It’s been 3⅟₂ years since thoroughbred horses last stormed down the stretch at Arlington Park but that doesn’t mean the thrill of racing is gone from Arlington Heights it was tiny hounds instead of horses that provided the rush of adrenaline as the 11th annual Chihuahua Race brought pups and their people to the village’s downtown Hosted by Salsa 17 Mexican Grill and benefiting The Buddy Foundation a charity for homeless and abandoned animals the races were open to any dog under 20 pounds Among the pups giving a dogged effort was Shayna Buffalo Grove resident Eric Guthman’s miniature dachshund “She won her heat,” the proud dog dad declared after Shayna crossed the finish line first in an preliminary race out for a run in the Northgate subdivision where he lives on the north side of Arlington Heights but also a time of reflection for the 68-year-old mayor “I just use that time to think about things I’ve laid out speeches in my mind while I’ve been running how I’m going to approach different issues or different events or engagements or appearances,” Hayes said Being a marathon runner — 13 in Boston and 25 in Chicago — is an adept metaphor for Hayes whose career in elected public service began as a village trustee in 1991 and reaches the finish line Monday night when he swears in Mayor-Elect Jim Tinaglia Hayes’ 34 years on the village board makes him the longest-serving elected official in the village’s history It’s a tenure marked by growth of the village’s downtown navigating the pandemic and laying the groundwork for what could become a Chicago Bears stadium in town Hayes reflected on that and more during an interview in his village hall office with the Daily Herald When the still-operating Arlington Park racetrack went up for sale in 2021 Hayes recalled his conversations with the late who was there in 1975 when George Halas first came to Arlington Heights with plans to move the Bears to town “He still had paperwork in his closet at home about his dealings with the Bears back in 1975,” Hayes said of Siegel That’s what Hayes was thinking about when he directed his staff to draft a letter to the Bears’ front office in the spring of 2021 saying he’d be happy to explore the possibility of a move to Arlington Park again Hayes had a phone call with team Chairman George McCaskey and then-President/CEO Ted Phillips inked a purchase and sale agreement with Churchill Downs that fall Hayes said he didn’t anticipate the property tax battle between the Bears and three area school districts that ensued But it was the memorandum of understanding brokered by village officials and approved last December that led the Bears to resume planning studies for a potential Arlington Park redevelopment Current team President/CEO Kevin Warren confirmed last month the site is back in the mix for a possible new stadium And we’re still waiting on them to totally refocus to Arlington Heights but I think it was a necessary part of the process.” In the months since the memorandum was signed Hayes and top village staffers have had regular meetings at village hall and Halas Hall with McCaskey the team’s executive vice president of stadium development and chief operating officer McCaskey stopped by Hayes’ farewell reception April 21 The mayor says he never thought Bears brass were negotiating in bad faith when they started listening to offers from other suburbs or when they shifted focus to a domed lakefront stadium a year ago I respect what Kevin Warren was brought in to do And I understood from day one he was trying to get the best deal for the team that he works for,” Hayes said felt that they were playing us off against the city of Chicago or Northwest Indiana When he announced his decision not to seek another four-year term last June he predicted the Bears would make a decision whether or not to build a stadium in town before the end of his term He now says he hopes the Bears recommit to Arlington Heights “in the very near future.” Hayes and his family moved from Chicago to the corner of Sigwalt Street and Highland Avenue in Arlington Heights in the 1960s He attended kindergarten a couple blocks away then moved to Mount Prospect and attended Prospect High School including time spent in a tank battalion in West Germany He returned stateside and spent 17 years in the reserves He’s been doing toxic tort litigation defense almost as long as he’s been an elected official but says he’s not ready to retire from his day job at Chicago law firm McKenna Storer He often attended ribbon cuttings and events with an earbud in one ear listening to a deposition or phone conference — a regimented schedule he attributes to his military background During farewell remarks at the last village board meeting Hayes said he’s tried to resist the trend of politics “creeping” into the village boardroom in recent years since most suburban municipal elected positions are by their nature nonpartisan and candidates don’t run with a party affiliation he doesn’t shy away from his personal background and how he got into local politics: Former Wheeling Township Trustee and Republican Committeewoman Ruth O’Connell encouraged him to run for village trustee in 1991 then a Sunday school teacher at The Orchard church fit the bill of “good conservative Christians” O’Connell was looking for he contemplated a run for higher office — even beyond village president — but soon rejected that “After finding more about how partisan government operates from my work here in a nonpartisan environment I really decided that this was a better fit for me in terms of my interests and desires and the way I like to operate and govern,” Hayes said Despite sometimes disparate views of village board members — his own included — Hayes says he’s worked to achieve consensus and find middle ground some residents called for stricter enforcement of mask requirements at businesses or for police to break up youth basketball games at parks equity and inclusion initiatives at village hall “You try to create an environment where everybody’s happy And that’s what we did and why we were so successful in getting through the pandemic and through those other issues He remains hard line on at least one issue Hayes was the lone board member in 2020 to vote against overturning an earlier village ban on recreational marijuana sales It’s my personal belief that it would have been bad for our image,” Hayes said of Arlington Heights Hayes counts the village’s reputation as a good place to live honest local government” among his accomplishments the big issue at the time was how large and dense the area should become There were only two high-rises at the time and debates about building more — at heights above 10 stories — were furious But Hayes believes he and board members in the 1990s executed the downtown vision of their predecessors Hayes said he won’t be showing up to board meetings but plans to stay informed about what’s going on around town If there’s a Bears stadium groundbreaking down the road “I’m going to have to see what God has in store He’s got a plan for me for the next chapter,” Hayes said “I don’t know what that is yet in terms of my retirement I’m sure He’s going to put me to good use.” 2025 at 7:37 am CT.css-79elbk{position:relative;}Local students from Arlington Heights are receiving honors from various colleges and universities IL — We're keeping track of all the major higher education accomplishments of area students Send your submissions to eric.degrechie@patch.com Austin Peay State University congratulates Claire Arctander on being offered a scholarship for Fall of the 2025-2026 academic year Their hard work and commitment to academic excellence has paid off and APSU is excited to award them a scholarship Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts. Beer on the Wall was the hot spot around 3 p.m Friday as the dinner rush had yet to get started for local restaurants on the first day of the Arlington Alfresco season in downtown Arlington Heights was among a crowd seated outdoors on Campbell Street that included kids and a golden retriever The trio chatted over drinks before starting a board game “It's nice to be outside; spring is in the air and you have to unwind after a long work week,” Wagener said featuring outdoor dining at restaurants near Vail Avenue and Campbell Street playBears GM Ryan Poles: 'We're looking to establish an identity' (1:26)Bears GM Ryan Poles discusses plans to build around impact players in the draft to define the team's future PALM BEACH, Fla. -- The Chicago Bears' plans to build a new stadium took a shift in tone Wednesday at the NFL's annual meeting Just over a year after the team declared its goal to build a stadium south of the current site of Soldier Field on the lakefront in Chicago team president and CEO Kevin Warren said the Bears are expanding their options to include Arlington Heights where the franchise currently owns the 326-acre property that previously housed the Arlington International Racecourse "The focus now is both downtown and Arlington Heights," Warren said "These are not linear processes or projects The Bears purchased the land in Arlington Heights for $197.2 million in Sept 2021 but have not begun developing the site which was expected to feature a multibillion-dollar stadium project and include restaurants The team began exploring options for a new stadium beyond Arlington Heights in the summer of 2023 when they announced that those plans were "at risk" as negotiations over property taxes reached a $100 million impasse One day before the 2024 NFL draft, the Bears unveiled plans for a domed stadium on the museum campus in Chicago While the team has maintained that the construction of a new stadium will be privately funded concerns