*Uprising* Bakery: It isn't zoned for entertainment. It's a "conspiracy" against her. Note: The Proud Boys were not involved with this shop at all.
Targeted in a hate crime over kid-friendly drag show, Lake in the Hills bakery can no longer host public events
Village officials ordered UpRising Bakery and Cafe to stop hosting events because it isn’t zoned for entertainment. Owner Corrina Sac called the move discriminatory “and a conspiracy to interfere with my business.”
By Tom Schuba Jul 31, 2022, 2:35pm CDT
Local News Snippet 1
'We Are Not Targeting Children'
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The Village of Lake in the Hills released a statement that said:
"The Village of Lake in the Hills has been made aware of a social media video shared today by Corrina Sac, owner of Uprising Bakery, claiming there has been a conspiracy to interfere with her business. This issue is about a business conducting activities it was never permitted to conduct. While the potential revenue from these entertainment events may be attractive to the business owner, the Village is seeking compliance with its zoning regulations.
The Village was made aware of a planned entertainment event scheduled for July 23, 2022, at Uprising Bakery after it had been advertised and received strong negative criticism. The Village's focus was on coordinating the resources necessary to ensure the safety of the business, its neighbors, and the community, while also preserving the Constitutional rights of the participants.
In her prior video message thanking the Village for their support, Ms. Sac acknowledged the protection she received from the Lake in the Hills Police Department. "Helping us with protection at home, protecting the community from things happening here, protecting my fellow businesses..." Ms. Sac said, "They've been working so hard to maintain neutrality and doing everything that they're supposed to do the right way, while also being so incredibly kind and compassionate to us and it just means a lot."
While this Village has a proud history of supporting our local business community, we also have a responsibility to ensure the safety of all our residents. As such, the Village provided the resources necessary to protect the business, as well as those planning to participate in protests and counter-protests of the event. Access was restricted to the Cedar Ridge Plaza parking lot, portions of Oakleaf Drive were closed and communications were sent to both the adjacent businesses and neighboring residents. The resources utilized were substantial and involved support from regional agencies.
The Village requested a meeting with Ms. Sac last week to gain a better understanding of the changes to her business, as it is now offering continued paid entertainment events. At that time, the Village also shared complaints that have been received by the property owner and tenants of Cedar Ridge Plaza, as well as nearby residences. The complaints included loss of business, parking, safety concerns, and zoning violations.
Ms. Sac stated she now sees the potential revenue from these entertainment events as being essential to her business. She was clear that her intent was to continue offering entertainment on a more frequent and extended basis. Her acknowledgement of this change to her business model, has required the Village to consider the zoning concerns, as the operation of an entertainment business is not a permitted use at that location. Cedar Ridge Plaza is zoned B-2, Neighborhood Convenience Business District, which is defined as follows:
The B-2 District is established to meet the needs of the immediate neighborhood. It is intended to provide convenience shopping for persons living in adjacent residential areas. Permitted uses shall be those that are appropriate to satisfy basic shopping needs which occur on a frequent or daily basis. This zoning designation prohibits entertainment in large part due to the close proximity to residential neighborhoods and shared tenant parking.
The Village attempted to contact Ms. Sac through her attorney to confirm her intent to voluntarily comply with the zoning, which would allow her business to continue, but without reliance on an entertainment component. Unfortunately, after receiving no response, the Village issued a letter requesting compliance.
The Village seeks to administer zoning ordinances and policies in a fair, efficient, and professional manner in order to promote and safeguard the health, safety, and welfare of the Lake in the Hills community. We are committed to taking a proactive approach in working with our businesses, citizens, and other agencies."
Targeted in a hate crime over kid-friendly drag show, Lake in the Hills bakery can no longer host public events
Village officials ordered UpRising Bakery and Cafe to stop hosting events because it isn’t zoned for entertainment. Owner Corrina Sac called the move discriminatory “and a conspiracy to interfere with my business.”
By Tom Schuba Jul 31, 2022, 2:35pm CDT
UpRising Bakery and Cafe, 2104 W. Algonquin Road in Lake in the Hills, was targeted July 23 by a vandal who broke out windows and scrawled hateful graffiti on the business. UpRising Bakery and Cafe/Facebook
A Lake in the Hills bakery that was targeted earlier this month in a hate crime after planning a family-friendly drag show was ordered to stop hosting public events because it isn’t zoned for entertainment — a move the store’s owner called a “conspiracy.”
