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Addison Independent

Former Addison man sentenced to 83

years

for sexually assaulting

10-year-old girl

Teodoro

Garcia-Lopez

DuPage County State’s Attorney Robert Berlin has announced that Teodoro Garcia-Lopez, 32, formerly of Addison, has been sentenced to 83 years in the Illinois Department of Corrections for a 2022 home invasion and sexual assault of a 10-year-old girl.

On Aug. 30, a jury found Garcia-Lopez guilty of three counts of predatory criminal sexual assault—victim under 13 (Class X felony), two counts of home invasion (Class X felony), two counts of aggravated battery (one Class 2 felony and one Class 3 felony) and one count of aggravated criminal sexual abuse (Class 2 felony).

On Feb. 3, 2022, Garcia-Lopez appeared in Bond Court where Judge Michael Reidy set bond at $1 million with 10 percent to apply. He has remained in custody at the DuPage County Jail since that time. Judge Joseph Bugos presided over Garcia-Lopez’s trial and handed down the sentence.

On Jan. 23, 2022, at approximately 7:30 p.m., Garcia-Lopez entered the victim’s residence and found her and her brother alone in the home. The victim was playing in her bedroom with her brother when Garcia-Lopez entered the room and ordered her brother to leave the room.

After he left the room, Garcia-Lo-

pez ordered the victim to remove her clothes. The victim refused and fought back at which time Garcia punched her in the face and strangled her.

Garcia then removed the victim’s clothes and sexually assaulted her. Following the assault, the victim’s parents returned home at which time Garcia hid in a bathroom. Another family member discovered Garcia and alerted the girl’s father.

When the father confronted Garcia, Garcia swung at the father with a knife and fled the scene. One week later, on Jan. 30, the victim and her parents saw Garcia-Lopez walking on the street and contacted the Addison Police Department. The father was able to detain Garcia until the police arrived at which time Garcia was taken into custody.

“Each and every one of us have the right to feel safe in our home,” Berlin said. “Mr. Garcia-Lopez’s violent sexual attack on an innocent ten-year-old girl in her own home destroyed the safety and comfort a home provides, not just for the young victim, but for her family and had a chilling effect on the entire community.

“No one, particularly a young girl, should be subjected to such a horrific assault. I commend the DuPage County Children’s Center and the Addison Police Department for their work on this extremely upsetting case.”

Sentencing guidelines will require that Garcia-Lopez will serve approximately 63½ years in the Illinois Department of Corrections before being eligible for parole.

District 88 welcomes students, staff from Germany

From Oct. 21 to Nov. 4, District 88 welcomed and hosted 22 students and two staff members from Helmholtzschule in Frankfurt, Germany. Their visit was part of the German American Partnership Program (GAPP) student exchange. According to https://www.goethe.de/ins/us/en/spr/unt/ efd/gpp.html#i9559184, “GAPP, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) organization, whose prime mission is to create opportunities for exchange between young Americans and Germans.” This is District 88’s third time participating in the program. During their time here, the group members attended Addison Trail and Willowbrook high schools, where they toured the buildings and viewed extracurricular activities. They also spent time in Chicago and went to several landmarks. “The purpose is to build a relationship between students of two countries and keep that connection even after high school,” said Nilay Woodbury, District 88 world language teacher. The district has about 50 languages represented among its families, and almost half of the nearly 4,000 students in the district speak a language other than English at home. Through the GAPP, 24 students and three staff members from Addison Trail and Willowbrook will travel to Germany in June 2025.

SUBMITTED PHOTOS Addison Independent

Lawmakers return to Springfield as projected budget deficit looms

By Ben Szalinski

Illinois lawmakers returned to Springfield last week for the first time since May following news earlier this month that they’re facing a

projected $3.2 billion budget deficit for the fiscal year that begins July 1.

The news didn’t surprise Republicans, who condemned “drunken spending” policies, but the Senate’s top Democratic budget leader de-

fended the state’s spending priorities and cautioned next year’s budget is still more than six months away from passage.

“This was not unexpected and certainly there’s a long time between

now and the end of the fiscal year and we’ll be prepared,” Sen. Elgie Sims, D-Chicago, said.

The Governor’s Office of Management and Budget released a report on Nov. 1 projecting the state will face a $3.2 billion deficit for fiscal year 2026, which begins July 1. The annual report from the governor’s budget office typically sets a benchmark for state lawmakers as they begin budget talks early in the year.

How this shortfall will be addressed, either through corresponding spending cuts or new revenue increases, will be the focus of lawmakers and Gov. JB Pritzker during the spring session that begins in January.

The General Assembly was scheduled to be in town last week and this week for its annual fall veto session, and Senate Republicans held a news conference about the projected deficit a top priority.

Republicans said Democrats should start by cutting out programs for noncitizens and migrants.

