DAIL Y CHR O N I C L E Complete forecast on page A8 HIGH 44 LOW 35 SERVING DEKALB COUNTY SINCE 1879 FRIDAY December 25, 2015 • $1.00 daily-chronicle.com Facebook.com/dailychronicle @dailychronicle SPORTS NIU’s bad day Jesse Severson writes Huskies’ loss tough to review / B1 Season’s reason Pastors remind their flocks of what Christmas is all about / A3 LOCAL NEWS Advice ................................ B5 Classified........................ B7-9 Comics ............................... B6 Local News........................ A3 Lottery................................ A2 Nation&World............... A2,5 Obituaries ......................... A4 Opinion............................... A7 Puzzles ............................... B5 Sports ..............................B1-4 State ...................................A4 Weather ............................. A8 WHERE IT’S AT Real ID Q&A What lies ahead for state residents’ driv- er’s licenses / A4 STATE Holiday issues for military families Whether family members are home or deployed, adjustments needed By BRITTANY KEEPERMAN [email protected]DeKALB – When Jay Mor- rison came home for the hol- idays after his first deploy- ment in Iraq, he said he found it difficult to connect with his family, and suspects many are in the same situation this season. Morrison, who served 21 years with the U.S. Army and another three years in the re- serves, now leads Northern Illinois University’s Depart- ment Military Science. He said one of the more challeng- ing things for families is of- ten differing expectations for when they return. “Most of the problems transpire from everyone wanting to do what’s best for one another,” he said. “When a service member is away, they are thinking about re- uniting with their family members and so is the fami- ly. But if they can’t talk about what that will look like, they can have vastly different ideas of what they want that to be.” Communication is key, Morrison said. It’s also im- portant for family members to remember that military experience can change a per- son. “Regardless of whether a soldier is deployed or has just been away from home at training, they develop and change,” he said. “A lot of these soldiers who have been away are away from home for the first time or exposed to situations and training they’ve never experienced before. It can have a develop- mental effect.” Despite that, it’s still im- portant to treat service mem- bers like the same people they have always been and remember that the family unit has probably changed as well, he added. “Families are going through experiences at home that the soldier is removed from,” he said. “Both parties develop in the absence, and it takes a little while to recon- nect.” Another challenge that military families can face over the holidays is when a loved one can’t make it home at all, a situation that Syca- more resident Michelle Tans- ley knows all too well. Tansley’s son, Jared, was named Soldier of the Year after winning the Army’s See ADJUSTING, page A5 A TRADITION OF CHRISTMAS GIVING Photos by Danielle Guerra – [email protected]Tim Henley of Sycamore smiles as he receives a bag of presents Thursday from Goodfellows of Sycamore/DeKalb volunteer and board member Penny White. Henley was grateful for the help because he and his wife are currently caring for their five grandchildren. White also personally gave him money from her “Christmas Jar,” which she adds to throughout the year to donate to someone over the holiday season. White was delivering the Goodfellows presents with her granddaughters Rayna White, 7, and Elliana White, 4, so Henley caring for his grandchildren on a fixed income really struck a chord with her. Goodfellows continue an annual ritual Spirit of the holiday alive in DeKalb County By BRITTANY KEEPERMAN [email protected]DeKALB – Since 1998, the Kolkebeck family has spent Christmas Eve morning navigating around DeKalb County to hand out presents to families in need. It’s made even more special now that son Sean, 9, and daughter Katelyn, 12, have grown into the tradi- tion, which is what their father Denny Kolkebeck said was the highlight of the holi- day season in his mind. “Delivering gifts on Christmas Eve morning is the highlight of Christmas for me,” he said. “Having them be part of this contin- ues to heighten the meaning. … It’s really getting into the true, authentic spirit of Christmas.” The Kolkebecks join the DeKalb/Sycamore Goodfel- lows each year to hand out presents to families in the community. This year, volunteers distributed more than 700 presents. Goodfellows is a Goodfellows of Sycamore/DeKalb volunteer and board member Penny White with her granddaughters Rayna White (center), 7, and Elliana White, 4, carries a present bag Thursday for delivery to a Sycamore family. AP photo A Christian pilgrim prays inside the Grotto of the Church of Nativity, traditionally believed by Christians to be the birthplace of Jesus Christ, on Thursday in the West Bank city of Bethlehem on Christmas Eve. Violence casts shadow on Christmas in Bethlehem See BETHLEHEM, page A5 By DANIELLA CHESLOW The Associated Press BETHLEHEM, West Bank – Christian faithful from around the world Thursday descended on the biblical city of Bethle- hem for Christmas Eve celebrations at the traditional birthplace of Jesus, trying to lift spirits on a holiday dampened by months of Israeli-Palestinian violence. The fighting cast a pall over the cel- ebrations. Crowds were thin and hotel rooms were empty. While the annual fes- tivities in Bethlehem’s Manger Square went on, other celebrations in the city were canceled or toned down. “There’s lights, there’s carols, but there’s an underlying sense of tension,” said Paul Haines of Cornwall, England, who arrived in Bethlehem after a four- month trek from Rome. Bethlehem has been a focal point for clashes between Israeli troops and Pal- estinian protesters during a three-month wave of violence that has gripped the re- gion. The city was quiet Thursday, although violence raged elsewhere in the West Bank. Israeli authorities said three Pales- tinian assailants were killed as they car- ried out or tried to carry out stabbing or car-ramming attacks against Israeli secu- rity personnel, and a fourth Palestinian was killed in clashes with Israeli troops, a Palestinian hospital official said. Two Israeli security guards and a soldier were wounded. Lisette Rossman, a 22-year-old student from Albuquerque, New Mexico, said the violence made her think twice about vis- iting a friend studying in Jerusalem. She said she was glad she made the trip be- cause “it was one of my dreams to come here.” See GOODFELLOWS, page A5
DeKALB – When Jay Mor-rison came home for the hol-idays after his first deploy-ment in Iraq, he said he found it difficult to connect with his family, and suspects many are in the same situation this season.
Morrison, who served 21 years with the U.S. Army and
another three years in the re-serves, now leads Northern Illinois University’s Depart-ment Military Science. He said one of the more challeng-ing things for families is of-ten differing expectations for when they return.
“Most of the problems transpire from everyone wanting to do what’s best for one another,” he said. “When a service member is away,
they are thinking about re-uniting with their family members and so is the fami-ly. But if they can’t talk about what that will look like, they can have vastly different ideas of what they want that to be.”
Communication is key, Morrison said. It’s also im-portant for family members to remember that military experience can change a per-
son. “Regardless of whether
a soldier is deployed or has just been away from home at training, they develop and change,” he said. “A lot of these soldiers who have been away are away from home for the first time or exposed to situations and training they’ve never experienced before. It can have a develop-mental effect.”
Despite that, it’s still im-portant to treat service mem-bers like the same people they have always been and remember that the family unit has probably changed as well, he added.
“ F a m i l i e s a r e g o i n g through experiences at home that the soldier is removed from,” he said. “Both parties develop in the absence, and it takes a little while to recon-
nect.”Another challenge that
military families can face over the holidays is when a loved one can’t make it home at all, a situation that Syca-more resident Michelle Tans-ley knows all too well.
Tansley’s son, Jared, was named Soldier of the Year after winning the Army’s
Tim Henley of Sycamore smiles as he receives a bag of presents Thursday from Goodfellows of Sycamore/DeKalb volunteer and board member Penny White. Henley was grateful for the help because he and his wife are currently caring for their five grandchildren. White also personally gave him money from her “Christmas Jar,” which she adds to throughout the year to donate to someone over the holiday season. White was delivering the Goodfellows presents with her granddaughters Rayna White, 7, and Elliana White, 4, so Henley caring for his grandchildren on a fixed income really struck a chord with her.
DeKALB – Since 1998, the Kolkebeck family has spent Christmas Eve morning navigating around DeKalb County to hand out presents to families in need.
It’s made even more special now that son Sean, 9, and daughter Katelyn, 12, have grown into the tradi-tion, which is what their father Denny Kolkebeck said was the highlight of the holi-day season in his mind.
“Delivering gifts on
Christmas Eve morning is the highlight of Christmas for me,” he said. “Having them be part of this contin-ues to heighten the meaning. … It’s really getting into the true, authentic spirit of Christmas.”
The Kolkebecks join the DeKalb/Sycamore Goodfel-lows each year to hand out presents to families in the community.
This year, volunteers distributed more than 700 presents. Goodfellows is a
Goodfellows of Sycamore/DeKalb volunteer and board member Penny White with her granddaughters Rayna White (center), 7, and Elliana White, 4, carries a present bag Thursday for delivery to a Sycamore family.
AP photo
A Christian pilgrim prays inside the Grotto of the Church of Nativity, traditionally believed by Christians to be the birthplace of Jesus Christ, on Thursday in the West Bank city of Bethlehem on Christmas Eve.
Violence casts shadow on Christmas in Bethlehem
See BETHLEHEM, page A5
By DANIELLA CHESLOW The Associated Press
BETHLEHEM, West Bank – Christian faithful from around the world Thursday descended on the biblical city of Bethle-hem for Christmas Eve celebrations at the traditional birthplace of Jesus, trying to lift spirits on a holiday dampened by months of Israeli-Palestinian violence.
The fighting cast a pall over the cel-ebrations. Crowds were thin and hotel rooms were empty. While the annual fes-tivities in Bethlehem’s Manger Square went on, other celebrations in the city were canceled or toned down.
“There’s lights, there’s carols, but there’s an underlying sense of tension,” said Paul Haines of Cornwall, England, who arrived in Bethlehem after a four-month trek from Rome.
Bethlehem has been a focal point for clashes between Israeli troops and Pal-estinian protesters during a three-month wave of violence that has gripped the re-gion.
The city was quiet Thursday, although violence raged elsewhere in the West Bank. Israeli authorities said three Pales-tinian assailants were killed as they car-ried out or tried to carry out stabbing or car-ramming attacks against Israeli secu-rity personnel, and a fourth Palestinian was killed in clashes with Israeli troops, a Palestinian hospital official said. Two Israeli security guards and a soldier were wounded.
Lisette Rossman, a 22-year-old student from Albuquerque, New Mexico, said the violence made her think twice about vis-iting a friend studying in Jerusalem. She said she was glad she made the trip be-cause “it was one of my dreams to come here.”
See GOODFELLOWS, page A5
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COCOA BEACH, Fla. – Hun-dreds of surfers dressed as Santa caught the waves and celebrated on the shore in what has evolved into an annual tradi-tion at Florida’s Cocoa Beach.
Organizers of the seventh annual Surfing Santa event said they distributed 500 wristbands Thursday for surfers who want-ed to ride the waves dressed as St. Nick.
A singer with a ukulele led hundreds of people in singing Christmas carols, and some Santas glided onto the beach, about 60 miles east of Orlando, via parachutes.
The event was started by George Trosset seven years ago from his beach house. It got so big the event was moved to the public beach.
Trosset said one of his goals is to get in the Guinness Book of Records for holding the biggest surfing Santa event.
Fired lunch lady offered job back
POCATELLO, Idaho – A south-eastern Idaho cafeteria worker said she was fired for giving a student a free meal costing $1.70, but the school district offered her the job back after a national outcry.
Dalene Bowden received a termination letter from the Pocatello School District last week after she gave a tray of food to a 12-year-old student who said she didn’t have money for the meal.
The letter cited theft as the reason for her dismissal. Bowden says a supervisor placed her on leave after wit-nessing what she had done.
“I truly loved my job, and I can’t say that I wouldn’t do it again,” Bowden told news station KPVI-TV in Pocatello.
The district said in a statement Wednesday night that it doesn’t fire workers for single events but offered Bowden her job back in the spirit of the holidays. It’s not clear if she will return.
The district said it works with various programs to help chil-dren who are hungry, need med-ical care or who are homeless. It noted that the schools could lose federal money if accounting irregularities show up with miss-ing meals.
“The District jeopardizes its funding for the Federal Food Service Program if its employ-ees do not follow the proper procedures and requirements,” the statement said.
Mom helped by repo man gets gifts from others
GARFIELD HEIGHTS, Ohio – Two weeks after a man went to repos-sess a car and instead ended up offering to help cover a woman’s payments, his colleagues showed up with another surprise: stacks of Christmas gifts for her 10-year-old daughter.
A repo man from Relentless Recovery had come for Diana Parks’ car but wept at the story of a single mother diagnosed with a pituitary tumor that gives her sei-zures and trouble walking. It made her unable to work as a pharmacy technician and forced her to drop out of Cleveland State University.
“I was working so hard so we could do better,” she said. “And then I got sick.”
He offered to give up half his pay until her delinquent car payments were caught up, but the company decided to cover those costs. Then the staff divvied up her daughter’s holiday wish list.
“I am overwhelmed with joy,” Parks told The Plain Dealer on Wednesday as employees brought boxes of Christmas presents to her Garfield Heights home.
The company also established an online fundraising campaign that has generated thousands of dollars for the family.
– Wire reports
Do you have an Elf on the Shelf at your house?
Yes: 16 percentNo: 68 percentNot sure what that is: 16 percent
Total votes: 91
Where do you plan to go today?
