The Little Angels Memorial Service Wednesday at Assumption Catholic Cemetery and Mausoleum in Glenwood was one of two held each year for families who lost a child that did not survive past 20 weeks in the womb. The second service is held in October during National Respect for Life Month.

Laurie Crosby, executive director of the Franciscan Health Foundation, said this was the hospital’s 17th memorial service in nine years. She said the service supports the values of the Franciscan Alliance’s health care ministry, which respects life at all stages, including unborn and newborn children.

“It’s just part of our Catholic tradition, just to care for every soul, so it was important to do something … to kind of commemorate their life, as short as it was,” Crosby said.

Next to the burial marker in the infant and children’s section of the Glenwood cemetery was a bouquet, surrounded by 27 white roses to symbolize purity and a life taken too early, one for each lost baby.

A nearby memorial bench built to honor the lost babies is engraved with a Bible verse from the book of Jeremiah: “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you; before you were born I sanctified you.”

Although there were not any mothers present Wednesday, Crosby said they sent letters to each woman who lost a child at their hospital, inviting them to attend. Crosby said while it may be difficult for mothers to attend the service, she believes it is important for staff members to honor the newborns’ lives in their place.

“I think for a lot of them, it’s comforting to know that someone’s praying for their baby and taking care of them the right way,” Crosby said.

A Franciscan Health priest, the Rev. Phil Cyscon, led with an opening prayer, a psalm, a few gospel readings, a reflection and a petition. Then attendees blessed the burial site for the lost newborns and a letter for the parents was read. The service closed with a prayer.

“Everybody who comes to our door is a family,” said Dobaro Dogisso, director of spiritual care for Franciscan Health Olympia Fields. “So if one of our family members loves the baby, that is how we’re feeling.”

The imbroglio happened May 7 at the Loop courthouse during a hearing in front of Judge Kathy Flanagan, acting presiding judge of the Law Division. During the proceeding, Flanagan ordered deputies to remove attorney Brad Schneiderman from the courtroom after asking him to “stop talking” and “step back,” according to a report from the Cook County sheriff’s office.

Schneiderman walked toward the gallery, then began “turning back toward the bench” and addressed the judge again, the report said. Flanagan said “That’s it, take him!” according to the report.

A deputy took Schneiderman to a hallway and handcuffed him to a chair, the report said. He was released after Flanagan took a break from the bench and declined to sign an order that would remand him into custody, according to the report.

Reached by phone, Schneiderman declined to comment.

In a statement, Flanagan said: “At this time, I will say only that I am shocked at how the facts have been distorted into a now-public narrative that has veered so far from what actually occurred. I have cooperated fully with the Executive Committee and will cooperate fully with the Judicial Inquiry Board on this matter.”

The event spawned two hearings before an executive committee headed by Chief Judge Timothy Evans with Schneiderman, Flanagan, witnesses and attorneys detailing differing views of what happened, according to transcripts obtained by the Tribune. No official transcript of the May 7 hearing in its entirety exists because Cook County court reporters for years have not covered the Law Division, which handles civil cases.

The executive committee referred the matter to the Judicial Inquiry Board, which investigates complaints about judges, but declined to reassign Flanagan, deferring “a decision on assignment to other duties until further information is received from the Judicial Inquiry Board,” the office said in a statement.

During a May 14 executive committee hearing, Schneiderman told Evans he tried to be heard after he said Flanagan ruled on a motion without allowing him to respond, a statement which Flanagan disputed later in the proceedings.

“I should say that prior to me being taken back in the hallway, at no time was I trying to be disrespectful to the court,” Schneiderman said according to the transcript. “I was merely trying to advocate on behalf of my client on a contested motion.”

For her part, Flanagan told the committee at a later hearing that Schneiderman “became disruptive over a ruling on a motion” but that she did not order Schneiderman to be handcuffed, but merely wanted him removed from the courtroom because he needed a “time out.”

“That’s all he needed. That’s all I intended. I never imagined that he would be handcuffed to a chair behind the courtroom, and I wasn’t present when he did it — when he was handcuffed,” she said.