over the burden placed on taxpayers to fund the infrastructure around the stadium have led to an impasse the Arlington Heights Board of Trustees unanimously approved a tax settlement with three school districts which settled the annual property tax bill for the Bears' potential stadium site at $3.6 million While Warren noted the "progress" made with Arlington Heights he also noted that there is more work to be done "Because these projects are so complex and so difficult they're literally virtually impossible to do if you don't have all hands on deck and everyone committed," Warren said So that was important to see the focus on it." Warren reiterated that the team's goal is to begin construction on a new stadium in 2025 Bears chairman George McCaskey said that private equity "may be utilized as part of our stadium construction financing plan," but that the team has yet to make a decision on that front which is important because there's a lot of preconstruction work that needs to go into these projects and so we're only one-quarter of the way through the year," Warren said speaking publicly for the first time since the passing of his mother an emotional George McCaskey addressed the state of the team's ownership which has been in his family for 105 years "We've said for many years that we intend to own the Bears for as long as possible," George McCaskey said McCaskey said that the Bears' succession plan was approved by the NFL and he does not anticipate any changes in ownership structure "[Virginia McCaskey] set it up for a smooth transition and it's a credit to her," George McCaskey said I heard stories about people who just couldn't contemplate their mortality it caused a lot of confusion and problems for the family and she had the foresight to set it up so we don't have that problem." 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said of his tenure slinging drinks to Bears fans at the Snuggery watering hole in nearby Mount Prospect “Nothing could be finer than to have that kind of a celebration a few years from now.” Though the lifelong Bears fan and mayor-elect of Arlington Heights would like to see quarterback Caleb Williams and company find postseason success sooner at Soldier Field Tinaglia is now leading the drive to lure the team away from the Chicago lakefront to a new suburban dome Tinaglia handily won the Arlington Heights mayoral election Tuesday to take the reins from outgoing Mayor Tom Hayes, who stepped down after three terms, the last one dominated by the Bears’ $197.2 million purchase of the shuttered Arlington International Racecourse in 2021 “My goal is to help review and ensure that the decisions that are made and the concepts that are proposed are the very best for everyone at the table,” Tinaglia told the Sun-Times “We’re going to live with this for the next hundred years the longtime village trustee will inherit a stadium saga that has seen momentum shift back toward Arlington Heights in recent weeks Arlington Heights Mayor-elect Jim Tinaglia After almost a year of pitching a new dome on the parking lot south of Soldier Field, Bears President Kevin Warren shifted tone at the NFL’s annual meetings to say the team’s “stadium focus now is both downtown and Arlington Heights.” That’s the team’s latest end around in its quest for a new home which once seemed all but destined for Arlington until the Bears hit an impasse with local school districts over its property tax rate A developer has also pitched the former Michael Reese Hospital site in Bronzeville for a stadium but Warren has largely dismissed the possibility Bears executives are still holding out hope to break ground on a stadium this year said he’s not changing the village’s approach to negotiating with the team which is expected to soon submit traffic and economic impact studies to the village “It’s going to take awhile to make sure that all the pieces of the puzzle that are going to be so impactful are in place: safety traffic and infrastructure,” Tinaglia said “We don’t want cars spilling out into the neighborhoods and all kinds of nonsense going on He’s holding the team to its pledge not to ask for taxpayer money for the stadium itself but acknowledged that state money would be needed for roads and other infrastructure on the 326-acre plot plus configurations to the interchange to state Route 53 “We’ll just have to see what that ask is,” he said the enclosed stadium Warren spearheaded for the Vikings franchise in 2016 “There are certainly a lot of different sports teams in the world and a lot of different programs out there that will recognize the opportunity” in Arlington Heights He suggested there’s room for White Sox Chairman Jerry Reinsdorf to look their way — maybe even in conjunction with Bears chairman George McCaskey “Would I love to see Jerry Reinsdorf pick up the phone and say Can we get some space for a second facility?’ Of course If the Bears do end up winning a title with an Arlington Heights ZIP code Tinaglia said he knows the parade would still happen in the Loop “I’d just love to have a couple of floats with the big Chicago Bears emblem on it and enjoy that with the Bears family.” Terms of Use • Privacy Notice • Cookie Policy • Terms of Sale This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks The action you just performed triggered the security solution There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page The 326-acre Arlington Park property that could one day host a Chicago Bears stadium is within the village of Arlington Heights but Rolling Meadows Mayor Lara Sanoica is quick to remind people her town will be a key player in redevelopment discussions “Anything that comes here is going to require cooperation with us you have to get through Rolling Meadows to get there,” Sanoica said Thursday during the annual state of the city address Her remarks during a morning chamber breakfast came before a planned getting-to-know-you meeting with Arlington Heights Mayor-Elect Jim Tinaglia Sanoica said she would continue to have strong relationships with officials in Arlington Heights and local school districts especially now that they’ve inked a deal with the NFL franchise to resolve a long-running tax dispute and there’s renewed talk of the former racetrack as a potential stadium site During a recent lobbying visit to Springfield Sanoica met with suburban legislators to remind them that the sprawling Bears-owned property is bounded by roads within Rolling Meadows “No matter what happens — and ultimately it’s going to be up to the village of Arlington Heights and the Chicago Bears on what they’d like to do — we anticipate that there will be a development here,” Sanoica told a roomful of business leaders at the park district’s Park Central banquet facility “And therefore we want to make sure that we are prepared that you are prepared for the opportunities that that will bring.” Another major thoroughfare that football fans could take to a future stadium is Kirchoff Road where city officials have been grappling with outcry from business owners and residents over a “road diet” proposal that would trim a milelong stretch from five lanes to three A split city council in March decided to delay full endorsement of a 110-page corridor planning study — of which the road lane changes are a part — so that a traffic study could be done first Now that a request for proposals has gone out aldermen are set to vote to hire a traffic consultant at their next meeting May 13 The city also will seek proposals this summer from developers for two city-owned opportunity sites identified in the Kirchoff Road study: the shuttered Fire Station 15 at Meadow Drive and vacant land kitty-corner from city hall at Owl Drive Other road projects several years in the making will get shovels in the ground this year That includes two key projects being done in conjunction with Arlington Heights: a revamp of the Algonquin and New Wilke roads intersection and reconstruction of Weber Drive between Algonquin and Central roads work started last week on a half-milelong stretch of bike path near Euclid Avenue and Hicks Road The Cook County Sheriff’s Office is asking for the public’s help in locating a missing Arlington Heights-area teen was last seen leaving her home Monday morning on the 4100 block of Jennifer Lane She stands about 5’2” tall and weighs 138 pounds She also has a tattoo of a heart on the back of her left hand and the words “Familia Martinez Rodriguez” tattooed on her left forearm Anyone with information about her location is asked to call sheriff’s detectives at (708) 865-4896 or the sheriff’s nonemergency number at (847) 635-1188 Arlington 425 — the three-building residential and commercial campus touted as the largest development in more than two decades in Arlington Heights — won’t get a shovel in the ground Developer Bruce Adreani of Norwood Builders recently informed village hall he’s ending his efforts to redevelop the long-vacant Block 425 property at Chestnut Avenue and Campbell Street in Arlington Heights’ downtown Adreani didn’t respond to requests for comment Tuesday evening after village officials released a statement announcing the project wouldn’t proceed as planned “It’s a prime location,” Mayor Tom Hayes said in the statement “It’s well-positioned for a successful development and the village will continue to work with the property owner and any future development partners to bring a new vision to life that will further enhance our award-winning downtown.” The ambitious redevelopment called for a 10-story 234-unit apartment building with streetside retail at 225 W a five-story parking garage on Highland Avenue 85-unit building of apartments or condominiums along Chestnut Avenue But the project