• Visit relatives• Chinese restaurant• Movie theater• Staying home• Other
Illinois LotteryThursdayPick 3-Midday: 0-8-2Pick 3-Evening: 6-1-5 Pick 4-Midday: 8-3-5-2 Pick 4-Evening: 8-6-7-0 Lucky Day Lotto-Midday: 16-22-23-24-31Lucky Day Lotto-Evening: 9-20-21-23-34Lotto: 5-7-23-29-49-50 (17)Lotto jackpot: $18.25 million
Mega MillionsMega jackpot: $104 million
PowerballPowerball jackpot: $255 million
Chocolate maker: We were honest about remelted product
By CANDICE CHOI The Associated Press
NEW YORK – A scandal is roiling the world of fancy chocolate: Did two brothers misleadingly sell remelted chocolate and sprout beards to cultivate a hipster appeal?
The headlines began after a site called DallasFood.org published a series about Rick and Michael Mast, who have been toasted in food circles for their stylishly wrapped chocolate bars that can cost $10 a piece. The problem is that the brothers described their company as “bean-to-bar,” or chocolate made from scratch.
In the “Mast Brothers: What Lies Beneath the Beards,” DallasFood.org out-lined how the pair initially used melted industrial choc-olate, referred to as couver-ture. The series concluded by calling the brothers the “Milli Vanilli of chocolate,” a reference the pop duo who lip synced their way to fame.
In response, the Mast Brothers acknowledged us-
ing couverture in the past, but said they were open about the practice at the time. They said they hav-en’t used remelted chocolate since 2009.
The brothers said they al-ways considered themselves “bean-to-bar” because they were making at least some chocolate that way from the start.
Fueling the controversy are photographs showing the transformation of the brothers’ appearance. The before shots show them clean shaven. In the after photos, they’re bearded with Amish overtones.
Here’s what Rick Mast had to say at the brothers’ Brooklyn factory:
Q: What is extent to which you used remelted chocolate, and when did that stop?
A: First and foremost, we’re 100 percent a bean-to-bar chocolate company. That’s important because the public has been disserved by the media and sensational-ist headlines to promote this idea that we’re not that.
Q: But you’ve said in re-sponse to the stories that you did use remelted chocolate in the past.
A: Right, absolutely. In the first year or so, we would purchase couverture for all sorts of experiments, which is something we have always been honest and open about. That’s gotten so out of pro-portion, that we were hiding it.
We told chefs, we told com-petitors, we told colleagues, we told the press that we were using couverture for all sorts of different stuff we were working on.
Q: Did that include using remelted chocolate in the bars you were selling?
A: We have never, ever re-melted chocolate and sold it as bean-to-bar chocolate.
Q: Were bars that were made bean-to-bar labeled as “bean-to-bar”?
A: If people would ask, ‘Did you make these bars bean-to-bar?’ We would say yes.
Q: But if it’s not labeled which ones are bean-to-bar, how would people know
which is which, unless you told them?
A: We weren’t even label-ing bean-to-bar as “bean-to-bar.” I understand if we put a chocolate bar out there that said “bean-to-bar,” and it wasn’t – that is 100 percent misleading. But if you’re not doing that and you are telling people that this is not bean-to-bar, I don’t know what else to do.
Q: Another part of what fu-eled the story is the transfor-mation of your image.
A: Before I had a beard, I didn’t have a beard. I know, it’s a big scandal. I like to dress like I dress. We grew beards because my brother and I made a bet that once we sold X amount of bars, we wouldn’t shave. And we stuck with it.
Q: Have you thought of changing your look as a re-sult of all this?
A: No. I think people might underestimate my ability to focus on just what we need to do, which is make great choc-olate and grow a beautiful business.
Tornadoes ravage South; at least 14 killedBy PHILLIP LUCAS
and ERIK SCHELZIG The Associated Press
ASHLAND, Miss. – Instead of doing some last-minute shopping or wrapping gifts, families across the South spent Christmas Eve taking stock of their losses after an unusual outbreak of Decem-ber tornadoes and other vi-olent weather killed at least 14 people and damaged or de-stroyed dozens of homes.
“Santa brought us a good one, didn’t he?” Bobby Wat-kins said as he and his wife took a walk amid the destruc-tion in rural Benton County, Mississippi, where four peo-ple — including a married couple and two neighbors on the same street – were con-firmed dead and their homes destroyed. “I may have lost some stuff, but I got my life.”
U n s e a s o n a b l y w a r m weather Wednesday helped spawn twisters from Arkan-sas to Michigan. The line of springlike storms continued marching east Thursday, dumping torrential rain that flooded roads in Alabama and caused a mudslide in the
mountains of Georgia.Authorities confirmed
seven deaths in Mississippi, including that of a 7-year-old boy who was in a car that was swept up and tossed by a storm. Six more died in Ten-nessee. One person was killed in Arkansas.
Dozens more were injured, some seriously, said Greg Fly-
nn, spokesman for the Mis-sissippi Emergency Manage-ment Agency.
Search teams combed dam-aged homes and businesses for people still missing, including at least one man in hard-hit Benton County. The hunt was complicated because many had left for the holidays.
“Until they know for sure
where those folks are, they’re going to keep looking, be-cause we’ve had, in some, cas-es houses leveled, and they’re just not there anymore,” Fly-nn said.
In Linden, Tennessee, Tony Goodwin ducked into a storm shelter with seven oth-ers as the storm passed. He emerged to find his house had been knocked off its founda-tion and down the hill.
He managed to climb in-side and fetch some Christ-mas gifts that had been under his tree. Goodwin’s neighbors weren’t so fortunate. Two peo-ple in one home were killed.
“It makes you thankful to be alive with your family,” he said. “It’s what Christmas is all about.”
Chris Shupiery grabbed his Santa hat along with a chain saw as he set out to help clean up on Thursday. He cut up fallen trees not far from Goodwin’s home.
“This was just the right thing to do, come help a fam-ily in need,” Shupiery said. “Suit up, try to cheer people up and try to make them feel a little better with Christmas coming around.”
AP photo
Members of the Perry County Sheriff’s Department look over the site where Antonio Yzaguirre, 70, and his wife, Ann Yzaguirre, 69, were found dead Thursday near Linden, Tenn. Several people were killed in Mississippi, Tennessee and Arkansas as spring-like storms mixed with unseasonably warm weather spawned rare Christmastime tor-nadoes in the South.
AP file photo
California Gov. Jerry Brown pardoned actor Robert Downey Jr. on Thursday for a nearly 20-year-old felony drug convic-tion that sent the Oscar-nomi-nated actor to jail for nearly a year.
California governor pardons Robert Downey Jr.By DON THOMPSON
and ANTHONY McCARTNEY The Associated Press
SACRAMENTO, Calif. – The governor of California pardoned Robert Downey Jr. on Thursday for a nearly 20-year-old felony drug conviction that led to the Oscar-nom-inated actor’s imprisonment for roughly a year.
Downey was among 91 people grant-ed pardons for criminal convictions af-ter demonstrating they had rehabilitated themselves and been out of custody for at least 10 years, Gov. Jerry Brown’s office announced.
The pardon does not erase records of a conviction but is a public proclamation that the person has remained out of trou-ble and demonstrated exemplary behavior, according to material on Brown’s website.
Downey, once a courthouse mainstay
for a series of drug-related arrests, has be-come one of Hollywood’s greatest success stories for career and addiction rehabili-tation.
Since 2008, Downey has portrayed “Iron Man” in a series of Disney blockbuster films, including “The Avengers,” based on the Marvel comic books.
The 50-year-old actor is a two-time Oscar nominee for his roles in 1992’s “Chaplin” and 2008’s “Tropic Thunder.”
Downey’s legal troubles began in June 1996 when he was stopped for speeding on Pacific Coast Highway and authorities found cocaine, heroin and a pistol in his vehicle.
In 1999, he was sent to prison for roughly a year after he acknowledged violating his probation.
Downey obtained the pardon after get-ting a judge to issue a certificate of reha-bilitation, according to a proclamation re-
leased by Brown’s office. It said Downey has “lived an honest and upright life, exhib-ited good moral character, and conducted himself as a law-abiding citizen.”
An email sent to Downey’s agent Jim Toth and a call to his attorney Blair Berk were not immediately returned.
The Democratic governor, a former Je-suit seminarian, has made it a practice to issue pardons around Christian holidays.
The state’s longest-serving governor has now issued 1,087 pardons, including 683 in the past five years and 404 during his first eight years in office from 1975-1983, accord-ing to his office.
Most of those pardoned Thursday were convicted of drug and property crimes, al-though three were convicted of arson, one of kidnapping and one of vehicular man-slaughter. Three were convicted of assaults using deadly weapons and one of carjack-ing with a BB gun.
DeKALB – Some DeKalb-ar-ea churches are asking San-ta to step aside during their Christmas services.
Not all who celebrate Christ-mas see eye-to-eye with its reli-gious teachings. Although 97 percent of Christians celebrate the holiday, so do 89 percent of agnostics and 55 percent of atheists, according to a study by Lifeway, a church research group.
With the average U.S. week-ly church attendance swelling from 18 percent to 47 percent on Christmas Eve, the holidays are a perfect time for Christian churches to put Santa on the back burner and focus on the season’s biblical significance.
“The theme I’m playing with this year is how there is so much in life that is so hard for a lot of people, and how Je-sus came to us to be with us in the midst of that,” First Luther-an Church Pastor Janet Hunt said.
To drive the bible’s teach-ings home, First Lutheran Church’s 7 p.m. Christmas Eve service was hosted at John-son Pumpkin Stand and Corn Maze, 1765 West State St., Syc-amore.
“We’ll sing some of the Christmas carols,” Hunt said. “We’ll hear the Christmas sto-ry. We’ll share communion to-gether.”
The church replicated a Na-tivity scene, complete with a manger and Star of Bethlehem.
“There’s a sense of authen-ticity about that,” Hunt said. “The kids really love it.”
St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in DeKalb shares the goal of re-minding people of the religious traditions surrounding Christ-
mas, the Rev. Stacy Walk-er-Frontjes said.
Earlier this month, the church hosted a “Blue Christ-mas” service, to comfort those feeling bogged down by the hustle and bustle of the holiday season. The hourlong service alternated between Bible read-ings and prolonged silent med-itation.
“I think as a church we help
remind people that really our expectation is really more of a cosmic one and a spiritual one, and to keep that in mind among all the other commer-cialism or the other values of Christmas that are out there,” Walker-Frontjes said.
“Our Christian value is that we are expecting the light and love of God to come into the world.”
Dean Johnson, owner of Johnson Farm in Sycamore, is handed a blue light bulb from First Lutheran Church of DeKalb member Jim Feyerherm on Thursday morning as they set up Johnson’s barn for the Christmas Eve service. This is the third year the church has held the service in Johnson’s barn, and 60 to 70 members usually attend.
Jim Feyerherm staples the last of the tinsel onto the star before he and Dean Johnson, owner of Johnson Farm in Sycamore, hang the star after setting out the bales of hay for seating on Thursday.
Santa holds Harrison Rowland, 7 months, Thursday morning at the Goodfellows of Sycamore and DeKalb present pick-up at Blumen Gardens in Sycamore before the start of deliveries.
Sycamore man could have charge dismissed after judge tosses search
WOODSTOCK – Prose-cutors are evaluating their next steps after a judge’s rul-ing blew holes in their case against a Sycamore man accused of smuggling more than 300 pounds of marijuana through a McHenry County airport.
Andrzej Hryniewicki, 47, was charged in November 2014 with multiple drug fel-onies, including cannabis trafficking. The most serious charge against him carries a possible sentencing range of six to 30 years in prison.
He’s accused of traffick-ing about 320 pounds of mar-ijuana in a private airplane that came from California and landed at Galt Airport in Wonder Lake.
Last month, McHenry County Judge Michael Feet-terer ruled that the search warrant for the airport han-gar where the drugs were found did not establish prob-able cause, and any evidence collected could not be used against him.
Without the marijuana, there is no case. Prosecutors can appeal Feetterer’s deci-sion, and assistant state’s at-torneys Dave Johnston and Andrew Mueller said they are exploring their options, which also could include dis-missing the charges against Hryniewicki.
After the initial ruling in November, Hryniewicki was granted a recognizance bond and released.
Prosecutors asked Feet-terer to reconsider his rul-ing, and after a hearing on
Wednesday, the judge again determined that there was not enough probable cause to exe-cute the warrant.
The affidavit for a search warrant, signed by a Home-land Security officer, was de-scribed as “bare bones” when it came to laying out the case against Hryniewicki. It indi-cates that Hryniewicki flew from Sacramento, California, to Wonder Lake with a stop for fuel in Utah. At the fuel stop, an unnamed anonymous source claimed to see duffel bags packed in the rear of the plane, the officer wrote in his affidavit.
Feetterer’s issue with the affidavit began there.
“There’s nothing in this af-fidavit setting forth why this [source of information] is a credible individual,” Feetter-er said.
NEWS • Friday, December 25, 2015 • Section A • Daily Chronicle / Daily-Chronicle.com4
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JUDITH SMITHBorn: March 19, 1938; in DeKalb, ILDied: Dec. 23, 2015; in DeKalb, IL
Judith Corine Chase Smith, age 77, of DeKalb, died Wednesday, December 23, 2015, at Kishwaukee Hos-pital. She was born March 19, 1938, in
DeKalb, IL and was the daughter of Kenneth and Mary Ella (Oldham) Kallembach.
