Chicago police said two firefighters received minor injuries while fighting a multialarm fire Thursday at Resurrection Medical Center, according to the Chicago Tribune.

The Tribune reports that the fire started near a kitchen area on the second floor of the hospital, located at 7435 W. Talcott Ave.

The exact cause remained under investigation Friday.

Read more at the Chicago Tribune.

Years of practice, discipline and hard work have paid off for two Norridge teens.

Haley Soltwedel and Brittany Susmarski will be participating in London’s New Year’s Day parade.

The Norridge residents were among those chosen to perform with other All-Star Camp members from across the country.

They will be leaving the day after Christmas and coming back the day after New Year’s Day.

For the parade, they will have to learn, from a CD, a dance, a cheer and a jump.

They will have one day to practice their routine with the other All-Star Camp members before performing in the parade.

All-Star is more competitive and has more difficult routines than what the Ridgewood High School squad performs along the sidelines at Ridgewood games, the two explained.

“All-Star is more intense,” Susmarski said.

“There’s more training needed,” Soltwedel said.
Both Susmarski and Soltwedel have been cheerleading since joining the Norridge Park District’s program at early ages.

Soltwedel’s introduction came when she was 5 years old.

“I just love it and I find it so rewarding,” she said of her decision to continue with the sport.

Susmarski followed in her sister’s footsteps.

“I was three years old, so I was too young to be on the team, but I got to be the (Norridge Park District team’s) mascot,” she said.

Camaraderie between Soltwedel and Susmarski  built up over the years.

In grammar school, both competed against each other because they were on different teams.

Once they made the Ridgewood squad, compatibility came quickly.

“When we tried out and made the team, we instantly became friends,” Susmarski said.

When asked if her version was accurate, Soltwedel quickly responded in the affirmative.

Both agreed knowing their routine in the London parade will be the scariest day of their lives, they look forward to the challenge.

“It’s the rush you get when you perform,” Susmarski said.

PARK RIDGE — If Haley Greer hadn’t already ingratiated herself to her New Trier girls basketball teammates, she likely did so Friday in the Trevians’ 58-42 Central Suburban South win over Maine South.

A transfer from Deerfield, the junior point guard single-handedly kept the Trevians from sinking into too big of a hole by scoring all seven of the team’s points in the first quarter and the first 10 of the game. Greer even assisted on New Trier’s next points.

After junior guard Alison Borsotti’s basket on Greer’s first assist, New Trier still trailed the Hawks 17-12.

“She’s a smart kid, smart player,” New Trier coach Teri Rodgers said of Greer. “She sees what is there and takes what is given to her. She knew she was open, and she knew we needed something.”

The 5-10 Greer finished with a game-best 20 points on 6-for-11 shooting, adding five assists and two steals for the Trevians (8-0, 3-0).

“Some days your shots go, some days they don’t,” Greer said. “[Friday] was good for me, and my teammates were able to get me the ball.”

Through eight games, Greer is averaging 12.9 points, which is second on the team behind junior center Jeannie Boehm’s 14.5. Greer leads the team in assists (4.8) and steals (2.9).

On Friday, she executed several high-level plays, including a no-look bounce pass through the lane in the first quarter and a layup on a spin move in traffic during the third.

“It comes with practice, I guess,” said Greer, whose father, Andy Greer, is an assistant coach on the Chicago Bulls. “The coaches allow me to experiment, and my teammates are OK with it, even if I make a bad pass once in a while. It’s really trial and error.”

After Greer came to New Trier in the summer, she said playing time wasn’t guaranteed to her. She instead deferred to veterans like senior forward Rachel West, senior guard Jackie Welch, junior forward Kathryn Pedi and Boehm.

“I knew I had to earn my position on this team,” she said. “To me, it was an easy fit because it’s such a competitive team.”

Greer proved herself and has been in the starting lineup all season. Rodgers said she has been impressed with how Greer has handled the transition to a new team.

“She was a great observer at first and willing to take a backseat,” Rodgers said. “She has been willing to learn from others. Now, you’re seeing what she can do.

“She’s been great for us.”

Maine South notes

• The Hawks (5-5, 1-2) scored 17 points in a row in the first quarter to take a 17-3 lead. They carried a 22-21 lead into the half, but the Trevians were too much for the youthful Hawks to handle in the final two quarters. Maine South, which only has two seniors on the roster, was outscored 24-10 in the third.

• Junior forward Julia Spuria led the Hawks with 14 points. Sophomore forward Olivia Latreille had nine points and junior guard Riley Eckhart added six points.

When I was a child of the ’70s, my cousins had a rack of encyclopedias that were complemented every 12 months by a gift that kept on giving: The Year in Review.

I poured through those roundup books on nearly every visit, sitting in a corner to read and re-read about how Xenia, Ohio, was devastated by a tornado during the Super Outbreak (1974) or how Muhammad Ali defeated Alfredo Evangelista in 15 rounds (1977) or how wire-walker Karl Wallenda fell to his death in San Juan, Puerto Rico (1978).

The trees that were felled to print such generous books died noble deaths indeed. I can still hear the leather crackle as they opened, so some cows died, too.

And now it is 2014, and I wonder if I will get a similar thrill when I crack open the modern-day equivalent of those printed retrospectives: The Year on Twitter.

Wait, sorry, I did that wrong: It’s called #YearOnTwitter, and it documents all the things that bent our neck downward toward our smartphones and took our attention away from the humans around us.

True, I was doing much the same thing by burying my nose in a book and educating myself on Patty Hearst and Lynette “Squeaky” Fromme, but it wasn’t like I was also playing Candy Crush.

