Click Here for details.
Save Save Save Save
Published in the Inside-Booster on October 8, 2025
People of a certain age may recall a famous 1973 National Lampoon Magazine cover that threatened to shoot a dog - pictured on their front cover with a gun pointed at its head - if you, the reader, didn't buy their magazine.
The cover became an instant classic because nobody really believed the dog's life was at risk.
That's kind of how staff at this newspaper felt when we got a July 11 letter from Sudler Property Management's attorney, Kathryn A. Formeller at Tressler LLP, demanding we issue an immediate retraction, claiming an article we published on July 2 contained "materially false and defamatory statements."
While we took their demand seriously, we didn't think they'd really file a lawsuit. I mean, who shoots their own friendly neighborhood newspaper?
Oddly, it wasn't until the dawn of National Newspaper Week (Oct. 5-11) when the lawsuit paperwork finally showed up at our front door, over two months after Sudler filed the case in the Circuit Court of Cook County - on July 17 - and there weren't even any flowers or chocolates accompanying it.
For those who may not recall our original coverage, on July 2 we published a front-page story on alleged budget fraud and reserve risk in Illinois HOAs, focusing on Sudler Property Management's financial dealings with 175 East Delaware Place, a Homeowners Assoc. [HOA] that is part of the mixed-use high-rise at the former John Hancock Center.
This type of coverage appeals to our North Side readership as a great deal of our readers live in buildings managed by co-ops, and homeowner and condo associations. Stories of troubles emanating out of these associations are not rare. In fact, one of this newspaper's regular writers - Don DeBat, and his wife Sara Benson - wrote an entire book about the trials and tribulations of HOA governance: "Escaping Condo Jail," the ultimate survival guide for condominium living (www.escapingcondojail. com).
The July 11 letter from Formeller demanded a response from us within seven days. Which we did, in publishing a follow up article in this newspaper on July 16.
In our July 16 article we invited Sudler and their attorneys to meet with us-on the record-to present the evidence they claim exists. We said back then, and again now, that if corrections to our reporting are warranted by credible documentation, we will make them promptly and transparently. This newspaper fully endorses the concept of 100% transparency.
We took Sudler's allegations seriously back in July and remain committed to correcting the record-if the facts warrant it. We cannot do so without seeing verifiable proof that the HOA board noted in our coverage gave informed approval for the raises and bonuses in question that we reported on July 2.
On July 16 we asked Sudler to produce the following contemporaneous evidence:
Help save our dog
Yes, we have a dog in this fight. Inside Publications has hired legal representation to defend us in Sudler Property Management's defamation suit against this newspaper.
But lawfare costs money, and we don't have a lawfare budget. So we are now appealing for your help, and donations.
Below is a link to a GoFundMe page that we established to help raise funds to fight this case in the Cook County Circuit Court. The page is titled "Your Friendly Neighborhood Newspapers."
We would appreciate you sharing this link with anyone in your network who might like to help out their friendly neighborhood newspapers. Visit: www.gofundme.com/manage/your -friendly-neighborhood-newspapers.
recipients, and rationale.
This matters because a HOA board especially one like 175 East Delaware with 48 members-cannot meaningfully approve raises and bonuses if those details are not visible or discussed. Fiduciary duty requires informed consent, not rubberstamping vague budget categories. If Sudler cannot produce this documentation, their claim of board approval is procedural at best-not substantive or legitimate.
Sudler never responded to our July 16 offer to meet and share information. The evidence we requested should show why Sudler may, or may not have had approval.
Sudler's inability or unwillingness to provide this evidence undermines their legal position, and also reinforces the community's concerns about transparency and governance. Without clear, contemporaneous proof, the claim that the board "approved" these raises and bonuses is, at best, misleading.
If this case ends up before a judge, we will again ask Sudler Property Management to share this evidence. To our readers, we plan to share more details on this case as it moves along, as that's what newspapers do. If we turn out to be wrong, we'll cop to it... We just ask that Sudler not shoot the dog.
