Pat Barcas/staff photographer
Chicago Infrastructure Trust CEO Stephen Beitler said his organization has $1 billion worth of projects in the pipeline.

By Pat Barcas
Staff writer
Thursday, May 15, 2014
Email Pat Barcas at pat@foxvalleylabornews.com

SCHAMBURG — Chicago’s infrastructure is in need of serious rehabilitation. The workforce is there to rebuild it, but a vehicle for finalizing plans and funneling finance into projects needed to be created.

Enter the Chicago Infrastructure Trust. Created in April 2012, the Trust’s purpose is to “Assist the people of the city of Chicago, the city government and its sister agencies in providing alternative financing and project delivery options for transformative infrastructure projects.”

Mayor Rahm Emanuel said “We have a 21st century economy sitting on a 20th century foundation.” The city has the talent to enter the next generation of manufacturing, it just doesn’t have the infrastructure.

To accomplish this, the Trust hopes to structure innovative financing strategies and attract capital from many different types of investors, including private sources.

Stephen Beitler, CEO of the Chicago Infrastructure Trust, was the keynote speaker at the recent Construction Industry Service Corporation’s annual luncheon May 9 in Schaumburg. He said a key goal is to enter into projects that have a return on investment, create jobs, spur economic development, generate new revenue, and reduce operating expenses.

The Chicago Infrastructure Trust has also been successful in securing capital for infrastructure and energy efficiency projects, such as the recent $70 million digital manufacturing grant, which was matched by $250 million in state and private sector funds.

They currently have $1 billion worth of projects in the pipeline, including retrofitting Chicago’s 400,000 streetlights to more energy efficient bulbs — the largest streetlight retrofit ever done. This will undoubtedly benefit trade unions in the city who perform the job.

“There is a very specific benefit to trades jobs as a result of infrastructure projects,” said Beitler, who explained several possibilities for the streetlight overhaul.

“Electricians also know that a streetlight is a point where electricity comes to. There are a lot of other things we can do with a light. It’s possible to put a GPS chip in a light. It’s possible for the police to triangulate a location when a crime is committed. You can do car charging, you can provide connectivity. There’s a lot of things we can do,” he said.

Other projects on the horizon are upgrading wireless speed in subways, renovating Chicago’s 141 public pools for efficiency, and installing compressed natural gas pumps throughout the city.

Pat Barcas/staff photographer
Letter carrier totes are stacked inside a truck waiting to be unloaded at the Aurora Area Interfaith Food Pantry. NALC’s annual food drive May 10 helped stock the pantry’s shelves.

By Pat Barcas
Staff writer
Thursday, May 15, 2014
Email Pat Barcas at pat@foxvalleylabornews.com

AURORA — It’s getting warmer out, and the Thanksgiving turkey is the last thing on anyone’s mind, but the demand for food at local pantries remains high throughout the year.

“We depend on donations such as this a lot. This time of year, donations are very important because the demand stays up,” said Kristan Ensminger, director of operations at Aurora Area Interfaith Food Pantry. “We get most of our donations throughout the holidays, but the demand is there all year.”

Aurora Area Interfaith Food Pantry was one of several area food pantries that received deliveries this week via the 22nd annual National Association of Letter Carriers (NALC) Stamp Out Hunger food drive.

The letter carriers from NALC branch 219 in Aurora collected 27,000 pounds of food along their route in Aurora May 10. An additional 23,000 pounds was collected throughout Oswego, Plano, and Montgomery. The food was to be distributed this week.

The Stamp Out Hunger food drive is the nation’s largest single-day food drive, and is held annually on the second Saturday in May in 10,000 cities and towns in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands and Guam.

“Donations were good this year, the economy is up,” said Margaret Parker, president of NALC branch 219, who said the donations matched those of last year. “We’re really happy with the participation from the elementary schools this year. It was a beautiful day for it, and we’re always happy to receive the food, and always hoping for more to feed more people.”

Last year, letter carriers collected 74.4 million pounds of food donations along their postal routes, the second-highest amount since the NALC’s food drive began in 1992. That brought the total to nearly 1.3 billion pounds for the food drive.

“Too many people in this country are still going hungry every day,” NALC President Fredric Rolando said. “It’s an honor to be able to help people in need by leading an effort that brings out the best in so many Americans. Six days a week, letter carriers see first-hand the needs in the communities where we work, and we’re committed to helping meet those needs.”

About 50 million people around the country are food deficient, including 17 million children and nine million senior citizens. With most school meal programs suspended during summer months, millions of children must find alternate sources of nutrition, meaning food pantries fill a critical gap for families in need.