Anyway, I took the time to scroll through this #YearOnTwitter — which was released this week even though the current year has three weeks to go — to see if 2014 could hold a candle to something like 1976, the year of both the Bicentennial and “Rocky.” The results were mixed:

• World Cup: The biggest sports story of the year, generating 672 million tweets during the month-long tournament and 618,000 per minute during its peak.

Say what you will about the popularity of soccer in the U.S., but that’s an impressive amount of sports fans taking their eyes off the TV to write something clever that would be lost in the shuffle of 618,000 tweets per minute.

• #IndyRef: What’s this? Something about a wildly popular or controversial referee from Indianapolis? No, it was the September referendum on Scottish independence, which generated 3.75 million tweets — or about 100,000 more than the number of actual votes that were cast.

You will mention such things to your grandchildren when you recall the days before elections were conducted via the Internet.

• #MH370: Sounds like the rollout of the latest game-changer in the pharmaceutical world, but this was the missing Malaysia Airlines flight that had entire cable news channels devoted to it for weeks at a time back in the spring. It seems a lot of Twitter followers turned over their lives to it as well.

• #Ebola: Speaking of headlines that took on a life of their own and then made us feel a little silly for going overboard, there was this. The conspiracy theories alone will be remembered for minutes to come.

• #DerekJeter: Apparently, he retired. If only he played in a bigger market so he could have gotten a proper farewell.

• #BerlinWall, #Abdicates: I didn’t know they had Twitter in 1989 and/or 1936. Or maybe I wasn’t paying attention when these were big this year.

And then there was the “most retweeted tweet” of 2014, if not in the long, storied history of the medium — bigger than anything to come out of #Ferguson or the Hong Kong protests:

Ellen DeGeneres’ #Oscars selfie, which technically was taken by Bradley Cooper and featured everyone in Hollywood crammed in and looking spectacular.

Decades from now, we will look back and remember the bright, shining moment when Jennifer Lawrence ruled the world.

NILES — Notre Dame’s Joe Mooney and Hinsdale Central’s Matt Rafferty have played on the same Chicago LockDown AAU team for the last three years. They’ve grown close as they’ve both developed into Division I prospects.

Mooney said he has never seen the 6-8 forward shoot the ball from the perimeter as well as he did in Hinsdale Central’s 74-70 victory over the Dons on Saturday night.

Rafferty went 15-of-18 from the field, and he was a perfect 5-for-5 on 3-pointers for the Red Devils (5-1). Rafferty finished with 39 points and 11 rebounds.

After the game, Mooney added that his good friend is impossible to guard when he’s shooting the ball as well as he did against the Dons (6-1).

“He’s an unbelievable player,” said Mooney, who finished with 37 points. “He plays so smart. He finishes. He gets to the free-throw line. Now you add the 3 into his game … he’s a great player.”

Rafferty drained four of his five 3-pointers during the first half. He knocked down the first from the corner, right in front of the Notre Dame bench. The next two came at the top of the key on the same play.

“They would have one guard cut through, and it was like an elevator — their two bigs would close the door,” Notre Dame junior forward Ammar Becar said. “Rafferty just pops out, and that’s where we had a little miscommunication on defense. He’s a good shooter, and he knocked them down.”

Afterward, Rafferty credited his teammates for his perfect 3-point shooting performance.

“Our guys did a great job of screening, so that left a lot of open shots,” he said. “Once I got into a rhythm early, it was easier to keep it going that way. I give [my teammates] all the credit. They distribute it unselfishly, and did a great job of that.”

Notre Dame limited Rafferty’s open looks from behind the arc in the second half by face guarding him, Becar said. Rafferty still had 17 points in the half, however. He even banked in a 3-pointer from slightly behind half court at the end of the third quarter to put the Red Devils ahead 58-45.

It was that kind of night for Rafferty, but Hinsdale Central coach Nick Latorre wasn’t that surprised by his performance. Latorre said Rafferty has been hitting 3s during each of the last three years.

That’s part of what makes Rafferty a Division I prospect — one who currently has offers from Dartmouth, Brown, Loyola, Toledo, Northern Illinois and Illinois-Chicago. He not only has a high basketball IQ, good athleticism and the ability to overwhelm most players in the post, he has the perfect counter.

“I was taught [from an early age] to shoot from the outside, and if I have an advantage over a slower guy who’s bigger, step out a little bit and challenge him that way,” Rafferty said.

Notre Dame notes

• Mooney, a senior guard, was sensational. He went 7-for-11 on 3-pointers. He also grabbed five rebounds, which tied senior forward Dan Messina for a team high.

• Becar finished with 19 points, despite jamming his right thumb twice earlier in the week. That didn’t affect his shot, however. He went 3-for-7 from behind the arc and was 4-for-4 from the free-throw line.

I first met Judy Baar Topinka in the late summer of 1979.

I was a rookie reporter who didn’t know anybody. Judy was a former reporter at my paper, The Life Newspapers in Berywn, and seemed to know everybody.

She was beginning her career in government, deciding to take a run for the state legislature and against the power structure of a male-dominated Republican Party that ran Berwyn and Cicero.

She definitely wasn’t one of the fellas, and that summer and fall was busy lining up support among her many contacts for the March 1980 Republican Primary.

Back then a candidate needed to finish first or second in the primary to be on the November ballot, where three representatives would be elected per district from four candidates.

She won easily.

I saw her a lot those days as she would stop in the office and talk to her old friends from newspapering days.

She was loud, brash and spoke her mind. To my young mind, she was selling out by trading journalism for politics.

