Chicago Sun-Times back issues from March 2009:
In these troubled times...
Mar 01, 2009 ... Color Photo: What's up: Spam. A lot, actually. So much so that Hormel has cranked up production of the processed meat to satisfy demand, What's down: ...
Correction
Mar 01, 2009 ... A story in Saturday's Sun-Times should have indicated that under Rep. Suzanne Bassi's proposed legislation, ...
Robbery suspects beat good samaritan, take his car: cops
Mar 01, 2009; ... The 36-year-old Chicago man didn't know what he was getting into when he stopped to help two men involved in a rollover crash in south suburban Riverdale early Saturday. The unidentified good samaritan wound up being beaten by the men before they stole his 2000 Lexus, State Police ...
Time to get more involved, president tells black gathering
Mar 01, 2009 ... Acknowledging that "tough times for America often mean tougher times for African Americans," President Obama has called for more local and national engagement by fellow blacks. "You know that tough times for America often mean tougher times for African Americans. This recession has been ...
He Joins His 'Angel'
Mar 01, 2009; ... PAUL HARVEY - 1918-2009 The headlines may have gone to more flamboyant radio personalities, the Howard Sterns and Rush Limbaughs of the world. But in raw popularity, Chicago's Paul Harvey topped them all. He was the most-listened-to broadcaster in America, whose shows originating ...
Leave Burris alone, pastors say
Mar 01, 2009; ... The message was clear: Leave Sen. Roland Burris alone. Just days after the City Council's Black Caucus threatened retaliation for those who don't, a group of about 60 South Side pastors and community organizers made a similar threat Saturday. "We have to make sure people ...
'I had a history as a black person'
Mar 01, 2009; ... When Julieanna L. Richardson was growing up, the only black history she heard was "George Washington Carver and the peanuts, and slavery." But as a college student researching the Harlem Renaissance, "I realized there was a whole world I knew nothing about," said Richardson, founder and ...
Meet the accidental gov
Mar 01, 2009; ... Gov. Pat Quinn is hard to pigeonhole. Described variously as quirky, brilliant, honest and, in the past anyway, a populist pain in the butt, Quinn has now emerged as something else. A seasoned politician capable of doing the extraordinary. Quinn has, for example, attended ...
Candidates try to ad it up
Mar 01, 2009; ... REPLACING RAHM: WHO'LL TAKE THE 5TH? ONE OF A SERIES OF STORIES ON THE 5TH CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT CANDIDATES In the deluge of political ads and mailers coming ahead of Tuesday's special 5th District primary election to replace White House chief of staff Rahm Emanuel in Congress, ...
On most major issues, 12 Dems agree to . . . agree
Mar 01, 2009; ... Maybe it's the lack of ideological differences among the 12 Democrats running to replace U.S. Rep. Rahm Emanuel that has led them to attack each other over which of them might have been too close to former Gov. Rod Blagojevich or to Cook County Board President Todd Stroger. "On the major ...
Casio relents on a jammed lens
Mar 01, 2009; ... Dear Fixer: My 12-year-old daughter got a new Casio camera for Hanukkah. She used it for three days. On the third day, she was taking pictures and shut off the camera to give me the SD card to load on our computer. She hit the power button and the lens retracted and went in skewed, ...
Recession winners, losers
Mar 01, 2009; ... Shark attacks. Breast-enlargement surgery. Tarot card readings. Vegetable seeds. Spam. What could these things possibly have in common? Each, it turns out, has been profoundly affected by the grim economy. Take the fortune-telling business. "We don't turn nobody away -- ...
Nursing home tragedy shows we don't care
Mar 01, 2009; ... On average, a certified nursing assistant in Illinois makes less than a dog walker. Really. I ran across an ad offering $8.50 an hour to work as a certified nursing assistant at a suburban location. Nationally, the annual median salary for the job, according to the Bureau ...
News in Brief
Mar 01, 2009 ... PORTAGE, IND. BUS DRIVER CHARGED IN ATTACKS BY TEENS The man who was driving a Portage (Ind.) High School bus when three juveniles allegedly terrorized and sexually assaulted other students has been charged in the incident. Terry Burch, 68, of Portage, faces felony charges of ...
