Notebook

By: Elsie Sy-Niebar

 

*Three ‘Respectful Young Filipinos’ offered help to Rosie Reed to start her car, then robbed her two Canon cameras worth $15.000+ and her purse with all her most important infos. Rosie is Via Times official Photographer.

*”I love the Filipinos, they are very happy people. Be proud of it,.. you have a place under the sun,” Cook County Treasurer MARIA PAPPAS inspired the Filipino audience. She is CFAA Hall id Fame Awardee as “FRIEND of THE FILIPINO,” nominated by this Columnist.

*Chicago Mayor Lightfood and Chicago Superintendent of Police Eddie Johnson snubbed President Trump by not attending jos meeting with the Internationals Chiefs of Police, BY Don Azarias, Guest Political Commentator

*Politicians, regardless of their race, political parties, etc., should be the people’s role models to give due “proverbial respect” to their fellow leaders, more so, to the President of the United States of America!

As the long program jolly- evening-soiree celebrating the 2019 CHICAGO FILIPINO/ASIAN AMERICAN HALL OF FAME was coming to an end..less dancing with cameras busy flashing particularly CANON SUPER POWER Camera like ROSIE REED’s, Via Times official photographer. One by one, the people split while some of us, with Cook County Maria Pappas, were having a ball doing the line dance with the “young ones” on the dance floor. I nominated Cook County Treasurer Pappas as “Friend of the the Filipino” on account of her closeness to our community. Since I was not feeling good the whole time, later I hitched a ride home with my kind Sister/Friend Ella Basilio. I was coughing and feverish. I did not eat my dinner. Just left it on the table. My appetite was ZERO.

Morning after the HOF wing ding was one of the rarest mornings I did not go to church. I could not get up even to make my coffee. My part-time Caregivers don’t work on weekends. Then friend Rosie Reed called. I thought she was going to give me some pictures. No. She gave me BIG BAD NEWS! Her purse “with her everything in it” were stolen and the BIG bad news: Her S13,000+ worth Canon Camera and another old camera, was also stolen. And worse yet! Her purse was gone, too! Women’s life in it! I felt so pretty bad for Rosie. Looks like she just lost her whole house to “THREE YOUNG FILIPINO, so respectful in Tagalog and were helping her getting her car started” Rosie told me spiced with regrets…

This is her story: After the Hall of Fame gala event at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Rosemont, IL, last Nov. 9, Rosie got on her car and took the “short-cut” going home, where not everyone goes unless they are used to this area. She exited through River Road when a white jeep Cherokee followed her with three young Filipinos and a Hispanic-looking young man inside. They followed her through North River Rd until she felt there’s something wrong with her tire. So she stopped, found out she had a flat tire. Then the young Filipino guys calling her“Ate”, a respectful Filipino way of addressing older ladies. “Ate, can we help you?”they politely asked her.

“Wow”! She thought those young men were heaven-sent. Ang babait. So Respectful and behaved like typical true Filipino, disciplined young men She stopped and the boys called the Triple A service for her. Of course, she left her driver’s side door open while they went through the back of her car. Rosie didn’t mind what they were doing in her car. She trusted them like her sons. Later, the young man who was trying to help her said, Ate, sandali na lang at nandito na ang Triple A. Pwede ng iwanan namin kayo. (“Ma’m, in a matter of minutes Triple A will be here. We can leave you now.) Rosie wholeheartedly thanked them and they drove away in a white Cherokee jeep: three young Filipinos sporting long and short curly hair and one Hispanic- looking young man. After they left, two guys stopped and also tried to offer help her. Rosie refused. kindly, In fact, Rosie remembered having met the other young man at one anniversary party she covered not long time ago. In a friendly gesture, Rosie reminded him. He smiled and both drove away.

But… when Rosie got inside her car, it seemed like the world caved in! The seats were completely cleaned up. Her big purse with everything in it, and two expensive cameras were all gone. Good thing, her cellphone was with her. She called the police. Crying bitterly, while explaining to the Police officers what happened during the robbery in the guise of kindness to help her, Rosie did not tell the Cops that the shenanigans who robbed her were fellow Filipinos “kasi nakakahiya at nakasira sa atin na mga Filipinos”) it was shameful on behalf of the Filipinos, Rosie explained to this writer. How nice of you, Rosie! Standing up to defend our racial reputation, in America, against the evil ones.