But I was wrong. She would never be accepted by the political class. She would forever be one of the people, who knew she could do the job better than the people she was writing about.

About the time she moved to the state Senate, I joined Pioneer Press, and hardly ever saw her.

Then she ran for state treasurer and I sat on Pioneer’s endorsement committees. The other editors badgered me about her. “What’s she like?”

“You’ll see,” was all I could say, still unsure on how to describe this seemingly crazy woman, who was pretty unbelievable as far as politicians go.

She was blunt. She spoke her mind and talked fast and loud. She said what a lot of us reporters actually thought, like when she described her opponents for governor as morons. Who could argue with that?

She gave me a fruitcake once for Christmas. It figures, right? But it was the best damn fruitcake I’ve ever had before or since.

Over the years I’d run into Judy every so often, here and in Springfield. I’d call and ask for an interview. She’d get right back to me and knew exactly what I was asking about it and tell it as she saw it. Between questions, she’d offer advice on where to shop for bargains in the western suburbs.

I’d be having dinner at a restaurant and Judy would come in leading an entourage, waving and saying “Hi” to friends already there, and suddenly the place was livelier, happier and a lot more fun.

Once when leaving our office after a campaign interview, she stopped at the water cooler to get a drink, and saw a pen on the floor. “Oh, look, a pen,” she said, picked it up and put it in her purse. I wanted to say, “But that’s the company pen,” as I stood there empty handed. Instead I said, “Good luck, Judy.” She didn’t need it.

She just worked hard.

I last saw her a couple of years ago in Westchester. I was coming out of a Bohemian restaurant and she was coming out of a pet store. She looked thinner and not in good health. We talked for a while the way old reporters who had seen all the old campaigns and political battles do.

Out of all the politicians I’ve met and covered, and that includes the current president, she was the real deal. She loved people, always was herself and worked tirelessly to make life better for the people of her community and her state.

We need a lot more like her, but, alas, she was one of kind.

Dear Help Squad,

I have the strangest situation. I keep getting this small business AT&T bill that I thought I cancelled years ago. When I try to call to inquire why it was not cancelled and why I am still being charged both from a business invoice and a personal invoice for the same number, they cannot locate my account. My account doesn’t exist in their system, yet I continue to get this bill month after month that I cannot stop paying because of penalties. What in the world do I do now? I was literally on the phone with AT&T for three hours yesterday and nobody could tell me anything. No one could find any record of my account. With an account number that they say doesn’t exist, I can’t get past go. I’m so mad that I have let this go on for so long.

Libby, Glenview

The cause of this particular AT&T issue (and Help Squad has seen its fair share) was actually a confluence of unclear billing information combined with a phone tree the size of a sequoia.

Anyone who calls AT&T Small Business Customer Care must carefully press buttons and say the correct words in order to conquer its automated phone tree. For Libby to successfully reach a human, she first had to get though 10 different options. That’s a lot of phone tree branches! And if an error was made in selecting any of those options – incorrect account number, incorrect phone number, unrecognized voice command – she was either sent back to a previous menu or disconnected. As far as either Libby or Help Squad was able to discern, it was not possible to request a customer service representative until you got to the phone tree’s eighth option – at which point there were still two more selections to be made prior to achieving human contact.

Fortunately, Help Squad was able to press all buttons correctly and hang in there through the 10th option. For our steadfast focus, we were rewarded with the assistance of a very helpful AT&T Small Business Customer Service representative. What we learned upon reaching this CSR was that the number in question – a toll-free business line – was a “virtual line” that only accepted incoming calls via Libby’s cell phone. This CSR took the time to look through Libby’s account notes – all the way back to 2002, when the line was first activated – but was unable to find documentation of a termination request. She said it would be no problem for Libby to terminate service now, however, as the toll-free line was not on a contract.

What Help Squad learned when Libby attempted to duplicate our phone tree steps was that instead of plugging in the toll-free business number at step eight, she was keying in her cell phone number. Though this seems logical – after all, her AT&T business bill clearly states “Long Distance Service Billed Number: 773-XXX-XXXX,” (her cell number) – the account was linked only to the virtual toll-free number. This was why Libby kept being disconnected or told her account couldn’t be located!

And though her cell phone number appeared on both the AT&T small business statement and her family’s AT&T wireless statement, she was not being double-billed after all. The small business statement contained only those charges resulting from calls to the virtual toll-free line, while the wireless statement contained charges associated directly with her cell phone number.

After getting all of the above straightened out, Libby was able to successfully cancel the long-overdue toll-free business account. The only outstanding question now is, will the friends and family who have been calling toll-free continue to call once free long distance is gone? Libby is now officially on her own!

Need help?
Did a utilities company overcharge you? Did a boutique deny your request for a return? Are you the victim of fraudulent business practices? Is someone just exhibiting bad business behavior? Let Help Squad make the call for you. Send your letters, your complaints, your injustices and your story ideas to HelpSquad@pioneerlocal.com and we will be happy to help you.

A longtime tradition maintained for many years at Maine Township High School District 207 honors three high-achieving students each month in the 207’s Best program, which spotlights teens for achieving outside of the classroom.

December’s three honorees — Rhys Bakulinski of Maine West, Julia Koza of Maine South, and Rachel Stan of Maine East — were recognized during the December school board meeting for notoriety in their respective school’s fine arts department.

Each month, teachers nominate students for a different rotating achievement category, including community service, improved performance, and this month’s category, performing /fine arts.

Then an executive committee at each of the three high schools selects the final winners, who are later commended by school board members, parents and friends at the monthly board meetings.