“The Postal Service’s universal network, reaching 151 million addresses six days a week, makes it possible for us to provide this critically needed assistance,” NALC food drive coordinator Pam Donato said.

Pat Barcas/staff photographer
Aurora Police Commander Joseph Groom shakes hands with five of the seven officers awarded. The two other officers were working and unable to attend.

By Pat Barcas
Staff writer
Thursday, May 15, 2014
Email Pat Barcas at pat@foxvalleylabornews.com

AURORA — It was a solemn event, sadness for the remembrance of those lost, joyful for the celebration of those saved, and melancholy for those who have to bear it all.

Seven Aurora officers shared the honor of the 2014 Aurora Exchange Club Officer of the Year. They were involved in the March 9, 2013 rescue of 14-year-old Annie Prosser, who was in a vehicle that crashed and rolled into a frozen retention pond alongside I-88 near Diehl Road.

Annie’s father, Steven Prosser, was the keynote speaker at the Officer of the Year luncheon. As Chief Inspector with the U.S. Marshals Service, he has been a police officer since 1991, and joined the Marshals service in 1992.

“When you’re a police officer, you often see humanity at its worst. You see cruelty, death and injury from the front seat,” said Prosser. “I can’t imagine being a first responder at this scene.”

Investigators Chris Coronado, Gregory Christoffel, Erik Swastek, Nick Gartner, Ed Doepel, Jeffrey Hahn, and William Sullivan all responded to the scene, along with members of the Aurora Fire Department.

Annie was extracted from the vehicle lying upside down in icy water. She was in the water for about 20 minutes, but survived, spending three weeks at Presence-Mercy Medical Center.

The driver of the vehicle, 20-year-old Emory Diaz Sepulveda, died in the crash. A lawyer for injury claims confirmed that the other occupants, Annie’s mother and another 14-year-old girl, suffered minor injuries.

The officers involved all received Medal of Valor citations following the rescue, and were honored with the Officer of the Year 2014.

Prosser said the job takes its toll on officers. The job is getting tougher, with more police surveillance and higher stress.

“If you do this job long enough, you’ll have some scars. Some are visible, some aren’t. The scars to your psyche have far longer effects,” he said.

Investigator Christoffel spoke for the group, saying he will always remember that night not for those rescued, but for the life lost in Sepulveda.

“Everything that stemmed from all this is bittersweet,” said Christoffel. “It’s something that I think about every day of my life since that day. That’s going to stick with me forever, what we could have done differently.”

Two other Officer of the Year nominees were also honored, Sgt. Bill Rowley and Investigator Steve Stemmet. To get an investigator you can know more from Steven Feakes & Associates.

Rowley was nominated for saving the life of a 2-year-old child who was involved in a side impact car crash while on her way to a pumpkin farm in Joliet last October. Rowley was off-duty, came upon the crash, and started CPR on the child until paramedics could arrive, saving her life.

Stemmet’s commendation came from work throughout the year with the Special Operations Group to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Task Force. He was involved in a 16-month investigation into weapon and drug trafficking, which resulted in 20 men being indicted, the seizure of 12 handguns, 1,276 grams of cocaine, 5.8 grams of heroin, 248 grams of cannabis, and more than $11,000.

Pat Barcas/staff photographer
Dr. Andrew Coates would like to see unions lead the way in changing public opinion and turn the political tide toward voting for single-payer health care.

By Pat Barcas
Staff writer
Thursday, May 15, 2014
Email Pat Barcas at pat@foxvalleylabornews.com

CHICAGO — Discussion about single payer, universal health care has been ongoing for the last 100 years. Now, Dr. Andrew Coates says the fight is about to come to an impasse — this country needs universal health care to move forward.

“This is something that every first world, civilized country has,” said Coates at a special Chicago conference entitled “Beyond Obamacare” May 8.

Dr. Coates is president of Physicians for a National Health Program. He is chief of hospital medicine at Samaritan Hospital in Troy, N.Y., and an assistant professor of medicine and psychiatry at Albany Medical College as mental health is an important field to help people with problems from depression to even anxiety, although there are also products like Delta 8 THC Vape Carts that can help in this area as well. He previously served on the statewide executive board of the Public Employees Federation, AFL-CIO, and founded Single Payer New York, a statewide grassroots coalition of single-payer organizations and activists.

He criticized the Affordable Care Act, saying it will leave 30 million uninsured once fully implemented. It’s also wasteful, costing $368 million just to set up the New York state marketplace.