Corrina Sac, of UpRising Bakery and Cafe, said in a Facebook video posted Saturday that village officials sent a letter a day earlier threatening large fines and the revocation of its business and liquor licenses if any more events are organized. The ACLU of Illinois vowed to defend Sac and warned the village’s actions “create a victory for hateful, anti-LGBTQ+ voices who attacked the owner and bakery after coverage of the drag brunch.”
Sac said the letter came after a “very threatening meeting” on Thursday, when she claimed she was first informed of the zoning issue and concerns over the public resources being used to protect her business. She insisted the bakery has been holding events since opening last November and now relies on them to meet its financial obligations. “I feel like this is discrimination and a conspiracy to interfere with my business,” she said. “Unfortunately, when the attention waned from all the hate this week, they shifted gears and started victim blaming me after we were attacked by a known domestic terrorist who committed hate crimes against us just one week ago.”
Joseph I. Collins, 24, of Alsip, was arrested early July 23 after allegedly breaking out windows and spray painting “hateful messages” on the bakery at 2104 W. Algonquin Road, according to Lake in the Hills police. He was hit with felony hate crime and criminal damage to property charges and was later released on a $1,000 bond. The vandalism followed threats and harassment over the bakery’s planned “Starry Night Drag Brunch,” which was supposed to happen that same evening.
In recent months, the Proud Boys and other far-right agitators have targeted similar pro-LGBTQ+ events across the country. Using language popular among adherents of the unfounded QAnon conspiracy theory — which centers on an alleged cabal of Satanic sexual abusers operating a massive child sex trafficking ring — extremists have claimed kid-friendly drag shows are a tool for “grooming” children. Members of the Proud Boys’ Northern Illinois chapter promoted a protest of the drag brunch with Awake Illinois, another far-right group that has advocated against critical race theory and mask mandates in schools. Collins has been photographed wearing Proud Boys garb and standing alongside Edgar “Remy Del Toro” Delatorre, a prominent member of the neofascist group. Both men were present for the January 6, 2021, riot at the U.S. Capitol, which has led to federal charges against dozens of Proud Boys.
‘We just need to figure out what we’re gonna do’
Village officials wouldn’t immediately provide a copy of the letter sent to the bakery, but they issued a statement pushing back on Sac’s claim that she was the subject of a “conspiracy.” “This issue is about a business conducting activities it was never permitted to conduct,” officials said in the statement Sunday. “While the potential revenue from these entertainment events may be attractive to the business owner, the Village is seeking compliance with its zoning regulations.”
The zoning designation of the strip mall where UpRising is located “prohibits entertainment in large part due to the close proximity to residential neighborhoods and shared tenant parking,” according to the statement.
Officials said they requested last week’s meeting with Sac to discuss her business “offering continued paid entertainment events.” But they also shared complaints regarding lost business, parking issues, safety concerns and zoning violations. After Sac’s lawyer failed to confirm she would adhere to the zoning rules, officials said they sent the letter “requesting compliance.”
The drag brunch at the center of the controversy “received strong negative criticism” after it was advertised and pushed the village to respond, officials said. “The Village’s focus was on coordinating the resources necessary to ensure the safety of the business, its neighbors and the community, while also preserving the Constitutional rights of the participants,” the statement noted. Rebecca Glenberg, senior staff attorney for the ACLU of Illinois, warned village attorneys that cracking down on the bakery’s events “would be unconstitutional.” She said her organization is now “prepared to respond appropriately.”
“We request the Village’s assurances that it will not take enforcement actions or other retaliatory actions against Ms. Sac or UpRising, directly or indirectly, or otherwise interfere with constitutionally protected speech at UpRising,” Glenberg wrote in a letter Saturday.
-------Local News Snippet 1
UpRising Bakery and Cafe had been getting online and in-person threats since the announcement of the July 23 drag show, police said. Lake in the Hills police said they had looked into the matter, and into claims on social media that children would be targeted sexually, and found "no nudity or sexually explicit content is planned to be part of the event."
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Local News Snippet 2"Village officials initially seemed inclined to support Ms. Sac and her business in the wake of this horrific event," the letter from ACLU Senior Staff Attorney Rebecca Glenberg said, referring to the vandalism. "Unfortunately, they have chosen instead to give the person who attacked and vandalized UpRising exactly what he apparently wanted."
