Chicago Tribune from Chicago, Illinois • Page 2-4

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4959 W.North Ave. Chicago By Gary Washburn TRIBUNE REPORTER Mayor Richard Daley dumped cold water Tuesday on the notion of altering Wrigley landmark status and said proponents face a hard sell pitching a financing plan that would use local sales-tax revenue to help pay for the renovation. Without flatly ruling out easing landmark restrictions to make way for a Wrigley rehab, Daley said the park is and its special status came a few years ago because wanted were concessions on both sides, both the city and the Chicago the mayor said. of a sudden they want to change that. Why do they want to change it? What Wrigley Field, the Chicago Cubs and the Chicago Tribune are owned by Tribune Co.

Tribune Co. put the Cubs up for sale last year as part of an $8.2 billion deal by billionaire businessman Sam Zell to take the company private. Zell has been seeking to maximize value by finding a purchaser for the team while separatelyseeking a sale of Wrigley to the Illinois Sports Facilities Authority. Proponents of selling Wrigley to the state have argued relaxing the landmark designation is necessary to renovate the aging park. Zell has stirred controversy with another proposal to sell naming rights to the stadium.

Diverting any sales-tax revenue to a Wrigley fix, as supporters have proposed, would deprive the city of money it needs, making that proposition challenging and difficult to Daley said. And, the mayor asserted, there are more important things for government to deal with than a Cubs overture to increase the number of night games at the ballpark. is not one of my priorities, he said. is a side issue about In wide-ranging comments at a South Side news conference, Daley also said Gov. Rod plan to raze a classroom building on the Northern Illinois University campusthat was the scene of a fatal shooting spree last month would set terrible With an unfortunate series of shootings on school campuses nationwide, it would be unfeasible to tearing buildings down and rebuilding them the mayor said.

The $40 million it would take to develop a replacement for Cole Hall should be put into educational initiatives into tearing a building he said. Daley said it was the ability of the shooter to obtain guns that led to the tragedy on the DeKalb campus. And the mayor, who has begun his annual push to pass gun control legislation in Springfield, also blamed easy access to firearms for a series of shootings in Chicago in the last few days that have left four young people dead and several others wounded. In some of the shootings, victims and offenders knew one another, but confrontations turned lethal because is carrying Daley said. we need is stronger gun as simple as Daley also defended the Cook County Board for its recent approval of a 1 percentage point increase in the sales tax to fill a budget gap.

you have the state government giving less money and the federal government absent in regard to rebuilding American cities, you have to make tough said Daley, whose brother John is the Finance Committee chairman and voted for the increase. When the county increase becomes effective, overall sales tax will stand at 10.25 percent, the highest of any major city in the country. But Daley said not worried people will go to the suburbs to buy big-ticket items. Convenience will trump the high tax, he said. Daley: Wrigley to remain landmark Mayor dubious of plan for tax-funded rehab By Matthew Walberg TRIBUNE REPORTER Plainfield police said Tuesday that returning guns and vehicles seized from a Will County husband in the investigation of his disappearance would hurt their efforts.

On Tuesday, Will County Judge Amy Bertani-Tomc- zakscheduled for April 2a hearing on a motion by Craig Stebic seeking the return of his car and truck, along with about two dozen firearms that have been held by police since last year. had these items for over nine months, and time for him to get his property said at- torney, George Lenard. Lisa Stebic, 37, was last seen at the Plainfield home on April 30. Police have said the missing mother of two was likely a victim of foul play and have called her husband a of in the case. Stebic denies any involvement in his disappearance and has not been charged with any crime.

A spokesman for the office declined to comment on the motion, but Plainfield Police Chief Donald Bennett said the investigation could suffer if police do not retain possession of the items. property was taken as part of a search warrant, and his attorney is basically indicating that had nine months, so we ought to be able to find all the evidence we Bennett said. difference is that in this case, Lisa Stebic is still missing. The cause of her death is unknown, and if an item that we have to give back before been determined, that to me is not in the best interest of our Arguments on motion will be heard before Judge Richard Schoenstedt, who recently ordered state police to return property seized from Drew Peterson as part of their investigation into the Oct. 28 disappearance of his wife, Stacy Peterson.

In that case, prosecutors were able to get the state police to revoke firearm permit before his guns could be returned to him. Assistant Atty. John Connor told Schoen- stedt last month that if he or- dered police to return the former Bolingbrook police cars, guns and other items, Stebic will be in here tomorrow trying to get his stuff Tribune photo by John Smierciak time for him to get his property says George Lenard (above), attorney for Craig Stebic. Cops: Returning guns, vehicles to Stebic could hurt inquiry By Kristen Kridel TRIBUNE REPORTER Prosecutors announced Tuesday that the state will seek the death penalty for a Chicago man accused of killing his ex-girlfriend and leaving her naked body in Calumet City. Reginald Potts 31, was charged in December with the murder of Nailah Franklin, 28, a pharmaceutical representative from the Near South Side reported missing more than a week before her badly decomposed body was found late September.

Cook County Assistant Atty. Maria McCarthy said two factors qualify capi- tal punishment. First, Franklin was killed during the commission of a felony. In addition to murder, Potts is charged with robbery, kidnapping and vehicular hijacking. Second, the slaying was committed in a and or premeditated, manner, she said.

In Circuit Judge Thomas Gainer courtroom Tuesday, private attorney Robert Johnson said he would be taking on the case. Later that day, Johnson said he decided to represent Potts after his family approached him. Potts had considered representing himself. just seem like the type of person who would do Johnson said. Although prosecutors have said Potts was caught lurking around residence the nights leading up to her disappearance, Johnson said his client was trying to break off his relationship with Franklin.

State seeks death penalty in 2007 slaying of Chicago woman Product: CTMETRO PubDate: 03-05-2008 Zone: Edition: HD Page: 2-4 User: gajohnson Time: Color:.