Judith graduated from DeKalb High School in the Class of 1956. She also graduated from Kishwau-kee College of Nursing in the class of 1973. She worked as a nurse for many years for Dr. Eggers, The DeKalb Public Hospital, Kishwaukee Hospital, DeKalb County Nursing and Rehab Center, DeKalb Area Retirement Center- Oakcrest and Lincolnshire Place.
Judith married Donald K. Chase in September 1958 and he preceded her in death on December 6, 1980; she then married Robert W. Smith in 1983 and he preceded her in death on June 15, 1991.
Judith was a member of the Amer-ican Legion Auxiliary and she loved to volunteer at the DeKalb V.F.W. #2287.
Survivors include five children, Donald (Rhonda) Chase of Sand-wich, IL, Joella (Chuck) Lynch Jr. of DeKalb, Charles Chase of Orangev-ale, CA, Doreen (Butch) Meier of Kingston, IL and Lyn (Mike) Exner of Kirkland, IL. One brother, Paul “Dome” Kallemback of DeKalb; two sisters, Marcia Tennison of DeKalb, Karen (Jim) Bulkley of Columbus, NE; and a special niece, Amy Drury of DeKalb. 13 grandchildren, 5 great grandchildren and numerous nieces and nephews.
She was preceded in death by her parents; husbands, Donald and
Robert; and a sister, Bonnie Drury.Funeral service will be held on
Sunday December 27, 2015 at 3:00pm at Finch Funeral Home. Visitation will be held on Sunday December 27, 2015 at 1:00pm until the time of service at the funeral home.
In lieu of flowers, memorials can be made to the family to be estab-lished at a later date.
To send an online condolence please visit www.ronanmoorefinch.com.
Arrangements were entrusted to Finch Funeral Home, 310 Oak St. DeKalb, IL 60115 815-758-3841.
THURSTON D. WHITNEYBorn: Dec. 22, 1923Died: Dec. 20, 2015
Thurston D. Whitney, born to Eternal Life on Sunday, December 20, 2015, at the age of 91.
He is survived by his grandsons, Mike (Stacie) Ney and Dan (Jenny) Ney; his brothers, Robert “Tony” (Alice) Whitney and Damon (Liz) Whitney; and his sister-in-law, Jean (Walter) Baughman.
He is preceded in death by his wife, Esther (nee Schulist) of 50 years; his daughter, Kathleen (Charles) Ney; his brothers, Carlton “Bruzz” (Rita)
Whitney and Don Whitney; and his in-laws, Edward (Florence) Schulist, Harry (Elaine) Schulist, and Margaret (Charles) Weaver; and his parents, Gerald and Thelma Whitney. He is further survived by other relatives and friends.
Visitation will be held from 4 until 7 p.m. Monday, December 28, 2015, at the Schimidt & Bartelt Funeral Home, 121 S. Cross St., Oconomowoc, WI 53066. A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 10 a.m. on Tuesday, December 29, 2015, at St. Jerome Catholic Church, 1001 S. Silver Lake St, Oconomowoc.
A special thanks to the ProHealth Care Home Hospice staff for all the work they did.
Thurston served in the Navy during World War II, and memorials can be made to the Veterans Memorial Park of Oconomowoc or the Honor Flight Program and are appreciated.
OBITUARIES
POLICE REPORTSNote to readers: Information
in Police Reports is obtained from the DeKalb County Sheriff’s Office and city police departments. Individuals listed in Police Reports who have been charged with a crime have not been proven guilty in court.
DeKalb County Matthew N. Inzer, 27, of the 800 block of North 13th Street, DeKalb, was charged Tuesday, Dec. 22, with possession of marijuana and driving without a valid
license,
Rodney A. Porter, 46, of
the 8800 block of Rich
Road, DeKalb, was charged
Wednesday, Dec. 23, with
domestic battery.
Why feds say some IDs are not secure enough
By SARA BURNETT The Associated Press
CHICAGO – Sometime in 2016 people from several states could have trouble getting on an airplane or into federal buildings because of a post-Sept. 11 law that tightened requirements for state-issued identification.
When that will happen and who will be affected won’t be completely clear until the De-partment of Homeland Secu-rity releases further details of how it will enforce the 2005 REAL ID Act – an announce-ment that could come in the next few days. In the mean-time, an expert on the law said people in places such as Illinois and Missouri – where DHS this week essentially said time’s up for the states to comply – may want to get a passport.
Here’s a look at the act.
WHAT IS REAL ID?Congress approved the
REAL ID Act in 2005, after a recommendation from the commission formed to study the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist at-tacks. The 9/11 commission said the country would be safer if there were minimum stan-dards for government-issued identification such as driver’s licenses that are required to en-ter federal buildings or board commercial airplanes.
The act set those standards, which include requiring appli-cants to provide proof of identi-ty and legal US residency and requiring states to use counter-feit-resistant security features in the IDs.
DHS originally gave states until 2009 to make necessary changes to their requirements and technology.
WHAT’S MY STATE’S STATUS?At least 20 states and the
District of Columbia have com-plied with the federal require-ments, according to informa-tion posted on the DHS website.
In other states implemen-tation has been delayed or de-railed by concerns about cost, violations of privacy or over-reaching by the federal gov-ernment. Lawmakers in some states passed legislation oppos-
ing REAL ID; Minnesota and Missouri still have laws pro-hibiting them from complying.
DHS has delayed enforce-ment and granted multiple extensions, allowing federal agencies to continue accepting driver’s licenses from those states.
At least nineteen states have until October 2016 to either comply or be granted another extension. Alaska, California, Illinois, Missouri, New Jersey, New Mexico, South Carolina and Washington have exten-sions only through Jan. 10.
This week, officials in Mis-souri and Illinois said they’d been notified that DHS will not grant them another extension beyond Jan. 10. A DHS spokes-person didn’t respond to phone messages seeking comment Thursday regarding the other states where extensions end next month.
DHS’ online map provides the status of each state at www.dhs.gov/REAL-id-enforce-ment-brief, though as of Thurs-day it didn’t indicate which states had extensions denied.
WHAT IF MY STATE DOESN’T COMPLY?
DHS is enforcing the act in phases, starting with federal fa-cilities such as nuclear power plants, laboratories and mili-tary bases.
That means that starting Jan. 10, federal facilities won’t accept driver’s licenses from Illinois, Missouri or any other state that isn’t approved for an extension beyond that date. (The facilities already don’t accept most licenses from Min-nesota, which DHS already has deemed to be noncompliant).
The law doesn’t apply to federal courthouses, hospitals or health clinics, according to DHS, and people may be al-lowed entry with another valid form of ID such as a passport or military identification.
DHS has said it will extend the requirements to airports sometime in 2016, although the department hasn’t said when. It’s expected to make that an-nouncement as early as next week, and DHS has said it will give a notice of at least 120 days before it takes effect.
That could give states such as Illinois and Missouri time to pass laws or take other steps to-ward implementation, possibly making DHS more amenable to granting another extension.
WILL I BE ABLE TO FLY?That depends on many fac-
tors, such as how DHS rolls out the airport requirements and whether travelers have other valid forms of ID.
Andrew Meehan is policy director for Keeping IDentities Safe, a Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit that advocates for implementation of REAL ID.
He said that if history is any indication DHS will phase in the airport portion of the law, possibly starting with smaller airstrips in mid-2016 and ex-panding to larger airports that serve more travelers at a later date.
Meehan called it “laugh-able” that so many states hav-en’t gotten on board with the law after more than a decade. His advice to people in states like Illinois and Missouri is to get a passport.
“To be safe, don’t wait for the Legislature,” he said.
AP photo
A protesters yells at a Chicago Police officer at a bicycle barricade Thursday on Chicago’s Magnificent Mile. The Christmas Eve protest calling for the resignation of Mayor Rahm Emanuel is the latest in a series of demonstrations in the city since the release last month of police video showing a white officer shoot a black teenager 16 times.
Chicago officer asked for Taser before teen shot
By MICHAEL TARM The Associated Press
CHICAGO – Recordings of Chicago police radio traffic surrounding the fatal shoot-ing of a black teenager by a white officer show at least one responding officer asked for a Taser and – given that squad-car video lacks audio – offer a partial glimpse of officers’ dis-cussions as events unfolded.
The recordings obtained Wednesday by WMAQ-TV through a Freedom of Infor-mation Act Request show that one officer pursuing 17-year-old Laquan McDonald on Oct. 20, 2014, asked if others in the area had stun guns, which are used to subdue suspects with nonlethal force.
The year it took to charge Officer Jason Van Dyke for fatally shooting McDonald led to allegations of an attempted cover-up, a federal civil rights
investigation of Chicago police and a series of protests, includ-ing Thursday along the city’s Michigan Avenue shopping district.
“Someone have a Taser?” one officer is heard asking on the radio, then describing Mc-Donald. “This guy is walking away but he’s got a knife in hand.”
A dispatcher responded that one was on its way, then immediately asked if any units closer to the scene could help.
“All right, anybody have a Taser – help out. ... Looking for a Taser, armed offender,” she said.
None of the officers who spoke appeared to be anxious until one radioed, “Shots fired by police, get an ambulance over here.”
“You guys OK?” a dispatch-er asked.
“10-4, everything is fine – roll an ambulance over here,”
one officer answered.Van Dyke shot McDon-
ald 16 times, even as the teen crumpled to the ground. Po-lice released dashcam video of the killing last month after a judge ordered them to do so and prosecutors charged Van Dyke hours earlier.
More than 50 people took part in the Christmas Eve protest along Chicago’s Mag-nificent Mile, marching for several hours past last-minute holiday shoppers. On Black Friday last month, a few hun-dred marchers disrupted shop-ping in the high-end commer-cial district.
Many of the placards and chants targeted Mayor Rahm Emanuel, calling on the Chi-cago Democrat and onetime White House chief of staff to President Barack Obama to step down. One demonstra-tor held up a sign that read, “Shopping for a New Mayor.”
AP file photo
Transportation Security Administration agents check travelers iden-tifications at a security check point area Nov. 25 in Terminal 3 at O’Hare International Airport in Chicago.
or call 815-526-4438. Notices are accepted until 3p.m. for the next day’s edition. Obituaries also appear online at Daily-Chronicle.com/obits where you may sign the guest book, send flowers or make a memorial donation.
Daily Chronicle / Daily-Chronicle.com • Section A • Friday, December 25, 2015 • NEWS 5
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Best Warrior competition this year.
He is currently stationed in Vilseck, Germany, and plans to train for the Army Special Forces.
Jared Tansley came home for Thanksgiving, but left two weeks before Christmas, which is always difficult, his mother said.
“He hadn’t been home in almost two years, so he has
missed quite a few holidays so far,” she said. “It’s difficult not having him home for the holidays, but it’s part of [the military family experience].”
Tansley said that her big-gest piece of advice for fami-lies in similar situations is to find support in the form of lo-cal or online support groups. She said she tends to use mili-tary family support groups on Facebook.
“Don’t be afraid to talk about it,” she said. “It does get overwhelming, and sometimes you just need to talk it out.”
• ADJUSTINGContinued from page A1
Tansley training for Special Forces
nonprofit organization that has been providing to those in need for more than 80 years, according to the orga-nization’s website.
Genoa has a Goodfellows group, as well. The Genoa/Kingston Goodfellows formed last year and distrib-uted gifts again this year.
Kolkebeck said in his mind, events and organiza-tions such as Goodfellows show how generous people in DeKalb County can be.
“It reflects the small town, community spirit of looking out for each other,” he said.
Donations, fundraising and community partnerships make the event possible, Goodfellows board member Penny White said.
“Usually in October we start sending out solicitation letters and getting dona-tions,” she said.
Goodfellows also hosts an annual fundraising party on the first Thursday in Decem-ber, which is where the ma-jority of their funding comes from. Volunteers help wrap and distribute the gifts.
“Being as blessed as we are, I think we have an obli-gation to give back,” White
said.It’s also important for
kids to learn the true spirit of Christmas, she added. White brings her grand-daughters along for the event each year.
The Kolkebeck children also are learning the mean-ing of the season.
“It’s a really nice tradi-tion,” Katelyn Kolkebeck, 12, said. “I like that it gives to families who don’t have enough money. We can give them presents for free and their reactions are price-less.”
Nine-year-old brother Sean agreed that seeing people get excited was the best part.
“Sometimes they’re like ‘Oh my gosh,’ ” he said. “And one or two times, people have cried happy tears. … Sometimes after the door closes we can hear the kids say, ‘Can we open them now?’ ”
Theresa Kolkebeck said is was important for her to give her kids an opportunity to help others during the holiday season.
“It fosters the giving spir-it,” she said. “It gives them the opportunity to realize there are people who aren’t as fortunate as they are.”
• GOODFELLOWSContinued from page A1
Donations, fundraising, partnerships help make annual event possible
A steady stream of volunteers carry out bags for the Goodfellows of Sycamore/DeKalb present delivery Thursday at Blumen Gardens in Sycamore. This year, the Goodfellows bought and delivered 788 gifts for 392 families throughout Sycamore and DeKalb.
Jared Tansley (center), who was named Soldier of the Year after win-ning the U.S. Army’s Best Warrior competition, was honored Dec. 7 at a Sycamore City Council meeting. He is currently stationed in Vilseck, Germany, and plans to train for the Special Forces.