LGBTQ News Source adds poop in bag storyBakery cancels family-friendly drag event after windows shattered & feces left by vandals
"There was a letter taped to the door that said pedophiles work here."
Owner Corinna Sac says her business has faced numerous threats both online and in person since announcing the event. “One morning I came in and there was a bag of feces outside,” she told Chicago’s ABC7 News. “There was a letter taped to the door that said pedophiles work here.” “Someone came in, did a perimeter walk around our cafe, commented on how disgusting and dirty it was, and then spit on our case.” Sac had described the planned event as “child-friendly” with costumes, dancing, breakfast food, and a celestial theme. “The worst thing is a high kick, possibly, or someone doing the splits. That’s about it,” Sac said.
'We Are Not Targeting Children'
UpRising Bakery and Cafe in Lake in the Hills has received threats and protests are expected after the cafe announced they are hosting a drag show where children are welcome. The Lake in the Hills Police Department said in a statement Tuesday that they began to receive messages on July 6 from concerned citizens regarding a drag show performance being hosted by the business, located at 2104 West Algonquin Road, scheduled for July 23. Police say that residents expressed concerns due to children being allowed to attend the event. According to the event website, children of all ages are welcome and kids' tickets are reduced price.
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"I just wish that people would understand we're not targeting children," Sac said during the interview. "There are children tickets available for those families who wish to bring their children and for the families who decide that's OK for their family setting," she added.
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The Village of Lake in the Hills released a statement that said:
"The Village of Lake in the Hills has been made aware of a social media video shared today by Corrina Sac, owner of Uprising Bakery, claiming there has been a conspiracy to interfere with her business. This issue is about a business conducting activities it was never permitted to conduct. While the potential revenue from these entertainment events may be attractive to the business owner, the Village is seeking compliance with its zoning regulations.
The Village was made aware of a planned entertainment event scheduled for July 23, 2022, at Uprising Bakery after it had been advertised and received strong negative criticism. The Village's focus was on coordinating the resources necessary to ensure the safety of the business, its neighbors, and the community, while also preserving the Constitutional rights of the participants.
In her prior video message thanking the Village for their support, Ms. Sac acknowledged the protection she received from the Lake in the Hills Police Department. "Helping us with protection at home, protecting the community from things happening here, protecting my fellow businesses..." Ms. Sac said, "They've been working so hard to maintain neutrality and doing everything that they're supposed to do the right way, while also being so incredibly kind and compassionate to us and it just means a lot."
While this Village has a proud history of supporting our local business community, we also have a responsibility to ensure the safety of all our residents. As such, the Village provided the resources necessary to protect the business, as well as those planning to participate in protests and counter-protests of the event. Access was restricted to the Cedar Ridge Plaza parking lot, portions of Oakleaf Drive were closed and communications were sent to both the adjacent businesses and neighboring residents. The resources utilized were substantial and involved support from regional agencies.
The Village requested a meeting with Ms. Sac last week to gain a better understanding of the changes to her business, as it is now offering continued paid entertainment events. At that time, the Village also shared complaints that have been received by the property owner and tenants of Cedar Ridge Plaza, as well as nearby residences. The complaints included loss of business, parking, safety concerns, and zoning violations.
Ms. Sac stated she now sees the potential revenue from these entertainment events as being essential to her business. She was clear that her intent was to continue offering entertainment on a more frequent and extended basis. Her acknowledgement of this change to her business model, has required the Village to consider the zoning concerns, as the operation of an entertainment business is not a permitted use at that location. Cedar Ridge Plaza is zoned B-2, Neighborhood Convenience Business District, which is defined as follows:
The B-2 District is established to meet the needs of the immediate neighborhood. It is intended to provide convenience shopping for persons living in adjacent residential areas. Permitted uses shall be those that are appropriate to satisfy basic shopping needs which occur on a frequent or daily basis. This zoning designation prohibits entertainment in large part due to the close proximity to residential neighborhoods and shared tenant parking.
The Village attempted to contact Ms. Sac through her attorney to confirm her intent to voluntarily comply with the zoning, which would allow her business to continue, but without reliance on an entertainment component. Unfortunately, after receiving no response, the Village issued a letter requesting compliance.
The Village seeks to administer zoning ordinances and policies in a fair, efficient, and professional manner in order to promote and safeguard the health, safety, and welfare of the Lake in the Hills community. We are committed to taking a proactive approach in working with our businesses, citizens, and other agencies."
