A Hinsdale South parent is suing her local school district, Hinsdale Township High School District, and several Hinsdale South employees over the fact that her son did not make the school’s basketball team. The lawsuit, which was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, alleges that Hinsdale South boys basketball coach Michael Belcaster cut her son Brendan after tryouts in the fall in retaliation for the family filing a complaint against the previous coach, Michael Moretti.
Erin Savage, who filed the lawsuit, said that her children had been in varsity sports for 31 years and had never caused a fuss, but in relation to Moretti, she’s “never encountered [someone] who thinks he can do whatever he wants. That was [Moretti].’’
‘‘This is more than just about him being cut from the basketball team,’’ Savage’s lawyer, Steven Glink, told the Chicago Sun-Times. ‘‘This is about what I feel is retaliation of his First Amendment rights. He spoke out against the coach. They substantiated it. The coach got demoted. He tries out for the team, he’s all-conference as a sophomore and junior and now he doesn’t make the team as a senior? That doesn’t pass the smell test in my book.’’
Hinsdale South director of communications Chris Jasculca said the district doesn’t comment on legal matters.
What’s the opposite of spring cleaning? Because Google is going to do that this week – and clear tons of data and old accounts from it’s servers. But don’t worry, there’s still time to save your data and photos! First off, if you regularly use your account, you have nothing to worry about – Google will only be deleting accounts that have been inactive for two years or more. Users will also be notified multiple times before the account is deleted. If you want to save your old account, doing any of the following will mark your account as ‘active’ and safe from deletion:
Reading or sending an email
Using Google Drive
Watching a YouTube video
Downloading an app on the Google Play store
Using Google Search
Using Sign in with Google to access a third-party app or service
You are walking down the street in L.A., Noel Gallagher is walking down the same street in L.A. WHAT DO YOU DO? Why, chase him down and sing Oasis at him of course! (please don’t.) “Look at the sky, there’s a Champagne Supernova in the sky!” <3 Lauren
I have recently linked up with with an amazing organization called Guitars Over Guns whose mission is to empower young people with music and mentorship; and they are currently hiring mentors!
Guitars Over Guns offers students from our most vulnerable communities a powerful combination of music education and mentorship with professional musicians to help them overcome hardship, find their voice and reach their potential as tomorrow’s leaders.
ARE YOU PASSIONATE ABOUT SUPPORTING YOUR LOCAL COMMUNITY? JOIN OUR TEAM OF DEDICATED MENTORS WORKING WITH MIDDLE AND HIGH SCHOOL YOUTH IN CHICAGO!
GUITAR • BASS • KEYS • DRUMS • SONGWRITING & VOCALS • RAP • POETRY & CREATIVE WRITING • MUSIC PRODUCTION • SPOKEN WORD
We use music as a vehicle for building transformational mentoring relationships. Kids come for the music and stay for the family. We use the journey in music as an opportunity to create a safe space for students to explore their creativity, voice, identity, and power. They set goals and work through the challenges standing between them and their definition of success. We have concerts and a music video project where they put it all to work. GOGO sessions take place 2-3 per week week and pay $35/hour. Mentors are paid for prep time, training and field trips, too.
Consistency is essential to building real relationships, so we are looking for mentors who can commit to the consistent schedule for the duration of the program year. Interested? Email Dominic at [email protected]
“AAA projects 55.4 million travelers will head 50 miles or more from home over the Thanksgiving holiday travel period*. This year’s Thanksgiving forecast is an increase of 2.3% over last year and marks the third-highest Thanksgiving forecast since AAA began tracking holiday travel in 2000. The top two years were 2005 and 2019, respectively.” according to Inrix.com
Oh and 88.7% are expected to drive….
And to make travels woes worst, our busted ass interstates are planning more ramp closures!
But I found a driving hack, and present to you the best (and worst) time to get on the road this week.
The peak of the turd mountain that is the worst time to be on an interstate in Chicago is Wednesday at 4p.