The three young women honored this month cover three major aspects of fine arts programming: drama, music, and television production.

Bakulinski, who was nominated by her fine arts teachers for being “intellectually inquisitive, witty, and willing to help others grow in their artistic endeavors” (according to Maine West principal Audrey Hagan), is a leader in the school’s drama and photography programs.

The future musical theater major at Columbia College in Chicago has submerged herself in acting and broadcasting during high school by performing in school musicals and the variety show, and by managing the Maine West student radio station.

Maine South’s Koza, who told the school board she plans to attend either DePaul University or North Park University and major in music education, has a passion for “everything music,” according to school Principal Shawn Messmer.

In between fulfilling her role as the school’s marching band drum major, Koza also stays active in the Italian and Polish clubs, and sings in the Maine South choir. She was recently selected for the Illinois Music Education Association District 7 Honor Choir.

Messmer said Koza is a “consistent leader in the Fine Arts Department who was nominated by her teachers for being hardworking, consistent, curious, friendly, relaxed, and respectful.”

While Bakulinski and Koza prefer the spotlight of the stage, Stan shines behind the scenes as the manager of Maine East’s TV station, a position she’s held for the past two years.

Described by her broadcasting teacher Phil Ash as having a “natural gift for storytelling,” Stan has received two awards at the Chicago Television Educators Council film festival and was honored with second place recognition in the “exceptional work” category at this year’s Northbrook Youth Film Festival.

Maine East principal Michael Pressler commended Stan for being successful in using video “as a vehicle to communicate her insights and as a means to evoke thoughtful reflection from her viewers.”

Stan plans to continue her TV broadcasting studies at Liberty University in Virginia after she graduates high school in the spring. She intends to major in cinematic arts, according to a press release from School District 207.

Harwood Heights taxpayers won’t see an increase in the 2014 tax levy, following a vote by village trustees last week to keep this year’s levy steady at about $1.2 million.

The tax levy hasn’t increased in more than a decade, according to village president Arlene Jezierny, who touted what she described as village officials’ sound financial decision-making.

“Again there’s no increase this year, so our taxpayers won’t pay more on their tax bills,” Jezierny said. “We spend carefully on things to benefit the village, and we utilize a lot of grants for village improvements.”

One such grant, a state-issued grant awarded to Harwood Heights this year for $1.2 million, will help pay for improvements to the village’s aging water main system, including the replacement of the Gunnison water main.

Taxpayers in Harwood Heights have been paying the same flat tax levy rate since 2009, when it was decreased by about $6,000, according to Marcia Pollowy, village clerk.

Breaking down the 2014 levy, $363,410 of the $1.2 million received by the village will go to the general fund. The police pension fund will receive $611,203, and the police protection fund will get a slice of $290,245, according to information from the village.

The general fund this year will take in a larger slice of the tax levy pie—about $43,000 more compared to last year, while the police protection fund will get almost $99,000 less than it received in 2013. Contributions to the police pension fund will increase by $58,500 from last year’s levy, according to tax information provided by Pollowy.

The village’s portion of the total property tax bill in 2013 was less than 1 percent, according to Bruno Bellissimo, municipal accountant for the village of Harwood Heights.

“A resident paid .83 percent of the total taxes collected on last year’s tax bill to the village,” Bellissimo said. The total percentage of local tax for 2014 wasn’t yet available.

The amount we tax is very small compared to the total tax bill, and it’s not going to change a lot from last year,” Bellissimo said. “You have the library, the school district, then the water reclamation district, and the county taxes—everyone gets a piece of the pie.”

Flashing advertisements may soon welcome motorists to Harwood Heights following a decision by village officials last week to erect a new electronic message board near a busy intersection bordering the city of Chicago.

Harwood Heights trustees on Dec. 11 voted in favor of a proposal to lease village property on the busy intersection of Montrose Avenue and Forest Preserve Drive to Lockridge Outdoor Advertising, a billboard company based out of Austin, Texas.

The 20-year lease allows Lockridge to operate a towering electronic message board that will display paid advertisements and community alerts from the police, village, and public works departments.

The agreement comes at no cost to the village, according to Village President Arlene Jezierny, who said the sign would aid the village’s ability to communicate with the community.

“(The sign) will also help identify Harwood Heights to people driving through,” Jezierny said. “We don’t have any signs like this.”

Harwood Heights resident Kevin Shuttleworth wasn’t as enthused about the new sign moving into the village as the trustees who voted for it.

Shuttleworth said the sign would make the intersection dangerous because the flashing messages could distract drivers.

“It’s a hazardous intersection as it is,” Shuttleworth said during the Dec. 11 village board meeting. “Now when I’m turning right into the alley to get to my home, I have to worry about someone being distracted by the sign and rear-ending my vehicle.”

Jezierny could not provide specific measurements of the sign, but said it would be similar in shape and size to the traditional electronic signs often displayed at banks.

“It won’t be as big as a billboard that you’d see on the highway,” Jezierny said. “It was free of cost to us, and it’s a way to help our local businesses grow through advertising.

The sign won’t be the first of its kind to go up in Harwood Heights. There are similar signs at Parkway Bank on Harlem Avenue and across from the Holiday Plaza near the Family Palace, also on Harlem Avenue.

There was no word on when the new sign would appear at its new home on Montrose Avenue.

For those who take pride in their over-the-top lights revealing an unabashed love for the Christmas season, Norridge’s annual holiday lights contest is a way to increase the friendly competition between neighbors and reward the most dedicated holiday decorator.