Schneiderman disputed that he was disruptive or disrespectful, with his attorney submitting affidavits from observers, according to references to the affidavits in the transcript. Flanagan’s attorneys brought to the hearing multiple courtroom observers as witnesses who told Evans they viewed Schneiderman’s conduct as disruptive.

The deputy who handcuffed him told the committee during a second June 3 hearing that she interpreted Flanagan’s words of “That’s it. Take him,” as meaning take him into custody.

St. Elizabeth Seton Church, 9300 W. 167th Ave.: Mass of Thanksgiving and reception at 11:30 a.m. June 23 as the Very Rev. William T. Corcoran concludes his pastorship after 11 years at the parish. A reception follows in the McBrady Center. The Rev. Kevin McCray will become the new pastor of St. Elizabeth Seton Church beginning July 1. Corcoran will continue to serve as interim vicar for the Archdiocese of Chicago Vicariate V and the dean for Vicariate V-Deanery E as well as associate priest at the parish. He was ordained as a priest for the Archdiocese of Chicago on May 13, 1981. His first parish was Sacred Heart in Palos Hills, where he was associate priest. He served four other parishes during his career, as well as being an adjunct faculty member at St. Joseph’s College of Loyola University and Mundelein Seminary of the University of St. Mary of the Lake and earning several academic degrees, and serving the diocese in various roles.

Corcoran said his biggest accomplishment at St. Elizabeth was “motivating the community to be building up the kingdom of God in this corner of the world. They’ve done this by works of charity, reaching out to the unemployed, soup kitchens, supporting food pantries to local shelters to groups that assist unwed mothers … and weekly worship of God.”

He confirmed he’s not retiring. His work for the archdiocese “allows me to be very supportive of the 36 parishes and respond to critical situations with support and assistance (not managing day-to-day),” he said. “I will help the parish work toward a solution and to help them articulate what they need to do.”

He thinks of his time at St. Elizabeth fondly. “I’ve been privileged to be in this wonderful community and surrounded by very competent and capable staff. And at moments where conflicts arise, people always put the parish first in a healthy spirit of compromise,” he said.

Alsip

Incarnation St. Terrence Parish, 4300 W. 119th Place: Parish raffle tickets being sold through June 29. Grand prize tickets will be drawn after the 11 a.m. Mass June 30 at the St. Terrence worship site. Each ticket costs $50. Grand prize is $25,000, first prize is $5,000 and third prize is $1,000 if the goal of 1,500 tickets is reached. Pay with cash, credit or check. Tickets are sold in the parish office or online at incparish.com/

Home Build ‘24 is set for June 22 at St. Terrence Parish. Other parish partners involved in this project to build walls for homes include St. Elizabeth Seton, St. Francis of Assisi, St. George, St. Julie, St. Michael and St. Stephen. People of all ages are welcome to volunteer for building, hospitality and cleanup, as well as prayers for the families of those who receive the homes. Information: whyruhyper@att.net.

Blue Island

Blue Island Waterfall on the Cal Sag Channel, Chatham and Fulton streets: Annual Blessing of the Waters at 3 p.m. June 23. The nondenominational, interactive ceremony to bless the water will be officiated by the Rev. MaryBeth Ingberg of Immanuel United Church of Christ in Evergreen Park. The Mudcats will play Dixieland music, and donated refreshments will be served. Each attendee can offer blessings and prayers. Some chairs will be provided, although attendees may bring their own. The event is open to everyone. Information: 708-424-3755.

Oak Lawn

St. Catherine of Alexandria Catholic Parish, 10621 Kedvale Ave.: Bingo and ice cream social for the 55+ Club at 6:30 p.m. June 25 in Kane Hall. Register for 2024-25 membership in the club. Early bird special rate is $25 for singles and $40 for couples. RSVP at 708-499-2672 or 708-425-5712.