View all Illinois public notices 24 hours a day - publicnoticeillinois.com
Member Log-In + Contact Us + Events + PressLines + Job Bank + Advertising Toolbox + Upload Pages
Subscribe to RSS headline updates from: Powered by FeedBurner
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Aug. 26, 2026 Media Contact Information: Cartwheel Emily Paisner (888) 500-2067 emily.paisner@cartwheelcare.org
$1 million grant from Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois will help Cartwheel scale access to care in rural and underserved communities through 2028
CHICAGO — August 26, 2026 — Cartwheel Care, a telehealth mental health provider for K-12 schools, today announced plans to expand access to care for up to 100,000 students across Illinois, supported by a $1 million grant from Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois (BCBSIL). The additional funding builds on an existing partnership between Cartwheel and BCBSIL, following a year of strong engagement and clinical outcomes. Cartwheel currently serves 40 Illinois school districts, and the grant will help expand services further into rural and underserved communities across the state through 2028. Mental health needs among Illinois students remain high. According to data from Lurie Children’s Hospital, approximately 50% of Illinois youth (ages 2–17) have experienced worsening mental health symptoms in recent years. At the same time, access to care has not kept pace: more than 80 of Illinois’ 102 counties have no practicing child psychiatrist, and the shortage is most acute in rural areas, where families often wait months for an appointment or travel significant distances for care. Cartwheel’s telehealth model is designed to remove the access barriers rural families face, like long waitlists and the need to travel to see a provider. By partnering with schools, Cartwheel provides licensed, Illinois-based clinicians with no waitlist, accepts all major insurance plans including Medicaid, and reaches kids and families where they already are, without requiring them to find or travel to an outside provider. “Every student experiences mental health challenges differently, and there’s no one-size-fits-all approach to supporting them,” said Dr. Juliana Chen, chief medical officer at Cartwheel. “Our goal is to meet students and families where they are, with practical support that helps them build skills, strengthen relationships, and feel more confident navigating challenges at school and at home. BCBSIL’s support is what allows us to bring that care to more Illinois communities.” “Supporting the health and well-being of Illinois youth is critical to building stronger communities,” said Brian Snell, president of Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois. “The results we’ve seen through our partnership with Cartwheel demonstrate the impact that timely, accessible mental health services can have for students and families. This investment will help bring those services to even more communities across our state.” To date, four Illinois districts have received Cartwheel’s services through this grant: Steger SD 194 in Cook County and Will County, Troy CCSD 30-C in Will County, Mattoon CUSD 2 in Coles County, and Wolf Branch SD #113 in St. Clair County. In the first year of the program, more than 200 students were referred for care and completed more than 1,000 telehealth sessions. Appointments were scheduled in the same week with no waitlist. Sixty-eight percent of students served were covered by Medicaid or uninsured. Overall, 73% of students showed meaningful improvement in anxiety and depression symptoms on standard clinical screeners (GAD-7/PHQ-9). Additional districts where Cartwheel services are launching this fall include Litchfield CUSD #12, Panhandle CUSD #2, Leyden High School District #212, and Regional Office of Education #40. With the support of this grant, Cartwheel expects to expand into another 30 to 50 school districts, bringing access to care to a total of 100,000 students across Illinois. “Before this partnership, getting a student connected to care could take months,” said Jeffrey Peterson, director of student services & records at Troy CCSD 30-C. “Now our counselors can refer a student, know they’ll be seen within days, and are seeing real improvements as a result.” Through the grant, Cartwheel provides individual and family therapy, parent guidance, psychiatric evaluation and medication management, and specialized care programs for challenges like school avoidance, social media use, and intense emotions and behavior challenges. As reported in Illinois Policy, in 2025 about 25% of Illinois students missed at least 10% of the school year and this was more severe among low-income students, with 35.1% in that group chronically absent. Cartwheel’s school avoidance program delivers evidence-based care designed specifically for students struggling with school avoidance. In partnership with Cartwheel, Peoria Public Schools saw a 62% reduction in absences per student, along with decreases in suspensions and symptoms of depression and anxiety. Illinois school districts that want to learn more about this opportunity for the upcoming school year should visit: www.cartwheel.org/illinois. About Cartwheel Cartwheel is the