Illinois college students losing out
Mar 01, 2009; ... When the state of Illinois joined the Midwest Student Exchange Program two years ago, it opened the door for Illinois residents to receive thousands of dollars in discounts to attend colleges in nearby states. But there was a catch: First, at least one Illinois school had to sign up for ...
Disney vacation? Oh . . . goody
Mar 01, 2009; ... 'You're going to Disney World?" sniffed a colleague, making a face as if trying to pry something from between his teeth with his tongue. "That really isn't like you, is it?" No, it's not. Everyone expresses surprise, even shock. And they're right. I've reached 48, not ...
Plan would allow fill-ins on Supreme Court
Mar 01, 2009; ... A Republican state senator is proposing an amendment to the Illinois Constitution that would provide for the appointment of acting state Supreme Court justices. The amendment, introduced by Sen. Kirk Dillard (R-Hinsdale), aims to prevent the possibility that a case before the state's ...
Foreclosure Fight
Mar 01, 2009; ... Six years ago, Mount Ebenezer Missionary Baptist Church decided to build a community center down the street from its West Side chapel. Today, the congregation is left with an empty lot where the community center was to be and is facing foreclosure on its church. The Rev. Leon ...
Fast Eddie and justice -- hard to reconcile
Mar 01, 2009; ... Shortly after legendary Chicago slickster Edward R. Vrdolyak walked out of federal court Thursday like a cat with 10 lives, my cell phone rang. It was Grace Slattery, the 70-year-old mother of imprisoned ex-city worker Patrick Slattery. "I'm looking for someone to explain ...
Freedom of Information law is ready for reform
Mar 01, 2009 ... Do you like knowing how your tax dollars are spent -- or misspent? Like the $40 million handed out each year in the City of Chicago's scandal-plagued Hired Truck Program? Do you like knowing how your politicians are behaving -- or misbehaving? Like how many federal ...
Talkback
Mar 01, 2009 ... CONGRESS NEEDS TO FEEL VOTERS' FISCAL PAIN Why don't Durbin, Burris and all House reps take a pay cut, like so many other Americans, to show how they are in the same boat with the rest of us? GIVE HOFFMAN FREE HAND Inspector General David Hoffman's independence from City ...
Farewell to a dear friend
Mar 01, 2009; ... Norm Van Lier was a dear and respected friend to me and my family. I remember on many occasions he would come to get-togethers at our house and after stealing the conversation (we ...
He earned our respect
Mar 01, 2009; ... The passing of Norm Van Lier means a little part of my youth is gone forever. The fact that the Bulls' management chose to disrespect him by not retiring his jersey will forever be greatly overshadowed by the class, ...
Why Force Me to Help You?
Mar 01, 2009; ... The emotional, tear-jerk bloviation by Diana Butler Bass in a Feb. 23 commentary in your pages ["Victims of mortgage crunch aren't 'losers' "] completely misses the point of trader Rick Santelli about home mortgages and misses the reason his comments have resonated so favorably. Whether ...
Too Easy for Bogus Cops
Mar 01, 2009; ... In reference to the Feb. 24 article "Cops broke rules when teen imposter went on patrol," it's too easy to impersonate a police officer. If a boy who simply has a love for police work can get hold of a realistic police uniform to impersonate them on three different occasions, what is to ...
Eddie Pulls a Fast One
Mar 01, 2009; ... "Fast Eddie Walks" [Feb. 27] hit Chicagoans like a bombshell. It sounds like a fix, but "Judge Milton Shadur had built a reputation of integrity." So we have to accept that ...
'Stormin Norman' Van Lier the real thing
Mar 01, 2009; ... I never met "Stormin Norman" Van Lier, but like many, I felt I knew him. When you hear the accolades about Van Lier, they simply overwhelm you. They come from the superstar competitors of his playing days. They come from present-day journalists who worked with him. Mostly, they come from the ...
What was Vrdolyak judge thinking?