Chicago
Chicago to Milwaukee via I-94 W
Wednesday, 4:00 PM
2 hours 1 minute
18%
Overall Busiest Day to Drive
Date
Time
Compared to Typical
Wednesday, Nov 22
2:00 – 6:00 PM
11.44%
Best and Worst Times to Drive
Date
Worst Travel Time
Best Travel Time
Wednesday, Nov22
2:00 – 6:00 PM
Before 11:00 AM
Thursday, Nov 23
11:00 AM – 3:00 PM
Before 10:00 AM, After 5:00 PM
Friday, Nov 24
12:00 – 4:00 PM
Before 11:00 AM, After 7:00 PM
Saturday, Nov 25
3:00 – 5:00 PM
Before 12:00 PM
Sunday, Nov 26
3:00 – 5:00 PM
Before 12:00 PM
So take a deep breath, get comfortable and crank Q101 while traveling this week (you can even bring us with you on the free Q101 app or stream from anywhere at Q101.com. Drive safe! <3 Lauren)
Case the Producer’s second favorite basketball team (behind his Oklahoma City Thunder) are at The UC on Friday night. Remember, the Magic are in the midst of a successful rebuild, in part due to a trade they made with the Bulls.
City of Chicago Tree Lighting Ceremony (Friday)
This year’s Tree Lighting Ceremony presented by Powering Chicago with leadership support from the Millennium Park Foundation and the Pritzker Foundation, will be emceed by Irika Sargent and Joe Donlon of CBS 2, the 2023 event will include multiple viewing locations with screens and concessions across the Park and, new this year, a main stage on Washington St. at Michigan Ave., adjacent to the Chicago Cultural Center.
Christkindlmarket Opening (Friday)
The traditional German-Style Christkindlmarket returns! The free outdoor holiday market has been a Chicago favorite since 1996. Enjoy international and local food, merchandise, and live entertainment at the Christkindlmarket Chicago at Daley Plaza from November 17–December 24.
McCormick Ice Rink Opening (Friday)
Ice skating at the McCormick Tribune Ice Rink in Millennium Park returns November 17 through March 3 (weather permitting). DCASE presents free skating lessons (reservations required) from 9-10am on most Saturdays and Sundays, teaching beginner and intermediate ice skating and hockey skills. Free lessons are made possible by the McDonald’s Active Lifestyles Endowment managed by the Millennium Park Foundation.
Webbing Wing at Beat Kitchen (Friday)
Webbed Wing make music of a bygone era. Straight-forward, rocking, amp-turned-up-to-11 alt-rock. They are at Beat Kitchen on Friday night and for under $20, you can enjoy a hidden gem in the scene. Buy your ticket here.
Shakey Graves at The Salt Shed (Friday)
Time to roll the bones. One of the most unique performers in contemporary music, Shakey Graves takes his free-spirit guitar playing to The Salt Shed for a sold-out show on Friday evening.
Plain White T’s at SubT (Friday)
Hometown heroes, Plain White T’s, are back at SubT on Friday night for an intimate night of familiar songs. There are still tickets to the Hometown Takeover show, which you can purchase here.
Bulls host the Miami Heat (Saturday)
The Bulls nearly beat the Heat in a Play-In Game last year. They blew the lead, and then the Heat went to the NBA Finals. Get fired up, Bulls fans!
The Wintrust Magnificent Mile Lights Festival (Saturday)
For thirty-two years, The Wintrust Magnificent Mile Lights Festival has been a thrilling holiday celebration: A day-through-night, mile-long extravaganza drawing more than one million celebrants. Its centerpiece is the largest nighttime parade in the U.S. — a spectacular parade down Michigan Avenue. Led by Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse of The Walt Disney World Resort, the parade features fabulous floats, giant helium balloons, marching bands, celebrities, musical performances, Santa Claus, fireworks and more —illuminating one million lights on The Avenue’s 200+ trees.