Norridge’s annual holiday house decorating contest is a tradition that was started seven years ago by self-confessed Christmas-lover, Doug Strempek, who works for the village of Norridge as the information technology coordinator.

“I like Christmas and decorating for the holidays, and this wasn’t a hard thing to put together,” Strempek said. “It’s a nice family bonding activity for the community.”

Any Norridge resident who puts up holiday decorations can enter the contest, and houses are judged on a list of criteria including color, originality, arrangement, theme, creativity, and overall presentation.

The top home as chosen by a panel of judges wins gift cards from the Harlem Irving Plaza (H.I.P.), and the winner is honored by the mayor at a future village board meeting.

The light contest usually draws at least 10 entries every year, Strempek said, but sign-ups were down this year, with only about six people who had registered by the deadline on Dec. 12.

The lower-than-usual number of homes that enrolled in the contest this year could prompt a change in the way the village runs the event next year, Strempek said.

Instead of asking residents to enter their homes in the competition, the entire community could have a chance to win starting in 2015. The judges will probably hit each street in Norridge looking at the different light displays before choosing a winner, Strempek said.

“We’re a small community, so we (village employees) thought the contest was a great way to mark the holidays together,” he said.

A panel of three village employees who volunteered to judge the contest will tour the homes entered into the contest this week, and the winner will be announced on Monday, Dec. 22.

A nonprofit that delivers meals and more on Christmas Day is looking for volunteers to help with food and gift delivery.

Christmas Cheer Foundation, started in 1981, delivers food to those in need in 35 Chicago area suburbs. From Oak Park and River Forest, to Norridge and Northlake, to Maywood and Berwyn, about 20,000 people will be fed this year, said Lucy Dalbis, president of Christmas Cheer.

Dalbis and Christmas Cheer Treasurer Phil Calabrese said Dominican University in River Forest lets the nonprofit use the Priory Campus for about a week to prepare meals and other items that will be donated, and to organize delivery.

Meals include ham, steak, potato salad, corn, fresh fruit and a roll. Christmas Cheer also collects children’s books and Beanie Babies, wraps them and delivers those to the families, along with the food.

Food is donated from area companies or purchased with monetary donations made out to Christmas Cheer, Dalbis said.

“We don’t do a lot of fundraising. We’re not that good at it,” Dalbis said.

The number of people served grows each year, due in large part to school social workers, who Dalbis referred to as “angels” who inform Christmas Cheer of families in need.

Although they never know exactly how many volunteers will show up early Christmas morning, Dalbis said she expects about 400, based on people that often help year after year and those that have called to express interest in volunteering.

Dalbis said they’re especially in need of drivers this year.

Some volunteers make the trip to River Forest from Rockford, New Lenox or Indiana. Dalbis said it’s moving that so many people make the effort to help on Christmas Day, and she wants to ensure volunteers have a great experience.

“It’s a sacrifice,” Dalbis acknowledged. But so many people take part because it’s rewarding and fulfills the desire to help others. Her grandchildren’s sports teams have gotten involved, and it’s a nice way for families to give back together.

“That’s a legacy that you can leave your kids,” she said. “That’s the biggest thing I hope I can leave them.”

Those interested in packing should arrive between 5:30 and 6:30 a.m. at the Dominican University Priory Campus, 7200 W. Division St. in River Forest. Drivers will being delivering meals and gifts at 7 a.m.

For more information, go to christmascheer.org or call Dalbis at 847-977-8069.

HARWOOD HEIGHTS

ALCOHOL

Carlos Uribe-Monroy, 50, of 2257 N. Monitor, Chicago was charged with driving under the influence of alcohol on the 7100 block of Montrose Avenue at 4:17 a.m. Dec. 7. He was also charged with improper lane usage and speeding. His next court date is Jan. 26.

Bernardo Vitello, 46, of 415 W. Enterprise, Mount Prospect, was charged with driving under the influence of alcohol on the 4900 block of N. Harlem Avenue at 2:14 a.m. Dec. 14. He was also charged with driving without insurance and speeding. His next court date is Feb. 2.

NORRIDGE

THEFT

Fermen Nevarez, 38, of 2928 Lawndale, Chicago was charged with retail theft at Carson Pirie Scott at 3:57 p.m. Dec. 2. According to police reports, Nevarez stole a Polo shirt and piece of jewelry. He was released after paying 10 percent of a $1,500 bond. His next court date is Jan. 8.

ALCOHOL

A 16-year-old boy was charged with driving under the influence of alcohol near the intersection of Lawrence and Ozanam at 7:10 a.m. Dec. 6. The boy’s next court date is Jan. 16. He was released to his parent’s custody.

NORRIDGE

4033 N Ozark Ave, Norridge 60706-7218: Gianfranco Della Santina sold the property to Justin M Oliva for $278,000 on November 26

4329 N Ozanam Ave, Norridge 60706-1055: Bayview Loan Servicing Llc sold the property to Dariusz Chwalek for $178,000 on December 3

4609 N Ozark Ave, Norridge 60706-4526: Weber Trust sold the property to Michael B Drosos & Bernadette M Drosos for $276,000 on November 26

4913 N Ozark Ave, Norridge 60706-3311: Porazinski Trust sold the property to Mariusz Potepa & Joanna Potepa for $238,000 on December 3

5041 N Leonard Dr, Norridge 60706-2824: Lucky Investments I Llc sold the property to Bina Kumari A Patel & Amit Kumar T Patel for $319,000 on December 3