was long-plagued by delays and financing woes Adreani was facing an impending May 6 deadline to obtain three building permits and come back to the plan commission and village board for final plat of subdivision approval He last appeared before the mayor and village trustees during an at-times tense meeting on Oct when board members granted the project its third extension of zoning entitlements since scaled-back plans were approved in May 2021 An initial 12-month extension was granted in April 2023 and with the tallest building standing 13 stories — was approved in May 2019 Among reasons for the delays cited by Adreani were problems securing financing building material costs and supply chain issues Even the Bears’ possible move to town — and how the team’s Arlington Park redevelopment could affect the village’s downtown — had been cited by the developer The major stumbling block at the village meeting last fall were structural concerns with the proposed parking garage since it would have been only four inches away from an existing public garage The empty parcel on the west side of the downtown was once home to Paddock Publications Adreani purchased the nearly 3-acre site in 2000 I’m not ashamed to admit I watch the movie “Draft Day” at least once year But it’s also immensely satisfying as a football fan starring Kevin Costner as Cleveland Browns general manager Sonny Weaver Oh … and it features my old high school pal Pat Healy a 1989 Buffalo Grove High School grad from Arlington Heights I’ve known for nearly 40 years He plays rookie Jacksonville Jaguars GM Jeff Carson I’m writing this column because of the life-imitating-art oddity that occurred during the first round of last week’s NFL draft The actual rookie general manager at Jacksonville swung a trade with Cleveland to move up a couple spots and select Colorado’s Travis Hunter It was reminiscent of what happens in “Draft Day,” when Jacksonville’s Carson makes a panicked trade with Costner and the Browns even NFL guru Adam Schefter tweeted about it last week So I had to hit up Healy to talk about how a film that didn’t even reach $30 million at the box office developed such an enduring legacy over the last decade Healy admittedly knows little about football Although we did play 12-inch softball back in the day “The last time I paid attention to football was when the Bears won the Super Bowl I didn’t even know the Jaguars were a team.” Instead, through the decades he developed his acting chops at BGHS, Illinois State University and the Steppenwolf Theatre Company before making his mark in television and movies. You may not recognize the name Pat Healy, but I’m betting you’ve seen him in something among his 120 IMDB credits He spent several seasons as Michael Dixon on “Station 19” and had a juicy role in “Better Call Saul.” He worked with Steven Spielberg in “The Post” and Martin Scorsese in “Killers of the Flower Moon.” He added memorable performances in “Magnolia,” “Ghost World” and a bunch of cult classics “Draft Day” director Ivan Reitman (“Stripes,” “Ghostbusters”) was on Healy’s bucket list for directors to work with on a movie Healy said Reitman was hard on him — in a good way — during the full day of shooting it took to nail his pivotal scene Healy’s Carson is in a room full of co-workers (extras) and on the phone with Costner’s character trying to work out a trade under a pressure-packed deadline Costner filmed his part of the scene earlier so Healy spent the day reacting to the recording of Costner’s performance “I had to really work hard for that,” Healy said “Part of it was the flop-sweat panic I had to be in the entire time It was really about getting the intensity and the immediacy of what’s going on there.” But it grew in status through the years with every NFL draft day Who actually went to Bo Callahan’s 21st birthday party Did Sonny ever buy Rick the intern a new laptop “Draft Day” has become synonymous with draft day so it’s interesting when something you work on stays with people,” Healy said Healy recently drove through Nebraska when someone approached him in a bar Whether it’s “Compliance,” “The Innkeepers” or a handful of his other films or TV shows Healy always has a sense of why people recognize him many want to know how Jeff Carson could agree to that ridiculous trade with Sonny Weaver I know I’m going to hear from people about that movie and that scene.” As the work day concluded Thursday afternoon hundreds of people lined both sides of Northwest Highway in Palatine to protest President Donald Trump’s policies as part of May Day With Talking Heads’ “Life During Wartime” playing in the background urged observers to “rise up/fight back,” waved flags and cheered drivers who honked their horns in solidarity who attended the rally with college friend Sue Carlson of Kildeer The Barrington woman expressed pride that her generation recognizes the need for unity “The momentum has to keep going,” she said The women plan to return June 14 for a Flag Day rally Murach’s succinct message contrasted with Tim Thomas’ more wordy sign urging hands off Medicare “Labor and the workforce has been trampled on for too long,” said the Palatine man who led fellow protesters in chanting “workers united will never be defeated.” “We need to voice our concerns and be heard … We can’t let people push us around,” he added Intermittent rain didn’t dampen the enthusiasm of the 250 to 300 protesters who gathered at the intersection of Golf and Wolf roads in Des Plaines stand up for workers’ rights and fight the tyrannical government coup,” said organizer Kate Olsen Concerns over Social Security drew Park Ridge resident Larry Smith to the Des Plaines rally “I am worried about my grandchildren’s future and I want to bring democracy back,” he said He said it’s not enough for people to fight back “Merely opposing Trump is not enough,” he said Defending the Constitution inspired the participation of fellow organizer Marine veteran and former federal worker Dan Tully the West suburban army reservist referenced Chicago’s deadly 1886 Haymarket riot and urged participants to “resist” in the spirit of International Worker’s Day Janet and Jerome McDonnell of Arlington Heights and Terri Murphy of Prospect Heights held aloft giant cutouts of clenched fists “A lot of people feel the same but still stay on the sidelines,” Murphy said “It’s important to come out at this moment because two months from now six months from now there may not be the opportunity to make a change.” · Daily Herald staff writer Brian Hill contributed to this report – Meeting with Chicago reporters Wednesday at the NFL owners meetings Bears President and CEO Kevin Warren provided an update on the franchise's plans to build a state-of-the-art fixed-roof stadium "The focus now is both downtown (Chicago) and Arlington Heights," Warren said I know specifically I am where I thought we would be at this point in time." the Bears closed on their purchase of 326 acres of property in Arlington Heights on the former site of Arlington International Racecourse they unveiled plans to build their new stadium just south of Soldier Field on the museum campus along the lakefront Having entered the second quarter of the calendar year Warren told reporters that "now the pace will definitely pick up and we are fortunate to have optionality." "Where we are right now with both the museum campus downtown and especially Arlington is that we are really getting serious about the feasibility studies," he said "We are doing traffic studies not only for Arlington Heights [but also neighboring suburbs] because we have to be sensitive to the surrounding communities." McCaskey and his family for having the foresight to purchase the Arlington Heights property describing it as "an absolutely fantastic piece of land." "To be able to find 326 acres that close to a wonderful city is difficult to do," Warren said I do not think there is another piece of land like this in the world." Asked what put Arlington Heights back on equal footing with the Chicago site one of the things I promised George (McCaskey) when I came onto the Bears was you cannot go into these deals with your mind made up You need to have a direction and to be very focused and detailed I always try to look for the positive elements To have that beautiful piece of land that has great topography To have the Salt Creek that runs in between it it is almost split equally from an acreage standpoint Warren has experience in the construction of a new NFL stadium Bank Stadium—which opened in 2016 and hosted Super Bowl LII on Feb 2018—as well as Twin Cities Orthopedics Performance Center Warren is focused on building a new stadium that will provide an unforgettable fan experience—regardless of which site is ultimately chosen "It is still making sure we are being diligent," he said "because the Chicago Bears have never had their own stadium in their 105-year history Warren characterized his ongoing communication with Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson and his colleagues as "still very strong." "You think about the museum campus," Warren said I will still say it: there is no more beautiful piece of land in the world But you have to look at all the pluses and minuses there." Warren revealed that he has traveled to the Arlington Heights site and imagined what a Bears stadium would look like and there have been many times I have driven out to the property to be able to just think about what could happen," he said and even [in London] at Tottenham when we were there last year there were people there who were living across the street "When you start thinking about building a world-class fixed-roof stadium to host Chicago Bears games the economic value that