Chicago Tribune from Chicago, Illinois • Page 4-1

SECTION 4 SUNDAY CHICAGOLAND INSIDE Obama and the iPhone, heavily marketed entities, moving through similar stages ERIC ZORN, PAGE 2 Mary Schmich has the day off. By Ray Long and Jeffrey Meitrodt Tribune staff reporters than six weeks into an overtime legislative session, Gov. Rod Blagojevich and lawmakers may be further apart on a new state budget deal than when they started. Statehouse stalemates often have to reach a low point before negotiators find a way out. The question at the Capitol these days is: When will the leading Democrats stop the political face-slapping and start the face-saving that must be part of a final agreement? The key protagonists remain Blagojevich, who is seeking a broad expansion of health care and a major infusion of school funding with the support of Senate President Emil Jones, and House Speaker Michael Madigan, a fellow Chicago Democrat whose opposition to the large- scale spending plans has won him allies among Republicans in both chambers.

During the last week, Blagojevich ratcheted up his criticism of Madigan, culminating in a charge that the speaker, the chairman of the Illinois Democratic Party, is really a Republican in the mold of President Bush. But in an extraordinary budget summit Saturday behind closed doors in a ballroom at the mansion that was packed with as many as 60 lawmakers from both parties, Ma- digan asked Blagojevich to tone down the rhetoric. simply called upon the governor to stop the personal insults that he is leveling at Madigan said. simply told him that I think it accomplishes anything to be attacking me personally, help what trying to do with the The governor refused to back down, said Sen. Mike Jacobs (D- East Moline), saying the two powerful Democrats stood next to each other as they parried words.

was high Jacobs said. all Blagojevich said. a healthy, honest plea came after a House free-for-all during which frustrated lawmakers suggested that the governor should be impeached and others questioned his sanity. Frustrated by the lack of progress, Rep. Joe Lyons (D-Chicago) called the governor a and urged reporters to Budget talks hit low point PLEASE SEE BUDGET, PAGE5 Madigan to governor: Tone down rhetoric By Steve Schmadeke Special to the Tribune Police and Lisa relatives had expected 200 volunteers to help search a state park for the Plainfield woman who has been missing for more than two months.

They were stunned when more than 700 people showed up in the heat and humidity Saturday to scour most of the acre Silver Springs State Fish and Wildlife Area on foot, horseback and all- terrain vehicles. overwhelming. really touched the said Melanie Greenberg, cousin. Police on Saturday released a description of what Stebic was believed to be wearing when she was last blue sweat pants, a white T-shirt and size the search failed to turn up any clues, said Plainfield Deputy Police Chief Mark Eiting. Searchers also were told to look for a dark-colored Bebe purse or a silver or gray cell phone.

More than 660 volunteers were joined by 75 professionals, in what Eiting said were the most searchers for a case involving Will County investigators. search included investigators from 12 police agencies. Among the volunteers was Plano resident Dave Gawne, 700-plus search park for woman Hunt yields no new clues, officials say PLEASE SEE SEARCH, PAGE5 Lisa Stebic By Mary Ann Fergus Tribune staff reporter Before the first piece of cloth is cut and sewn, before she adds the lace, before the curtain ever opens, Benita Medina imagines how the twirling skirts of gold, green and magenta will come alive on stage. The seamstress designs Mexican folk dancing costumes in her mind as she washes dishes or makes enchiladas in her tiny basement apartment in the Back of the Yards the first step of an artistic journey that carries her back to her roots. folkloric, like living in Mexico for Medina says in Spanish.

Medina, 53, is among a handful of seamstresses in Chicago who make costumes for the dozen or so local Mexican dance companies. Without them, many of these small dance troupes perform. terms of the importance in the community, they play a major role because what doing is preserving our said Jorge Valdivia, director of performing arts at the National Museum of Mexi- The pageantry of Mexican folk dancing, for one Chicago-based troupe, begins at the hands of Benita Medina, who takes inspiration from the dances and from the dresses and people of her childhood Tribune photos by Abel Uribe Erika Gomez and other members of the Chicago-based Mexican Dance Ensemble rehearse in colorful skirts created for them by seamstress Benita Medina. Seamstress Benita Medina talks with a Mexican Dance Ensemble member dressed in one of her costumes. work sewn from fabric of her life PLEASE SEE COSTUMES, PAGE2 By Emma Graves Fitzsimmons and Lisa Black Tribune staff reporters Afourfold increase this year in Lake Michigan beach closings in the Chicago area has city officials and ecological experts pondering the cause of elevated E.

coli levels. High temperatures, a few periods of excessive rain and sea gull waste may have contributed to the closings and a dozen additional advisory alerts, said Michelle Jones, a spokeswoman for the Chicago Park District. Though rain totals were down last month, there were a few heavy rains near the lakefront, including a downpour at the end of June that caused hundreds of basements to flood. most likely reason is due to the rain been said Laurel the Great Lakes campaign coordinator for the Natural Resources Defense Council. runoff is the No.

1 reason for beach There have been 14 closings at Chicago beaches this summer, compared with three during the same period last year. The number of advisory alerts, which featurea yellow flag to indicate ahigher risk of illness but allow beaches to stay open, has risen to 41 this year from 25 last year. On Saturday, five Chicago beaches were closed as temperatures soared to 93 degrees At some Chicago area beaches, there has been an increase in red flags, which prohibit people from swimming. Flags go into effect based on bacteria levels and weather conditions. SWIM BANSSWIM-BAN ALERT FLAGS Beach off i i als wave the red flag Sources: Chicago Park District, Tribune reportingChicago Tribune Swimming is permitted Reading: Well under 235 Advisory Higher risk of illness may be present.

Reading: Between 235 and 1,000 Ban Serious risk of illness may be present. Reading: Over 1,000 Lake Michigan readings are in counts of bacterial colonies that have formed per 100 milliliters of water. Chicago Winnetka Lake County 2007 2006 2007 2006 2007 2006 3 14 13 9 32 48 Note: For 2007, data for Chicago are from May 25-July data for Winnetka and Lake County are for June. As beach closings soar, officials ask why Tribune photo by David Trotman-Wilkins Justin Fabiani, 6, of Waukegan get enough water at Lake beach on Friday. Heat, rain, sea gulls can lift E.

coli levels PLEASE SEE BEACH, PAGE5 By Jon Yates Tribune staff reporter When two property tax bills arrived at Anne Bucktown home last summer, she thought nothing of it. For reasons she has never understood, her next-door tax bill has been sent to her house for more than a decade. It had never been a problem; she simply paid her own bill and ignored the second letter. But last summer, in a weak ready for work while caring for her young opened the wrong envelope, wrote a check for $3,857.34 and sent it in. It until December that she figured out her mistake.

She called the Cook County office, which confirmed she had paid her taxes, not hers. In fact, the call taker said, her taxes were actually $350 cheaper. All she had to do, she was told, was fill out an application to transfer the tax payment from her account to hers, then fill out another application to be refunded the $350. Kroemer said that over the next six months she called the YOUR PROBLEM? NOT GETTING RESULTS? WE CAN HELP. Paying tax bill gets sticky PLEASE SEE PROBLEM, PAGE2 Product: CTMETRO PubDate: 07-08-2007 Zone: ALL Edition: BDOG Page: CMETRO1-1 User: rbishop Time: Color: CMYK.