posh Fulton Market bar “repugnant” and said “this isn’t about politics, this is about civility.”

The server, only identified as a young woman, was placed on leave by Aviary’s parent company, the Alinea Group — the company known for acclaimed restaurants like Alinea and Next Restaurant. Law enforcement agents kept the server in custody for two hours on Tuesday night after she, as Eric Trump and the Trump Organization described to various media, spit in his face while he was customer at the upscale cocktail lounge. Eric Trump did not file charges against her. Lightfoot called Eric Trump “very gracious” for that decision. The mayor added that the Aviary should “take appropriate action against this employee.”

“We may not agree,” Lightfoot told reporters on Thursday. “And in my case I don’t agree with a lot of things that President Trump stands for. Our values are different. But you cross the line when you assault someone.”

Not everyone agreed with the mayor, as Chicago’s restaurant and bar industry raged privately on social media over how far they’d bend to ensure good hospitality for a polarizing customer like Eric Trump. Some restaurant owners and chefs claimed they’d offer the Aviary worker a job if she was fired. Others claimed good service was the No. 1 priority for all customers no matter what.

Meanwhile on Thursday afternoon, a GoFundMe page that misled the public into thinking it was raising money for the Aviary worker was taken offline. It was a hoax. In a series of Facebook posts, a Chicago woman claimed she worked at the Aviary and that she was fired and needed money. She then linked to the GoFundMe page on her Facebook profile. Alinea Group’s Nick Kokonas emailed and wrote that his company asked GoFundMe to take the page down. The page went up on Wednesday and raised a little more than $5,000 by Thursday morning. The organizer told Block Club Chicago that he was duped by the fake server and would refund donations.

• Lightfoot: Spitting at Eric Trump ‘repugnant’ because ‘civility matters’ [Sun-Times]
• Mayor calls for Aviary owners to ‘take appropriate action’ in Eric Trump spitting case; GoFundMe account taken offline [Tribune]
• Fundraiser For Woman Who Claims To Have Spat On Eric Trump Raises $5K, But She’s Not Actually The Spitter [Block Club Chicago]

Did you ever see the cartoon where the feisty little guy wants to take on the giant, and the giant really wants no part of it? He knows he can knock out the little guy. But the little guy just keeps swinging, roundhouse punch after roundhouse punch, but he's hitting nothing but air. Because the giant has his arm outstretched holding the little guy's head, and the little guy can't reach the giant. But he keeps swinging and swinging.

That was the Bulls and Toronto Raptors Tuesday in Toronto's mostly nonchalant 112-103 victory.

The Bulls basically had no chance in this game with the 52-23 Raptors, who are second in the Eastern Conference and convinced they finally are title contenders (psst, maybe don't let them know yet, but they are not. More on that later). The Bulls, meanwhile, were essentially without their starting five, and that's for a 21-54 team. Zach LaVine, Kris Dunn and Otto Porter Jr. all were out with injuries, joining Wendell Carter Jr., who would have been a starter had he not been injured in January. Then Lauri Markkanen, the last Bull standing, sat down with illness after getting 10 points and nine rebounds in the first half.

Bulls Raptors recap

"He had some fatigue and he was feeling a little sluggish, so we thought it was a good idea to keep him out the second half," Bulls coach Jim Boylen explained. "He has been practicing hard, playing hard and we felt we should keep him out and see how he feels afterwards."

Wayne Selden Jr. led the Bulls with 20 points, which matched his season high. Seven Bulls scored in double figures with Shaquille Harrison getting 15 points and three steals (Selden also had three steals), Ryan Arcidiacono 13 and two-way player Brandon Sampson with his career high 10 points.