would bring to our community is astronomical And then you start weaving in mixed-use development—hotels restaurants—it does really create a destination And downtown and Arlington Heights are both in Cook County the legacy that will be created for the Chicago Bears transformative game day experience and we will be able to do it here." A third potential location for a new stadium has been mentioned on the former site of Michael Reese Hospital But the Bears have not received a formal proposal the Bears have pledged to contribute more than $2 billion of their own money They would only need public funds to enhance surrounding areas and not for building the stadium itself "One thing to be clear about," Warren said "we are not looking for any public subsidies from a stadium construction standpoint Where we need assistance would be from an infrastructure standpoint and that is just roads and sewers and highways and transportation." Warren reiterated that he is confident that construction on a new stadium will begin sometime this year "My goal still remains to be able to move dirt around in 2025," he said "which is important because there is a lot of pre-construction work that needs to go into these projects Kevin%20Warren%20Full%20Owner's%20Meeting%20Presser.mp4 All three defensive prospects the Bears selected in the draft possess traits that first-year coordinator Dennis Allen covets in all his players The Bears spent five of their eight picks in last week's draft on offensive players First-year offensive coordinator Declan Doyle recently shared his thoughts about those prospects exclusively with ChicagoBears.com Bears employees Krista Fortman and Pete Spizzirri received prestigious awards Thursday at the team's all-staff quarterly meeting at Halas Hall If you or someone you know is struggling with their mental health While vowing not to limit First Amendment rights Arlington Heights officials say they’re going to examine how to better deal with big gatherings after the larger-than-expected protest that ended up on main streets last weekend An estimated 2,000 demonstrators attended the local “Hands Off!” protest of President Donald Trump and adviser Elon Musk Saturday afternoon in downtown Arlington Heights The event started with a smaller rally at North School Park then grew as people marched down Arlington Heights Road to a second gathering spot at Northwest Highway That intersection was closed to vehicle traffic at one point for 20 to 25 minutes “We’re looking very thoughtfully and are going to be working with organizers any time we have a big event,” said Village Manager Randy Recklaus what could the organizers have done differently how could we have worked differently together and how could we have communicated this differently to minimize any disruption to the community in limitation of people and public safety vehicles moving through the area?” Recklaus said he and his staff will look at village policies training and methods and report back to the village board the mayor and trustees offered varying views on the protest and degree to which it was safe Mayor Tom Hayes and others raised concern with demonstrators going onto busy streets near the train station saying 2,000 people in close contact to moving cars and transit “creates a potential public safety hazard.” “We’re not in any way trying to infringe on the constitutional right of freedom of speech and to protest and to assemble but we do want to make sure it’s done safely,” Hayes said He said he showed up after the protest in his capacity as mayor to make sure the crowd was dispersing peacefully and that police officers were doing their jobs Trustee Jim Bertucci said the village needs to have a “game plan” for future protests He said Arlington Heights Road and Northwest Highway are regional thoroughfares for emergency vehicles to get to Northwest Community Hospital “Twenty to 25 minutes of blocking Arlington Heights Road when somebody’s coming down in an ambulance for a heart attack or something like that is a concern,” Bertucci said said organizers told protesters to stay on the sidewalks and not go onto the street I witnessed people thanking police officers for being there,” she said “While we can always take a look at what processes can be done I want to just state that I thought it went actually very well,” LaBedz added “There was no intent to disturb or impede the public right of way.” “I’m confident that the police and the fire (departments) do have a plan whenever Arlington Heights Road and Northwest Highway are blocked whether that’s for an accident or a train delay or a protest,” Dunnington said “I think it’s important that we respect everybody’s First Amendment right.” said “peaceful” doesn’t necessarily mean “without disruption.” “And I do have a great deal of faith in our emergency services and our dispatch that a delay that was no longer than we have seen when there have been pedestrian train auto accidents — that they are capable of rerouting emergency vehicles around Arlington Heights and Northwest Highway to get them to Northwest Community or whatever is their destination as quickly as is feasible and possible and with minimal delay.” but two apartments were left uninhabitable following an early-morning fire Tuesday in Arlington Heights Firefighters from the Arlington Heights Fire Department responded to the large apartment complex in the 400 block of East Seegers Road at about 3 a.m after a report of a second-floor balcony on fire The first firefighters on the scene were met by a resident who directed them to the building’s second floor where they found moderate smoke conditions in the hallway and the apartment The fire was located in the exterior wall near an HVAC unit and extinguished Though flames were limited to the second-floor exterior wall two apartments were deemed uninhabitable due to fire and water damage The cause of the fire remains under investigation In addition to Arlington Heights firefighters Schaumburg and Elk Grove Village departments assisted architect and village Trustee Jim Tinaglia will become the town’s next mayor amid ongoing discussions with the Chicago Bears over redevelopment of Arlington Park Tom Schwingbeck had 4,090 votes and Jon Ridler had 1,700 votes according to unofficial vote totals Tuesday night who is stepping down after a dozen years as mayor a 12-year village trustee and local architect executive director of the Arlington Heights Chamber of Commerce for the past two decades Shortly after vote totals from all precincts were reported about 8 p.m. Tinaglia took the stage at a victory party at the Hey Nonny music club in downtown Arlington Heights He thanked supporters and invited Hayes up on stage said he was the most qualified candidate for the job and would be able to hit the ground running when he’s sworn in May 5 Tinaglia will get a seat at the table in talks with the Bears over redevelopment of the sprawling former racetrack property Progress stalled amid a property tax dispute between the NFL club and three local school districts but there’s been renewed energy in recent months amid approval of a village-brokered deal and resumption of traffic and economic impact studies at the 326-acre site A resident since 1972 and a 1980 Arlington High School graduate Tinaglia coached youth sports before getting involved in local politics He served on the village’s advisory design commission for 11 years and then won a contested race for village trustee in 2013 Tinaglia has called for methodical review of any plans the Bears submit for Arlington Park and committed to having no professional involvement in designing buildings on the property what I do know is you really do need to have a good understanding of the history of where Arlington Heights has been,” he said during the campaign “I was a kid riding my bike around these streets as a youngster and I remember what Arlington Heights was like back then … My career and vision as an architect sets me into a position where I can really be a helping hand to make sure that we don’t sit on our hands Arlington Heights needs to keep making ourselves better than we were the day before a trustee since 2019 and four-year member of the zoning board of appeals before that campaigned on being a good listener and open minded while pledging to be a full-time mayor with no salary the metallurgical engineer decided to retire so he could focus on the campaign Schwingbeck had the endorsement of longtime Trustee Robin LaBedz Schwingbeck has two years remaining on his current trustee term saying he’d be an independent voice for residents and small businesses He vowed to bring a collaborative approach to village government and reimagining Arlington Park calling for establishment of a public-private economic development council and more involvement by Rolling Meadows and Palatine officials who also runs a management company that operates the chambers in those two towns spent eight years on the Arlington Economic Alliance an appointed panel that advises the village board on business issues He also spent six years on the Arlington Heights Crime Stoppers board in addition to service with the local Rotary and Lions clubs Hersey would claim its third consecutive MSL East crown after its hard fought 1-0 victory Saturday afternoon over visiting Fremd at Roland Goins Stadium in Arlington Heights With its hands wrapped around the division trophy following back-to-back 7-0 victories over Wheeling and Buffalo Grove on Friday night,the Huskies put the squeeze on their closest rivals to advance into the 35th MSL Soccer Cup on May 14 in Arlington Heights Junior Gracie Lisota netted the winner in the 72nd minute when she unloaded a 30-yard free kick off of the bar and over the