Mar 01, 2009; ... Well, the fix is still alive and well when it comes to Edward "Fast Eddie" Vrdolyak! How can Judge Milton Shadur justify letting Vrdolyak walk without serving one minute in jail and just a $50,000 fine? In addition, ...
Obama challenges us to face the hard truths
Mar 01, 2009; ... It was a night of reckoning. It was a night to face up to the mistakes of the past, the calamity of the present and the hopes of the future. It was a night when Barack Obama showed why he had been elected president. "As we stand at this crossroads of history, the eyes of all people in ...
What's worse to talk about with your kids than sex? Baseball
Mar 01, 2009; ... A father tries to fulfill a basic promise -- to bring his children into a world that is a better place than the one he came into. While the challenges we face in this world are more troubling in many ways than ever, we have always been able to run to sports for a distraction and solace ....
Hoping for many happy returns
Mar 01, 2009; ... James McDonald's new job at Northern Trust (NTRS), chief investment strategist, was created just for him. The title could just as well be head psychologist or counselor in chief. McDonald, 49, will have a tough calling at Chicago's guardian of old wealth. He will compose the asset ...
At head of the line for 19 years to get 1st county picnic permit
Mar 01, 2009; ... JIM 'MOOSE' MURPHY - 1949-2009 For 19 years, Jim "Moose" Murphy camped out at the Cook County Building so he'd be at the head of the line to get the coveted first picnic permit issued each year by the Cook County Forest Preserve District, for his Oak Lawn Raiders Social and Athletic ...
Cop got Bud Billiken Parade started each year
Mar 01, 2009; ... JOHN ROY STEELE - 1956-2009 For years, there has been a towering presence at the corner of Oakwood Boulevard and King Drive at the start of each Bud Billiken back-to-school parade. His name was John Roy "Big John" Steele, a 6-foot-5 former college football player turned Chicago ...
Trolley driver run down at Auto Show
Mar 01, 2009; ... BERTHEL WALTERS Berthel Walters loved his job as a driver for Chicago Sightseeing. Over the course of 18 years at the transportation company, the 69-year-old Jamaican immigrant drove every kind of people mover. "Berthel was just the best," company owner Donald Ferrone ...
Chicago Daily News: On This Date
Mar 01, 2009 ... As reported by the Chicago Daily News, sister paper of the Chicago Sun-Times: 100 YEARS AGO W. Vernon Booth, president of A. Booth & Co. and a leader of the fox-hunting set in Lake Forest, surrendered at the Criminal Courts Building and put up a $25,000 bond to guarantee his ...
Sims sets mark
Mar 01, 2009; ... If Burke Sims had to write a report about what he did Saturday in Winnetka, he should title it ''The Son Also Rises.'' Headlining the fastest state meet in history, which saw five state records established, Sims became the first Downers Grove North swimmer to win a state championship by ...
Oak Park rallies to win state title
Mar 01, 2009; ... Oak Park coach Mike Powell stated from 125-to-160 the Huskies were as strong as any team in country. That was evident as the Huskies defeated Minooka 33-30 to capture the Class 3A dual team wrestling state title Saturday at U.S. Cellular Coliseum. A Leo Ruettiger (103) decision, ...
Montini stakes strong claim: Top of any class
Mar 01, 2009; ... The wrestling season is over, though the debate may continue on the message boards and elsewhere. Who is No. 1 in Illinois? Crystal Lake Central coach Justen Lehr already has made up his mind. ''They're obviously, right now, the best team in our state. I'll go on record as saying ...
Hail the Highlanders
Mar 01, 2009; ... Gigi DiGrazia lined up the three-pointer like the state golf champion would a putt on the 18th green. It swished through and gave Driscoll a lead it wouldn't relinquish. Powered by center Courtney Lindfors and reserve forward Shaquira Scott, the Highlanders fought back from an early ...
Hinckley-Big Rock wins title with big finish
Mar 01, 2009; ... After watching a 12-point lead shrink to one, Hinckley-Big Rock finished with an 11-0 run and captured the Class 1A state title with a 42-30 victory Saturday over West Central at Redbird Arena. Tess Godhardt, who went 8-for-10 from the field and 3-for-6 from the foul line, led the Royals ...