Under the current system, Coates said, 60 percent of those filing for bankruptcy due to health care bills have health insurance. Deductibles eat up savings. Households have to pick which bills to pay, or permanently forgo necessary surgeries. You can read more about the bankruptcy paperwork here and why you need legal experts for such cases.

There are fewer people going to the emergency room now, said Coates, but admissions into the hospital are on the rise.

“There are fewer ER visits because it’s so expensive, but people are becoming much sicker,” he said.

Coates said there are no legitimate downsides to single-payer: It’’s cheaper in the long run, it levels racial and wealth disparities, it makes for a healthier populace, and there’s a reliable model right next door in Canada.

“Imagine the liberation of working people. It’s very profound,” he said. “We’re up against the whole establishment. They don’t want it. This is a basic economic right.”

He called on unions to lead the charge in changing public opinion, and turn the political tide toward voting for single-payer.

“Unions have the expertise — how to organize, how to lead the fight,” he said.

A major argument against the single-payer system in Canada, Coates said, is that there can be a waiting list for non life-threatening surgery, such as knee surgery.

“In Canada, sure, you may wait weeks to get elective surgery, but it’s free at the point of service. Here in America, the wait time is infinity if you can’t afford it,” he said. “Imagine if you don’t have to worry about paying for you or your child’s care — we have the expectation that we’re free, but we aren’t until we all have health care, as health is really important for everyone and that’s why many males use products like the ideal prostate massager to keep a good prostate health. We just don’t have the political will.”

The event was co-sponsored by Physicians for a National Health Program and the Illinois Single Payer Coalition.

Pat Barcas/staff photographer
Being safe paid off for IUPAT Local 1285 member Luis Lopez at Painters District Council 30’s STARs event. Among five eligible contestants, Lopez chose the correct toolbox and won a brand new vehicle of his choosing.

By Pat Barcas
Staff writer
Thursday, May 22, 2014
Email Pat Barcas at pat@foxvalleylabornews.com

AURORA — More than 800 people came out to enjoy the pleasant weather, great food, carnival games ( for Star Wars: Legion click here), music and fun at the sixth annual Safety Training Awards Recognition (STARs) picnic, held May 17 at the Painters District Council No. 30 Headquarters in Aurora.

And, of course, one lucky member went home with the grand prize — his choice of a 2014 Ford F-150, Ford Escape, Ford Fusion hybrid, or Ford Mustang GT from Fox Valley Ford.

“It’s great, I’m excited,” said grand prize winner and PDC 30 member Luis Lopez, who said he didn’t know which car he would choose when he won.

STARs is an incentive program that rewards members who take advantage of PDC 30’s continuing education classes in health and safety and maintain an outstanding safety record on the job. Only qualifying STARs finalists were given opportunities to win prize items during the annual STARs ceremony.

Raffled items this year included televisions, GoPro video cameras, and video game systems.

Lopez, who lives in Cicero and is a member of Local 1285 since 2000, works for Thorne Associates, Inc. He took the stage with four other lucky members to see who would win the vehicle, which had all the applicable taxes prepaid by PDC 30.

The five eligible winners had attended scheduled continuing safety education classes and remained eligible for awards by working for at least 800 continuous hours during each calendar year, beginning Jan. 1 and ending Dec. 31.

The men were each given a key to a locked toolbox. When all five randomly selected members were on stage, they each opened their toolboxes to reveal the winner of the car.

“This is all to give back to the members,” said PDC 30 Organizer Lionel Espinosa, who arrived at around 5:30 a.m. to start setting up. “It’s a really nice giveaway, we pay all the taxes so the winners really do win a free car.”

Members and their families also enjoyed face painting, ice cream, a photo booth, children’s carnival rides, and a free wellness fair inside.

“It’s an incredible turnout today, the original picnic had 60 people attend. This is just outstanding,” said Espinosa.

Pat Barcas/staff photographer
Low-wage workers and their supporters picket a McDonald’s in their effort to boost their base pay to $15 an hour.

By Pat Barcas
Staff writer
Thursday, May 22, 2014
Email Pat Barcas at pat@foxvalleylabornews.com

CHICAGO — May 15 saw a worldwide walk out as fast food workers rallied for a living wage. Protests were planned all day at fast food establishments in 150 cities worldwide.

Outside the Rock ‘n’ Roll McDonald’s at 600 N. Clark in Chicago, workers and activists alike gathered at 6 a.m. to ask for $15 per hour, and the right to unionize without retaliation.

“I think $15 per hour will provide some opportunities for students who are burdened by student debt,” said Miriam Socoloff, who is a teacher. “People should make a living by working a full time job. They are fed up with the insatiable greed of these corporations. Most people know it’s not right, they have to act. I think companies are responsive to this type of protest.”