endline and I am so happy to help give our seniors another division title and a chance to win a conference championship at the Soccer Cup," said Lisota who earlier in the week moved into second place overall in program history when she scored her 50th goal Lisota would pass former Hersey and University of Illinois star Hollie Schurr We've had a really difficult schedule lately but we've managed to stay mentally and physically strong during that time," added captain Kiki Craft who will attend the University of Kentucky in the fall With the three points earned with this victory the Huskies (9-6-2) are now 8-0-1 in league play While the Huskies are finishing up a four-game stretch in its 12 days 7-2-0-21 points) have just ended an exhausting 11 days that saw Gwen Zimmerman Cami Tofilon and their teammates play 8 games four or which were at the high profile Ed Watson Naperville Invite We fought through the mental and physical toll these last 11 days to give us a chance to win (But) when you give a great player like Gracie (Lisota) a chance she's going to make you pay for it," said Zimmerman The Vikings junior was recently called up to play for the U-19 Wales National Team and would turn in three 90-minute efforts during UEFA qualifying matches and do our best to recover from this tough schedule we just finished and to remember that last year we had a great run in us in the postseason to a third-place finish at state," added Tofilon This MSL contest was fairly even all throughout the first half with neither side conceding quality chances on frame as the defensive posture from both sides the reason for little success going forward The first 10 minutes of the second half were played mostly between the top of both boxes with the best chance going to the Vikings (8-5-3 7-2-0) when Lily Mayer played a lovely ball to Zimmerman who fired wide with her angled attempt Freshman Lexi Miyares would call Jazz Ocampo into action when she snap-shot from 22 yards forcing a save from the Vikings keeper in the 50th minute The 1v1 battle between Lisota and Erika D'Angelo was a good one to watch but there would be no way the visitors could stop the Lisota strike eight minutes from time and we had our struggles to match their physical play it's a strong senior group that we have that carried us through," said Hersey coach Mike Rusniak The Huskies will finish up regular season play with Rolling Meadows and Prospect next week while the Vikings have Conant and Palatine at the annual Kinsella Cup to complete play in the MSL Class 2A state power Peoria Notre Dame will be in town for the season finale for both the Irish and Vikings on May 10 PND was third a year ago at the state tournament earning its fourth state trophy in program history The 25th Ed Watson Naperville Invite final will played on Monday night with tourney host Naperville Central and reigning city champion Lane Tech meeting at 7 p.m 1 for the last four weeks in the Daily Herald Top 20 poll advanced following its 2-0 semifinal victory over Barrington Friday night sending the Fillies (11-1-2) to their first loss of the season The Fillies are closing in on their 13th consecutive MSL West title and can do so by defeating Palatine on Wednesday Callie Tumilty bagged the eventual game-winner in the 8th minute before Nicole Sacek put the finishing touches on the Redhawks victory at 64 minutes one of the best I've seen all year," said Fillies coach Ryan Stengren This shutout victory is the 11th of the season for the Redhawks and would extend their winning streak to seven Emerson Burke and Rebecca Ruggiero found the net for Troy Adams’ club in its 4-1 quarterfinal victory on Thursday against Lincoln-Way East The Redhawks thrice have won this prestigious invite: 1999 2006 and in 2012 when it beat crosstown rival Naperville North in penalties and later Neuqua Valley 1-0 in quarterfinal play before dashing the hopes of reigning 3A state champion New Trier of a second straight championship The Trevians (17-1-2) beat Benet Academy a year ago here 16 received at least a top four seed for the upcoming postseason Minooka and New Trier each was anointed the top seed in its respective sectional Since purchasing the Arlington Park property the Chicago Bears have been battling politicians They would prefer to keep the team downtown the state isn’t giving them the necessary support to make that feasible That is why recent signs indicate the decision to go with Arlington Heights feels inevitable It is only a matter of when team president Kevin Warren accepts reality and makes the announcement there haven’t been any final plans for a new stadium the Bears hope to build in Arlington Heights But the general number I have heard is somewhere in the mid- to high 60,000s.” five teams have opened a new stadium in the NFL Only two cracked the 70,000-seat barrier with SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles and the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta Every other one fell in the exact range Biggs described of the mid-to-high 60,000s That includes Allegiant Stadium (Raiders) and U.S the two buildings that most feel are dictating how the Chicago Bears want to build theirs the McCaskey family isn’t rich by NFL owner standards They have to budget carefully because of this especially if Illinois doesn’t offer any public support While a capacity of 65-69,000 might feel like an underwhelming jump it aligns with what most modern buildings do these days I don’t think football will be the sole purpose of this stadium Given likely demographic and socioeconomic changes in the next five to twenty years the Bears will not need a 70-100,000 seat stadium for games and most other activities I’m making over $19k a month working part time r I kept hearing other people tell me how much money they can make online so I decided to look into it it was all true and has totally changed my life This is where i started… 𝗪­𝘄­𝘄.𝗣­𝗮­𝘆­𝗰­𝗮­𝘀­𝗵­𝟭.𝘀­𝗶­𝘁­𝗲 would require 100,000 seats in most parts of the world Arlington 425 — a proposal for a three-building residential retail and commercial combination development designed by Jim Tinaglia former Village Trustee — has been canceled by the developer structural issues related to the proximity of the parking garage to the existing village parking garage at 22 South Vail Avenue and existing underground utilities that needed to be avoided The uncertainty of the former Arlington Park property development was also a factor in making decisions about the Arlington 425 project Developer Bruce Adreani of Norwood Builders recently notified the Village of Arlington Heights that the development of the Arlington 425 project at Campbell Street and Highland Avenue has been abandoned 2025 deadline to either request a fourth deadline extension or file for building permits and request to move forward with construction the developers of the Arlington 425 project in downtown Arlington Heights had been given the most recent six-month extension to start construction on a vacant 2.9 acre site within the block bordered by Highland Avenue but village trustees had emphasized at the October 21 2024 Village Board meeting — that at times involved uneasy demeanors — that there are no guarantees of future extensions Following the project abandonment announcement in April 2025 It’s well-positioned for a successful development Arlington 425 developers were met with early opposition by residents and neighbors in single-family homes nearby The residents nearby were concerned with … tall buildings towering over their homes with lack of a buffer the inclusion of affordable housing units in the residential buildings Village planners were tone deaf to the concerns of the nearby neighbors Hayes endorsed Village Board Trustee Jim Tinaglia for Mayor in the campaign for the April 1 Tinaglia recused himself from discussion and voting for Arlington 425 but following were the thoughts of Mayor Tom Hayes in November 2024 … “I really think we owe it to the community to try to get this property developed We’ve been put in a tough place because if we don’t grant this extension and they have to walk away it’s going to be another five or six years before anything is built there I feel comfortable that there has been enough progress demonstrated that we are going to get a shovel in the ground sometime next year (2025).” The board failed to recognize that the local neighboring community did not want Arlington 425 built some Arlington Heights residents and a significant amount of outside affordable housing activists (e.g. from Evanston and Northbrook) were advocating for Arlington 425 because they wanted more affordable housing included in the Arlington 425 project An astute village board at least recognized that garbage removal might be complicated as garbage trucks maneuver on the east side of the project discovering that personnel might have to roll dumpsters a considerable distance of travel from their storage location near the first level of the parking garage to the garbage truck during trash pickup while somehow affiliated with the Arlington 425 project developers indicated in the early review of the project that the garbage pickup would not be an issue Deb Smart also announced to the audience of concerned neighbors at a Housing Commission meeting Monday that a phone number would be provided for neighbors to call with questions indicating the planners of the project would be transparent when CARDINAL NEWS attempted to clarify Deb Smart’s role in the development including the company where she was employed she was vague and evasive answering questions; and was concerned that CARDINAL NEWS was recording the interview with an Apple iPhone (wasn’t) and was not cooperative answering questions