Orland Park

All Saints Lutheran Church, 13350 LaGrange Rd.: Participants and staff from St. Coletta’s of Illinois enjoyed a picnic lunch on June 5 at All Saints Lutheran Church in Orland Park. Pastor Don Borling and members of the congregation welcomed 60 developmentally disabled adults and their chaperons to the church for an afternoon of fellowship. On the menu were grilled hot dogs and hamburgers, homemade side dishes and desserts, as well as baseball and bean bag games afterward. The picnics are back after a hiatus during the pandemic. The next one is June 20.

What’s going on at your church? Let us know by sending us an email including time, date, place and public contact information at least two weeks before the event or reservation deadline at religion@southtownstar.com.

There, Ald. Daniel La Spata, 1st, raced over to Ald. David Moore, 17th, to ask Moore why he had blocked two seemingly uncontroversial proposals of La Spata’s aimed at adding housing in Logan Square.

The answer, Moore shouted in anger and frustration as he stood beside a sun-filled window, was retaliation.

“If you hit me, I’m gonna knock your ass out,” he grumbled as he got closer to La Spata. “If you can’t dish it, don’t give it out.”

TV cameras set up for a nearby interview panned over as the shouting grew louder. Another council member and security guards quickly stepped in to separate the aldermen, ending the tense interaction.

But the effects of the dispute will linger: Now, a $10 million bond to fund a low-income housing development and a much-needed zoning change clearing the way for a storage building to be turned into a 62-loft apartment are delayed for at least a month.

Moore used the “defer and publish” parliamentary maneuver when the items came up for consideration. Ald. Raymond Lopez, 15th, also backed it. The tactic prevents scheduled votes and is often used by aldermen to delay ordinances they oppose.

Nonetheless, La Spata sat in disbelief after the legislation was blocked. City Council colleagues typically do not touch the day-to-day development ordinances involving another alderman’s ward, a tradition known as “aldermanic prerogative.”

But Moore left no doubt about why he stalled La Spata’s proposals. He blocked them because La Spata had “deferred and published” an ordinance of Moore’s own, he said.

La Spata used the tactic in April to prevent a vote on an ordinance sponsored by Moore that sought to give City Council control over the ShotSpotter gunshot detection system’s future. After the delay, the ordinance finally passed with broad council support in May, despite opposition from Mayor Brandon Johnson.

“This was clearly payback,” Moore told the Tribune. “My thing is: Leave David Moore alone,”

“If you slap me, I’m going to hit you with a bat. If you hit me with a bat, I’m going to shoot you with a gun,” he continued.

Moore said he found La Spata’s complaints after the council meeting “mean-spirited” and took them as political threats. La Spata said he had invited Moore to view the housing developments, an invitation Moore has no plans to accept. Moore only meant to send a message, he explained.

“I don’t have a problem with his developments,” Moore said. “You don’t need to invite me anywhere.”

Moore had made public comments suggesting he would clap back against anyone who stalled the ShotSpotter ordinance as it worked through the City Council. His retaliatory stall tactics Wednesday are not his first.

In 2021, Moore sponsored the ordinance to rename Lake Shore Drive after Jean Baptiste Point du Sable. When the ordinance was similarly stalled, Moore responded by blocking the City Council’s entire agenda.

Moments after Moore yelled at him, La Spata called the retaliation “inappropriate.”

“I think we are called to be better than that, to be bigger than that,” he said. “I try to raise my daughter so that we use words rather than fists. That is what I expect of any adult.”

The two ordinances to build more housing are “critical,” he said. The old Hollander Storage & Moving building in Logan Square is being held up by metal plates now and urgently needs redevelopment to start, he said.

“If that facade were to crumble or be damaged in the next month, I know the individuals who I would hold responsible,” La Spata said. “There’s such a desperate need for affordable housing. There’s such a desperate need to move these two buildings forward.”

jsheridan@chicagotribune.com

Magdiel Perez, 27, of the first block of Lockman Circle, was convicted in April of two counts of felony sexual assault criminal following a bench trial heard by Kane County Judge John Barsanti, who also handed down the sentence, according to a news release from the Kane County State’s Attorney’s Office.

Prosecutors said Perez had sexual contact on more than one occasion between May 1, 2022, and Aug. 30, 2022, with a student who attended Tefft Middle School in Streamwood, where he worked as a hall monitor. Perez would drive the victim to his home in Elgin where sexual contact would occur, the release said.