Something old, something new in Class 4A chase
Mar 01, 2009; ... The top four teams in the Super 25 -- Young, Bolingbrook, Geneva and Wheeling -- are all headed to supersectionals Monday. Young and Bolingbrook were 1-2 in the preseason and played for the Class 4A title last year, but Geneva and Wheeling are in new territory. Neither had won a sectional ...
Jenkins filling big shoes
Mar 01, 2009; ... Watching the Class 4A state finals last year, you could tell that Chanise Jenkins was special. After struggling with an injury that limited her playing time as a freshman, Jenkins took over for D'Frantz Smart -- the leading scorer at Rice as a freshman -- as the floor leader for the ...
A daunting to-do list
Mar 01, 2009; ... The wounds left on Illinois outdoors by former Gov. Rod Blagojevich will need more than Band-Aids. Gov. Pat Quinn applied another when he announced Thursday that the seven state parks closed by Blagojevich late last fall will be reopened. At least the bleeding is being ...
Niemi ready to take his 1st shot in goal
Mar 01, 2009; ... The Blackhawks will move in a new direction today in hopes of avoiding their first four-game losing streak of the season. Rookie Antti Niemi will make his first start in goal when the Los Angeles Kings come to the United Center for the first afternoon home game of the season. Niemi, 25, ...
Chicago Sports Fan Survey
Mar 01, 2009 ... GENERAL QUESTIONS Who is your favorite Chicago athlete? - Derrick Rose, Bulls - Carlos Zambrano, Cubs - Mark Buehrle, Sox - Brian Urlacher, Bears - Patrick Kane, Hawks - Other __________________ Who is the best Chicago ...
Time to step off roller coaster
Mar 01, 2009; ... Rex Grossman isn't a Bear anymore. It's over. And we'll have to save our booing muscles for someone else. In Grossman's case, though, it had become less muscle and more reflex. Grossman became a free agent late Thursday, and the Bears aren't going to re-sign him even if he comes for ...
No reaching for the stars
Mar 01, 2009; ... Let's face it, the Bears' quick strike in the free-agent market isn't the sort of move that's going to make an immediate impact on ticket sales. The team's acquisition of lineman Frank Omiyale, at first blush, inspires little more than the need for a pronunciation chart. You say it: ...
Jones has suitors but wants to stay with Bears
Mar 01, 2009; ... Kevin Jones never used his knee as an excuse last season, but he was eight months removed from surgery to repair a torn right anterior cruciate ligament when the season began. Now the running back is ready to show what kind of player he still is five years after being a first-round pick ...
2 huge losses for Bulls
Mar 01, 2009; ... Let's face it, some of the best fiction writing around graces the obituary page of newspapers. It's rude to speak ill of the dead, so just about everyone who dies is portrayed as a caring person with a big heart who touched many people in a positive way. In some instances, it's complete ...
Bulls win game but lose Lu
Mar 01, 2009; ... It's amazing what can happen when Bulls rookie Derrick Rose is allowed to stay on the floor for the entire fourth quarter. Along with a healthy dose of Ben Gordon, Rose turned what appeared to be another loss into a wild 105-102 victory Saturday that had the United Center crowd and ...
Bottom falls out - again
Mar 01, 2009; ... The DePaul Blue Demons are now 0-16 in Big East play, and there's no way to spin that into something positive. Believe me, I've tried. If you saw the dejected look on Dar Tucker's face after the 84-63 loss Saturday to St. John's at Allstate Arena, you'd try, too. This was probably the ...
Bottom falls out - again
Mar 01, 2009; ... The pale and drawn look on DePaul coach Jerry Wainwright's face after his team's loss Saturday said everything about the burden of this winless Big East season even before his words did. ''This is as disappointed as I've been in coaching, and I've done this all my life,'' the 62-year-old ...