nation’s largest and most trusted telehealth provider for K-12 schools, students, and families. Cartwheel partners with 350 school districts across 15 states to deliver comprehensive mental health services to students, families, and school staff. Founded in 2022 by educators and clinicians, Cartwheel combines evidence-based clinical care with technology to ensure every child has access to high-quality mental health support. Cartwheel accepts all major insurance plans including Medicaid and provides care at no cost to uninsured families. For more information visit: www.cartwheel.org. About Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois is the largest health insurer in Illinois, serving nine million members and operating in all 102 Illinois counties. BCBSIL is a division of Health Care Service Corporation, a Mutual Legal Reserve Company and an Independent Licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association. Learn more at bcbsil.com and follow us on Facebook and LinkedIn.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Aug. 24, 2026 Media Contact Information: Mather Institute Cindy Droog, president, Sabo PR (616) 717-8654 cindy@sabo-pr.com
Free online tool by Mather Institute supports local planning, partnership and investments
EVANSTON, Illinois – Chicago has a new tool to help understand where neighborhood conditions support social wellness among older adults – and where thoughtful investment and partnership may expand opportunities. Mather Institute launched a first-of-its-kind free Social Wellness Map, which scores the 77 community areas in Chicago on social wellness – a measure of feeling connected with others and with a community – for adults 55 and better. Previous research shows strong social ties are one of the most important predictors of a happy and long life, and that neighborhoods and communities shape how people interact, support one another and build shared identity. Mather Institute developed the map in partnership with NORC at the University of Chicago. Designed as a planning and advocacy resource, the interactive map can help policymakers, community organizations, funders, planners and service providers explore local patterns, identify assets and consider where new investments may have the greatest benefit for older adults. “Social wellness is a crucial, yet often overlooked, part of healthy aging,” said Cate O’Brien, MPH, Ph.D., chief transformation officer at Mather Institute. “Because every community contains diverse histories, people and experiences, the map is intended to inform – not replace – local knowledge. The most useful next step is conversation. When organizations bring this data together with resident voices, they can better understand what is already working and what could be most beneficial to older adults and their communities.” The map is based on a new survey of more than 4,000 Chicago residents age 55 and better, combined with public data on community conditions, including walkability, economic factors and access to gathering places such as libraries, churches and community centers. Factors such as crime, lack of local businesses and poverty can hinder social wellness, but don’t tell the whole story. Users can view a side-by-side comparison of communities to explore how social wellness relates to health, happiness, income and other factors. Key findings include:
“Community leaders often have deep local knowledge, but need data to support the case for programs, funding and partnerships,” said Jennifer L. Smith, Ph.D., vice president of Mather Institute. “The Social Wellness Map offers another lens for understanding older adults’ experiences and for turning local insight into action.” High social wellness scores were not confined to one part of Chicago or to its wealthiest areas, suggesting that other factors such as neighborhood identity, belonging and longstanding social ties are also important to connection. Chatham emerged as a notable example, with a social wellness score of 8.14 out of 10, illustrating social wellness reflects aspects of community life beyond economic and safety indicators alone. Beverly received the highest community connectability score: 100 out of 100. Beverly is notable for its low crime rates, a strong family culture and several longstanding community gathering places. Jefferson Park stood out for having community conditions that support connection such as accessible transit, retail activity and established cultural gathering places. The map is free to use and does not require user registration. It can be explored at: https://www.matherinstitute.com/social-wellness-map/
About Mather and Mather Institute
Based in Evanston, Illinois, Mather is a not-for-profit organization founded in 1941 that is dedicated to a vision of changing the way society views aging. Mather creates Ways to Age Well℠ through programs, places and residences for today’s older adults. These include developing and operating communities that support older adults in pursuing wellness and fulfillment; sparking creativity and connections for older adults in Chicagoland and beyond; and through Mather Institute, conducting research and incubating innovation to help all live and age well.
# # #
Click Image to Find the IPA Disaster Checklist!