After the student disclosed what was happening, school officials contacted the Illinois Department of Children and Family Service and placed Perez on administrative leave.

While the state’s attorney’s office requested he be sentenced to 16 years in prison, the judge settled on an eight-year term, which is the minimum he could have assigned, the release said. Perez will be required to 85% of the sentence and must register for life as a sexual offender under state law.

“As a society, we expect for our children to be able to trust the adults working at their school,” Assistant State’s Attorney Stacey Wittman said in a statement. “This defendant took advantage of this student’s trust and sexually assaulted her. I am thankful to this victim for her willingness to face her abuser in court.”

The 7-4 vote against adding a fifth allowed license in effect killed the chance for a license for Paradise Tattoo House, which was looking to locate along High Street in the 1st Ward.

But Mayor Richard Irvin, who supported the new tattoo parlor, promised owner Brandon Rodriguez he would help him find a new location in the city.

Irvin, who grew up in the 1st Ward, recalled his days “walking up and down High Street” and patronizing some of its businesses.

“This is a legitimate business that deserves an opportunity,” Irvin said.

The business would be owned by Rodriguez, whose supporters portrayed as a well-known tattoo artist who wanted to open his own business. He was seeking to open in a building along High Street near the Jack Hill High Street Bridge, in a former barber shop building whose owner was willing to modify the building for Rodriguez.

Rodriguez said he intended to use his new business to not only support his family, but to provide for the youth of the city.

“This is not just about me trying to build something for myself, but doing something for the community,” he said.

Other family members and friends said the store would be safe and have a friendly environment, and that Rodriguez was trying to start a business from scratch.

“More and more tattoos have become commonplace,” said one supporter, who said through social media, people across the country ask Rodriguez to do work for them. “He’s a tattoo artist.”

But the crux of the argument against Rodriguez locating along High Street hinged on whether the area in question is more of a residential one.

Ald. Emmanuel Llamas, 1st Ward, praised Rodriguez for his life story, and said he wanted Rodriguez in the 1st Ward.

“But that physical location is a residential area,” he said. “I’m voting no because of that. Tattoos have come a long way, and if you can find another location, I would support it.”

Several other aldermen supported Llamas’ position because they felt as the representative from the 1st Ward, his wishes should be upheld.

“I do feel like the petitioner has the best intent in mind,” Ald. Patty Smith, 8th Ward, said. “But the ward alderman would know his ward better than anyone else. I feel I have to support him.”

Joining Llamas and Smith in voting against the new license were Alds. Juany Garza, 2nd Ward; Ted Mesiacos, 3rd Ward; William Donnell, 4th Ward; Michael Saville, 6th Ward; and Shweta Baid, 10th Ward.

Voting for the new license were Alds. Carl Franco, 5th Ward; Brandon Tolliver, 7th Ward; Edward Bugg, 9th Ward; and John Laesch, at-large.

Franco said because the city recently revamped the tattoo ordinance, and because Rodriguez had complied with everything in the new ordinance, it could be “discriminatory” not to allow him in under the new regulations.

Laesch, as the alderman at large, attended a recent 1st Ward meeting at which he said feelings about the parlor were mixed from residents in Pigeon Hill, the section of the 1st Ward in which the parlor would have located.

The tattoo ordinance was revised about a year-and-a-half ago, at which time the city allowed four licenses. The vote this week was whether or not to expand that to five licenses to accommodate Paradise; it was not a specific vote on the tattoo parlor itself.

slord@tribpub.com

Big Shoulders president and CEO Josh Hale called it the largest single investment in preK-12 Catholic education in history.

Wednesday’s announcement at the White family-owned Lighthouse Restaurant in Cedar Lake drew an A-list of GOP leaders including Gov. Eric Holcomb, Speaker of the House Todd Huston, and Secretary of Education Katie Jenner.

Diocese of Gary Bishop Robert J. McClory praised the gift from the White Foundation and announced the establishment of a $50 million endowment from the diocese’s foundation aimed at boosting teacher and staff salaries.