“These are tradeoffs. So when Gov. Pritzker supports spending over $1 billion on illegal immigrants, that means that schools aren’t being properly funded in Illinois, that means developmentally disabled aren’t being properly funded in Illinois,” Senate Republicans’ budget leader Sen. Chapin Rose, R-Mahomet, told Capitol News Illinois. “That’s a choice the Democrats are making.”

Preliminary estimates show the state is on pace to spend $568 million this year on a program that provides health care to undocumented immigrants, according to the Illinois

Department of Healthcare and Family Services. State lawmakers appropriated $629 million in the spring for the programs, which are currently paused to new enrollment, plus $182 million to pay for services for migrants sent to Illinois from Texas. Rose argued there’s not enough transparency about the programs to know the true amount of state spending.

Senate Republican Leader John Curran, R-Downers Grove, also demanded Democrats spend more time negotiating with Republicans on the budget this spring, alleging that Democrats closed out the minority party earlier this year.

Sims noted recent budgets have also significantly increased education funding.

“If they want to classify investments in education and making investments in health care as overspending, I’ll let them make that case,” Sims said. “We’ve tried very hard to work with our colleagues on the other side of the aisle and we’ll continue to do so.”

Pritzker declined to give many details when asked last week how he plans to propose closing the deficit when he presents his budget in February.

“It’s kind of a flat projection forecast. It’s been wrong every year, I guess you might say, or we’ve defeated it every year,” Pritzker said, adding the budget he will present to lawmakers is going to be balanced.

The Illinois Constitution requires See LAWMAKERS, Page 6

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Santa to visit White Pines Golf Club for Breakfast with Santa Dec. 14-15

Space is limited; make reservations now for this family event

White Pines Golf Club, located at 500 W. Jefferson St. in Bensenville, will host Breakfast with Santa from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 14, and Sunday, Dec. 15.

Doors open at 10 a.m. This festive event offers families a chance to enjoy a hot breakfast, take photos with Santa and for children to share their holiday wishes with the big man himself.

Breakfast will include mini pancakes, a waffle station, sausage, bacon, scrambled eggs, breakfast potatoes, assorted pastries and fruit. There’s also a kids’ station with favorites such as chicken nuggets, tater tots and macaroni and cheese. Beverages include coffee, hot cocoa, orange juice and milk.

Be on the lookout for the Grinch to emerge from his lair and wreak havoc.

The Grinch’s Lair—which includes assorted interactive children’s activities—will be located in the 37 Bar and Grill, where the Grinch will be available for photos.

The highlight of the day is a visit from Santa Claus and the chance for kids to interact with him and have their photo taken.

Photo albums are posted to the park district website for download following the event. Santa is scheduled to arrive at 11 a.m. each day, with photos taking place until 12:30 p.m.

Guests are encouraged to bring a new, unwrapped toy to drop off at the Toys for Tots donation site in the lobby of the banquet hall.

“We’re thrilled to bring families together for this magical experience,” said PGA General Manager

SUBMITTED PHOTOS Rock Valley Publishing

Families will be treated to breakfast featuring mini pancakes, a waffle station, sausage, bacon, scrambled eggs, breakfast potatoes, assorted pastries and fruit at next month’s Breakfast with Santa, which will be held Dec. 14 and Dec. 15 at White Pines Golf Club. Santa Claus himself also will be visiting with kids after breakfast. These photos are from last year’s breakfast.

Andrew Godfrey. “Santa’s visit to White Pines has become a cherished tradition, and we look forward to helping families create lasting holiday memories this season.”

Registration for White Pines’ Breakfast with Santa opened Nov. 1 and runs through Dec. 6. Fees are $39 for adults, $19 for children ages 3-15, and free for children under 2.

Bensenville briefs

Sign up now for Bensenville Park District youth basketball

The Bensenville Park District offers several options for pre-kindergarten through eighth grade boys and girls interested in playing basketball, including co-ed in-house basketball for pre-K and kindergarteners and intervillage play for boys and girls grades 1-8.

Intervillage League play is broken into separate grade levels: a co-ed team for grades 1-2 as well as separate boys and girls teams for grades 3-4, 5-6 and 7-8. Boys in grades 3 and above will be evaluated and placed on a team. Evaluations take place at 6 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 21 for grades 7-8. All evaluations take place at the Deer Grove Leisure Center, 1000 W. Wood St., Bensenville.

Practices will begin in December, and games against other villages begin in January, running through March. Home games are played at the Deer Grove Leisure Center, and road games are played in nearby villages. Fees are $138, $115 for those living within Bensenville Park District boundaries, and include a team jersey.

The deadline to register for co-ed in-house (Bensenville Sports Conference) play is Thursday, Dec. 5. Fees are $55, $45 in-district, and include a team T-shirt and awards. All games will be played at the Deer

Grove Leisure Center.

In-house basketball games take place Saturdays beginning in January. Practices take place before games.