Wayne Selden handles the ball

The last two were added with three tenths of a second left in the game when the Raptors were trying to dribble out the clock after getting a Harrison miss with 21 seconds left and leading 112-101. Selden then snuck up behind Norman Powell to force a jump ball with 7.6 seconds left. Selden got the ball and Sampson the free throws and his first double digit scoring game before presumably joining Windy City Wednesday for its playoff game in Westchester. With Markkanen out, Sampson started the second half along with Harrison, Selden, Arcidiacono and Robin Lopez. The Raptors, leading at the time 56-41, had their regulars in, Kawhi Leonard, Marc Gasol, Pascal Siakam, Danny Green and Kyle Lowry. They were led by Powell off the bench with 20 points. Leonard played a season low 22 minutes and had 14 points and six steals.

Shaquille Harrison looks to move

"We are working at getting better," said Boylen, who called one of his teaching timeouts trailing by 13 with 1:17 left. "We are working at growing no matter who is out there. Competing whether you're the fifteenth guy or the first guy. Bulls across your chest has to mean a lot when you're out there and I thought it did tonight."

One of our points of emphasis was we cannot turn the ball over against the Raptors, and obviously we turned the ball over and it hurt us.

Coach Jim Boylen

It might have helped to have some real bulls considering the mismatch in talent. But these Raptors tend not to be nearly as ferocious as their historic namesakes. It's understandable that a top team like the Raptors might not be particularly motivated when the opponent features four starters from the G-league. So the Raptors loped through much of the game, playing intermittently after leading by eight at the end of the first quarter, never trailing and ahead by 20 late in the third quarter.

But the Bulls kept coming at them, Arcidiacono with a pullup jumper and a pair of floaters around an Antonio Blakeney three to get within 87-77 with 10 minutes left. The Bulls with that offensively challenged lineup would score 62 second half points.

Ryan Arcidiacono dribbles

"One of our points of emphasis was we cannot turn the ball over against the Raptors, and obviously we turned the ball over (for 25 Toronto points) and it hurt us," said Boylen. "We won the boards, we won the second half and those are things we talked about at halftime. It is no secret we're shorthanded, but we hung in there. It is fun to see guys get a chance. I thought Brandon competed, AB."

The Raptors did compete, though only at times, which certainly was enough to beat the remnants of this Bulls team. If you can remember opening day in October, the starting lineup was Bobby Portis, Justin Holiday, Cameron Payne, Carter and LaVine. The Bulls got a peak at their future with the lineup of Dunn, LaVine, Porter and Markkanen winning seven of 12 after the trade for Porter. But it's uncertain who plays again with seven games left and Toronto in the United Center Saturday. They've beaten the Bulls eight straight.

But there's something about this Toronto team. They're on a great run, averaging 53 wins the last five years, but have made it past the second round of the playoffs once.

It's not a particularly good sign when players compete indifferently even against weaker competition. It's one thing if it's the champion Golden State Warriors. But this is a Toronto team that has a disappointing playoff history. It's a team that often seems unprepared for the playoff effort needed. Doing just enough to win games, no matter the opponent, doesn't particularly bode well for a long playoff run. Perhaps it's just confidence now that they have Leonard, whose pace often belies his intensity. Though the Raptors did buckle in enough to stop Cristiano Felicio's double digit scoring streak at three straight.

As an aside, I once saw Tom Meschery, a ruggedly passionate and borderline crazed Warriors player from the 1960s chase after and start swinging at Wilt Chamberlain, whom many still regard as the strongest NBA player ever. Tom started swinging at Wilt, and Wilt had Tom's lead in his giant hand asking Tom just what he was doing. Tom continued to swing away without any chance of success. He didn't land any punches, not unlike the Bulls Tuesday, But he declared whom he intended to be. That appears to at least be the Bulls game plan for now. It did help Tom when he got better teammates.

Once he takes office, J.B. Pritzker will decide he is the government, if Mike Madigan says it is OK.

That’s the way it is. Presidents, governors, mayors, school board members decide you, the people, are not entitled to poke around in “their business.” It’s annoying when peasants question the ruling class.

In Illinois, this power grab has happened time and again, in Springfield and Chicago.