While she was explaining to the Cops her sad encounter with the “friendly robbers” (and Filipinos at that???) sympathetic officer told her. “Don’t cry. Be happy they didn’t harm you. Your safety is more important than what you’ve lost.”

So, friends, especially Rosie’s loving customers among us, mga Kababayans, let us pray for Rosie and even for a miracle for the return of her lost expensive cameras! Her livelihood. God is great Rosie. HE will find you the Way. His Way.

While this is a very difficult thing to say, what happened to our Kababayan Rosie in the hands of Kababayan Pinoys is seemingly unbelievable, for sure Rosie’s experience will not hinder our Sisterly/ Brotherly trust to our Kababayans? Specially those we really don’t know that close. Satan never sleeps.

WE ALL CAN LEARN FROM our dear KAPATID ROSIE’s tragic experience in the hands of our fellow Kapatid (Brothers) Filipinos. The good Lord will gift you with more blessings this Christmas, Rosie. Take it easy. May those “good Pinoys” turned bad realize the pains they give you and regret what they did. Amen.

However, dear Via Times readers… we hope you will all learn a lesson from Rosie’s sad experience… without prejudices to our Filipino brothers and sisters. Let’s just be more careful and be more cautious.

CHICAGO SNUBS PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP (By Don Azarias, guest Political Commentator)

The problem reared its ugly head when President Donald Trump, a Republican, came to the City of Chicago in the State of Illinois – which are both Democratic Party’s strongholds – to address the International Association of the Chiefs of Police at McCormick Place on October 22, 2019. No state, county and city officials – as a matter of common courtesy and deference to the office of the presidency – showed up to welcome or, at least, greet the President of the United States upon his arrival. The governor, J. B. Pritzker, the mayor, Lori Lightfoot and the police superintendent, Eddie Johnson and Cook County President Toni Preckwinkle decided that their hatred for Trump must supersede their magnanimity as public officials simply because Trump belongs to a different political party. Hopefully, these officials are also not blaming Trump for the Chicago Teachers Union strike, otherwise, that would be a complete travesty.

One of the reasons why I have always admired the former Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley is because of his big-heartedness as a public official. Daley, who came from a family of Democratic Party stalwarts had shown his benevolence as a public official when he personally welcomed President George W. Bush when he visited Chicago on July 7, 2006. Daley gave Bush a dinner reception followed by a tour of the Museum of Science and Industry.

Again, In 2010, Daley replicated his graciousness by receiving Bush with open-arms when the former president again visited the city. Bush was very much overwhelmed by Daley’s generosity that he called Chicago the “best-run city in America” due to Daley’s leadership. And Daley responded “brilliantly” by thanking the president for his decision to protect the Chicago’s Sears Tower (now Willis Tower) that was threatened by terrorists after the 9/11 attacks that brought down the New York Twin Towers resulting in the death of more than 3,000 people.

Let me ask you this question: What do Atlantic City, Baltimore, Baton Rouge, Camden, Chicago, Cleveland, Detroit, Gary, Los Angeles, Milwaukee, Newark, New Orleans, Oakland, Philadelphia, St. Louis among other major U.S. cities have in common? Your guess is right. They are considered the most dangerous cities in the nation and are run by Democrats and are Democratic strongholds.

Then, why in the world are the Democrats and those socalled “bleeding heart liberals” blaming Trump and the Republicans and even the NRA for all the violent crimes happening in the United States?

Let us not forget the socalled “Golden State” of California where homeless people live, eat, piss and shit in the streets of San Francisco. Heck, it looks worse than cities in third world countries. And to what party do those political leaders of that state and city belong? Your guess is right again – the Democratic Party politics there will always be a problem with regard to protocol and decorum when the nation’s president and the state and city officials belong to different political parties.

Maybe Pritzker, Lightfoot, Preckwinkle, Johnson and those Democrat political leaders, throughout the nation, should listen to what Trump has to say about law and order.