HARWOOD HEIGHTS

7444 W Strong St, Harwood Heights 60706-3418: Tadeusz Wolniewicz sold the property to Victor Hugo Ayala & Gladys Genoveva Salazar for $145,000 on December 3

PARK RIDGE

1015 Frances Pkwy, Park Ridge 60068-5187: Julia Zaborowski sold the property to Michael E Holden & Erin Holden for $321,000 on December 3

1620 S Crescent Ave, Park Ridge 60068-5374: Gary J Altobelli sold the property to Trisha Holub for $300,000 on December 2

1709 Marvin Pkwy, Park Ridge 60068-2424: Ark Lachiw sold the property to Jovan Jevtic & Sandra Jevtic for $335,000 on December 2

1815 W Oakton St 1d, Park Ridge 60068-1980: Fannie Mae sold the property to Nataliya Farion for $170,000 on December 1

2150 Bouterse St 106, Park Ridge 60068-2368: Filippini Trust sold the property to Margaret W Mistak for $255,000 on December 3

2913 Scottlynne Dr, Park Ridge 60068-2854: Louis L Kenyeri Jr sold the property to Curtis W Manning & Sarah J Manning for $543,500 on November 26

2917 Lahon St, Park Ridge 60068-2126: Schoenberg Trust sold the property to Jason B Mann & Karen Mann for $300,000 on November 26

617 S Vine Ave, Park Ridge 60068-4149: Muehling Trust sold the property to Lauren B Nagel & Reid D Tokarz for $550,000 on November 26

705 N Western Ave 2a, Park Ridge 60068-2574: Dorothy A Stocker Estate sold the property to Dmytro Dmytrush & Yehor Shpak for $117,500 on November 26

722 N Northwest Hwy C, Park Ridge 60068-2582: Diane M Kedziora sold the property to Paresh Chaudhari for $359,000 on December 1

729 N Seminary Ave, Park Ridge 60068-2426: Milord Designer Inc sold the property to Analiza Austria Keefe & Michael D Keefe for $745,000 on November 26

929 Oakton St, Park Ridge 60068-2011: Johnsen Trust sold the property to Armando Ruiz & Araceli Ruiz for $252,500 on December 2

FRANKLIN PARK

2539 Westbrook Dr, Franklin Park 60131-3237: Duanne J Garrett sold the property to Jennifer S Darling for $146,000 on December 1

3524 Calwagner St, Franklin Park 60131-2066: Jose Herrera sold the property to Jasmin J Rivera & Philip Rivera for $165,000 on December 1

ELMWOOD PARK

1731 N 76th Ave, Elmwood Park 60707-4151: Ellinor B Nardiello sold the property to Luis Ottiz & Miriam Ruano for $290,000 on December 3

1740 N 72nd Ct, Elmwood Park 60707-4203: Fv I Inc sold the property to Kazimierz W Ostrega for $130,000 on December 2

2110 N 74th Ct, Elmwood Park 60707-3112: Edyta Delekta sold the property to Pawel Rybski for $135,000 on December 2

7202 W Wrightwood Ave 2n, Elmwood Park 60707-1620: First Security Real Property sold the property to Lucyna Olszewski & Zdzislaw Olszewski for $90,000 on December 3

NILES

7317 W Crain St, Niles 60714-2105: Katherine M Peterson sold the property to Sang U Wood & Sang H Woo for $274,000 on December 2

7841 N Oconto Ave, Niles 60714-2905: Nahida Shakro sold the property to Lukasz Grochal for $590,000 on December 2

8513 W Crain St, Niles 60714-1846: Fannie Mae sold the property to Lukasz Spadlo for $207,500 on December 2

8522 W Madison Dr, Niles 60714-2320: Fannie Mae sold the property to Jennifer R Pomagier & John J Pomagier for $312,000 on December 1

8530 W Roseview Dr, Niles 60714-1856: Michael Paul Klita sold the property to Siji B Koshy & Sabitha R Mathew for $287,000 on December 2

8809 W Golf Rd 71, Niles 60714-5707: Blue Onionz Llc sold the property to Amanoueel Sawa & Noora Adam for $146,500 on December 2

8821 N Washington St E, Niles 60714-3603: Federal Home Loan Mtg Corp sold the property to Rameshchandra Mody for $125,500 on December 3

MORTON GROVE

7113 Enfield Ave, Morton Grove 60053-2055: Robert Santiago sold the property to Arthur B Asucion for $262,500 on December 3

7309 Palma Ln, Morton Grove 60053-1136: Seta G Hovsepian sold the property to Richard Ramos & Julita Ramos for $265,000 on December 1

7635 Greenwood St, Morton Grove 60053-1836: Pnc Bank Na sold the property to Ilie C Tiron for $250,000 on December 2

8630 Ferris Ave 301, Morton Grove 60053-2866: Dmitriy Gindush sold the property to Dawid K Wojcik for $129,000 on December 2

8905 Belleforte Ave, Morton Grove 60053-2018: Us Bank Na Trustee sold the property to Antoaneta Galabova for $176,000 on December 1

It is impossible to make a blanket statement (no pun intended) about married couples and sex. No two couples have the same sex life, and the spectrum of what goes on in a couple’s bedroom can range from snoring and boring, to wild and crazy passion every night.

But with work, kids, chores, and the pure exhaustion life can cause, finding time and interest in sex, especially for women can be challenging.

So, I reached out to Northbrook based therapist, Dr. Sarah Allen, Psy.D. to ask for some tips to help couples who might want to improve their sex lives.

Allen told me that when couples come to see her, it is almost always the case that they haven’t had good sex in a long time, often because other issues in the relationship, such as anger and resentment prevent physical desire.