“Today is a joy-filled day…” said McClory. “Lives will be changed and transformed. The Investment reflects an enormous vote of confidence in Catholic education.”

Beth White, chairman of White Lodging and wife of the late Bruce White and daughter-in-law of Dean and Barbara White, called Wednesday’s announcement just a beginning.

“The true success will be the academic progress everyone makes who walks through the Big Shoulders’ door. We believe in the promise that each of you hold.”

She said the White family and her own downstate Illinois family know the impact of an education.

“My late husband, Bruce, and I share the belief that education is an equalizer that is paramount to making the world a better place. With Big Shoulders, we have been working together to make a meaningful impact in Chicago and Northwest Indiana.”

The diocese has 20 schools, about 400 teachers, and about 6,000 students in Lake, Porter, LaPorte and Starke counties. Diocese Superintendent Colleen Brewer said enrollment is up about 19% in the past three years.

The increase coincides with state lawmakers expanding a Choice Scholarship, or voucher program, making nearly every family in the state eligible for state funding to send their children to private schools.

The program has provided millions to Diocese of Gary schools including $3.7 million for Bishop Noll High School in Hammond and $2.4 million for Andrean High School in Merrillville last year.

Brewer said about 80% of students rely on vouchers in the program championed by Republicans who control both chambers in the statehouse.

“It’s difficult to think back over the last 7-1/2 half years of a moment I’ve been more proud of,” said Holcomb. “It took innovative minds, it took courage. Now you’re in the spotlight.”

Huston called the announcement “my favorite event ever” because of its future impact.

“This event changes generations, changes outcomes…We’ll see improving metrics but we’ll never fully appreciate the generational changes in these kids’ lives.”

Officials said there’s no specific plan in place yet to divvy up the $150 million in funding.

Hale said the plan will focus on serving students and communities with the greatest economic and educational need in Northwest Indiana.

Hale left the door open for the Diocese of Gary to reopen a school since they’ve all been closed for years. He said they would examine reopening a shuttered school in Gary.

The most likely one could be Holy Angels, across from the cathedral on 6th Avenue.

Carole Carlson is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune.

RiverEdge Park, at 360 N. Broadway in the city’s downtown, is Aurora’s outdoor entertainment venue along the Fox River and hosts a variety of events, including this weekend’s Blues on the Fox festival on Friday and Saturday.

Aldermen on the City Council’s Infrastructure and Technology Committee this week recommended a change order with Chicago-based Ratio Architects, LLC of $440,200. The change order would add onto the original contract for the RiverEdge work, approved last September, of $946,850, making the entire project for engineering the changes at about $1.4 million.

The reason for the change is that the project has gotten bigger than first thought, according to Jason Bauer, Public Works assistant director.

For instance, changes made to the backstage area, known in parlance as “back-of-house” changes, have grown from about 7,000 square feet to about 24,000 square feet.

Those changes would be new dressing rooms and storage. It would make the park more attractive for acts that might want to play the venue, officials said.

Other changes contemplated in the overall project include improved and expanded seating and viewing areas, additional restrooms, entry-gate enhancements, improved storage and improved access to purchase refreshments.

Those changes – known as “front-of-house” considerations – are to make the park more enjoyable and safer for patrons, officials said.

The changes would increase capacity of the park by about 2,500 people for all events. Right now, capacity for a festival event is about 7,300, and for concert events 6,500.

Bauer said the goal is to begin the backstage building as soon as this year’s season ends.

The project was originally budgeted for $7 million in one budget year, and more in a second budget year. The changes will take both 2024 and 2025 construction seasons to do.

“We’re really excited about it,” Bauer said.

The full City Council will look at the contract change at the Committee of the Whole meeting next week.

slord@tribpub.com

Dorian Patel, who has had a career in radiology, and Cynthia Hoess, who has been a physician for 30 years and currently works as a pediatrician for Methodist Hospitals, both said they would like to serve the board to ensure its transparency with the public.

“I am very interested in finding out how the health board operates, what they’re goals are,” Patel said. “We’re here to find out more about how the health board operates.”