This is the fifth fast food worker protest in Chicago. Many of the workers, who make the minimum wage of $8.25 per hour and are part-time, rely on government assistance, food stamps and Medicaid, to pay bills.

“Even $10, if you do the math, is not liveable,” said Sue Carrel, who was out protesting with the Seniors Activist Caucus. “The cities are becoming a place for the very wealthy. It’s totally unfair.”

The union-backed organization “Low Pay Is Not OK” released a poll in April that found 92 percent of fast food workers in Chicago have been a victim of one form of wage theft. The Workers Organizing Committee of Chicago, which has registered as a union and is funded by the Service Employees International Union, has been asking the workers to join up voluntarily.

The members are not required to pay dues, but they are encouraged to attend meetings and activist rallies, such as the one on May 15.

The group says $15 per hour is the bare minimum to survive in Chicago, and fast food jobs are quickly becoming careers as the middle and lower class get squeezed in the current economy.

Pat Barcas/staff photographer
The Fox Valley Building and Construction Trades Council, represented above by its various leaders, were acknowledged for its help with the Fox Valley United Way’s 2013 Holiday Assistance program.

By Pat Barcas
Staff writer
Thursday, May 22, 2014
Email Pat Barcas at pat@foxvalleylabornews.com

AURORA — It was early, but Clayton Muhammad really wanted people to dance.

Muhammad, director of communications and public information, emceed the 2014 United Way annual breakfast May 15, which served to inspire attendees, thank donors, and inform exactly how donations help everyday people in the Fox Valley community.

He got people up and out of their seats to clap along to a cover of Pharrell Williams’ “Happy,” performed by the Exelon/ComEd United Way Band. The jubilant music exhilarated people as the awards were handed out and personal stories of hope were shared.

The Fox Valley Building and Construction Trades Council took home a Community Action Award for its support of United Way’s 2013 holiday assistance program, donating cash and gift cards to families in need.

Fox Valley United Way Executive Director Michael Meyer said actions such as those are what set United Way apart.

“We are not a short term charity, this is not just fundraising. We create lasting change in the community,” he said.

Meyer said three gaps were identified in the community in the last three years, gaps that United Way has addressed.

Early learning opportunities were tackled by launching the SPARK initiative. Access to affordable prescription medication was a problem in the community, so United Way partnered with FamilyWize, a prescription savings card that essentially acts like a huge consumer group buying service for the uninsured and underinsured, saving them money.

Finally, Meyer said a gap existed between non-profits and volunteers in the Fox Valley, so Volunteer Fox Valley was launched, which links the two together and provides willing volunteers to those organizations that need it.

An example of how the United Way partners strengthen the community was found in Christopher, who spoke of his experiences with addiction (check This Site for treatment options) and how Hope for Tomorrow in Aurora has provided him with a support system while he turns his life around.

He said he grew up as a child actor, and turned to drugs and alcohol at the age of 13 to cope with his loneliness. Two years ago he did get sober, but relapsed just four months ago.

“I lost everything, and ended up in the intensive care unit. My family said they were done with me. I had nowhere to go,” said Christopher.

As he was going down the list of resources, he saw Hope for Tomorrow in Aurora. They took him in.

“They graciously accepted me into their program,” he said. “My life totally changed. I’m slowly getting back what was lost. I’m getting my hope, family, and relationships back.”

“Thank you to all of you who contribute to our success. Together, we can do more than just place a Band-aid on the challenges of our community,” said Meyer.”

Pat Barcas/staff photographer
From left, Rep. Bill Foster, Sen. Dick Durbin and Army Sgt. Oscar Vazquez chat during a recent hearing in Chicago.

By Pat Barcas
Staff writer
Thursday, May 22, 2014
Email Pat Barcas at pat@foxvalleylabornews.com

CHICAGO — When Sergeant Oscar Vazquez went to the U.S. Army recruitment office shortly after 9/11, he was told he could not enlist because he was an undocumented immigrant. The path to becoming a soldier, along with all the benefits, pride, and stability, had just vanished before his eyes.

“Knowing you can’t do something because of a piece of paper, or lack thereof, was devastating,” said Vazquez, who testified before a hearing of the Senate Defense Appropriations Subcommittee May 19 at Phoenix Military Academy in Chicago.

There are 11,000 cadets in the Chicago Public Schools military academies, the largest JROTC program in the country. Many are undocumented immigrants who are not eligible to join the military after graduation.