Viking Pub Crawl (Saturday)
Hundreds of revelers clad in full Viking attire descend upon Andersonville for this annual pub crawl, which is inspired by the Swedish holiday St. Morten’s Gås Day. Each ticket gives guests drink discounts at participating bars and restaurants—including Lonesome Rose, Simon’s Tavern and Parson’s Chicken & Fish Andersonville—plus a free appetizer at check-in and commemorative drinking glass. Want to lean into the Viking theme? Nab one of the pub crawl’s cow horn-shaped drinking vessels. New this year is a viking rune scavenger hunt filled with surprises and prizes.
Reindeer Run at Brookfield Zoo (Saturday)
Grab your glow sticks for a two-mile fun run at Brookfield Zoo. Participants of all ages are welcome, including children in strollers, so bring the whole family for your first chance to see this year’s holiday lights at the zoo. After the race, hang out in the pavilions, where there will be music plus food and drinks for purchase.
Liz Phair at Chicago Theater (Saturday)
On Saturday night, Liz Phair takes a well-deserved victory lap for a 30th anniversary celebration of Exile in Guyville, a landmark record in the history of Chicago music. This show is sold-out. Not even Case the Producer could get in. He really wanted to go, too. Oh, well.
Harms Way at Metro (Saturday)
Speaking of local music, Chicago hardcore legends Harms Way sold out the Metro in minutes for their first hometown gig in nearly two years. A hats off to Harms Way, who have been the flag-bearers in Chicago hardcore for years now. Their success is well-earned.
alt-J at The Salt Shed (Saturday, Sunday)
Liz Phair isn’t the only one taking a victory lap. English rockers alt-J will be at The Salt Shed on both Saturday and Sunday celebrating 10 years of An Awesome Wave. Both of these shows are sold out.
On the upcoming episode, Foo Fighters perform four songs from their latest album But Here We Are, as well as “Aurora” (dedicated to late drummer Taylor Hawkins), “Times Like These”, “No Son of Mine,” “La Dee Da” and “The Sky Is a Neighborhood.”
At long last, the final farewell 🖤 It will be a blaze of glory, one magnificent ball of fire. This is the final chapter for all the weirdos and unsung heroes. We can’t wait to share these final performances with you!
Getting nominated for a Grammy could be the biggest moment of a musician’s life. For gospel singer Bobbi Storm, however, it led to her nearly being removed from a flight when she wouldn’t stop singing after she found out about her nomination.
Gospel singer Bobbi Storm was nearly kicked off a Delta Air Lines flight when she refused to stop singing for fellow passengers.
Leonardo DiCaprio is newly 49 and still very cringe. One of the greatest actors of all-time was filmed at his birthday party over the weekend getting on the mic and throwing down bars to Gang Starr’s DWYCK.
They got Leonardo DiCaprio rapping to Gang Starr's DWYCK featuring Nice-N-Smooth at his birthday party pic.twitter.com/8X1MtI3KHO
— Ahmed/The Ears/IG: BigBizTheGod 🇸🇴 (@big_business_) November 14, 2023
While his choice of song is excellent, his performance is anything but.
Andre 3000 has announced his debut solo album, New Blue Sun, will be released this Friday (November 17th) Not a rap album, New Blue Sun is an 87-minute collection of minimalist and experimental music featuring André 3000 playing a variety of flutes and other wind instruments. There are no bars, no beats, no vocals.
Andre 3000's debut solo album, "New Blue Sun," is "an entirely instrumental album centered around woodwinds." https://t.co/mjH5NNZKAO
No, they don’t have Shohei Ohtani or Cody Bellinger (yet), but they have Craig Counsell, and in his first press conference with his new squad, he seemed like the right man for the job. In front of the media, Counsell explained that “it’s time to be a Cub.”
She doesn’t want young people making the same mistake. But I don’t think she is giving young people enough credit. But just in case she is, YOUNG PEOPLE: PLEASE DON’T GET A KEVIN FOREHEAD TATTOO. <3 Lauren
A South Carolina daycare is feeling the heat after reports surfaced that a “child fighting ring” was discovered in the daycare. Two workers were charged with contributing to the delinquency of a minor and unlawful conduct to a child, according to the department’s Friday press release.