Olive tree is decorated with tear gas canisters
Since mid-September, Pal-estinian attacks, mostly stab-bings and shootings, have killed 20 Israelis, while Israeli fire has killed 124 Palestinians, among them 85 said by Israel to be attackers. The rest were killed in clashes with Israeli forces. Israel accuses Palestin-ian leaders of inciting the vio-lence. The Palestinians say it is the result of nearly 50 years of military occupation.
In Manger Square, local ac-tivists placed an olive tree they said was uprooted by the Israe-li army in a nearby village, and surrounded it with barbed wire and decorated it with spent tear gas canisters fired by Is-raeli troops and photographs of
Palestinians killed or arrested in recent violence.
“We’re in Bethlehem cele-brating Christmas, celebrating the birthday of our lord Jesus Christ. This is the birthplace of the king of peace, so what we want is peace,” said Rula Maayah, the Palestinian tour-ism minister.
In the evening, several thousand people crowded into Manger Square, admiring the town’s glittering Christmas tree and listening to holiday music played by marching bands and scout troops. Pales-tinian vendors hawked coffee, tea and Santa hats. Young chil-dren sold sticks of gum.
But at 9 p.m., traditionally a bustling time of the evening, there were few tourists to drink local wine sold on the square or to eat freshly fried falafel.
As the festivities got under-way, Miral Siriani, a 35-year-old publicist from Jerusalem, said she was relieved to get a break from three months of tension that has included nu-merous attacks in her city.
“I feel safe in Bethlehem,” she said.
In recent years, Bethlehem had enjoyed a relative calm, and thousands of revelers and pilgrims poured into Manger Square each Christmas. But vendors and hotel owners com-plained of sagging business this Christmas season.
Xavier Abu Eid, a Palestin-ian official, said hotel bookings were down 25 percent from last year, which itself was weak after a war between Israel and Palestinian militants in the Gaza Strip several months ear-lier.
Some Palestinians hoped holiday cheer would replace the gloom. Said Nustas, dressed in a Santa Claus suit, rang a Christmas bell on a narrow as-phalt street as he prepared to deliver gifts from a toy store to children nearby.
“The situation is what it is, a war and intifada,” Nustas said. “But God willing, we’ll overcome it and celebrate.”
Latin Patriarch Fouad Twal led a procession from his Je-rusalem headquarters into Bethlehem, passing through a military checkpoint and past Israel’s concrete separa-tion barrier, which surrounds much of the town.
Israel built the barrier a decade ago to stop a wave of suicide bombings. Palestinians said the structure has stifled Bethlehem’s economy.
• BETHLEHEMContinued from page A1
NEWS • Friday, December 25, 2015 • Section A • Daily Chronicle / Daily-Chronicle.com6
Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.
THE FIRST AMENDMENT
SKETCH VIEW OUR VIEW
ANOTHER VIEW
VIEWS
‘On this day in
Bethlehem’Note to readers: In celebration of Christmas Day, we
reprint this passage from the Book of Luke.
And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus, that all the world should be taxed. (And this taxing was first made when Cyrenius was governor of Syria.)
And all went to be taxed, every one into his own city. And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem; (because he was of the house and lineage of David:) to be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child.
And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be deliv-ered.
And she brought forth her first-born son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.
And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flocks by night. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were afraid.
And the angel said unto them, Fear not; for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.
And suddenly there was with the angel a multi-tude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying,
Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.
And when it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, Let us now go even unto Beth-lehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us.
And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger. And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the say-ing which was told to them concerning this child. And all they that heard it wondered at those things which were told them by the shepherds.
But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart.
And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told unto them.
Luke 2:1-20King James Version
Christmas arrives early with tax and spending deal
Americans got an early Christmas gift last week with Congress approving a bipartisan budget deal that keeps tax cuts in place and keeps the govern-ment running through Sept. 30.
No threats of a Grinch-like shutdown. No plans to cut off the poor and the elderly or the children on the Island of Misfit Toys. No plans to cut tax breaks for oil companies.
In fact, there are a few surprises in the budget bill and something for every political stripe you might be wearing to the holiday parties.
Most of the family and business tax cuts in place were extended or expanded for at least another year. The $1,000-per-child tax credit stays intact, as does the $2,500 college tuition tax credit for middle-class families. Business can still take advantage of their bigger-than-usual depreciation write-offs, and the research and development tax credits have been extended.
If you like fossil fuels or green energy, there is something for you in this bill. Tax credits for solar and wind were extended and for the first time in 40 years, the U.S. lifted the silly ban on domestic oil companies exporting their product, like just about every other business can do. It might not be all that great for consumers, but as they say, it’s a free mar-ket: If you don’t like the price, buy less.
If you had one of those “Cadillac” health insur-ance plans they were going to tax, you got a two-year delay. Companies, including many in Minnesota, who make medical devices also got a delay in the 2.3 percent tax they were going to have to pay to help support the Affordable Care Act.
If you prefer wild-caught salmon from Alaska versus something from a fish farm, the senator from Alaska got a deal to label those farm “frankenfish” so you’d know the difference.
And best of all, the bill contained a provision that effectively overrides a policy that had banned sled-ding on the grounds of the U.S. Capitol.
So from Congress to us, Merry Christmas and Happy Bipartisanship!
Free Press of Mankato (Minn.)
Off we go, into the New YearAfter a certain age, favorite holiday
memories tend to meld into tales too good to be true. This is human nature. We want to believe we’re better than the evidence suggests. This is a good habit of our species, especially at the end of this year, in which we’ve seen so much of the worst in us.
There is no such thing as perfection whenever we add memories of past holi-day experiences to the combustible mix of family and friends. Add booze and a couple of sturdy grudges and “Grey Gardens” has nothing over the drama unfolding in front of us as we shake our heads.
Nevertheless, with the passage of time, we will yet again enshrine these get-togeth-ers as something magical. This speaks to something good in us. Most of us want to be people who love people, so we manage the willpower to love even the people who get on our last nerve. Which at least one of them surely will; we just know it.
You will note that I am laying blame elsewhere for all that might annoy us this holiday season. I employ this nifty trick of memory so that, at least for the duration of this column, we can all feel superior and terribly misunderstood. My gift to you. Merry Christmas, if you celebrate.
Otherwise: Happy Solstice Week. Be sure to look out the window tomorrow morning. Already, the darkness is ending a teensy bit sooner.
This has been a rough year in our lives, even if we harbor no personal grievance because of what is churning out there all around us. Just this once, let’s not rattle off the list. Many of us will continue to stake out our own little patches of righteousness,
but this is the time of year when we should at least try to acknowledge the truth of the matter: We are all in this together.
Former astronaut John Glenn, a dear friend, once described for me what it was like to hover 150 miles above the Earth and get a good look at the rest of us:
“On a map, every nation has a differ-ent color,” he said. “Well, the Earth looks much different from space. You realize our borders are so artificial. Some are political; some have developed along ethnic lines.
“But all those lines disappear when you’re looking down from space. And you can’t help but see all that we have in com-mon and think about how much we foul things up by focusing on our differences rather than our sameness.”
I don’t expect us to link arms and sing to the heavens. For one thing, there’d be that unpleasant argument over which version of heaven and another over whose version of God would be listening. And that’s just among the believers.
Pass.Instead, I ask that, in the spirit of the
season, we pause to consider what we still have in common with one another. It’s there, in every single person we can imagine.
I know, I know. Work through the wince. Breathe.
Three days before Christmas, I was
about to start dinner, when my friend Jack-ie called. She and her wife, Kate, live just down the street.
“Go to the Square,” she said.“Why?” I asked as I shut off the burner.“I’m not telling you. Just go – and bring
your camera.”My husband and I threw on our jackets
and began the short walk to the community park that greets everyone who enters our neighborhood in Cleveland.
Dozens of luminarias flickered on the ground around the gazebo. Two deer ven-tured forth as we walked among the lights and offered nods to the fat moon competing for attention.
I loved watching neighbors pulling in to the development after a long day at work and slowing their cars to a crawl to take in the sight of this unexpected kindness. I have no idea which neighbors made the effort to do this, but I know we need more people like them. I am grateful for the reminder that small gestures can ignite big hopes and that there are many ways to light the darkness.
To those who don’t celebrate Christmas, thank you for putting up with those of us who do. If you are struggling right now, may the holiday land gently.
Off we go, into the new year, where each of us will have the chance to do better.
• Connie Schultz is a Pulitzer Prize-win-ning columnist. She is the author of two books, including “...and His Lovely Wife,” which chronicled the successful race of her husband, Sherrod Brown, for the U.S. Senate.
ConnieSchultz
VIEWS
Upside of the mainstream RepublicanBy JENNIFER RUBIN The Washington Post
One take on new polls from New Hampshire, Florida and South Carolina is that “The crowded GOP field is harming Marco Rubio and helping Don-ald Trump.” Well, sort of.
The crowded field is not go-ing to be crowded for very long, and it is Rubio (or New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, who is surging in New Hampshire) who stands to gain the most when others drop out. Donald Trump – with 100 percent name recognition and high unfavor-ables – is about topped out. No one who likes Trump is not with him now. As for Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, he is pilfering votes from Trump (tied in South Carolina at 27 percent, behind by 8 in New Hampshire and 11 in Florida). However, he too has a limited upside as the candidate, increasingly, of the shrill, anti-establishment, anti-immigration throng. It is Rubio, in this analysis, who has room to expand his reach.
For example if South Caro-lina goes to a three-person race,
Rubio doubles his support and zooms up to 24 points while Cruz picks up only 5 percentage points. In a three-man race in New Hampshire, Rubio leaps over Cruz into a statistical tie with Trump (and with Cruz at 26 points).
It is easy to see why, as Ra-mesh Ponnuru points out:
“In the primaries, Ru-bio’s strategy is to assemble a coalition more akin to those of previous Republican nominees, one that includes elements from every part of the party. In the general, he is signaling that he will employ a strategy like that of past election winners: Like Cruz, he will seek to mobi-lize the base; more than Cruz, he will attempt to persuade nonideological voters that his agenda will make a positive difference in their lives. Rubio seeks to modernize the Republi-can party, Cruz to purify it.”
Cruz is relying on a mythi-cal model of the GOP in which his tea party fans predominate. He’s increasingly narrow-cast-ing in their direction. That leaves him unable to compete with Rubio for voters who will
be up for grabs when others leave the field. Cruz is also assuming that he will inherit Trump’s voters, voters who may or may not show up at the polls and may not transfer their loyalty to him.
These polls also confirm Jeb Bush’s problem, namely, he not only remains in single digits in all but Florida (where he inches up to 10 percent) but has high unfavorables (39/48 in New Hampshire, 42/49 in South Carolina). In addition, these surveys confirm the collapse of Dr. Ben Carson, who is not in a position to win any of the three states. Finally, Christie is very much in the hunt in New Hampshire at 13 percent, in a statistical tie with Rubio and Cruz. His favorables (66) are nearly as high as Rubio’s (69 percent).
If Christie wins New Hamp-shire, or at least finishes ahead of Cruz and/or Rubio, he too becomes a force to be reckoned with. His favorables in New Hampshire and other early states, a complete reversal from earlier in the year, suggest he has room to grow. No wonder
Christie told the panel on Morning Joe, “You cannot wait to do well because momentum will run over people who wait to do well. So we’re hoping to create momentum in Iowa and New Hampshire and then be able to work that momentum and do what we do, which is to give two-hour town hall meet-ings where people get to ask whatever questions they want whenever they want, and to be stunned that a politician actu-ally answers their question.”
That’s his formula for victory, as it was Sen. John McCain’s.
Unless you think the field is going to remain very large for a very long time, the candi-dates who have an intense but smaller following (Trump and Cruz) don’t look so strong. But candidate performance, the January debates and outside events matter a lot as well. The race is far from decided, and indeed has not yet begun.
• Jennifer Rubin writes the Right Turn blog for The Post, offering reported opinion from a conservative perspective.
December 25, 2015Daily Chronicle
Section A • Page 8FRIDAYWEATHER
T-storms Rain Showers Snow Flurries Ice
Cold Front Warm Front Stationary Front
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Streator
Temperatures are today’s highs and
tonight’s lows.
REGIONAL WEATHER
7-DAY FORECAST
RIVER LEVELS
REGIONAL CITIES
NATIONAL WEATHER DRAW THE WEATHER
ALMANAC
SUN and MOON
AIR QUALITY TODAY
WEATHER HISTORY
UV INDEX
Shown are noon positions of weather systems and precipitation. Temperature bands are highs for the day.
City Hi Lo W Hi Lo W City Hi Lo W Hi Lo W City Hi Lo W Hi Lo W
0-50 Good, 51-100 Moderate, 101-150, Unhealthy for sensitive groups, 151-200 Unhealthy201-300 Very Unhealthy, 301-500 Hazardous
The higher the AccuWeather.com UV Index™ number, the greater the need for eye and skin protection. 0-2 Low; 3-5 Moderate; 6-7 High; 8-10 Very High; 11+ Extreme.
7 a.m. Flood 24-hrLocation yest. stage chg
Kishwaukee
City Hi Lo W Hi Lo W
47/38
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40/3142/34
42/33 43/34
Merry Christmas! A beautiful day is on tap as high pressure moves across the northern Great Lakes. Temperatures will be running a good 10 to 12 degrees above normal for this time of year. Clouds will move in quickly on Saturday along with a few light showers. More typical December temperatures will arrive next week along with some rain and snow.