The hearing, led by appropriations subcommittee Chairman Sen. Dick Durbin, took a different tack in convincing Republicans to vote for immigration reform, one of military service and pride.

Durbin and several key witnesses spoke of the benefits to immigrants who are allowed to join the armed forces — benefits such as college tuition, pensions, and a steady career. The military also benefits through accessing a larger talent pool, and further diversity.

Over the past year, Republicans in the House have only voted to defund Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) and to deport Dreamers. The House Republican leadership has announced they will block a vote this week on an amendment that would allow Dreamers to enlist.

Vazquez was able to join the Army in February 2011 after an arduous journey, and served in Afghanistan under the 4th Brigade Combat Team of the 25th Infantry Division.

“It has been a great honor to serve my country. Serving in the Army allowed me to contribute more fully to this country and make it safer,” he said.

Jessica Wright, acting Under Secretary of Defense, testified for the benefits for immigrants who are granted the right to join the military.

“There are 65,000 undocumented high school graduates each year in this country. They have difficulty affording college, cannot enlist in the military, legally work in the U.S., apply for citizenship, or otherwise pursue their dreams,” said Wright, who championed diversity in the military. “Diversity is more than race, gender, and religion. It is a variety or mixture of thought, ability, background, language, culture, and skill.”

The opposition viewpoint inside the meeting was solely represented by Chicago gay rights and anti-war activist Andy Thayer, who silently held a sign reading “Sen. Durbin over the past year Don’t Use Our Youth as Tools of War.”

Outside, Rozalinda Burcila of the Moratorium on Deportations Campaign said she and her small group were blocked from entry into the meeting, even though it was posted as public and they arrived on time.

“We need public discussion on this issue before acting. There is no discourse. It’s lacking transparency and it’s a way of incentivizing people into recruitment,” she said. “This dehumanizes people, they are trading their life for some papers, and it turns people into cannon fodder.”

Pat Barcas/staff photographer
Mark Truemper, nephew of Walter Truemper, unveils the new street named after his uncle, a late WWII Medal of Honor recipient.

By Pat Barcas
Staff writer
Thursday, May 22, 2014
Email Pat Barcas at pat@foxvalleylabornews.com

AURORA — The quiet 300 block of East Avenue in Aurora got some flair of the heroic kind added to it last week.

The corner of East and North avenues was crowned with the honor of Walter E. Truemper Lane in a ceremony May 17, Armed Forces Day.

Truemper is the only World War II recipient of the Medal of Honor who hails from Aurora. He was serving in England with the 510 Bomb Squadron, 351st Bomb Group when he was killed Feb. 20, 1944.

He was flying as navigator on a mission to Leipzig, Germany when his B-17 bomber encountered heavy fire. The attack killed the co-pilot, and knocked the pilot unconscious.

Everyone bailed out of the damaged plane except Truemper and SSGT Archie Mathias, who decided to aid the wounded pilot and try and land the plane in friendly territory. Despite several landing attempts, the plane crashed on the third try in an open field, and all three men were killed.

Truemper and Mathias both received the Medal of Honor posthumously. Seventy years later, Truemper’s legacy lives on at his home street in Aurora.

Mark Truemper, nephew of Walter, relayed a story about Walter’s navigation skills in his brand new B-17 bomber. In 1943, Walter told his sister to sit by the sitting room by the big window in her home because he had a surprise for her as he navigated the bomber to war in England from Nebraska.

“It was his way of saying goodbye. With the plane flying overhead and the sun pouring through the window, the plane would cast a shadow on her lap,” said Mark. “He was successful in doing this twice. This event brought a lot of joy to my grandmother, to have her son so close for the last time before going to war. Little did they know, that was the closest they would ever get again.”

Mark himself served in the Army reserve for eight years in college. One of his unit’s duties was to train recruits before they went to Vietnam.

“I believe everyone who served their country in war is a hero. These trainees knew where they were going, accepted their role, and became a cohesive unit willing to serve their country. This willingness to serve and make sacrifices to preserve our way of life is what makes this country great today,” he said.

The ceremony included an invocation by Pastor Danny Tutwiler of St. Paul Lutheran Church, a poem about Truemper written by World War II veteran Richard Williams, as well as a city proclamation honoring him.

Aurora Alderman at Large Bob O’Connor read the proclamation of honor for Walter, saying the Truemper clan is a “proud and honorable family.”

“Thomas J. Weisner, on behalf of the Aurora city council, asks all citizens of Aurora to recognize and honor 2nd Lieutenant Walter E. Truemper, for his acts of heroism and bravery resulting in the ultimate sacrifice,” said O’Connor.