She smirked when she was asked about the nature and the name of the company with which she declared to have an association When CARDINAL NEWS mentioned that the company name didn’t have a clarified digital footprint online CARDINAL NEWS received a polite response and became engaged in a thorough conversation about the Arlington 425 project with the developer’s attorney and urged Firsel to follow her out of the room CARDINAL NEWS followed to see what might be so urgent Deb Smart appeared to be sharing comedic content on an Apple iPad or other type of tablet 234-unit apartment building with retail and restaurant plans on the first floor at 225 West Campbell Street The development plans had been scaled back in May 2021 planned was a five-story parking garage on Highland Avenue directly across the street from single-family homes Editorial Note: With the uncertainty of the development of the Arlington Park property which would like include opportunities for several multi-family housing units the decision to pack dense multi-family housing at Highland Avenue and Campbell Street in downtown Arlington Heights is a bad decision Arlington Heights needs a family-oriented attraction downtown such as an outdoor ice rink and a band shell combined with a great green lawn for outdoor gatherings such as the Santa Run and other running events Harmony Park at Vail Avenue and Campbell Street is too small for the large audiences that are gathering for music events Ice Rink Attraction Would Complete Year-Round Relevance of Downtown Arlington Heights No Injuries in Apartment Fire on Seegers Road in Arlington Heights Road Passage After Hands Off Protest April 5; Second Protest Planned April 19 “Someday soon we’ll stop to ponder what on earth’s this spell we’re under.” so don’t waste it living someone else’s life Don’t be trapped by dogma – which is living with the results of other people’s thinking is not worth the humble reasoning of a single individual.” A coffee cup hints at how much time has passed since the Arlington Heights bus depot’s last occupancy Sitting at the edge of the checkout counter the disposable takeout cup has faded from vibrant red to pink thanks to years of sunlight that has streamed in from the building's tall Soon this cup will find its resting spot in the trash The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority is seeking bids for a retail lease of the depot at 1389 Mass The MBTA has suggested a minimum annual lease fee of $24,000 for the 800-square-foot space with the Route 77 now running every 15 minutes making it an attractive spot for a business which houses a lounge and restrooms for bus drivers The site has been called the turnaround and bus barn over the years because of how the area was used in the past.  It was built around 1955 – no one seems quite sure of the exact date – and has long served as a place to buy food A small lunch counter was the main event under the original tenants Root beer float,” one person wrote on Facebook in response to a post asking for memories of 1389 Mass Not much more is known about the original tenant The depot’s recorded history picks back up again in September 2008 when over two dozen students from Dearborn Academy designed and painted Arlington’s first mural there the mural celebrated the town’s past and present The mural met its demise less than five years later Thanks to miscommunications and a failure to recognize its importance the mural was destroyed during renovations for The Right Stop A contractor created holes in the back entrance for four windows and a door. The Right Stop’s owner, Kevin E. Foreman, who is blind, told YourArlington in 2013 that he couldn’t see the mural and no one brought it to his attention Foreman said his shop was the first to open under a state program aimed at aiding disabled people who lost 90 percent of his sight after a building accident over two decades ago made his store accessible by featuring equipment that digitally translated product codes into audible words The retail side of the building has since remained untouched Mismatched curtains of different patterns and shades conceal the movements of MBTA bus drivers as they use the bathroom and break room the MBTA put out a call for artists to revitalize the building with a mural but the project was paused after lead was discovered in paint peeling off the roof Now the community is eager to see a new business move in anything would be great,” said Katie Luczai Arlington’s economic development coordinator “We’d really just like to see some TLC be put back into that space since it’s been a while and it’s not looking the best.” Single takeout cup on counter at bus depot in Heights.  Some Arlington residents had more specific ideas A store of things for left-handed people, a dog training center, an ice cream parlor and a rotation of food trucks are a few suggestions made by residents in Facebook posts. Despite the enthusiasm for a new business there the cost of renovating the space could prove challenging Luczai said she believes that construction and rehabilitation will take more than the $50,000 allowance that the MBTA is offering “It would be a huge challenge for a very local “That’s why you see a lot of them being filled by Dunkin’ and CVS The MBTA plans to select the winning bidder within 30 days after April 25 the MBTA expects renovations to take up to six months is part of a partnership between YourArlington and the Boston University Department of Journalism YourArlington is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit.Your contributions are tax-deductible  yourArlington.com • Massachusetts residents report about their town Liebling: "Freedom of the press belongs to those who own one." | Copyright © 2006-2025 site design: msgdesign.org Renderings of a proposed new Bears stadium on Chicago’s museum campus After decades of calling Soldier Field home the Bears have their eyes set on building a new stadium that’ll bring their facilities and capacity into the 21st century The only question is where they’ll be able to build it With only eight years left on the Bears’ Soldier Field lease the team has started to entertain proposals that would keep it near the lakefront or even send it to the northwest suburbs where the franchise currently owns the property of the now-closed Arlington Park racetrack A rendering of an aerial view of the stadium site in Arlington Heights was released by the Chicago Bears on Tuesday Who’s making the proposal: The Bears, with architect Hart Howerton providing designs and renderings. How much would the Bears pay: The team claims it would foot the entire bill for the stadium itself while pursuing public funding for mixed-use facilities that would also be located on the 326-acre plot in Arlington Heights The end result would be a large “multi-purpose entertainment district” that is anchored by a “best-in-class enclosed stadium” that’s “worthy of hosting global events.” The team already spent $197.2 million to acquire the land and would likely spend at least several billion dollars more to build a dome that ranks among the best in the NFL How much would the public pay: A specific dollar figure for public funding wasn’t provided in the Bears’ proposal but the team said in a public letter in 2022 that “given the broad we look forward to partnering with the various governmental bodies to secure additional funding and assistance needed to support the feasibility of the remainder of the development.” The team envisions the stadium being surrounded by facilities that could include “restaurants and other improvements for the community to enjoy.” A map of the proposal for the site in Arlington Heights shows the stadium at one end of the property with a mixed-use development taking up the remaining two-thirds An artist’s rendering of a proposed Chicago Bears stadium at the former Michael Reese Hospital site in Bronzeville Who’s making the proposal: Farpoint Development, with designs and renderings by architect Lamar Johnson Cost of proposed project: $3.2 billion or more How much would the Bears pay: The team has not met with Farpoint yet so it’s unclear whether they have any interest in the proposal If the team footed the whole bill for the stadium after the completion of development of the site How much would the public pay: Farpoint principal Scott Goodman proposes spending $600 million in state money in order to prep the former Michael Reese hospital site to begin stadium construction The plan also includes a land bridge over Lake Shore Drive that Farpoint estimates would cost $125 million It’s unclear where the state money would come from Asked if that would rely on state lawmakers extending the life of a hotel tax used to renovate Soldier Field and build what’s now called Guaranteed Rate Field but that’s between the Bears and the state.” The $125 million land bridge is the most ambitious part of the proposal besides squeezing a world-class NFL stadium into the 48.6-acre site Renderings also show a variety of buildings and park space surrounding the stadium A rendering of a proposed domed stadium on the lakefront with designs and renderings by architect Manica Cost of proposed project: $4.7 billion (or more) How much would the Bears pay: The team would pay roughly $2 billion A completely new vision for the entire museum campus on the lakefront with the current stadium’s historic colonnades a focal point for 14 acres of new park land playing fields and other recreational space that would be located north of the new dome Renderings of the proposed new Bears stadium PALM BEACH, Fla. — The Chicago Bears have shifted focus back to the Arlington Heights site for their future stadium President and CEO Kevin Warren and chairman George