Volunteer coaches are needed for all teams to make these leagues possible. Contact Breana Aponte for more details by calling (630) 7667015 or emailing BAponte@BvilleParks.org

Bensenville announces annual Holiday Toy Drive

The Village of Bensenville will be accepting donations for its annual toy drive through the end of November.

Donation boxes are located at the Bensenville Library, Village Hall, Police Department, Deer Grove Leisure Center, and local businesses throughout the village.

The goal is to help ensure Bensenville families in need have an opportunity to provide their children with toys this holiday season.

Nonperishable food and new or lightly used coats will also be accepted in partnership with the Bensenville-Wood Dale Rotary Coat Drive and Bensenville-Wood Dale Food Pantry.

Monetary donations for purchasing toys are also welcomed and can be made online at: www.bensenvillefoundation.org

The last day to donate is Nov. 26.

Early reservations are recommended, as space is limited. To reserve, call 630-766-0304 Ext. 2. Register by calling 630-766-0304 Ext. 2. Full payment is due at the time of the reservation.

For more details about Breakfast with Santa, visit WhitePinesGolf. com. Learn more about the Bensenville Park District’s other holiday events, visit BvilleParks.org.

Volunteers needed—Volunteers are needed to help wrap gifts, supervise children, and help parents pick out toys during toy distribution day. Call 630.594.1010 if you would like to volunteer.

Wood Street Fitness to offer ‘Black Friday’ new member special Wood Street Fitness, located at 1000 W. Wood St. is celebrating Black Friday with an exclusive membership deal for new members, available from 6 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 29. Patrons who sign up for a 2025 annual membership will receive the remainder of 2024 for free, adding an extra month to their fitness journey at no additional cost.

The Black Friday deal applies to three membership types: fitness center memberships, Core Class Pass memberships and combination memberships. Additionally, new members will be entered into a raffle for a free prize package.

The Core Class Pass grants unlimited access to group fitness classes, excluding premier classes and special events. Annual rates are $300 for in-district and $360 for out-of-district residents. Members may also add the Core Class Pass to a regular fitness membership for an additional $204 annually.

Veterans and active military per-

sonnel qualify for the Black Friday promotion as well, receiving a free membership through 2024 and a 20 percent discount on subsequent annual memberships.

For additional information, visit WoodStFitness.com. To register, visit the Deer Grove Leisure Center at 1000 W. Wood Street, open from 6 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Black Friday.

Obituary

SOHAN SINGH SYAN

Sohan Singh Syan, aka, Sohan Singh, passed away at his residence in Mohali, Punjab, India, on June 5, 2024.

Immediate family includes Charan Deep and Simrat Deep. An active volunteer at the Sikh Religious Society in Palatine, he provided support and help to countless individuals and will be deeply missed.

Other survivors of his family are Kamal Singh, Bhalinder Singh, and his helpful, longtime friends Rampreet and Sunny.

Cremation and religious ceremonies were held according to Sikh rites in Punjab, India, which were attended by friends and relatives.

The Independent is mailed to the 60101, 60106 and 60181 zip code areas for $45 yearly. Out-of-area mail subscriptions are $50 yearly. For home delivery information call 630.834-8244. Reprints:

Content appearing in the Independent may not be reprinted without permission of the publisher or editor. Requests should be directed to Independent@rvpublishing.com or 630.834-8244.

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Opinion

Slices of life

Finding joy - a fable

The girl (or boy, as the case may be) couldn’t remember exactly when, but life became weary. It was a gradual development - so gradual she didn’t even notice the tears slipping from her eyes at first.

But because of it, life became nebulous, and more difficult to navigate.

The sun, once bright, faded in the distance, even at noon. She walked through the fog, seeking peace, but up ahead were only the dark clouds of worry and trouble. At other times they weren’t visible at all, but still there; always there.

So she turned left and kept moving forward, searching for joy, but instead came upon an ocean, and the waves of sorrow swept upon her.

It began to rain and she sought shelter and strength, but found herself cold and alone.

She grew tired and settled in for the night, hoping for dreams filled with peace, but discord crept in.

“I think I’m lost,” she said into the darkness.

“Never lost,” came a whispered voice - somehow familiar—from somewhere very near. “Only found. If you will listen.”

She’d never been one for riddles, and this one didn’t amuse her. It only left her confused. She needed to find real answers, not whispers in the dark.

She looked under stones and beneath the trees in the forest. She looked outward at the waves of the ocean. She looked upward to the skies. She even looked in books, but the answers weren’t forthcoming because she was looking for them in all the wrong places.

And so it went: day in, day out. Sometimes the sun peeked through the clouds, but shadows usually prevailed. The girl learned to adapt. She sought hope, joy and even love from her earthly surroundings. This wasn’t wrong, per se, but it wasn’t complete or foundational.