The board wasn’t expecting to conduct interviews at the meeting as the opening had not been posted or advertised. But Hobart resident Barbara Koteles told the board she spoke with Lake County Commissioner Michael Repay who informed her about the citizen appointment to the health board. Koteles said she told Patel and Hoess about the opening.

When the council was considering $4.87 million in state funding for the health department last year, Patel and Koteles spoke out against it, expressing concern that the money would be used for vaccine and mask mandates.

Lake County Council President Christine Cid said three people sent in resumes or letters of interest for the position, but only Patel and Hoess attended Tuesday’s meeting. The council agreed to accept resumes for the position through June 28 and to conduct further interviews at its July 9 meeting.

The health board meets four times a year, Cid said, and when asked both women said they could be available for the meetings.

Koteles said she and others are curious who has oversight over the health board, who evaluates the board members and who checks the political backgrounds of each board member.

“Past performance is a predictor of future performance,” Koteles said. “We want to see how they operate and what they were doing.”

Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb advocated strongly for the Health First Indiana initiative, which was created in 2023 by the Indiana legislature through Senate Enrolled Act 4 to improve overall health of Hoosiers, a metric where the state consistently ranks among the worst in the nation.

As part of its spending plan, the Lake County Health Department plans to open a maternal and child health center in both the north and south sides of the county.

As a physician, Hoess said she’s worked in a tuberculosis clinic, an HIV clinic and in a clinic that provided home visits to asthmatic patients in Gary to help them with their medications so they can avoid hospitalization, among other things.

“There really isn’t much that I have not seen,” Hoess said. “I have a passion for what I do.”

Hoess said she’d like to see the health department work toward decreasing the number of patients with diabetes, hypertension and obesity, which have increased since the COVID-19 pandemic. The department should also find ways to support people with mental health issues, which have also increased since the pandemic, she said.

“I’m a team player. I’m active. I want the best health for everybody,” Hoess said. “I’m interested in being part of the Lake County Board of Health so that we can … get back and make up for time that we lost from COVID.”

The board must follow guidelines established by the CDC, Cid said, so she asked both candidates if they are aware of that. Patel said, “yes that was brought to our attention,” and Hoess said, “right.”

In her work, Hoess said she follows guidelines and best practices set by various government health departments.

“We pretty much have to follow it,” Hoess said.

Councilman Ted Bliski said he knows people were upset about the mask and vaccine mandates during the COVID-19 pandemic, which has caused some people to become more involved in local politics.

Bilski said he wouldn’t want to appoint someone with a specific political agenda to the health board.

“I hope people aren’t taking this job to move forward a political agenda but for the public health of Lake County,” Bilski said.

akukulka@chicagotribune.com

Check-in begins at 8:30 a.m. and the walk begins at 9 a.m. near the Vollmer Road Grove Forest Preserve, 4162 Vollmer Road, Flossmoor.

The goal is to raise $25,000 to donate 1,000 book bags with school supplies and gift cards and to purchase uniforms to unhoused school children in the region.

The founder of DBC Gifts of Love, Michiel Burnett said in a news release she she has done giveaways to support unhoused school children for a few years now.

“The families are always grateful for the resources, and the children deserve the assistance, so that they can be prepared and focused for the new school year,” she said.

Burnett and her husband, Sean, were once unhoused after an adjusted loan rate caused them to lose their home 20 years ago.

While renting, staying with relatives and even hotels, the Burnetts started the nonprofit to help other families without homes.

Last week, the Burnetts became homeowners once again.

“Homelessness can happen to anyone,” Michiel Burnett said. “We were blessed with a supportive village who didn’t judge us for the mistakes we made.”

An estimated 12,800 people are unhoused in the Southland region, according to data from South Suburban PADS.

Burnett said she hopes to use her experiences to help families navigate home purchases more effectively, urging them to carefully scrutinize the fine print to steer clear of the challenges she and her husband encountered.

“We learned the hard way and went through some hard times, but now we are trying to be an example to help others and help them avoid the pitfalls of homelessness,” she said.