Atlanta 76 65 pc 77 63 cAtlantic City 65 52 r 54 51 rBaltimore 70 55 sh 57 54 rBoston 59 44 pc 49 42 rBu� alo 49 34 pc 47 44 rCharleston, SC 81 63 pc 80 61 pcCharlotte 74 63 pc 77 60 cChicago 44 37 c 45 34 r
Today Tomorrow
Cincinnati 57 50 r 66 58 rDallas 73 65 c 75 54 rDenver 31 12 sn 17 9 snHouston 80 69 t 78 68 cIndianapolis 55 44 c 61 47 rKansas City 46 41 pc 49 28 rLas Vegas 49 33 pc 48 30 sLos Angeles 60 44 pc 61 39 s
Today Tomorrow
Louisville 59 55 r 69 62 rMiami 84 75 pc 83 75 pcMinneapolis 34 29 c 32 16 snNew Orleans 80 69 sh 80 69 cNew York City 65 50 pc 52 50 rPhiladelphia 70 52 r 56 51 rSeattle 40 30 pc 41 33 pcWash., DC 73 55 sh 58 53 sh
N 15-25 mph SW 5-15 mphE/NE 10-20 mphE/NE 5-10 mph E/NE 5-15 mph SW 5-10 mph W 5-15 mph
High ............................................................. 39°Low .............................................................. 32°Normal high ............................................. 29°Normal low ............................................... 15°Record high .............................. 55° in 1982Record low ............................... -22° in 1983
24 hours through 4 p.m. yest. ......... 0.00”Month to date ....................................... 3.04”Normal month to date ....................... 1.76”Year to date ......................................... 33.63”Normal year to date ......................... 36.59”
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NBABulls at Oklahoma City, 1:30
p.m., ABCNew Orleans at Miami, 11
a.m., ESPNCleveland at Golden State,
4 p.m., ABCSan Antonio at Houston, 7
p.m., ESPNL.A. Clippers at L.A. Lakers,
9:30 p.m., ESPNCOLLEGE BASKETBALL
Diamond Head Classic, fifth place, BYU vs. N. Iowa, at Honolulu, ESPNU, 2:30 p.m., ESPNU
Diamond Head Classic, third place, Auburn vs. Hawaii, at Honolulu, ESPN2, 5:30 p.m., ESPN2
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AP photo
At Clemson, religion, football converge
CLEMSON, S.C. – Clemson coach Dabo Swinney (pic-tured above) pats Howard’s Rock and then leads his team down the hill into a hyped Memorial Stadium. There are few pregame rituals in college football as recognizable as the Tigers’ blood-pumping entrance.
But before Death Valley be-comes one of the most raucous sites in sports, it falls as quiet as church while a prayer is said by a local religious leader over the public address system.
Faith and football go together at Clemson, as they do at many universities. Here, though, where Swinney’s devotion to Christianity is a pronounced part of his and the team’s identity, may be one of most prominent displays of religion at a public university.
“As a Christian I hope a light shines through me,” Swinney said. “I don’t want to be persecuted for that, and I don’t try to persecute somebody else because they have different beliefs.”
The convergence of religion and football has its critics. There has been scrutiny – and a re-examination of rules – for how Christianity has been interwoven into the program at Clemson.
Swinney said his faith has helped build a culture that is the foundation for the team’s success. The top-ranked Tigers enter the College Football Playoff semifinal at the Orange Bowl on Dec. 31 against Oklahoma in search of the school’s first national title since 1981.
“I try to be who I am. I try to be transparent. I try to live my life in a way that I hope is pleasing to my maker,” Swin-ney said. “As a program, we try to challenge these guys to be the best that they can be every day.”
– Wire reports
MORNING KICKOFF NORTHERN ILLINOIS FOOTBALL
Hard to properly view blowout lossSAN DIEGO – Maybe North-
ern Illinois fans will unwrap a time machine under their tree this Christmas morning.
They could head forward, long enough to allow them to forget the Huskies’ 55-7 loss to Boise State in the Poinsettia Bowl on Wednesday that was the college football version of the bully stealing Northern Illinois’ lunch money.
Or maybe they could head back in time, before junior quar-terback Drew Hare blew out his Achilles at Toledo and made this season impossible to properly judge.
“It’s a game, and we lost this
game,” NIU coach Rod Carey said. “It wasn’t a good perfor-mance by us, but Boise is a good team, give them credit. We don’t go any further than that. We live one-week lives in college football. When this one’s done, we’ll put it to bed after Christmas and we’ll move on.”
What are Huskie fans to make of a season in which they finished a pedestrian 8-6 – at least, pedes-trian by NIU standards – without
arguably the team’s best player? Injuries are a part of football, but losing the starter and backup at the most important position on the field changes the dynamic of what a team can do, no matter how much coaches love to preach about “next man up.”
With more stability at quar-terback, do the Huskies struggle so badly on offense against Ohio and Bowling Green? Do they put up the stink bomb of a perfor-mance that we saw against Boise State?
Fans are only left with hypotheticals.
Bob Palermini for Shaw Media
NIU quarterback Ryan Graham looks for a receiver during the second half of the Poinsettia Bowl against Boise State Wednes-day at Qualcom Stadium in San Diego. Boise State beat NIU, 55-7.
SHABBONA – On a team loaded with senior talent – including reigning Daily Chronicle Girls Athlete of the Year Josie Diehl – a sopho-more point guard is making a huge impact for the Indian Creek girls basketball team.
MaKayli Vann leads the Timberwolves with 14.7 points per game, just ahead of the 14.6 for Diehl, and has been instrumental in creating a run-and-gun pace for the up-tempo squad.
Not only has she led the team in scoring, she’s proven to have great court vision in find-ing players such as Diehl, Alexis Van Whye and Madison Russell – who was the point guard last year but moved to shooting guard to open up her scoring game.
“She’s in a great position to have a player like Josie, a player like Madison, a player like Alexis, are all good offensive threats,” Indian Creek coach Paul Muchmore said. “She really takes advantage of those things, but I think she could probably do that even if she didn’t have them. And the great thing about MaKayli is she can see the floor and give those girls op-portunities where sometimes I don’t see them, and she throws a pass and it’s a layup.”
Vann started almost all of last year for the Timberwolves, switching between the shoot-ing guard and small forward positions. She had some warning that she would be switch-ing to the point for her sophomore year, and she said that helped things go much smoother.
“I’ve had on and off games as most play-ers do,” Vann said. “I’m more comfortable at (point guard) than I was last year.”
Muchmore said he expected big things out of her from her new position from the start.
See TIMBERWOLVES, page B2
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Playing in Oklahoma City on Christmas Day would be daunting enough for the Bulls.
But to do so in the midst of a three-game losing streak with some of the dysfunction that has been going on? Good luck.
That’s what the Bulls will be dealing with, however.
“It’s going to take a lot,” coach Fred Hoiberg said when he was asked what it will take to beat Kevin Durant, Russell
Westbrook and the rest of the Thunder. “They’re putting it on teams right now.
“It’s a very confident team right now. Durant and West-brook are two of the best in this game right now. And [Serge] Ibaka [is a] great role player who can knock down shots and protect the rim. They have a really good bench with some dangerous players. Really good team, especially in that home arena. They’re tough to beat there.”
Not that the Bulls don’t know the formula. After all,
they handled the Thunder, 104-98, on Nov. 5 at the United Center. But a lot has changed for the Thunder since then, starting with confidence.
The Thunder are 9-1 in their past 10 games, losing only to the Cleveland Cava-liers. And they not only have been winning games, they’ve been running teams out of the gym.
Meanwhile, the Bulls are searching not only for consis-tency but for an identity.
BULLS
11 a.m., ESPNNew Orleans at Miami
1:30 p.m., ABC, AM-1000Bulls at Oklahoma City
4 p.m., ABCCleveland at Golden State
7 p.m., ESPNSan Antonio at Houston
9:30 p.m., ESPNL.A. Clippers at L.A. Lakers
NBA on Christmas Day
Jesse Severson
VIEWS
SPORTS • Friday, December 25, 2015 • Section B • Daily Chronicle / Daily-Chronicle.com2
Saturday’s GamesBuffalo at Boston, 6 p.m.Columbus at Tampa Bay, 6 p.m.Montreal at Washington, 6 p.m.New Jersey at Carolina, 6 p.m.Dallas at St. Louis, 7 p.m.Detroit at Nashville, 7 p.m.Pittsburgh at Minnesota, 7 p.m.Los Angeles at Arizona, 8 p.m.Edmonton at Vancouver, 9 p.m.
W L Pct GBSan Antonio 25 5 .833 —Dallas 16 13 .552 8½Memphis 16 15 .516 9½Houston 15 15 .500 10New Orleans 9 19 .321 15
Northwest Division W L Pct GBOklahoma City 19 9 .679 —Utah 12 14 .462 6Denver 12 17 .414 7½Minnesota 11 18 .379 8½Portland 11 20 .355 9½
Pacific Division W L Pct GBGolden State 26 1 .963 —L.A. Clippers 16 13 .552 11Sacramento 12 17 .414 15Phoenix 12 19 .387 16L.A. Lakers 5 23 .179 21½
Thursday’s GamesNo games scheduled
Today’s GamesNew Orleans at Miami, 11 a.m.Bulls at Oklahoma City, 1:30 p.m.Cleveland at Golden State, 4 p.m.San Antonio at Houston, 7 p.m.L.A. Clippers at L.A. Lakers, 9:30 p.m.
NBA
NATIONAL CONFERENCENorth
W L T Pct PF PAx-Green Bay 10 4 0 .714 347 265Minnesota 9 5 0 .643 296 272Detroit 5 9 0 .357 302 363Bears 5 9 0 .357 289 352
East W L T Pct PF PAWashington 7 7 0 .500 316 332Philadelphia 6 8 0 .429 318 362N.Y. Giants 6 8 0 .429 373 358Dallas 4 10 0 .286 246 324
South W L T Pct PF PAy-Carolina 14 0 0 1.000 449 278Atlanta 7 7 0 .500 302 312Tampa Bay 6 8 0 .429 311 353New Orleans 5 9 0 .357 350 432
West W L T Pct PF PAy-Arizona 12 2 0 .857 445 269x-Seattle 9 5 0 .643 370 248St. Louis 6 8 0 .429 241 294San Francisco 4 10 0 .286 202 339
AMERICAN CONFERENCEEast
W L T Pct PF PAy-New England 12 2 0 .857 435 269N.Y. Jets 9 5 0 .643 344 272Buffalo 6 8 0 .429 341 336Miami 5 9 0 .357 278 361
South W L T Pct PF PAHouston 7 7 0 .500 275 301Indianapolis 6 8 0 .429 285 372Jacksonville 5 9 0 .357 343 380Tennessee 3 11 0 .214 269 359
North W L T Pct PF PAx-Cincinnati 11 3 0 .786 378 243Pittsburgh 9 5 0 .643 378 287Baltimore 4 10 0 .286 292 360Cleveland 3 11 0 .214 253 387
West W L T Pct PF PADenver 10 4 0 .714 308 259Kansas City 9 5 0 .643 365 257Oakland 7 8 0 .467 342 376San Diego 4 11 0 .267 300 371
x-clinched playoff spoty-clinched division
Thursday’s ResultOakland 23, San Diego 20, OT
Saturday’s GameWashington at Philadelphia, 7:25 p.m.
Sunday’s GamesHouston at Tennessee, noonCleveland at Kansas City, noonNew England at N.Y. Jets, noonIndianapolis at Miami, noonSan Francisco at Detroit, noonDallas at Buffalo, noonChicago at Tampa Bay, noonCarolina at Atlanta, noonPittsburgh at Baltimore, noonJacksonville at New Orleans, 3:05 p.m.St. Louis at Seattle, 3:25 p.m.Green Bay at Arizona, 3:25 p.m.N.Y. Giants at Minnesota, 7:30 p.m.
Monday’s GameCincinnati at Denver, 7:30 p.m.
Woman pleads guilty to extorting Yankees GM
NEW YORK – A woman charged with shaking down New York Yankees general manager Brian Cashman has pleaded guilty to extortion, perjury and criminal imper-sonation.
Louise Neathway entered a type of guilty plea Wednesday that acknowledges sufficient evidence for conviction but doesn’t admit guilt. She was sentenced to five years’ probation.
Her lawyer, Kevin Marino, said her goal was “putting this unfortunate matter behind her.”
Through spokesman Chris Giglio, Cashman declined to comment Thursday.
The 39-year-old Neathway is also called Louise Meanwell. She was charged in 2012 with harassing Cashman and ex-torting $6,000 by threatening to damage his reputation.
She said the two had a consensual affair. Cashman was then married.
The case expanded to other allegations against Neathway. They included housing fraud charges on which she was convicted this summer.
IAAF taskforce to visit Russia for the first time
MONACO – The Internation-al Association of Athletics Federations says a taskforce will visit Russia for the first time on Jan. 10-11 next year to inspect the response to the doping scandal which caused it to be banned from the sport.
Russia must meet steps set out by the IAAF to be reinstated.
It was suspended in Novem-ber after a World Anti-Doping Agency commission, led by Dick Pound, exposed widespread, systematic and allegedly state-sanctioned doping. If the ban continues to be upheld, its athletes could miss the Rio de Janeiro Olympics in August.