Life was pretty good. Or pretty not-so-good. It wavered, as life does. At times, joy came forth in the form of a smile or even a laugh. The fog came and went.

People came and went. Sometimes she took the most important of them for granted. There were regrets in that. But this is often life in the physical world. Every once in awhile, she thought she heard that same voice whispering—or maybe it was shouting—through the fog. Either way, it didn’t quite shore up with the reality that had defined her life for so long. So she did her best to

ignore it.

By JILL PERTLER Columnist

Then trouble descended in the form of lost love and life and she found that trouble, as troublesome as it is, opened her eyes in ways she never knew possible—before. It was then that the whispered voice grew louder—more fervent and disquieting—not so easy to ignore.

Impossible, actually.

The girl found herself alone with the voice and she finally paused to speak to it.

“What do you want from me?” she asked.

“For you to see the obvious,” the voice answered. “It’s right here.”

Another riddle, the girl thought. She was just about ready to shut the voice out for good. But then an idea came upon her. So she decided to ask.

“I’m looking for peace and joy and love,” she said. “Can you help me find them?”

“Take your pick,” the voice (Did it sound like her own?) whispered back. “They are all yours. All you have to do is ask.”

The girl was surprised by the response, but decided to play along.

What harm could it do?

She tentatively mumbled, “Joy, are you there?”

From somewhere deep inside, a gentle, but welcoming, warmth overtook her entire being. Joy descended, along with peace and and overwhelming sense of love.

The girl was taken aback, surprised and in awe of her own capabilities.

“Is this real?” She asked.

“What took you so long?” The voice whispered back.

In that moment, the girl finally understood the true nature of all that she’d wanted and asked for had been inside her all along.

When she finally embraced the power she held, she knew, she was finally home. Love and peace and joy enveloped her in a longawaited embrace.

After that, the answers to her questions not only abounded. They flowed.

Jill Pertler is an award-winning syndicated columnist, published playwright and author. Don’t miss a slice; follow the Slices of Life page on Facebook.

Glenbard District 87 superintendent discusses school safety

By David F. Larson

Recently, school safety has been a frequent topic in the news, both locally and nationally. Here in Glenbard District 87, the safety of our students and staff is always a top priority for all of us.

Glenbard’s district-wide Threat Assessment Team continues to research additional safety and security initiatives for our buildings. The Threat Assessment Team has been investigating measures including: device detection, student items, active supervision, and personnel.

The team’s four subgroups have been meeting with experts in each of these areas, as well as with vendors and colleagues. We are not alone in this research. Many of our peers in area school districts are having the same safety conversations.

Safety plans must address prevention, intervention and response, and involve having systems and processes in place to mitigate risks.

Currently, Glenbard schools’ layered safety plans include:

Preventative strategies

• Staff integrate social and emotional learning (SEL) and build strong relationships with students and families. This creates a supportive and trusting environment that fosters emotional regulation, early intervention, and open communication.

• Mental health and suicide prevention support: our school social workers, school psychologists, deans, school nurses, school counselors and speech language pathologists are a critical support for students and their families. These professionals may be among the first to know when a student is experiencing difficulties. We are proactive in identifying students who may need support to prevent a crisis from becoming violent.

• Glenbard Hour: this twice-weekly class period allows students to seek out additional academic support from their teachers, take make-up exams, or participate in a large variety of advisory sessions. Advisory topics include: skill development in self-man-

agement, self-awareness, responsible decision-making, relationship building and social awareness, safety drills and surveys seeking student perspective.

• Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports: PBIS is a proactive approach that schools use to improve school safety and promote positive behavior. The focus of PBIS is prevention, not punishment. Students learn positive behavior strategies and expectations, which contribute to an environment where students feel safe, and teaching and learning continue without interruption.

Threat Assessment Team: the district team includes school leaders and public safety experts. School-based teams include administrators and various staff members. The teams’ work is ongoing as they discuss and identify safety measures in Glenbard schools.

Emergency operations protocols

This year, we updated our emergency operations protocols to feature Hold, Secure, Lockdown, Evacuate and Shelter. These protocols were developed by a national organization called the I Love U Guys Foundation. Students and staff receive training on these protocols throughout the year.

Steps we take to mitigate risks at our buildings

One element of our 2025 summer capital projects involves improvements to 200-plus exterior doors and locks at our buildings. This is an additional safety mitigation layer.

Current risk mitigations include:

• Locked exterior doors and limited entry points.

• Comprehensive safety protocols that include hold, secure, lockdown, evacuate and shelter.

• IDs for every student and staff member.

• School Resource Officers from local police departments at each high school.

• Required visitor check-in and background check at security desk.

• Trained security guards throughout each school.

• Integrated active monitoring security camera system.

• Regular review of school safety

plans with students, staff, and first responders.

• Work closely with local law enforcement to ensure there is good communication.

• Teams at the building and district levels meet to discuss any student concern, involve the parents/guardians, and partner with first responders.

