I’m Zayna, your newsletter editor, here to provide you with a weekly line to The North Star and the news. We’ll keep you updated about what’s going on right here in Naperville and break down the big stories. Remember to check out On the Record and Polaris recipes!
Let’s take a look at this week’s local stories:
Chicago Public Schools closes schools to encourage vaccination against Covid-19.
In a letter sent out to parents and families on Nov. 4, Chicago Public Schools (CPS) announced that they would be closing schools on Friday, Nov. 12, to encourage younger students to get vaccinated. This “Vaccination Awareness Day” was announced after the Center for Disease Control and Prevention cleared the Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine for children ages five to 11.
- Mayor Lori Lightfoot also announced that all city employees, including CPS teachers, will have two hours of paid time off so that they can get their children vaccinated on Nov. 12.
- Officials believe school closures overall are a good opportunity for parents and guardians to have children vaccinated. CPS has encouraged parents to talk with their doctors to set up appointments or to reach out to local pharmacies to get children vaccinated.
- Officials have acknowledged that the unexpected day off could pose problems for child care for families. As a result, both the Museum of Science and Industry as well as Shedd Aquarium will be offering free admission to CPS students and families. Park district facilities will have activities for children to participate in on the day off as well.
Naperville teens were charged following a threat at Naperville Central High School.
Following a threat made against Naperville Central High School on Oct. 19, two Naperville teens have been charged with felony disorderly conduct.
- The teens are 15 and 16 years old, and both are male. Their charge is a Class Four penalty, meaning the teens could face fines of up to $25,000.
- As the teenagers are being processed through DuPage County’s juvenile court system, no further information about the threat or the progress of the case has been released.
- This marks the fourth District 203 threat this year, including Sept. 22 and Oct. 15 threats against Naperville North High School.
- The Naperville Police Department urges anyone with any information about a possible threat to contact police immediately and advises parents to talk to their children about the serious implications of making threats towards schools.
In NNHS news...
Now, let's take a look at what's going on nationally.
Victims of the Astroworld music festival include two Napervillians.
Franco Patino and Jacob Jurinek, two best friends who graduated from Neuqua Valley High School, were among the eight victims who died at the Astroworld music festival last Friday. Their families released official confirmation of their passing on Sunday, just days after Patino and Jurinek travelled to Houston for the festival.
Who was Franco Patino?
- Graduating from NVHS in 2018, Patino was an undergraduate student studying mechanical engineering technology at the University of Dayton. With a passion for helping those with mobility issues, he also minored in human-movement biomechanics.
- Patino’s decision to pursue engineering and biomechanics was ultimately influenced by his desire to help his mother, who lost most of her mobility after getting into a car accident in 2019. According to Patino’s father, Julio Patino Sr., he was able to free his mother from the wreckage after breaking a door in.
- A statement made by the Patino family reveals that he worked in research and development for an engineering co-op in Mason, Ohio before he died.
Who was Jacob Jurinek?
- Graduating from NVHS in 2019, Jurinek was a junior at Southern Illinois University in Carbondale pursuing art and media. He was also a graphic arts and media intern in the athletic department, and hoped to make a business out of his graphic designs.
- Dubbed “Big Jake” by his younger cousins, Jurinek dedicated himself to his family. The passing of his mother, Alison, in 2011 was said to bring him and his father even closer together.
- Jurinek’s family states that Jurinek and his father were inseparable after his mother died. The two would attend White Sox and Blackhawks games together, shared their love of professional wrestling, and spent weekends with extended family in Southwest Michigan.
Described to be as close as “brothers”, Patino and Jurinek had been best friends since elementary school. The two attended high school together, and were teammates on the NVHS football team. Along with football, both were on the NVHS rugby and wrestling teams. John Chevalier, head coach of the Neuqua Wildcats rugby team, describes Patino and Jurinek as a pair who were consummate teammates, humble and conscientious.
23-year-old Izel Ayala and her sister, 19-year-old Ruby Ayala, were among the last to see Patino and Jurinek alive. Jurinek, who discovered that the event was the sisters’ first hip-hop concert, took it upon himself to keep an eye out for them and ensure their safety. Ayala accredits him for being one of the main reasons that she and her sister were able to leave the venue alive, saying: “If we would have just switched positions or if we were just in his position, we would have gone the same path to death. That would have been us."
Once Patino and Jurinek’s families hold their own funeral services, students, staff and alumni will be invited to honor the two friends at a shared memorial service.
Check out this article from the Associated Press to learn more about Patino, Jurinek and the other six victims of the crowd surge at Astroworld.
This week’s news was written by Zea, Jack and Bella
Photo credit to CBS Chicago