Rune Anderson, inde-pendent chairman of the taskforce, says “we have established a good working relationship as the basis of our future discussions and meetings.”
Rams set to finish season on West Coast
ST. LOUIS – Earlier this month, the Rams played what could be their final home game in St. Louis.
Now, they may be done with those practice fields, too.
The Rams (6-8) are staying on the West Coast for the final two games, traveling to Seattle on Christmas night for Sunday’s game, and then heading to Napa, California, where they’ll prepare for the season finale at San Francis-co.
It’s the first time in the franchise’s 21 seasons in St. Louis that it won’t be practic-ing at home for a regular- season game, although counting the preseason it’s the second time this year. The Rams stayed in Oxnard, California, between consec-utive road games in August as well.
– Wire reports
SPORTS BRIEFS
LOCAL SCHEDULESATURDAY
Prep boys basketballDeKalb vs. Mundelein, Chuck
Dayton Invite, 6:45 p.m.Plano tournament – No. 5
Kaneland vs. Hinckley-Big Rock or Chicago Hope, 9 a.m.; Indian Creek, Genoa-Kingston, Hinck-ley-Big Rock TBA
Prep girls basketballSycamore at Oswego East
tournament, TBAIndian Creek at Amboy tourney,
TBAHinckley-Big Rock at Lisle
tourney, TBAPrep boys bowling
DeKalb at Glenbard East Ram invite, 8:30 a.m.
“I knew she’d score,” Muchmore said. “She’s a real good athlete. She’s had some really good shooting games. She’s had a high of 26 and a low of five, but she’s been pretty consistent. She can shoot, but she’s really good off the dribble and attacking the basket. She’s done a nice job in transition for us.”
Muchmore said the de-fense has been the biggest part of the team’s 9-0 start – which includes a 3-0 record in the Little 10 Conference. He said he’s been working on installing a man defense for a couple of years, and this sea-son it is starting to pay off.
“I think the girls that have been in the program for a
while now are really tying to understand what we are try-ing to do,” Muchmore said. “It’s our defense, and our ability to run has helped us this year too. We’ve struggled shooting in some games but we’ve been able to level that out by playing good defense for sure.”
The team returns to action Saturday at a tournament in Amboy looking to keep its perfect season afloat.
Last year, the Timber-wolves lost in the regional fi-nal. This year, Vann said the sights are set higher.
“I think being a smaller team helps us rely on each other a lot,” Vann said. “I think we can go pretty far as long as we do what we’re sup-posed to and use our talents and fundamentals as we’re supposed to.”
• TIMBERWOLVESContinued from page B1
Muchmore said defense biggest part of team’s 9-0 start
It was a historic Poinsettia Bowl for all the wrong reasons
Indian Creek senior Josie Diehl looks to the bas-ket during a drill Dec. 18 at practice.
NIU coach Rod Carrey glances at the scoreboard in the 55-7 loss on Wednesday at the Poinsettia Bowl at Qualcom Stadium in San Diego.
It was a historic Poinset-tia Bowl for all the wrong reasons for the Huskies. Boise State set records for most points (55), most points in a half (31), fastest touchdown (58 seconds to open the game) and largest margin of victory (48).
NIU broke the record for fewest yards in the game with 33, breaking its own record of 60 in its 37-7 loss to TCU in 2006.
Even before the end of the first quarter, everybody sort of understood Boise State was going to win when it built a 21-0 lead. It became a matter of how much the Broncos would win by.
However, even with Hare in at quarterback against the Broncos, it’s hard to see NIU winning that game. The Bron-cos dominated the Huskies up front – although having Hare’s arm in there could have prevented Boise from focusing so much on stopping the run.
The narrative heading into this game was it was the first meeting between a pair of Group of 5 heavyweights. NIU had 65 wins since 2010 and Boise State had 63. Each team had found themselves in big-time bowls – including the Broncos winning the Fiesta Bowl last year.
However, as I said in our podcast in the week leading
up to it, this matchup of Boise State (9-4 overall) and NIU (8-6 overall) felt less like the Thrilla in Manila and more like Floyd Mayweather against Manny Pacquiao – a fight between two teams that weren’t at the peak of their powers.
Instead of a 15-round fight for the ages, Boise State beat the Huskies to a pulp.
I asked Boise State coach Bryan Harsin if the buildup to the game – being billed a battle of Group of 5 powers – made the lopsided victory a little sweeter. Instead of taking the moment to bask in the glow of showing the world who the top dog is in the Group of 5, Harsin took the high road.
“I think the teams going into the game were compa-rable, if you were looking at statistically over the last four or five years,” he said. “And we obviously looked at those things, but I think tonight we were different. I thought our guys were different and it’s not about [being compared to NIU], it’s not about that. It’s about performing and doing
our best and making sure that what we’ve prepared to do, we go out there and we get that done, because we spend a lot of time working on it for three and a half hours.”
There will be ramifications for this game for NIU and the questions will be asked – perhaps unfairly – of whether the coaching staff needs a shakeup. Would that be an overreaction – considering many of the Huskies’ major playmakers return next sea-son and that Hare was out the second half of the season – or the proper reaction? Time will tell.
However, one ramifica-tion for this Poinsettia Bowl for the Huskies comes in the form of the bread-and-butter of college football – recruit-ing.
Heading into the game, Carey said the Huskies’ third appearance in the Poinsettia Bowl could benefit the re-cruiting in the coveted world of California high school football.
“We’re here in two or three years, we’re probably going to have to come out here and
start recruiting, is probably the first thing it means to us,” said Carey, who only had three players from Califor-nia – all of whom were junior college transfers. “We don’t actively recruit out here, but certainly being out here, hopefully more to come in the future, that we will open up that door. It means a lot. The bowl game is exactly what you would think a bowl game would be. It’s a reward.”
Instead, the Huskies have found themselves on the wrong end of blowouts in bowls the past two seasons played in two of the most important states – California and Florida. Not only that, but Boise State – a competitor of NIU for the New Year’s Day 6 Bowls that have 44 players from California compared to 20 from Idaho – got another boost by their sixth win in seven bowl appearances.
NIU is at something of a crossroads – is this season an aberration or a sign that their reign is coming to an end? Do changes need to be made, or is this a storm that must be managed with a level head? Is it time to frantically push the panic button or take a deep breath?
These are questions that will be answered at a later date, but that time machine might come in handy.
• Jesse Severson is a sports writer at the Daily Chronicle. He can be reached at [email protected]
• HUSKIESContinued from page B1
“I think the teams going into the game were comparable, if you were looking at statistically over the last four or five years. And we obviously looked at those things,
but I think tonight we were different.
Bryan HarsinBoise State coach
Daily Chronicle / Daily-Chronicle.com • Section B • Friday, December 25, 2015 • SPORTS 3
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LAKE FOREST – Christmas is about giving, and especially giving to kids. I un-derstand that now more than ever with my first kid, a 6-month-old, at home and first niece and nephew both under 2.
I thought it’d be fun, then, to see what the Bears “kids” have on their minds about Christmas, past or present.
• For Adrian Amos, the oldest of five chil-dren, he recalls the closeness of his siblings on Christmas Eve.
“We all used to sleep in the same room and then wake up on Christmas morning and open up the presents under the tree,” Amos said. “And then the next day, if fami-ly is in town, we’d go over to my Grandma’s house and all have a big dinner.”
How will Amos handle being this far away from his family in Baltimore for the first time?
“Probably get on Facetime and watch ‘The Grinch”’ or something.”
• Jeremy Langford’s favorite part of Christmas, he said, was always surprising his two younger brothers with presents, everything from clothes to iPods.
But now that he’s in the NFL, have the gift-giving stakes been raised?
“I raise them myself,” a chuckling Langford said. “It’s a blessing for me to be able to. … It’s kind of changed. When I was younger, my parents always bought me the gifts. Now we can give back to the family. It’s fun trying to surprise your mom and dad and little brothers with gifts that you always wanted to do.”
So what will the Langford family find under the tree?
“I got [my brothers] one of those little hoverboards. They had been riding mine, so they’re gonna be happy when they see those.”
Langford’s mom will be riding some-thing even more stylish.
“I got her the new Durango,” said a proud Langford, adding it made his mom cry. “Her birthday was the 10th, so I got her something for Christmas and her birthday.”
• Eddie Goldman stated immediately that he’s not into the “materialistic” side of
Christmas – but that’s not the reason he was passing on the Bears’ Secret Santa exchange Thursday.
“Funny story: My girlfriend [who’s out of town] has my credit card,” Goldman said. “I was supposed to get [a gift] yesterday, but my girl left with it, so I was just like, ‘Wow, I can’t get it now.’
“But I’m sure they’re coming up with some rookie thing, and now I got to buy everybody gifts or something like that.”
Growing up, Goldman remembers his family gathering at his grandma’s house. Now that he’s in the NFL, his grandma came to him two weeks ago to attend a game, Week 14 against Washington.
“First time she ever came to one of my games. I had like 15 people at my house,” he said.
• Tayo Fabuluje is used to 80-degree temperatures on Christmas Day back home in Texas, so he might’ve felt right at home Wednesday, when it was a balmy 62 degrees in Lake Forest.
“From what everybody tells me, it’s usually snowing and icy,” said Fabuluje. “I don’t know if it’s like a blessing or what. It’s not your typical white Christmas, but you still get that feeling. I think it’s the best holiday of the year.”
Fabuluje’s sister is in town visiting, and they celebrated by watching one of their favorite Christmas movies.
“ ‘The Nightmare Before Christmas’ by Tim Burton, still to this day one of my fa-vorite movies,” he said. “We enjoyed it like we’ve never seen it before.”
• Hroniss Grasu vividly remembers his favorite Christmas gift as a kid.
“My aunt got me those shoes called Heelys, they have wheels at the end of them,” Grasu said. “That was the greatest present, I thought, in the world.”
Like Fabuluje, Grasu is used to warm days on Christmas, as a California native. So seeing snow qualified as a childhood novelty.
“As a kid growing up, my most memo-rable was probably when we were at our cabin [near San Bernardino] and it was a white Christmas.”
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LAKE FOREST – On Christ-mas Eve, three days before his second-to-last game of what has been a career season, Jay Cutler answered questions about two members of the offense close to him who could be elsewhere in 2016.
Offensive coordinator Adam Gase has received credit from the outside and Cutler himself for helping the Bears’ quarterback keep his interceptions down and still make plays despite injuries around him, but Gase will be a head-coaching candidate in Jan-uary.
“I think we’ve got a really good coaching staff. I think we have backup plans in place,” Cut-ler said in reference to any con-cern of losing the progress he’s made if the team loses Gase. “If he does get that opportunity, I am going to be ecstatic for him. I think it is well deserved. I think he is ready for the opportunity. Whatever happens either way, I think we are going to be good and he’ll be good, too.”
Gase explained that Cutler could continue to get better as he gets older if he stays in the
same system – “It really helps you keep putting a little spin on what the offense already was” – but wouldn’t discuss his future affecting that.
“I know I’ve got two games left in this regular season,” he said. “So we’ll worry about those two games right now.”
Matt Forte talked to reporters Wednesday about his contract situation, realistic about the real possibility he’s playing his last two games with the Bears, which means Cutler would be spending his last two weeks sharing the huddle with Forte.
“It’s funny you say that. I ha-ven’t really thought about that. But now that you mention it, it is a little bit sad knowing that could happen because he has been such an incredible teammate,” Cutler said. “He has kind of been the safety blanket for me back there. He’s like another quarterback. He knows everything I am doing. He knows everything the line is doing.
“So, unfortunately, some of those decisions have to be made at a certain point and, hopefully, everyone does what is best for Matt because he has given a lot to this city and this program.”
Jeffery still out: Alshon Jef-
fery (hamstring) missed prac-tice for the second day in a row, along with Shea McClellin (con-cussion). Eddie Royal, Pernell McPhee, Bryce Callahan, Tracy Porter and Adrian Amos were limited.
Without Jeffery, the deep-pass-ing game becomes more difficult for Cutler, but he said Deonte Thompson and Josh Bellamy could help with their speed.
Familiar face at safety: Cutler might face Chris Conte, who has two interceptions for the Bucca-neers this season. Conte has been limited in practice this week with a knee injury.
“I think his athleticism is un-derrated. I think he’s a terrific athlete. He knows their system very well from being with Lovie here,” Cutler said. “... He’s a guy that we’re going to have to keep an eye on.”
Holiday work: The Bears will practice Friday, but two hours later than normal to allow play-ers to spend time with their fam-ilies in the morning. As coach John Fox said, football teams typically work Christmas and Thanksgiving.
“You have to work through it. Guys are professional, and they understand it,” he said.
Bears quarterback Jay Cutler and offensive coordinator Adam Gase talk on the sideline during a timeout in the first half against Washington on Dec. 13 at Soldier Field.
SPORTS • Friday, December 25, 2015 • Section B • Daily Chronicle / Daily-Chronicle.com4
Loss of Noah to shoulder injury contributes to problems
“The clicking hasn’t hap-pened consistently,” Bulls big man Pau Gasol said. “We just need to do a better job of un-derstanding what it takes to win. You don’t have to be tight with everybody on the team, but you do have to under-stand what needs to be done on the floor, and togetherness and unity needs to exist on the floor in order to win ball-games.”