• Hired a third-party agency to complete a comprehensive school safety study.

• Completion of all required state safety drills and supplemental training for students and staff.

• Upgraded outdoor lighting to improve visibility.

Reporting concerns and social media

One of the most critical safety factors is the culture and climate of our schools that foster an environment where students are comfortable reporting a concern to a trusted adult at school. We routinely emphasize the importance of “if you see something, say something.”

It’s also crucial to encourage students to “report, not repost” troubling messages they see on social media. It is very helpful for families to have ongoing conversations with their children about the responsible use of social media.

Next steps

Ongoing research is necessary to determine what additional safety mitigations will be implemented in Glenbard. Recommendations and updates will be brought to the Board of Education in order for the schools to add additional layers to their existing safety plans. An update to the board regarding increased mitigations is anticipated by the end of December.

School safety is a team effort that involves our staff, students, families and community. It touches so many different aspects and people - from our first responders, to our local businesses, to our neighbors down the street and more. We appreciate the community’s continued support of Glenbard high schools.

David F. Larson, Ed.D., is superintendent of Glenbard Township High School District 87.

We, along with many of our neighbors, are putting out our holiday decorations early this year. We think we could all use a “little Christmas” as the song says and a bright moment in our lives. Join us!

* * *

Import Cook County. Elect Cook County. Become Cook County. I’m sure Democrats are celebrating their electoral success in DuPage County. Meanwhile, the county’s residents are being advised to avoid visiting gas stations at night, avoid using ATMs at night, and conduct daily 9 p.m. checks to make sure their homes and cars are locked and secured. On top of that, you can kidnap someone, beat him, bite him and threaten to kill him, and you will not be put in prison. Wake up, people!

* * *

Oh, yes, this is Lombard calling. So now Trump won; a convicted felon, a person who should never even have been able to run if it was any normal citizen in the United States. He should already have been in jail, but when money talks … and he’s got the lawyers to be able to halt everything; and now he’ll tell you there’s even talk that he’s going to pardon himself. It’s a disgrace in the United States. Thank you.

* * *

What’s with some of the people in Lombard keeping their campaign signs up? At this late date, the election is over people; your candidate either won or lost, but there’s not another election for two years, thank goodness. Take your signs down already. Don’t be a fool.

* * *

I like all of Trump’s picks for his cabinet except for one. Matt Gaetz. Gaetz is the whiner who led the effort to get Kevin McCarthy removed as Speaker of the House last year. He might have a bigger ego than

Trump, if that’s possible. McCarthy predicted Gaetz, quote, “Won’t get confirmed and everybody knows it.”

I hope Kevin McCarthy is right.

* * *

Thank God Trump’s in charge again. Finally, maybe we’ll get our money back in our pockets instead of the Democrats giving it away. But the one thing that really got me is when I saw in the paper today all these celebrities saying if Trump gets back in they’re leaving the country. Now they’re giving excuses about it. Typical Democrat; say one thing do another. Now if you said you going to leave the country Cher, Sharon Stone, George Clooney and all the rest of you people. Well, guess what? You’ve got money. Get on a plane. Get out. And thank you for restoring our borders as of January 2025. We spend too much money on the illegals. That’s right, illegals coming to this country. Now, let’s spend the money on the homeless in our country. Let’s spend the money on other things this country needs like lowering grocery bills, lowering gas bills, lowering taxes. All the stuff than four years Biden and Harris raised and has killed the economy. But thank God Trump’s and the economy will come back. And by the way, Governor Pritzker, you know, we saw you on TV. You’re a big bad tough guy when the Democrats are in charge. Now you’re crying. Guess what? The next election, you’re next to be fired.

* * *

I enjoyed the Christmas Mart and the “hometown” feel in the air, and all the people strolling from place to place. Next up is the Jingle Bell Jubilee, which is also a near-thedowntown effort—well, I should say partly so. I wish more businesses, say along St. Charles Road, would participate in these events, to help bolster the “shop local” motto. I only

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see one business on the list. #Lombard Strong.

* * *

I am disappointed that our happy warrior, Governor Pritzker, took such a drastic stance against President-elect Trump, instead of offering his support to work on the issues. He took a cocky and arrogant stand even before Trump takes office. Pritzker is certainly not the poster boy for trying to bring unity to this country. I am embarrassed to live in Illinois after he said that.

* * *

You can’t blame those monkeys for wanting to escape that breeding and experimental research facility in

South Carolina. That’s all I can say. * * *

I must say I’m enjoying the meltdowns these unhinged regressive leftists are having now that Trump has been reelected. My favorite was hearing about some young women who are going to abide by the code of the 4B movement. This movement is a South Korean feminist approach that swears off men, because Trump’s reelection was driven in part by young male voters. I got a big laugh out of that one!