OPINION

That’s why now is the time to make Pritzker, our next governor, commit to making his government open to the public. That means he has to send a clear signal that before any state agency refuses to release public documents, it has to clear that denial with the governor’s office.

That would send a clear signal to the bureaucrats Pritzker appoints that in his view, unless there is a really good reason, all public documents belong to the public.

In fact, the Illinois Freedom of Information Act clearly states, “It is declared to be the public policy of the State of Illinois that all persons are entitled to full and complete information regarding the affairs of government.”

Of course, those are just words on paper. In fact, the people we elect to run our government in Illinois do their best to avoid telling you how they spend your money, make decisions and award contracts.

The only reason there is a need for laws like the Freedom of Information Act and the Open Meetings Act is that leaders don’t believe you have a right to know how they conduct your business.

And it is really your business.

You pay their salaries. You pay for the people who do their dirty work. You pay the money that ends up in the pockets of private contractors, consultants and relatives who get jobs on the government payroll. You pay for the lawsuits people have to file to get the documents they are entitled to under the law.

All  of that information rightfully belongs to you.

But people like Gov. Bruce Rauner don’t like it when news organizations or private citizens start asking for correspondence and phone records that may have influenced appointments to key government committees and commissions.

Mayor Rahm Emanuel became testy when the public started asking about videotapes from the scene of a police shooting.

We’re not talking about national security here.

The focus of this column is on the governments of our state — the Illinois Legislature, the governor’s  office and all of those agencies that have a direct impact on our lives.

We don’t trust those people. Doesn’t matter if they are Democrats or Republicans. We suspect they are corrupt. Heck, we have sent a lot of those people to prison.

The same is true in almost every city, village, and school district in this state.

Illegal meetings are common.

Public officials take bribes.

They spend our tax money as if it belonged to them.

Several years ago, this state created the office of public access counselor in the Illinois Attorney General’s office to help citizens get access to the records and meetings they are entitled to under the law. But that office has been buried in paperwork because our government bodies routinely refuse to provide those documents. That’s a deliberate scheme to thwart the intent of the law. It shouldn’t be allowed to happen.

Long ago, I suggested criminal penalties and stiff personal fines for any public official who willfully and knowingly violated the intent of freedom of information or open meetings acts. I was told the state Legislature would never approve such a law because their friends are the people who run those government bodies. And they don’t want to see their friends go to prison.

Make Pritzker commit to running an open government before he is sworn into office. Once he’s in the seat of power, he’s not going to want the riffraff poking around in “his” business.

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Delta has apologized after a Michigan man sat in feces left behind by a service dog last week.

Bay City resident Matthew Meehan had already sat down on his flight from Atlanta to Miami on Nov. 1 when he realized that feces was all over his seat and the surrounding floor, he told news outlets.

“I was literally in it,” he said.

Meehan said he asked flight attendants for help cleaning up, but they only provided two paper towels and a small bottle of Bombay Sapphire gin.

He cleaned himself and the seat as best he could. When he spoke to a manager, he said, she was dismissive and asked what his problem was.

“I had to step back for a moment and say, alright, keep your composure. You do not want to be one of these people you see on the news getting kicked off a plane. Meanwhile, I’m covered in feces,” Meehan told Detroit’s WXYZ.

He and his fellow passengers laid a blanket down on their seats for the remainder of the flight. Upon arrival, the aircraft was taken out of service to be cleaned and disinfected.

According to Delta, an ill service animal was aboard the previous flight. Meehan was offered a full refund and additional compensation.

“The safety and health of our customers and employees is our top priority, and we are conducting a full investigation while following up with the right teams to prevent this from happening again,” the airliner’s statement reads in part.

Still, the feces debacle follows several high-profile airline incidents over the past year. Last week, Delta apologized again after a Massachusetts doctor said she was racially profiled by flight attendants as she tried to help another passenger.

In March, United Airlines also apologized for a series of dog-related incidents, including the death of a French bulldog in an overhead compartment.

Read more from USA Today.