But let’s say things are pretty peachy around your house with the exception of what’s happening under the covers. Here are Allen’s five tips that might help spice things up:

1). For women: make time to de-stress and unwind. Women need time to get into the sex frame of mind. “Men and women are very different in that women need an emotional connection to get interested in sex, whereas men are more visual,” said Allen, who is also a licensed clinical professional counselor. “Women are constantly doing doing doing, especially during this time of year, and they aren’t thinking about sex.”

2). Plan dates that are exciting and outside your comfort zone. “Feelings of being scared are similar to feelings of excitement,” said Allen. In other words, instead of dinner and a movie, try rock climbing or parasailing, something you wouldn’t normally do with your partner. The charge and the high you get might carry over into the bedroom.

3). Do things together that bring you back to being the people you were when you first met. Before you were married, before you had kids, and during the times you were first getting to know each other, you probably did things together that you don’t have time for anymore. Maybe you had picnics, maybe you listened to music together, or maybe you went to art galleries or museums. Doing those things might bring back memories and ignite a spark.

4). Treat yourself to things that make you feel sexy. “Sexy is all in the mind,” Allen said. Buying a new dress or a new pair of shoes or a new bottle of cologne might help you feel more confident, and as a result, sexier. Even something as simple as a manicure or a yoga class helps boost self-image which again, can translate into feeling sexy.

5). Read. Allen recommended reading “The Sex-Starved Marriage – Boosting Your Marriage Libido: a Couple’s Guide,” by Michele Weiner-Davis, and “It’s Not Him, It’s You: How to Take Charge of Your Life and Create the Love and Intimacy You Deserve,” by Laura Berman. The two have very different philosophies, but both are among her favorites.

I have two tips I’d like to add:

1). After Nine Tonight. This is a website for men and women that offers helpful tips for a couple’s lacking sex drive, as well as a series of short, romantic movies to help busy moms get in the mood. www.afterninetonight.com

2). Kind gestures make a difference. When a woman receives flowers from her husband on no particular occasion, it causes her to fall in love, which then translates into physical desire. I’m not saying a dozen roses will solve all your issues, but, a kind gesture — a nice card, offering to do the dishes, a backrub, an inexpensive gift—makes a man or woman feel loved, appreciated, respected and cherished. And that is a huge turn on. The flipside is, no one wants to have sex with a spouse who is rude, mean, dismissive, or disrespectful. Just sayin …

Allen did mention that if a woman feels she has little or no sex drive, she should see her OB/GYN to rule out any medical conditions that might be the cause, such as hormonal changes during and post pregnancy, and peri-menopause. There are also many psychological causes of low sex drive, including anxiety, depression, stress, poor body image and lack of self-esteem.

There was a time when the image Jason “Bulldog” Mroz projected — a big, tough, tattoo-covered biker — started to separate from who he was. It started with the birth of his son, helped along by the fatigue of weekend brawling and having a lawyer on speed dial.

In this edition of The Big Questions, Bulldog talks about the culture of motorcycle clubs, TV’s “Sons of Anarchy” and what happens when your exterior doesn’t reflect your interior.

Below is an excerpt of our conversation, but you can listen to the entire podcast on iTunes, YouTube and SoundCloud.

Q: Please describe yourself for people.

Mroz: I’m 6’6”, 325 lbs. and covered in tattoos. I’ve got a foot-long goatee, and two big holes in my ears. I’m the most down to earth, friendly person you could ever possibly meet. I’m in sales. I sell motorcycles. So I found a niche. My outward appearance works for me.

Q: What do people think they know about you, just by looking at you? How are they wrong?

Mroz: They assume that I’m that rough and tough guy. Yes I can be, but I am pretty much the opposite of that. I’ve got a heart the size of the rest of me and I’m out to help somebody else. You know, thoughtful, polite.

Q: But there was a transition…

Mroz: Yes, I guess that was probably in my early 20s. Did a lot of bar brawling and fighting for no good reason. There may have been more of that bad boy type person in me I guess, but I grew up.

On May 15, 2001, I had a son. And that changed the way I looked at things. I realized I had more important things to do than keep kicking the ____ out of people for no good reason on Friday and Saturday nights and waking up hung over. He really is what’s spun me around, responsibility-wise. And I’m very thankful for that.

I’m in a much better place now, than I was then. Most of my weekends are with my kid. You know, he is 13 now. And we are doing a lot more things together.

Q: Let’s talk about “Sons of Anarchy.” How is the perception of what a motorcycle club is different from the experience of being in one?

Mroz: Well, it’s definitely great TV. About the only truth to that show is that they are riding motorcycles. The rest of that is all Hollywood.

The camaraderie and the brotherhood are definitely there. I mean, that is what attracted me to the club that I am in. When it comes down to it, I’m cool without my motorcycle and a patch on my back. I didn’t do it for any sort of status. I did it for the sense of brotherhood and knowing that I have other people there that are willing to go the same distance for me that I would for them.

Because of that TV show it’s become popular to be in a bike club. And they are popping up all over the place. The family and the brotherhood and the closeness of what you have. … you can go and join and have fun and ride motorcycles and drink beer and be rowdy with each other and not cause harm to society. But there’s a difference between a motorcycle club and a riding association.

To hear about biker initiations, the role of women in motorcycle clubs and more, listen to The Big Questions on iTunes, YouTube and SoundCloud.

Now that so many elementary school students are adept at using a computer, Illinois educators want to take them to the next level: programming them.

More specifically, the skill called “coding” is starting to slowly be phased into curricula at districts across the state.