* * *

Thank you to the person in Speak Out who called out Pritzker for telling Trump, “You come for my peo-

Letters to the editor

Reader: Federal election ‘stolen by Republicans’; time for Democrats to meet in Washington on January 6, 2025

I believe, without any evidence, that the 2024 federal election was stolen by the Republicans.

I believe, without any evidence, that massive voter fraud occurred in the states of Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin.

I believe, without any evidence, that illegal immigrants and other

Does your church, school or nonprofit have an event coming up? Email jcharmelo@ rvpublishing.com at least a week in advance of publication to have it listed in

Coming Events

Coming events

Winter gear drive

To help keep our neighbors warm, the office of state Rep. Terra Costa Howard is hosting a Winter Gear Drive through Dec. 16 for students in need and their families. We’ll be collecting winter coats, gloves, boots, snow pants and hats to donate to local school districts. Children’s winter boots sizes 1 to 7, women’s 2XL coats, men’s small coats and hats and gloves of all sizes are particularly needed. To schedule a time to drop off donations or schedule a porch pick-up, please email reptch42@ gmail.com or call 630-812-9292. You can also donate through our Amazon Wishlist and through Target.

Holiday Magic at Brookfield Zoo

Brookfield Zoo Chicago will be open from 3-9 p.m. during Holiday Magic, which takes place on Nov. 22-24 and 29-30 then Dec. 1, 5-8, 12-15, 19-22 and 26-31. Santa will be taking a break from his workshop to meet with Zoo guests between 5-8

ple, you come through me.” (Nov. 14 issue). Here’s how JB Pritzker has stood up for the people of Illinois. Under his watch, the state budget has increased 32 percent. Has your paycheck increased 32 percent? Illinois is projected to have a $3.2 billion budget deficit for Fiscal Year 2026. Illinois also has the second highest gas taxes in the country, the second highest corporate tax rate in the country, the second worst unemployment rate in the country and the largest unfunded pension liability of any state in the country. The only people Pritzker has stood up for in this state are the pro-abortion extremists and climate change zealots.

bad people were permitted (encouraged!) to vote for Donald J. Trump in many states, including Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin.

Democrats: We must resist! We must organize! We must stop the steal!

Democrats: Meet me and others in Washington, D.C. on January 6, 2025, the date Congress will enshrine this travesty of justice! We will march on the Capitol. And I will be there with you. It will be wild!

William J. Berends Lombard

Reader: Trump election ‘a win for America’

Congratulations USA! … The recent election of Donald Trump is a win for America. Excellence is back and encouraged for everyone. No longer is settling for mediocrity, DEI, woke behaviors and giving everybody trophies considered acceptable.

Unity is encouraged for our country. Unity, however, does not mean we all agree, as factions have always been a part of the American scene— and this is a good thing because it keeps the pots from boiling over by providing outlets for different viewpoints. America has now realized our country is better off by adhering

to structure and rules as initially defined by our Founding Fathers and other great thinkers.

Chaos and fear result when rules are ignored, and this promotes totalitarian movements. Perhaps Americans have now realized that identity and gender political divisions do not work!

Our U.S. Constitution is “elastic,” where it counts; it is not the dogmatic document as the radicals described it. The Constitution is definitive and absolutely should not be subject to the whims and whining of current politicians and government leaders because they didn’t get their way!

The Democratic Party radicals have only themselves to blame for their huge election loss—they adopted Marxist tactics and tried to rule Americans as subjects and not citizens. They forgot from whence we came ... There is no foothold in America for totalitarianism with a one-party government. In terms of individual liberty, our Constitution and Bill of Rights offer the unique opportunity to ensure all Americans have the opportunity to be the best they can be. Hats off to the American voters— they got it right!!

p.m. on Holiday Magic dates between Nov. 22 and Dec. 22. Guests are reminded that the Zoo will be closed on Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day. Additional details and tickets for Holiday Magic as well as the can’t-miss holiday events below are now available at brookfieldzoo.org/ Events. All events require advance registration and/or tickets, with some attractions available at an additional charge like Dolphins in Action and Penguin Encounters. To purchase tickets or stay in the know on upcoming events at Brookfield Zoo Chicago, please visit brookfieldzoo. org/Events.

Guardian Corps of America

Thanksgiving Veterans Project

If you know of a homeless person or veteran in DuPage County, Guardian Corps of America is organizing a Thanksgiving Deli Special, with deliveries of food and other supplies on Nov. 25, Nov. 26 and Nov. 27. Visit www.usaguardian.org and school to the “request service” button.

Rock Valley Publishing encourages our readers to reach out to the community by writing a letter to the editor.

Letters are limited to 400 words If a letter exceeds 400 words, it will be sent back to the author to reduce the length of the letter. Authors must include their first and last name, the city or village in which they reside, and a phone number and email address where they can be reached in case there are questions. Send letters to: news1@rvpublishing.com

Letter-writers will be limited to one letter per month except for locally elected officials, or individuals specifically associated with local village governments or entities such as school districts, park districts or library districts.