McCaskey addressed reporters Wednesday morning after the conclusion of the annual league meeting at The Breakers there has been a clear change in tone when discussing the Arlington Heights site that the team purchased in 2022 “The focus now is both downtown and Arlington Heights,” Warren said “Now the pace will definitely pick up and we’re fortunate to have optionality and … downtown from a museum campus standpoint there’s been some discussion about the Michael Reese site it’s an absolutely fantastic piece of land I thank George and his family for having the foresight.” Last year at this meeting, then in Orlando, Warren first presented the team’s plan as centered on a new stadium on the museum campus. A month later, the Bears, along with Mayor Brandon Johnson, gave a presentation at Soldier Field with their plans At every opportunity over the past year, Warren never ruled out Arlington Heights but would often only describe the site in terms of the Bears being the largest landowners in the suburb “Right now, we’re putting our energy to downtown Chicago, to the museum campus, just from an energy and resource standpoint,” Warren said last March We’ll stay in communication with Arlington Heights but the focus now has to be on Chicago to give us the best opportunity for success.” after failing to get support from legislative sessions in Springfield and benefitting from the memorandum of understanding the Arlington Heights Village Board voted on in December the Bears are speaking about that site the way they did in 2022 “To be able to find 326 acres that close to a wonderful city is difficult to do I don’t know if it exists anywhere in the country,” Warren said Wednesday “I feel really good with the options downtown and then especially with Arlington Heights.” Warren noted the Michael Reese Hospital site is a third option but added that it’s a narrow site I always try to look for the positive elements,” he said “To have that beautiful piece of land that has great topography — you can actually see downtown from there it’s almost split equally from an acreage standpoint that the Bears have never owned their own stadium in their 105-year history which would be another perk in Arlington Heights “Arlington Heights is unique,” Warren said “I don’t think there’s another piece of land like this in the world Because the biggest thing for me as I represent the family’s interests but I really say it and I seriously mean it — this is a decision that will impact this franchise for the next 100 years And my biggest thing that my focus will continue to be on is the fan experience.” The stadium renderings the Bears unveiled last April as part of their museum campus plan would still work in Arlington Heights While Warren has made this public shift in a year to speaking glowingly about Arlington Heights he says it’s always something he has thought about throughout the process and there have been many times I’ve driven out to the property to be able to just think about what could happen,” he said and even at Tottenham when we were there last year When you start thinking about building a world-class Super Bowls — to be able to bid for a Super Bowl — WWE The economic value that would bring to our community is astronomical And then you start weaving in mixed-use development which is good and I think is important to understand.” the Arlington Heights Village Board voted unanimously to set the Bears’ taxes at $3.6 million per year at the Arlington Park site I think the biggest things at Arlington Heights — any location for the stadium — will always be tax certainty “We are always focused on being great corporate citizens We just want to make sure they are rational and reasonable and they’re not exorbitant and they’re not raised at some point in the future So we have some certainty in a limited period of time but we’re working on and making sure we can get long-term certainty.” Warren reiterated that the Bears will fund the stadium and all of its construction but would need public subsidies “from an infrastructure standpoint and that’s just roads and sewers and highways and transportation.” The goal remains to have a shovel in the ground in 2025 And that certainly seems to be looking more and more like it’ll be in Arlington Heights A spring legislative session would provide another opportunity for the Bears’ plans in Chicago and Warren expects more clarity in the next few months “Two great locations: downtown and Arlington,” McCaskey said and we’ll just have to see how it plays out “George Halas identified (Arlington Heights) more than 50 years ago as an ideal place for a Bears stadium and I don’t know if anything that’s happened since then changed that evaluation beautiful green space with enhancements to Salt Creek but the downtown locations have their advantages It’s idyllic and if there were sufficient improvements in infrastructure to make that location accessible 365 days of the year it can be a fantastic opportunity as well.” , opens new tab Browse an unrivalled portfolio of real-time and historical market data and insights from worldwide sources and experts. , opens new tabScreen for heightened risk individual and entities globally to help uncover hidden risks in business relationships and human networks. © 2025 Reuters. All rights reserved 2025 at 10:57 am CT.css-79elbk{position:relative;}As always it’s a good idea to call ahead to make sure the chain locations near you are open IL — If you want Easter brunch and don’t want to cook it several Arlington Heights area restaurants will open Sunday Here are a few of them from the online reservation service OpenTable: Several upscale chains with locations near Arlington Heights have announced Easter brunch hours as well, including familiar names like Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar, and Ruth’s Chris Steak House are open on Easter It’s a good idea to call ahead for reservations Arlington Heights-based Lutheran Life Communities which operates Lutheran Home in the Northwest suburb and other retirement homes in downstate Illinois and Indiana filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection this week Lutheran Life Communities “has been investigating strategic alternatives for addressing the financial needs of the company and its affiliates maximizing the value of the assets of the company and its affiliates; and protecting the company’s affiliates from the appointment of a receiver,” according to a resolution approved Monday by the nonprofit’s board of directors The resolution was included Tuesday in a 19-page Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing in U.S Officials couldn’t be reached for comment Wednesday The company has between $10 million and $50 million in liabilities The largest creditor is listed as Select Rehabilitation a Glenview firm that offers contract therapy services and holds an unsecured claim of $808,084 The next largest — with a $446,990 unsecured claim — is the Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services which provides health care coverage for people who qualify for Medicaid Others on the list of creditors include Downers Grove general contractor CR Improvements an electricity and natural gas retailer that billed $185,587 The numbers are far smaller than Friendship Village of Schaumburg’s Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing in summer 2023 The largest continuing care retirement community in the state — since purchased at bankruptcy auction by Encore Healthcare Services of New York — had between 200 and 999 creditors the largest of which was UMB Bank with an unsecured claim of $75.4 million which has had a presence in Arlington Heights since 1892 traditional residential nursing care and memory care on its campus at 800 W Lutheran Life Communities also operates Luther Oaks in Bloomington The entities filed individual petitions for bankruptcy relief but a hearing is scheduled Friday to administer the cases together Court filings show the company in May retained the law firm of Squire Patton Boggs to serve as its primary bankruptcy and restructuring counsel officials added McDonald Hopkins as additional counsel OnePoint Partners was hired in April as financial adviser · Daily Herald staff writer Eric Peterson contributed to this report In his final action as local liquor commissioner Arlington Heights Mayor Tom Hayes issued fines Monday to three businesses for selling alcohol to the police department’s undercover The family entertainment arcade and restaurant at 41 W Rand Road was fined $1,000 for two violations: sale of alcohol to a minor and sale of alcohol by an employee with expired state certification in the Beverage Alcohol Sellers and Servers Education and Training program The undercover sting by a 16-year-old — hired by police as part of their annual compliance checks of more than 100 liquor license holders in town — took place at 11:23 a.m Cheese employees are supposed to scan identification cards before any liquor sale to adults But the since-fired Arlington Heights employee used the computer’s override function and entered a random birth date when encountering a problem scanning in the police informant’s ID and I apologize and will ensure that I’m very diligent going forward,” Edwardson told Hayes during a brief hearing Monday evening at village hall Edwardson said individuals under age 18 are not allowed to enter Chuck E Hayes suggested the business refine its procedures though said he couldn’t formally order the business to do so as liquor commissioner “It could have prevented the whole incident if you just didn’t let them in the company is on the hook for still-to-be-determined court reporter’s and attorney’s fees The former employee was also cited and fined $200 during a village administrative adjudication hearing on Dec said as a result of the underage sale in Arlington Heights corporate instituted a policy to notify local stores 90 days before an employee’s state alcohol seller certification is about to expire The other fines issued Monday were to Aldi The three citations in the 2024 calendar year are down from six in 2023 Monday marked the last local liquor control commission hearing under Hayes who isn’t seeking reelection after a dozen years as mayor When members of Chicago AF meet to conquer an escape room or get coffee to go on a “No Booze Cruise” or host a book club everyone’s reason for living alcohol-free is different Some never liked alcohol or are trying a “Dry January.” Others ditched the drinks for a healthier life Chicago AF a nonprofit founded by Arlington Heights resident Carrie May welcomes people living sober for all these purposes and more “It’s just an atmosphere of warmth and welcome which helps nondrinkers find others living alcohol-free “I want them to feel confident in their sobriety and know it’s OK not to drink and it encourages members who need that support to seek it it’s a collection of people who want to have a social life and something to look forward to — without the downsides and addictive tendencies of alcohol “I have found that people's lives benefit on every level when they stop drinking or they cut back on their drinking — and they thrive,” said May an emergency department nurse practitioner who’s also a certified recovery coach “Your whole lens of the world becomes so much bigger when you have clarity and you have the ability to think and see and dream — and feel great enough to act on those things.” Chicago AF has built a membership of about 1,800 nondrinkers across the suburbs and city It’s grown to be known as a “quality provider of experiences,” says one member who’s helped bring an alcohol-free event called OkSOBERfest to Lincoln Park Zoo in Chicago for the past two years “Carrie has done a great job of embedding Chicago AF not just as a resource for people who are looking to explore nonalcoholic options but also creating cool experiences,” said Beth Krauss vice president for marketing and communications at Lincoln Park Zoo Since I moved to Chicago almost eight years ago now this is easily the friendliest social scene that I have attempted to join,” added Krauss Filling the “fun niche” of helping adults make friends with other adults — without the assistance of alcohol as liquid confidence — is a passion for May A self-described “overachiever by nature,” May founded the group about four years into her sobriety because she needed more sober outlets for friendship and fun “I could not find any other way to socialize or connect with other adults,” she said it was very important to build a life that didn’t involve alcohol.” Since Chicago AF launched during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic the organization started with weekly support meetings hosted on Zoom Those continue to this day and have helped members like Kerry Tuttle of Chicago navigate life without alcohol “It’s a very open group — open to different experiences,” said Tuttle “You don’t have to hit a rock bottom to say May gradually expanded Chicago AF to include monthly in-person events and excursions Some activities — including the third annual NA Day 18 at Loft on Lake in Chicago — include a full nonalcoholic bar with options from the widely expanding array of spirits wines and beers now being crafted without an intoxicating element “You don’t want to get dressed up and go out to dinner with your friends and you’re served Coke in a kids’ glass,” said Tuttle “I want to cheers with my own version of a cocktail that is going to fit my needs and still make it feel grown-up.” Nonalcoholic beverage-makers from the local — think Naperville’s Go Brewing — to the national — including the fast-growing Athletic Brewing — have offered tastings at the first two NA Days, which sold out at 200 tickets the first year and 400 the second. Organizers say tickets for this year's event — available at chicagoafcommunity.com/upcoming-events— are selling fast as well As fun as it can be for some nondrinkers to emulate a bar atmosphere with mocktails others want to steer clear from anything that looks or tastes like their old drinking days So Chicago AF also offers a monthly crafting club Continuing to operate the group as it grows helps May in her life after drinking I had this beautiful life with my husband and a job I loved Anyone who wants to stop drinking now can work with a doctor join a 12-step recovery group or — unlike May when she dropped alcohol — sign on to an online chat or Zoom meeting or even join the brunch club with Chicago AF “I want other people to have a better experience,” she said humanitarian and international traveler Mary Stitt is adding another title on April 14: centenarian The retired principal of the Arlington Heights Elementary District 25 school renamed in her honor — Olive-Mary Stitt Elementary — regularly stays in touch with former teachers and coworkers who have planned a big bash for her 100th birthday and are recording an interview with her that will be shown to current schoolchildren Family members — including three great-grandchildren who graduated from the school bearing her name — are throwing her a separate birthday party next month who spent 31 years in District 25 before a post-career life spent distributing polio vaccines around the world with the local Rotary club Today she keeps abreast of current events by reading the newspaper on her iPad listens to audiobooks delivered weekly by the Arlington Heights Memorial Library and participates in a monthly book club where she lives at The Moorings senior living community in Arlington Heights She also stays in touch with many of the people she met on some 45 stops around the world — from Nigeria to India — on Facebook Her recall of her life’s journey and career in education is sharp “What you want kids to do is begin to think about how they learn and why they learn and be in charge of it,” Stitt said during an interview this week in her assisted living apartment She attributes the emphasis on education to her parents who met in a classroom as students at Vanderbilt University and Mom was the home economist as the family traveled from town to town for his church work during the Depression Stitt lived in seven different places before going to college The family got involved in the life of the community wherever they went ‘The people are always sad to see you go but they’re happy to have you come.’” Stitt took night classes at Washington University in St Louis while substitute teaching and raising her family with her husband John They moved to Arlington Heights when John got a sales job in Chicago and she got a teaching job in Park Ridge She was hired as a science consultant by District 25 in 1961 traveling from school to school to teach classes before her promotion as Olive school principal in 1967 It was there she made innovations over the next 25 years that have been studied and replicated elsewhere like combining grade levels into multiage classrooms (though parents had the option to keep their kids in traditional grades) and a popular Friday afternoon activity hour for art We lived through a period that was very exciting “We always said it was a learning community.” Longevity runs in Stitt’s family: one grandmother lived to 102 Stitt also pointed to having good nutrition and staying away from cigarettes and that’s because I ate all my vegetables and drank my milk.” A much-anticipated Asian barbecue restaurant is finally set to open this month inside the former Rack House Kitchen and Tavern on the south side of Arlington Heights will serve all-you-can-eat tableside barbecue and bowls of broth with pork but not buffet … sometimes (that’s) cold and looks really old and bad,” said owner/manager Gavin Ma You can see the freshness and the quality of the food.” Ma was at a village board meeting Monday night to get a class A liquor license which paves the way to his projected April 25 opening date Renovations have been underway inside the 10,000-square-foot restaurant space left vacant since the closure of Rack House at the height of the pandemic in 2020 A “coming soon” banner advertising MAAX was installed above the front door in 2023 who started working in the restaurant business in the kitchen at age 15 now runs Tomahawk BBQ Steakhouse in Lincolnshire The eatery is a similar concept to what’s planned in Arlington Heights where patrons will char raw meats on mini grills at their tables “The way we do it is welcoming families and friends together,” Ma said offered a menu of smokehouse items and a drink list that included whiskeys It replaced a Boston Blackie’s that shut its doors in 2010 The property was also once home to a Home Run Inn pizzeria Tom Hayes has been an ardent supporter of the Arlington Heights Community Concert Band — attending nearly all its concerts addressing fellow audience members during intermission and even sitting in with the group for a holiday show as his time in public office nears its end Hayes is taking on a new role with the band — honorary member Hayes was surprised with the special recognition Sunday during the band’s spring concert at Forest View Education Center “I really appreciate all the great work that our community concert band has done,” Hayes said “We appreciate everyone who comes and supports our community concert band.” “I’m very happy to be an honorary member,” he added the concert was entitled “The Spy Who Serenaded Me,” and featured nostalgic music with spy and secret agent themes like James Bond and “The Pink Panther.”