Daywatch: Community rallies behind Pickwick Theatre
Good morning, Chicago.
Former Chicago Public Schools CEO Janice Jackson testified Wednesday that it was the right call to fire a popular principal amid an unfolding scandal at Lincoln Park High School.
“I would not take back anything,” Jackson told a jury about the uproar surrounding the January 2020 termination of John Thuet, who was once the celebrated interim principal at the school but was abruptly fired amid an internal investigation of alleged misconduct involving the school’s athletics program.
During often-contentious questioning, Jackson also took some of the more vocal parents on the Local School Council to task for ignoring the “health and welfare” of student victims. In a previous sworn deposition, Jackson had said the parents were “acting like fools.”
Read the full story from the Tribune’s Jason Meisner and A.D. Quig.
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Interest in continuing Park Ridge’s Pickwick Theatre soars after owners said they intend to close
Owners of the Pickwick Theatre said there was an explosion of interest Wednesday, a day after they announced they intended to close it, from potential new operators of the Uptown Park Ridge landmark. Community leaders and supporters of the art deco movie palace envisioned a future that could include live entertainment and other creative uses.
Co-owner Dino Vlahakis said his phone has been ringing off the hook since the Chicago Tribune/Pioneer Press published an article Tuesday saying he and co-owner Dave Loomos intend to close the movie theater, a favorite destination in the north suburbs that is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Illinois comes in 16th in annual ranking of states’ energy efficiency
Illinois came in No. 16 in an annual energy efficiency ranking, behind national leaders such as California and Massachusetts, as well as the Midwest’s top performers, Minnesota and Michigan.
Illinois got credit for its ambitious climate bill, passed in 2021, according to the nonprofit research organization that publishes the report containing the ranking, but the state underperformed in areas such as vehicle emissions standards and building code compliance studies. As the climate bill goes into effect, Illinois will most likely improve its position in the energy efficiency ranking, said Sagarika Subramanian, a senior research analyst for the council.
Skokie’s Old Orchard getting complete overhaul
The upscale shopping mall Westfield Old Orchard in north suburban Skokie is about to undergo a $100 million transformation, the most far-reaching in its 66-year history. The owners plan to demolish and replace an empty Bloomingdale’s with hundreds of apartments and a new town square where residents and shoppers will attend outdoor concerts, farmers markets and other events.
Many suburban retailers saw customers return in big numbers this year, but e-commerce continues to squeeze large department stores, so it’s time for malls like Old Orchard, opened in 1956, to change with the times, according to Stephen Fluhr, senior vice president of development for owner Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield.
Hall of Famer Charles Barkley calls for the Chicago Bulls to ‘blow it up’
After 23 games, NBA Hall of Famer Charles Barkley has seen enough. The TNT analyst said it’s time for the Chicago Bulls to throw in the towel and embark on another rebuild.
“It’s time to break up the Bulls,” Barkley said. “It’s time. You’ve got some good players, you’re not good enough. It’s time to start the rebuild.”
Keepers of the flame: Tel-Aviv Kosher Pizza, one of Chicago’s oldest kosher restaurants, is one man’s ‘diamond mine’
With the exception of a pizza box-sized window sticker and a television-sized sign, Tel-Aviv’s pallid California Avenue storefront is completely naked. Its low profile undersells its significance as one of Chicago’s oldest kosher-certified restaurants. And aside from its neighborhood competitor, Main Pizza Chalavi, Tel-Aviv is among a handful of one-stop shops in the city for a menu where meat and dairy don’t mix (because there’s no meat at all), cheese is made with Cholov Yisroel milk, and other dietary laws of kashrut are followed to a T.
“I see people here that say, ‘Oh, I used to come here when I was young,’ and now they come with grandkids,” Momi Mirzai, Tel-Aviv’s manager, said. “People say that the taste didn’t change a bit.”