No letters directed to a third party will be accepted for publication. We reserve the right to edit a letter for reasons of clarity, space restrictions and libel

Marilyn Fawell Lombard

• Lawmakers

(Continued from page 2)

the General Assembly to pass a budget that is balanced on paper, meaning lawmakers won’t pass a budget that contains a sizeable deficit according to their calculations.

But Pritzker also received some of his first significant pushback to a budget in May when multiple Democrats in the House and Senate voted against parts of the spending plan.

This year’s $53.1 billion budget is currently expected to meet spending and revenue expectations and run a $16 million surplus when accounting for contributions to the state’s “rainy day” fund, according to the report. Lawmakers chose to raise about $1 billion of new revenue to support this year’s spending, such as by raising taxes on sportsbooks and video gambling and capping a sales tax discount for retailers.

One thing lawmakers can’t do is implement across-the-board spending cuts, according to GOMB. The report said about 40 percent of state spending is required by courts, state law and other obligations. Another 24 percent is for education and higher education, including the $350 million increase to education funding that is called for as part of the state’s evidence-based funding formula for K-12 schools each year.

“We’re looking at everything,” Sims said. “That’s the beauty of the budget process. Each budget has its own identity and this budget’s no different.”

Sims said there have been no discussions about tax increases to close the revenue gap. Curran said Democrats should pledge not to hike any taxes to balance the budget.

“What we’re not interested in is making life worse for working families,” Rose said. “The clear message from this election, whether you’re in Illinois or Montana, is real people are tapped out. They don’t have more money to give.”

“ If they want to classify investments in education and making investments in health care as overspending, I’ll let them make that case. We’ve tried very hard to work with our colleagues on the other side of the aisle and we’ll continue to do so.”

– Sen. Elgie Sims, D-Chicago

State lawmakers face a variety of spending pressures this year outside of what is already in the state budget. Chicago officials have asked Springfield to step up funding for Chicago Public Schools, sports teams want money from the state to build new stadiums and the Chicago area’s transit agencies are facing a $730 million budget gap next year that many hope the state can help fill.

Sims acknowledged the “infinite needs, but finite resources” of the state budget, but said Democrats will continue to prioritize investments in education, health care and other areas.

If Republicans get a better seat at the table, they would be looking for ways to reduce spending, Curran said.

“We are going to have to constrain spending,” Curran said. “We’re going to have to go line by line. Everything needs to be on the table for that and that’s a process that needs to start early.”

out& about

Students can get dual credit while learning about horticulture, agriculture

Field-based learning could uncover career possibilities

One might pause when hearing the words “agriculture” and “DuPage County suburbs” in the same sentence—even though there is a well-established farm bureau right here in DuPage County.

Yet some students in Glenbard High School District 87 have the opportunity to take a first-hand, upclose-and-personal look at how the two can and do relate to one another.

The district now offers Introduction to Horticulture 1100 and Introduction to Urban Sustainable Agriculture 2300 to juniors and seniors, who can earn simultaneous (dual) credit from College of DuPage (COD) while earning science credits at their respective Glenbard high schools.

Mike Fumagalli, the district’s assistant director of teaching and learning, explained that a few years ago, “An idea was presented to Glenbard West from a community member” to offer classes in horticulture/agricul-

ture.

It took hold in part, he said, because data shows that roughly one in four jobs is related to the food industry and/or agriculture, so it was an opportunity for Glenbard to open up fields of study that students might not be aware of.

The new courses started last year, first at Glenbard East, North and West. This year, Glenbard South was able to add the courses as well.

Students who wish to take the course(s) need two years of high school science first. Horticulture is offered in the fall, and agriculture is offered the following spring, Fumagalli noted, and enrollment has grown by as much as 70 percent since the 2023-24 school year.

The classes are “field-based,” he described, with guest speakers, field trips (such as to Ball Horticulture in West Chicago and Rodeo Farm in Chicago, which is sponsored by the Chicago Botanic Garden) and

job-shadowing experiences, along with participating in projects with partners such as Kline Creek Farm, The Conservation Foundation and SCARCE (School and Community Assistance for Recycling and Composting Education), to name a few.

For Fumagalli, the idea of students getting dual credit for the course(s) has the potential to launch a college career path that hopefully they will pursue after high school graduation.

He said providing access—often in urban areas—to locally grown organic fruits and vegetables is “a growing and developing aspect of the industry.”

“There are many, many avenues to exercise passion in this industry,” the director continued, so the courses offer not only leadership development but career exploration as well.

Learning about how to bring access to fresh fruits and vegetables to “food deserts,” as they are called, “brings relevancy to our area … to

the student experience,” Fumagalli believes, and “how our students might impact the world.”

Fumagalli quipped that “The occupational outlook is enormous … Pun intended, it’s very fertile ground.”