Throw toughness into the mix, too. That’s a trait the Bulls often have been short on this season.
To make matters worse, big man Joakim Noah will be out for the next two to four weeks
with a small tear in his left shoulder.
“He’s a unique player that brings a set of qualities that are unique to the game,” Gasol said. “Other guys are going to have to step up and play more minutes and bring that same intensity and competitiveness that Jo brings.”
Hoiberg had a similar take on life without Noah.
“It is tough,” Hoiberg said when asked about replacing Noah’s energy. “Jo is definite-ly our emotional leader out there. He’s a big reason for the success that second group has had offensively because of the movement he can generate.
“Looking at our posses-sions when Joakim initiates the offense. We’re very effi-cient with that. [The injury]
takes that element away. He’s still going to be there for the guys. He’s going to be on the bench, cheering as much as anybody we have, keeping them going, keeping them pos-itive. But he’ll absolutely be missed.”
One positive in all of this is that rookie big man Bobby Portis finally will get some consistent playing time and will have a chance to show what he can do. But all of that will mean little if the Bulls’ losing streak continues.
“We’re going through a lot as a team,” Noah said. “[We’ve] lost some games, [and] we’re all very disappointed. When things get tough, we gotta stick together. A time like this usually brings a team together or it doesn’t.”
• BULLSContinued from page B1
AP photo
The Bulls’ Derrick Rose (left) and Joakim Noah sit on the bench during the fourth quarter of a game against the New York Knicks on Saturday in New York.
Late-bloomer Rasmussen makes it
For Davis and many more, their NBA Christmas debut awaits
Three times, Dennis Ras-mussen was eligible for the NHL draft. Three times, he heard from teams that were interested in selecting him. Three times, he thought he might get picked.
Three times, he went un-drafted.
“When you’re a young kid and your dream is to play in the NHL, of course, you’re a lit-tle bit disappointed,” Rasmus-sen said. “At the same time, it’s not over yet. You have to work even harder, and everything came pretty late for me. I just had to work harder.”
Better late than never.Rasmussen seemingly has
come from out of nowhere to become the answer the Hawks have been looking for at third-line center. In nine games since becoming the ninth Rockford player to get a shot with the Hawks this season, he has three goals and an assist and has formed a nice partner-ship with fellow big body Bry-an Bickell. And, as his tremen-dous one-man effort on a goal last week in Buffalo showed, the 6-foot-3, 205-pounder has more offensive skill and power than most realized.
“We didn’t envision the of-fense,” coach Joel Quenneville said. “We like how he’s playing overall, putting the puck in the net, and that line’s been effec-tive. It’s a bit surprising, but we’ve been pleased.”
Maybe it shouldn’t be a sur-prise. Rasmussen never took the easy way. Never had a choice, really.
After not being selected in the 2008, 2009 and 2010 drafts, Rasmussen spent one more season in the Swedish minor leagues before being promoted to the Elite League. After scor-ing 16 goals apiece in the 2012-13 and 2013-14 seasons, Ras-
mussen finally started drawing serious interest from the NHL.
He had multiple suitors, but the Hawks were among the most aggressive. The track record of successful Swedes in Chicago helped, and a re-cruiting pitch from country-
man David Rundblad put the Hawks over the top. Rasmus-sen signed with the Hawks in June 2014.
He was called up briefly as insurance during a West Coast trip last season, but he seemed buried under a host of other
prospects in organization. As Kyle Baun, Ryan Hartman, Vinnie Hinostroza and others got called up and quickly sent back down, Rasmussen did what he always has done: He waited and worked.
“You’re always pushing for
your chance to prove that you can play here,” Rasmussen said. “You’ve just got to battle hard – and even harder if you see a guy from Rockford going up. You see you might have a chance, too, if you’re playing good enough. You just have to be patient.”
All that patience and all work have paid off. While many of those other call-ups had only brief stints in the NHL, Ras-mussen appears poised to stay, especially in light of the wrist surgery that will sideline cen-ter Marcus Kruger for the rest of the regular season.
It has been a long road for Rasmussen. He’s already 25 years old, just two years younger than stalwart veter-ans Jonathan Toews and Pat-rick Kane. In fact, he has been waiting for the chance to put on a Hawks sweater for about 18 years.
Turns out Rasmussen saw his first Hawks game at the United Center when he was 7. In his lone visit to the United States, he, his dad and a friend flew to Chicago to catch a Hawks-Avalanche game and a Jordan-era Bulls game. Eigh-teen years later, he’s living out a dream.
It was all worth the wait.“To come back here and
play is just an awesome thing,” Rasmussen said.
BLACKHAWKS
NBA
AP file photo
The Blackhawks’ Dennis Rasmussen (left) celebrates his first NHL goal with teammates Andrew Shaw (center) and Trevor van Riemsdyk against the Nashville Predators on Dec. 8 at the United Center.
Next
Carolina Hurricanes at Blackhawks, 6 p.m. Sunday, WGN-TV, AM-720
By TIM REYNOLDS The Associated Press
MIAMI – Jrue Holiday grew up watching Christmas Day games, with his home-town Los Angeles Lakers al-most being an annual fixture in the NBA’s holiday lineup.
He’s never gotten to play on the holiday.
That is, until now.He’s not alone. Several
players will make their debut under the Christmas lights, including New Orleans star Anthony Davis – the reason why the Pelicans are on the Christmas schedule. Then there are some of the top rookies like Miami’s Justise Winslow and the Lakers’ D’Angelo Russell. And the wait may be over for veterans like the Clippers’ Josh Smith, Miami’s Gerald Green, the Lakers’ duo of Roy Hibbert and Lou Williams, all set to play on Christmas for the first time.
“We got Christmas Day because of Anthony,” Holi-day said. “I think everybody knows why. I’m not offended or anything by being passed over or whatever. But it’s pretty cool to play on Christ-
mas. Thank you, Anthony.”As many as 46 players
could make their Christ-mas debuts Friday, when the league’s holiday slate has New Orleans at Miami, Chicago at Oklahoma City, Cleveland at Golden State in an NBA Finals rematch, San Antonio at Houston and then the Clippers and Lakers meet-ing in Los Angeles.
For some like Kobe Bryant and Dwyane Wade, playing on Christmas is as much of a holiday tradition as pres-ents. Bryant will be in his 16th Christmas game – his Lakers haven’t had Dec. 25 off since 1998. Wade will play in his 11th Christmas matchup for the Heat, who are looking for their seventh consecutive win on the big day.
“I’m so damn happy about it,” Bryant said, “and so damn thankful for it.”
For others, like Cleve-land’s Richard Jefferson, this has been a long time coming: His only other Christmas spent on the court was 2002. But it’s a relatively safe bet that the widest-eyed players Friday will be those first ex-periencing the day in which the NBA dominates the sports
landscape.“It’s an honor,” Oklaho-
ma City coach Billy Donovan said.
Donovan remembers plen-ty of details from his only other involvement with the Christmas NBA slate. He was with the New York Knicks in 1987, playing seven min-utes and shooting 1-for-3 in a loss to Detroit. He left Madi-son Square Garden after the game, caught the train from Penn Station – under the arena – to Long Island to his aunt’s home for the family Christmas gathering.
When his Thunder play host to the Bulls on Friday, Donovan will actually be the coach with the edge in Christmas experience: Fred Hoiberg, in his first season coaching Chicago, spent parts of 10 seasons in the league as a player but never got in a Dec. 25 game.
“I think playing on Christ-mas Day is always an exciting time,” Donovan said.
Many of the league’s big-gest names are in this year’s lineup: LeBron James, Ste-phen Curry, Klay Thompson, Derrick Rose, Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook, Chris
Bosh, Dwight Howard, Tim Duncan, Tony Parker, Kyrie Irving, Chris Paul and La-Marcus Aldridge.
“It’s a fun day,” said Al-dridge, who hasn’t played on Christmas since 2010 and is in his first season with San An-tonio. “Everybody’s at home waiting for the games. It’s an honor to be on Christmas Day. I think everybody’s look-ing forward to it, for sure.”
Few are probably looking forward to it more than Da-vis. The start to the season has been dreadful for New Or-leans, but that won’t matter to him on Friday. He remem-bers being outvoted when he wanted to watch cartoons on Christmas as a kid, with family members keeping the television on the NBA games instead.
Now he’ l l be the one trumping the cartoons.
“We know all the hype around the Christmas Day games,” Davis said. “It’s kind of a big deal. ... Just love watching the games. The past couple of years you watch and I know we could be there. Now we’re finally here and we’ve got to do whatever we’ve got to do to win.”
AP photo
New Orleans Pelicans forward Anthony Davis drives to the basket against Portland Trail Blazers forward Meyers Leonard during the sec-ond half Wednesday in New Orleans. The Pelicans won, 115-89.
Daily Chronicle / Daily-Chronicle.com • Section B • Friday, December 25, 2015 • ADVICE & PUZZLES 5
Dr. Wallace: My younger brother and I live with our grandparents. I eat properly and am not overweight. My brother is allowed to eat any-thing and everything includ-ing lots of cookies and candy. The result is that he is very fat. I’ve talked to my grandma about this problem and she just always says “not to wor-ry” because my brother will shed some of his “baby fat” as he gets older and then he’ll be a normal weight. Is this true? I want him to be healthy. I am also sometimes embarrassed to have my friends see him, because he is a blimp! – Name-less, Monmouth, Illinois
Nameless: Grandma is mis-taken in assuming that your brother’s extra weight will vanish when he is older.
According to Dr. Pat Craw-ford, co-director of the Center
for Weight and Health at the University of California, obe-sity in childhood sets the stage for health problems well into adulthood, including Type 2 diabetes. Statistics show that up to 70 percent of obese 10- to 18-year-old children remain obese as adults. Unless healthy changes are made, overweight children become overweight adults.
While genetics play some role in being overweight, Dr. Crawford puts most of the blame on high-calorie, high-fat foods and too much time watching television or staring at a computer screen.
Overall, boys are more like-
ly to be overweight than girls. Schools are a part of both the problem and the solution. Many school districts have trimmed or eliminated physi-cal education. This, I believe, is a huge mistake!
Dr. Wallace: My best friend’s father made a pass at me when I was at their house. I was shocked and told him I wasn’t that kind of girl and immedi-ately left for home. The next day I told my friend what happened and she said it was no big deal because her father flirts with all pretty women. I said her father scared me and she said she would talk to him and have him apologize to me.
Now I’m really confused and don’t know what I should do. My best friend is the only one I’ve told. – Scared, Halifax, Nova Scotia
Scared: First, tell your par-
ents exactly what happened. They will know what should be done. Do not visit your friend’s house or talk with her father for any reason. Do not accept an apology.
Continue being friends with this girl, but do not bring up the issue of her father. Your best friend should not be blamed for the unacceptable behavior of a parent.
Dr. Wallace: No lectures about teenage drinking, just answer my question. Is it all right for a designated driver to carry out his duty if he has had some alcohol but is completely sober? – Nameless, Dallas, Texas
Nameless: Any amount of alcohol in a driver’s system will cause a drop in alertness to some degree. Therefore, designated drivers should never drive after consuming
alcohol in any amount.Dr. Richard Heyman,
chairman of the substance abuse committee of the Amer-ican Academy of Pediatrics, conducted a survey on teenage drinking. When it concerned designated drivers, nearly two-thirds of the participants between the ages of 16 and 19 said they always select a designated driver, but that 80 percent said they think it is all right for the designated driver to drink, just so long as he appears not to be intoxicated.
Now you are in the 20 percent who know that this is not acceptable. Be a good teen by informing your friends that the designated driver will never allow alcohol to pass through his lips!
Unborn daughter will be taught to ignore old ideas
Minor surgery needed to treat child’s ear infectionsQuestions come over the holiday
First of all, I wish all of my readers a very happy holiday season.
When you have a few min-utes – or more? – to spare, enter my annual Christmas Compe-tition.
1. South is in four hearts. West leads the diamond 10. How should South plan the play? Do not be influenced by these East-West hands. When the answer is given on January 22, they will change.
2. After East opens one diamond, suggest a bidding sequence.
3. Look only at the East hand. After opening one diamond, what should he rebid when West responds (a) one heart; (b) one spade; (c) one no-trump; (d) two clubs; (e) two no-trump, balanced, no four-card major, game-invitational; (f) three spades, a splinter bid showing good diamond support, at least game-going values and a singleton or void in spades.
4. Look only at the South hand. North opens one club, South responds one heart, and North rebids (a) one spade; (b) two diamonds; (c) two no-trump. What should South do now?
5. Look only at the West hand. South opens one no-trump (15-17), and North raises to three no-trump. What should West lead?
6. Look only at the North hand. South opens two hearts, a sane weak two-bid. What should North do?
Mail your entry to Phillip Alder, c/o Universal Uclick, 1130 Walnut Street, Kansas City, MO 64106 to arrive by January 20, 2016. Or e-mail it to [email protected].
Please take as read all of the usual disclaimers, and remem-ber this is primarily for fun.
Overweight children too often turn into overweight adults
Dear Abby: Over the years I have come to realize that my father-in-law is condescending toward women.
He expects his wife will do all the cooking, cleaning and housework despite the fact that she has a demanding, full-time job and he doesn’t work outside the home.