What other nations say about our beautiful Chicago? President Trump, in his speech at McCormick said:“All over the world they’re talking about Chicago. Afghanistan is a safer place by comparison.” Not true as a statement of fact, but gun violence is one of Chicago’s great tragedies. You wake up reading about some 3-yr-old babies killed in a neighborhood shooting. “Bloody and Brazen” are the metaphors earned by Chicago from writers with poetic justice. Talking about the absence of Chicago Police Supt. Johnson, the President said they could have discussed this.

“We need the President’s help to solve these killings everyday,” said someone from the crowd.

The President said he wants to help: “We’re waiting for a call from Chicago, because there’s no place we would rather help than Chicago.” He added in his speech. But no one came. Not even the mayor. And not even the Police Superintendent! God bless Chicago.

The “personal numbness” shown by Chicago towards THE FIRST VISIT OF PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP — is BELIEVABLY FREEZING IN CHICAGO’S WINTER. It shows the numbness of the politicians in Chicago towards President Trump??? Why? What did he do? He ran for President against odds. And WON! And here he is. Back to Chicago …this time as PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA? Duly ELECTED BY THE PEOPLE. And why is he being snubbed by the people especially by the Democrats? Why don’t our politicians give him An honorable Welcome as the Elected by the People President of the UNITED STATES of America? Some of them have been sitting too long in their chairs and may vacate their chairs soon. What have they accomplished so far? Ok. Forget it.. Trump is only a beginner. Please… let us give him a chance by supporting his vision. A vision which works. As shown by his Trump Tower. Not perfect. But it’s here in Chicago. A place most dreamer Dream of being inside the “President’s Tower one day.” Don’t we all dream like that?

GOD BLESS YOU, MR. PRESIDENT TRUMP. God loves you. OUR HUGE CROWD loves you. That’s all there is to it. (Esn)

Following that FILIPINO ASIAN AMERICAN HALL OF FAME AWARD CEREMONY; celebrating the SILVER ANNIVERSARY, outstanding Lady Awardee like COOK COUNTY TREASURER MARI PAPPAS (3rd from left) poses with some of her invited guests and the”heads behind the scene”. From left to right are: Judge Jesse G. Reyes, Hilda Frontany, the Awardee for “FRIENDS OF THE FILIPINOS” COOK COUNTY TREASURER PAPPAS; this Columnist/senior editor Elsie Sy-Niebar, who nominated Treas. Pappas, Lourdes Livas, Trophy Donors and VERONICA LEIGHTON, Executive Producer and VIA TIMES Publisher/editor, (Photo courtesy of Rudy Urian).

PAST HONOREES: Elsie Sy_Niebar, 1995 Honoree in Journalism, and Dely Villalon, 1996 Woman of the Year

In photo are long-time buddies, HALL OF FAMER 2019 IN TECHNOLOGY, ALMAN HECTOR E. RUIZ, JR., with his long-time buddy, Rudyard Urian, Goverment Relations for a Cook County Commissioner.

Too bad. with the forthcoming Retirement of Supt of Chicago Police. Eddie Johnson, Lightfoot will miss out her strong oppositionist.

CHICAGO POLICE SUPT. EDDIE JOHNSON, who, with Mayor Lightfoot snubbed the visit of President Donald Trump last month, is getting ready to retire soon, after 31 years of service. three years as TOP COP of the Nations second llarglest police dept.ICAGO — Chicago Police Superintendent Eddie Johnson announced his retirement Thursday after 31 years on the force and more than three years as top officer of the nation’s second-largest police department. “It’s time for someone else to pin these four stars to their shoulders. These stars can sometimes feel like carrying the weight of the world. But I’m confident that I leave CPD better,” Johnson said at an emotionally-charged press conference, surrounded by family and holding back tears. “This job has taken its toll — taken a toll on my health, my family, my friends. But my integrity remains intact. The position had been a “sacrifice for my family. ” During his tenure, Johnson grappled with gun violence in the city, high-profile scandals, frequent criticism from the White House and his own life-threatening kidney disease. God bless you. Mr. Johnson. Thank you for your service to Chicagoans.