There are plenty of historic buildings along the neighborhood’s boulevards and new apartment buildings ready to rise in Logan Square. Here’s an apartment that checks quite a few boxes.

Take a look at this three bedroom, two bedroom home on Fullerton Avenue: A recent renovation in a historically protected building spanning 1,700 square feet with the right amount of vintage charm. It’s renting for $2,995 per month.

Enter through the arched double blue doors up to a unit that features king-sized bedrooms, a vintage vanity, exposed brick, a bonus den area, a spacious south-facing deck, and lots of natural light. When the developers were renovating the property they discovered an attic space which allowed them to raise the ceilings up to 14 feet making the space feel more like a cathedral than an apartment, according to Mike Hagenson of New Era Chicago.

The apartment is located above the permanently closed Acapulco Night Club and steps away from Park and Field. It’s about a mile from The 606 Trail and a 15-minute walk to the Logan Square Blue Line station.

Cordarrelle Patterson may be exactly what Matt Nagy's offense was looking for originally appeared on nbcsportschicago.com

Matt Nagy and Cordarrelle Patterson were destined for one another. 

In one corner is Nagy, fresh off captaining a worst-to-first turnaround in Chicago that placed the Bears firmly into the discussion of NFC title contenders. In the other is Patterson, the NFL's ultimate jack-of-all-trades, fresh off a year spent north of the wall in Foxboro. When the Patriots made it clear that a reunion wasn't happening, a return to the NFC North made all the sense in the world. 

"Going into free agency when I got that call my agent told me the Chicago Bears were interested, it was a no-brainer for me," Patterson said after Wednesday's OTAs. "Like I said, the things Nagy has done over his career, last year what he did as a first year head coach, it was a no-brainer for me to come here."

Coming into the offseason, the Bears didn't need a wide receiver. You could argue about the ceiling of their current group, but you could also do a whole lot worse than Allen Robinson, Taylor Gabriel, and Anthony Miller. Throw in Riley Ridley and Javon Wims and you've got a lot of cooks in one kitchen. 

That depth, though, is exactly why bringing in Patterson makes so much sense. He's not a typical wide receiver - he set a career-high in receptions (52) back in 2016, and has only had 52 since. His value to the Bears was never as pure route-running, pass-catching receiver. 

"See I don't like being labeled," he said. "People try to say I'm a receiver, a running back, a kickoff returner. I can do anything on the field if I put my mind to it. I feel like when I get out there I'm unstoppable."

He's not wrong, either. Through the first six years of his career, Patterson has put up 2554 yards from scrimmage - 1872 through the air and 682 on the ground. He also has 5276 return yards and has taken six kickoffs to the house, including once at Soldier Field in 2018. 

The changes that Patterson brings to the Bears may not be substantial, but they will be noticeable. Given what the Bears are expecting from Anthony Miller this year, having him and his chronic shoulder issues returning kicks is less than ideal. Patterson's returned 176 kicks over six seasons and until last year, had never missed a game. 

"He's a weapon, and for us to be able to use him, you saw what New England did with him," Nagy said. "We'll have our own stuff that we do. You'll see some of that and you won't see some things. He's a big player. You look at him, he's huge. When you're huge and you're fast, those combinations usually work."

Patterson's combo of size -- he's listed at 6-2, 220lb -- and speed (4.42 40) provide the Bears a tool in the backfield that Matt Nagy has yet to have. Taylor Gabriel (5'8, 165) led the receivers in rushing attempts (9) last season, and as a whole the group only had 25. Last year alone, Patterson had 42. 

Nagy loves himself a trick play, so it's no wonder that he continually refers to himself as a ‘kid in a candy store' when implementing Patterson into the offense. Considering that the head coach has already gotten in the habit of calling the new receiver ‘Trojan', it's not hard to see what's in store in the coming months. 

"He brings that explosive play at any moment," Tarik Cohen -- no stranger to trick plays himself-- said. "It's great to have another guy like that on the field. I'm just ready to see what he can do."