When we go to dinner over there, it is expected that the women will clean up and do the dishes while the men sit and talk at the table.
I have never seen him lift a finger to help, and he frequently makes demeaning comments about his wife’s cooking, among other things. He considers himself an expert on everything and frequently
interrupts people (mostly women) to prove he “knows better.” His behavior is rude and I am offended by it.
I am pregnant with my first child – a daughter – and I’m concerned about her growing up in this atmosphere. I don’t want her raised thinking that men know better than women and that women are supposed to wait on men. My husband doesn’t want to confront his father over this. How do we handle the situation? – First-class Citizen in Florida
Dear First-class: It appears your husband is as cowed by his father as your mother-in-law is or this wouldn’t be happening.
He could have put a stop to it years ago by simply getting up from the table and helping you and his mom clear the dishes while Dad kept himself company.
If you prefer your little girl not grow up in an atmosphere like this, see less of your in-laws.
Be sure to tell your MIL why. And if you “must” subject your daughter to her grandfather’s presence, point out to her that “Gramps” acts this way because his thinking is outdated. Explain that it is
his attempt to make himself feel important, even if he isn’t.
Dear Abby: While waiting for my chemotherapy to finish along with two other patients (all three of us have little time left), one of them made a comment about his wife. She was sitting next to him as a visitor, continuously using her cellphone. He said, “She always plays games or talks on her phone while I just sit here!” He looked so sad.
I understand, because my husband does the same thing and has for years. Yesterday morning my husband came out of the bedroom and said, “How are you this morning?” I turned around and asked, “Are you talking to me?” It
took a moment for me to real-ize he was actually addressing me and not someone on the other end of the phone. How sad! – Near the End
Dear Near: I agree that it’s sad. Your spouses will have the rest of their lives to regret the meaningful conversations they missed having, and the important things that were left unsaid because they were too busy hiding from reality on their cellphones.
To my readers: A very merry Christmas to you all!
• Write to Dear Abby at www.dearabby.com or P.O. Box 69440, Los Angeles, CA 90069.
Note to readers: This column is an update of one that origi-nally appeared in October 2012.
Dear Dr. K: My toddler gets frequent ear infections. His doctor wants me to consider surgery, but that seems much too aggressive to me. Am I wrong?
Dear Reader: I’m not sure what kind of surgery your pediatrician is recommending, but I’ll bet it involves putting in ear tubes. I’ll explain that below.
Ear infections are very com-mon and can make children miserable. Most go away and don’t cause problems, even without treatment. But a few can lead to complications, including more serious infec-
tions of the bone near the ear or even the brain.
Also, many ear infections in a child can lead to hearing loss. Often the hearing loss is tem-porary, but if it occurs when a child is learning to talk, it can make it difficult for the child to acquire language.
Ear infections are often caused by the failure of a little tube called the Eustachian tube to work as it should. All of us have this natural tiny tube, which connects the inner part of our ears to our nose. The Eustachian tube keeps the air
pressure in the ear the same as the pressure in the nose and the air around us.
However, in many young kids whose heads are growing, the tube can get twisted and partially blocked. Negative pressure forms in the ear, sucking bacteria that live in the nose up into the ear and causing an ear infection. Then, because the tube is partially blocked, the infection cannot drain out of the ear and into the nose.
If your child has had recur-ring or persistent infections, particularly if your son has hearing loss, minor surgery can protect him. The most common surgery is to insert tiny plastic tubes through the eardrum. These tubes essen-
tially do what the Eustachian tube should: They keep the pressure in the middle ear the same as in the air around the child, which reduces the tendency of infected fluid to get into the ear. Also, if an infection does develop, the infected ear fluid can drain into the outer ear and out of the body. The surgery is called a “myringotomy” (pronounced meer-in-GOT-a-me). It is quick, usually less than 15 minutes.
As with any surgery, there are risks, but they are mini-mal. Before the surgery, your son will be given medicines that make him temporarily very sleepy, and he won’t feel or remember the brief surgery. There is a small risk that the hole made in the eardrum
won’t heal, but this is rare and can be fixed. Most children go home once they’re awake and feel well enough to leave. Your child may be a bit groggy, cranky or nauseated from the medicines.
Most tubes fall out within a year or two, sometimes sooner. They are so tiny that they gen-erally slip out unnoticed. Rare-ly, they have to be removed.
It’s often OK if the tubes fall out, because as the child’s head grows, the Eustachian tube starts to work again. The little myringotomy tubes have served their purpose.
• Write to Dr. Komaroff at www.askdoctork.com or Ask Doctor K, 10 Shattuck St., Sec-ond Floor, Boston, MA 02115.
Phillip Alder
BRIDGE
Jeanne Phillips
DEAR ABBY
Robert Wallace
’TWEEN12 & 20
Anthony L.Komaroff
ASK DR. K
By EUGENIA LASTNewspaper Enterprise Association
TODAY – Put your heart and soul into everything you do. Your accomplishments will be great if you listen to your heart, but you must be practical about whatever adjustments you make. Focus on love, stability and a lifestyle that promotes a safe and secure environment.
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) – Make today special for all those you love. A kind gesture or thoughtful dialogue will help you understand the trials your friends or relatives are experiencing. Romance is in the stars.
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) – Bring about positive change. If you show confidence and take action, you will grab everyone’s attention with your innovative intelligence and fortitude. A gift or offer will surprise you.
PISCES (Feb. 20-March 20) – You will reminisce about what’s transpired this year. Keep busy entertaining or contributing to the festivities going on around you in order to lift your spirits. Something special is heading your way.
ARIES (March 21-April 19) – Don’t judge others. A softer outlook will help you get along with difficult people. Focus on the ones you love, not the ones who try your patience.
TAURUS (April 20-May 20) – Your openness and sincerity will bring you closer to a friend or relative. A special offering will come your way from someone you love. A romantic gesture is encouraged.
GEMINI (May 21-June 20) – The gift of love, a token of your appreciation and the initiating of positive personal change should highlight your day. Moderation will help make this day even better.
CANCER (June 21-July 22) – An unusual surprise will turn out to be the best gift ever. Good news will highlight your day. Romance is in the stars, and special plans for two should be made.
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22) – You can’t please everyone all the time. Don’t let your generosity be taken advantage of. Personal chang-es will bring the best returns. Don’t feel that you have to buy love.
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) – You’ll leave a lasting impression at family gatherings. Your intelligence will shine through and your thoughtful, practical gestures will be admired. A romantic gesture will bring you closer to someone you love.
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23) – Emotions will mount due to family dilemmas or separations. You may have to be apart from the people you really want to be with. Be positive and make the best of your situation.
SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 22) – You can make a difference. Offering your services, visiting an elder in the family or setting aside time to nurture an important relationship will bring you the greatest joy.
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 23-Dec. 21) – Stick to what you can afford, and don’t overdo it when eating or drinking. Restraint and discipline will be necessary. Offering your services and doing your share of the work will ensure positive feedback.
HOROSCOPE CROSSWORDSUDOKU
COMICS • Friday, December 25, 2015 • Section B • Daily Chronicle / Daily-Chronicle.com6
First United Methodist Church of DeKalb started a new project this year making painted wooden Christmas ornaments.
Youth of the church will deliver them to local police, firefighters and residents in the DeKalb County Nursing Home.
Wood for the project was donated and prepared by Dave Smith, a member of the con-gregation who is a profession-al wood crafter. The idea for this project originated with Smith, Sue Garlish and Nancy Melms.
Garlish said they wanted to ”take advantage of Dave’s love of woodworking and his desire to serve,” as one way of fulfilling FUMC’s mission to “Live Christ’s Presence through Love and Service.”
Dave Smith brought wood-
en squares, with the outline of shapes for the ornaments to the church along with his scroll saw. Children, youth,
adults and seniors gathered on several evenings to make the ornaments.
Smith taught willing youth
to operate the scroll saw and oversaw their work, while others did the painting.
Members of the community are always welcome to join the FUMC in fellowship and
especially in Sunday morning worship at 9 a.m. and 10:45 a.m.
First United Methodist Church is located at the cor-ner of Fourth and Oak streets
and is handicapped accessible with nursery service avail-able during worship. All are welcome.
For information, call the church office at 815-756-6301.
Photos provided
Dave Smith of First United Methodist Church of DeKalb helps a youth use his scroll saw to cut a wooden ornament. The ornaments were painted and will be distributed to local firefighters and police, as well as residents of DeKalb County Nursing Home.
Mary Ann Christensen of First United Methodist Church of DeKalb, along with other adults and youth, painted wooden ornaments to be distributed to local firefighters and police, as well as residents of DeKalb County Nursing Home.
Photo provided
Sycamore Middle School has named its Students of the Month for November. The sixth-grade students are Ashley Olson, Mitchel Edwards, Alexia Corn and Tyler York. The seventh-grade students are Melissa Lerohl, Kyle Horn, Teyah Sahin and Jacob Reidl. The eighth-grade students are Charlotte Sylvia, Kaylah Clemens, McKayla Montani and Kelsey Mulligan.
SMS November students of the month Christmas in Kirkland contest winners listed
DAILY CHRONICLE
Christmas in Kirkland, sponsored by the Kirkland Chamber of Commerce and KishHealth System, took place Dec. 12 at Alpine Bank.
Attendees visited with Santa, enjoyed music by the Hiawatha Jazz Band, and rode the horse and wagon around the town.
Various contests were held during the event. The winning art and essays will be displayed at Alpine Bank until Jan. 4. They are:
Christmas In Kirkland Art Contest
Kindergarten: Mikayla Ford
First grade: Mika Dren-non
Second grade: Claire
BingamanThird grade: Nelly Delville
Christmas In Kirkland Essay Contest
Fourth grade: Jordan Knasiak
Fifth grade: Bryce Over-ton
Sixth grade: Annalea Taylor
Seventh grade: Emalee Thompson
Eighth grade: Alexis Brokaw
Home Decorating Contest
First place: Kim HuguninSecond place: Greg
JimndrichThird place: Dan FisherFourth place: Catherine
and Mike WelchFifth place: Michele
Burger
Photo provided
The Illinois State University AcaFellaz recently performed at DeKalb High School.
ISU AcaFellaz visits DeKalb HSDAILY CHRONICLE
The Illinois State University AcaFellaz recently performed at DeKalb High School, and reminded listeners of the hit-movie “Pitch Perfect” as they sang “Iscariot,” by Walk The Moon.
The a cappella group stopped by DHS as part of its tradition of touring local high schools to perform for students during the Thanksgiving season.
“We sing not only to perform, but it en-riches our own lives. It excites people about a cappella because it is a growing activity,” Eric Changnon said in a news release. Changnon is
a DHS alumnus and four-year member of the AcaFellaz. He also was involved in musical activities during high school.
The AcaFellaz are preparing to participate in the Intercollegiate A Cappella Varsity Vocals competition that will be held in Janu-ary. If selected as finalists, they will have the opportunity to compete during the final round in New York City.
DeKalb High School inspires students to explore music as well. Every year, the school hosts a one-day conference on behalf of the Illinois Music Educator’s Association. This year, 85 schools participated in the conference and 2,000 people attended.
School awards student artistsDAILY CHRONICLE
In recognition of the National Parent-Teacher Association Reflections pro-gram, the students of Gwen-dolyn Brooks Elementary in DeKalb were encouraged to submit their artwork for the chance to be honored for their creativity.
Out of 12 entries, students Ellison Xu, Gianna Gooden and Erra Sanderson-Haque were the top three students whose artwork received the highest scores. Each student had a choice of submitting entries for the visual arts or literature categories to reflect the National PTA’s “Let Your Imagination Fly” theme.
Gianna’s poem, titled “Fly Away Imagination,” won the first place award in the liter-ature category intermediate division. Ellison’s “A Brand New Day” received the first place award in the visual arts category intermediate division. Erra’s “The Dragon
Comes Back” received the first place award within the visual arts, primary division.
As an added award, each students’ art will be consid-ered at the PTA regional level. The top eight students within the region will have their art pieces judged at the
state level at Millikin Univer-sity. From there, the art of state finalists will be con-sidered at the PTA national level. National winners will be announced in May 2016, and have the opportunity to receive scholarships for their artwork.
Photo provided
Gwendolyn Brooks Elementary students Ellison Xu (left), Gianna Good-en (right) and Erra Sanderson-Haque were the top three winners in an art contest for the National Parent-Teacher Association Reflections program.
The DeKalb Public Library is closed for six weeks. On Dec. 4, the library officially took ownership of the new addition. Library Board President Virginia Cassidy was given the keys by Brett Johnson, general manager from Pepper Construction.
Photo provided
DeKalb library takes ownership of addition
FUMC offers community meal Dec. 27DAILY CHRONICLE
Throughout the year, First United Methodist Church of DeKalb serves a free communi-ty meal at 5 p.m. on the fourth Sunday of each month. All who are in need of a good meal, friendship or hope are invited.
The REAL (Relevant Engag-ing, Authentic Loving) meals offer delicious homemade dinners served family style. Boy Scout Troop 4, sponsored by FUMC, are faithful volun-teers who serve the meals. The December meal will be Dec. 27.
Following the dinner, there
will be an optional, informal worship opportunity.
The church is at the corner of Fourth and Oak streets, with the handicapped entrance being the second entrance on Fourth Street (Door 4).
For information, call the church office at 815-756-6301.
