Best for Kids—and Parents, Too!
by Karin Horgan Sullivan
Chicago is rich with possibilities for families, which is why we’ve devoted this story to providing a guide to the best stuff for kids, parents, and moms-to-be. Take along our field guide to birds and critters on your next hike. Read advice from Chicago’s reigning baby-sleep specialist, Dr. Marc Weissbluth. Check out our taste test of birthday cakes from the city’s top-tier bakeries. All this and more.

Without a Trace
by Bryan Smith
Last Labor Day, Steve Fossett—the investment wiz turned record-setting adventurer—took off in a plane from a remote Nevada airfield. He hasn’t been seen since. What are the theories behind his disappearance—and what compelled him to undertake all those high-risk quests? 

Trauma Queen
by Anne Kavanagh
Serving time in a California prison for her role in an insurance scam, former Cicero town president Betty Loren Maltese can’t escape the soap opera that is her life. Her daughter has learned the troubling truth about her mother. Betty is feuding with her financial patron, “Fast Eddie” Vrdolyak. And she’s not leaving prison anytime soon. Through it all, she
remains unrepentant. 

Dressing to Thrill
by Marcia Froelke Coburn
She’s Michelle Obama’s favorite designer, and Oprah Winfrey recently wore a long leather skirt of hers to a premie`re. Next up for Maria Pinto, her A-list clients, and her sexy, elegant fashions is a new home of their own in a West Loop boutique.

Letters

Contributors

Arena
PAGE TWO The delayed Daley papers; Chicago’s gun ban in the line of fire ARTS & CULTURE The supermodel from St. Louis; a Hollywood screenwriter wrings his addiction for his art; why everyone loves The Cool Kids; dude, here comes Lebowski Fest!; what the heck is Pecha Kucha?; the documentary film windfall that is March; books, music, a Wheel of Fortune taping, more SERVICE DESK Applying to a CPS elementary school next year for your child? Well, don’t move until you read this primer on navigating the often confusing and stress-producing process. Plus: Shopping for energy STYLE The urban dad, defined: a baby-toting guy’s guy who eschews cute for cool. June Blaker returns; haberdashery with humor; new retail sightings. PLUS: Sales Check, the sample sale edition

Table
Red velvet contest; the hottest restaurants right now; how to navigate a Japanese food court

Cheers
by Sarah Preston
Wine for the masses, VIP for the few; plus, pulled pork in a glass and March Madness

Politics
by Edward McClelland
How Hillary Clinton’s political shift from Republican red to Democrat blue mirrors that of her hometown of Park Ridge—not to mention much of suburban Chicago 

Deal Estate
by Dennis Rodkin
An ex-Bull’s home, an 1894 townhouse, and condo conversions around the city

Classifieds

The Closer
by Jeff Ruby
What would you do if your dog fell into freezing Lake Michigan and there was no one around?

Chicago Guide®
Your handbook to what’s going on around town. Dance off: men vs. women and more not-to-be-missed events in our retooled rundown

Restaurants
The definitive guide to Chicago’s top restaurants. 13 updates: Boka rises, Carlos falls, Avenues changes