'Juice' provides a shot in the arm
Mar 01, 2009; ... It was a game Northwestern guard Michael ''Juice'' Thompson refused to lose. With the Wildcats trailing by seven points with 11 minutes left, it was time for ''Juice'' to produce. So he swished three consecutive three-pointers to trigger a 20-8 run that carried NU to a 55-49 victory ...
It's Sheer Madness
Mar 01, 2009; ... We are two weeks away from Selection Sunday. With curfew fast approaching, do you know where your NCAA tournament team is? You're in good company. Bubble teams still are trying to wangle invitations. And teams that know they're going are trying to spruce up their resumes to earn seeding ...
Overachiever mode starts with seniors
Mar 01, 2009; ... MICHIGAN STATE AT ILLINOIS In a sense, the three seniors who will play their last game at Assembly Hall today are Illinois' bridge to somewhere. At the beginning of Bruce Weber's tenure in Champaign, the Illini were a bound-for-glory squad that featured Dee Brown and Deron ...
Cubs rout Sox in a friendly
Mar 01, 2009; ... So much for the heat and hatred of Cubs-Sox starting up in spring training. With the White Sox' move from Tucson to the Phoenix area, the teams play five games this spring instead of two -- more than the Cubs play against any other team. ''It's kind of weird,'' Sox manager Ozzie ...
Schilling would consider pitching for Cubs
Mar 01, 2009; ... Curt Schilling to the Cubs? It's not something the Cubs were considering. And the three-time 20-game winner hasn't even decided that he wants to come out of retirement at 42. But general manager Jim Hendry didn't rule out the possibility when told Saturday that Schilling said ...
Marmol to play in WBC after all
Mar 01, 2009; ... Carlos Marmol has reconsidered reconsidering and now says he'll pitch for the Dominican Republic in the World Baseball Classic. But he's not planning to leave until Tuesday, so stay tuned. ''He's vacillated on it a little bit,'' Cubs manager Lou Piniella said. ''But he's been ...
'A new place and a fresh start'
Mar 01, 2009; ... White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen had to do a double take. ''Who's the 12-year-old kid?'' Guillen asked as he strolled through the clubhouse on the first day position players checked into camp. ''The batboy?'' If picking up bats from around home plate and fetching baseballs is what ...
Guillen waits for Lilly's thanks
Mar 01, 2009; ... MESA, Ariz. -- Ozzie Guillen doesn't need a talk with Ted Lilly. As a matter of fact, the White Sox manager wasn't looking for an apology, a chat or even an acknowledging glance from the Cubs left-handed pitcher. But a ''little thank you'' on Saturday morning, that would have ...
Stars not aligning this time
Mar 01, 2009; ... Has the World Baseball Classic run its course a mere three years after the inaugural event surprised some skeptics with a compelling tournament? As baseball prepares for the second coming of what amounts to an international marketing scheme, the awkwardly scheduled spring event already ...
March madness bad for MLB
Mar 01, 2009; ... Jake Peavy wants to let you in on a little secret. But first, a pop quiz. Who won the inaugural World Baseball Classic? Bonus question: Do you even care? Time's up. The 2006 champion was Japan, so you still can wear that Fukudome jersey with some measure of ...
Late greats
Mar 01, 2009; ... NORM VAN LIER - 1947-2009 JOHNNY 'RED' KERR - 1932-2009 One world at a time, Thoreau suggested. For Norm Van Lier and Johnny Kerr, such singular focus was a goal frequently somewhere beyond the three-point arc. But it would be three touch points -- life, basketball and ...
Telander wins state honor for sixth time
Mar 01, 2009 ... Sun-Times columnist Rick Telander has been named the 2008 Illinois Sportswriter of the Year by the National Sportscasters and Sportswriters Association. Telander, who also won the award in 2002, 2004, 2005 and 2007 and shared the 2006 award with former Chicago Tribune columnist Mike ...
Happily, always the same
Mar 01, 2009; ... This is just for feeling good. That's all. Nothing more. Just feel the warmth and ease and know that baseball is like a tulip or a baby frog in the way it signifies rebirth and spring. It's Friday at HoHoKam Park, and there are -- let me count them -- 16 fans in ...