Pennoyer School in Norridge has joined the frenzy to train students in a skill that would take them down a career path where they would be assured to find a job.

“There are more jobs for coding than people with the knowledge,” said sixth-grade teacher Willie Madueno.

Pennoyer Principal Susan Miceli noted the field is new, and competent employees are hard to find. “I hope this spawns an interest,” she said.

Broken into various age- and ability-appropriate options, the one-hour tutorial the school is using to introduce the skill, is geared to help students write computer codes so they can design programs and games, among other things, said Miceli.

Khan Academy, a not-for-profit global agency,  created the “Hour of Code” program, a national online application that teaches the skills of coding.

Code is a specific kind of language that will tell the computer what to do, Madueno told his students.

“It’s imperative students learn this, and the sooner the better, so it’s not a barrier,” Madueno added.

He noted the code-writing program fits in well with the school’s Science, Technology, Engineering and Math program.

“It ties into STEM, and can be integrated into every aspect of technology,” he said.

Student Gianfranco DellaSantina said he was quick to catch on to coding.

“I’m comfortable with working on a computer,” he said. “It comes naturally, so I always help others. He credited learning by practicing. He said his goals are to build websites and shapes.

“Anything on an electronic [device].”

Natalia Houpy also caught on quickly.

She credited knowing coordinates from math, which helped her with the design.

“I want to do something different, something creative,” she said.

Filip Majka said learning the code was a little complicated at first. “But it was fun once I got used to it.”

His introduction to code piqued his interest. “I’m ready to learn more.”

Alex Ojea learned how to make rectangles, but he is not stopping there.

“I want to be writing code so I can be as big as one of those Microsoft guys,” he said with a big grin.

Outgoing Gov. Pat Quinn has called state lawmakers back to Springfield next month to consider a 2016 special election to replace the late Comptroller Judy Baar Topinka, his office announced Thursday.

The special session will be Jan. 8 — days before Gov.-elect Bruce Rauner is scheduled to take office and Illinois sees its first GOP governor in more than a decade. Quinn didn’t name an interim successor for Topinka, who died last week. The Republican had won a second term in November, but there have been conflicting ideas about the process to name a replacement.

Quinn, who had indicated he would look to the Illinois Constitution, constitutional debates and court cases, said Thursday that it was important to also give voters a chance to decide.

“Nobody but Judy Baar Topinka was elected to do this job. That’s why it’s so important that voters have the soonest possible opportunity to elect their comptroller. Holding a special election is the right thing to do,” Quinn said in a statement. “Members of the legislature should set up a special election for 2016 so that voters can exercise their democratic right to decide who will serve as their comptroller.”

Quinn’s move follows guidance earlier this week from Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan.

In a legal analysis, she said Quinn can appoint someone until Jan. 12, when Rauner takes office. After that Rauner has the authority to name a four-year replacement. However, she also urged an election for the last two years of the term, saying it was “undemocratic” for an appointee to fully take over an elected office.

Rauner’s team has said that the incoming governor plans to name a four-year appointee when he takes office. A Rauner spokesman didn’t immediately return a message Thursday.

Lawmakers could take up other issues during the one-day special session. Quinn has been pushing an increase in the state’s minimum wage for more than a year, but lawmakers adjourned earlier this month with only the Senate’s approval on the issue.

Senate President John Cullerton supported the idea of a 2016 contest — coinciding with a presidential election year — and left the door open to a legislative session before adjourning. House Speaker Michael Madigan’s spokesman has previously said the appointment issue is up to Quinn and Rauner to work out.

Topinka died after suffering complications from a stroke. She was honored Wednesday at a memorial service in suburban Chicago.

THREE STORYLINES

Welcome to a trimmer tournament

Proviso West’s two-year experiment as a 32-team tournament on two separates courts has ended. The new-look tournament has 18 teams; officials have added two “play-in” games. The two top seeds, Stevenson and St. Joseph, will play the winners of Saturday’s “play-in” games. New Trier (3-4), the No. 16 seed, would play Stevenson on Monday with a victory over Providence-St. Mel.

“We are hoping to experience the same amount of success that we have had over the years at Proviso,” New Trier coach Scott Fricke said. “This is a special time of the year. As a lower seed this year we are hoping to challenge and beat some of the top teams in the state.”

Can defending champion Stevenson repeat?

The Patriots (6-0) hope to be the first repeat champion since St. Joseph won three consecutive titles from 2004-06. Stevenson beat Morgan Park 67-55 last year to win its first tournament title behind MVP Jalen Brunson’s 23 points in the final. Connor Cashaw joins Brunson as a returning first-team all-tournament selection. Stevenson, which placed fourth in 2012, owns an 8-2 record during it’s two tournaments at Proviso West.

“We are excited to be part of the field,” Stevenson coach Pat Ambrose said. “We have done well the past few years so we want to continue to compete and play well. The games being back to back really challenge us to stick together and ‘bring our best’ each time out.”

Plenty of challengers for the Patriots

Second-seeded St. Joseph (7-1) hopes to have Nebraska-bound guard Glynn Watson back in time after he suffered an ankle injury Dec. 9. In a possible semifinal preview, third-seeded St. Rita (4-1) defeated the short-handed Chargers 80-61 Friday night. The top half of the bracket featuring Stevenson appears stronger with fourth-seeded Kenwood (6-1), fifth-seeded Hinsdale Central (5-1) and eighth-seeded Maine South (6-1). Perennial tournament participant Fenwick (7-0) is the No. 7 seed in the bracket’s bottom half.