The courses also offer “a perfect opportunity for Glenbard to reach tentacles into the community and for the community to reach back,” he commented.

District 87 gets a donation

The collaboration between District 87 and COD got a nod from the DuPage County Farm Bureau in the form of a $6,000 donation, which Fumagalli said will be put to use on a building-by-building basis.

Grateful for the donation, he said each school “will be using the funds to enhance the student experience in the programs,” adding, “That might look different in each of the schools.”

“They [the DuPage County Farm Bureau] see us having an impact …

kind of leading the way here in DuPage County,” Fumagalli summed up.

For more information on how to support the students in this program, such as through community partnerships, externships and internships, contact Fumagalli at michael_fumagalli@glenbard.org.

About the DuPage County Farm Bureau

The DuPage County Farm Bureau, 245 S. Gary Ave. in Carol Stream, is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit membership association, and was founded in 1913. Its members are also members of the Illinois Farm Bureau, which is a member of the American Farm Bureau Federation. The bureau has roughly 15,000 associate (non-farming), regular (farm-related) and professional (business-related in the agriculture industry) members. Visit dcfb.org for more information.

Pictured with a $6,000 donation from the DuPage County Farm Bureau are (front row, left to right) Kyle Nugent (Glenbard West), Teresa Orlow (Glenbard North), Kara Norton (DuPage County Farm Bureau), Gabby Peterson (Glenbard South), Terra Costa Howard (Illinois state representative), and (back row, left to right) Luke Allen (IL Ag Education Pro-

gram Advisor), Dave Krodel (Glenbard East), Nick Scipione (Glenbard East), John Metzler (Glenbard West) and Mike Fumagalli (Glenbard District 87 Administrative Center). Fumagalli also emphasized that “We are continuing to offer more and more dual credit programming,” and added proudly that “Our teachers are approved by College of DuPage.”

SUBMITTED PHOTO Rock Valley Publishing

Park district offers Thanksgiving break fun with Farm Camp and Clubhouse

The Bensenville Park District is offering two opportunities for kids to stay active, explore the outdoors and make memories with friends this Thanksgiving break.

Both Turkey Break Farm Camp at Fischer Farm and the Clubhouse Days Off School Program at the Deer Grove Leisure Center promise engaging activities, adventures and plenty of fun from Monday through Wednesday, Nov. 25-27.

The Turkey Break Farm Camp at Fischer Farm, located at 16W680 Old Grand Ave., invites kids ages 5-10 to experience the wonders of

farm life with half-day sessions from 8:30 a.m. to noon each day. This camp provides a mix of animal encounters, creative crafts, engaging games, and a nature hike around the farm. Each day offers unique activities, ensuring campers have something new to enjoy each time they attend.

Fischer Farm Manager Christine Shiel emphasizes, “The Turkey Break Farm Camp is a fantastic way for kids to connect with nature, learn about farm life, and have hands-on experiences they’ll always remember.”

Tioga Elementary first-graders take field trip to Fischer Farm

First-graders from Tioga Elementary School recently visited Fischer Farm as part of a field trip exploring various sites across Bensenville, including the fire and police departments and Deer Grove Leisure Center. At Fischer Farm, youngsters explored the barns where they played “Freeze Dance” and did a bushel basket toss, saw various animals and brushed and fed goats, and took a wagon ride around the farm.

Police Reports

The Addison and Bensenville police departments recently reported the following arrests and citations.

Persons who are charged with domestic battery are not named in order to protect the victim’s privacy.

Readers are reminded that an arrest does not constitute a conviction, and that suspects are considered innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law. Juveniles age 17-or-younger are not named.

Addison

Nov. 4

Ervin S. Queche Chipis, 31, of Elgin, was charged with two counts of DUI and speeding near Lake and Foxdale at 12:47 a.m.

Roberto Anzures Sanchez, 52, of Addison, was charged with reckless discharge of a firearm in the 100 block of S. Addison at 11:34 p.m.

Nov. 3

Juan Yonni-Ismael Ramos Lopez, 24, of Bensenville, was charged with illegal transportation or possession of liquor, failure to yield and two counts of DUI near Green Meadow and Valerie at 2:07 a.m.

Nov. 2

Merly A. Castillo Torres, 31, of

Participants are encouraged to bring a peanut-free snack and dress for outdoor activities. Registration is $35 per day, with a reduced rate of $29 for in-district residents.

Meanwhile, the Clubhouse Days Off School Program at the Deer Grove Leisure Center offers full-day fun for children from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. Kids can enjoy structured games, arts and crafts, outdoor activities and a variety of surprises designed to keep them engaged and entertained

all day long.

Recreation Supervisor Leslie Monarrez notes, “The Clubhouse Days Off School Program is the ultimate way for kids to enjoy their time off from school. Each day is filled with thrilling activities and chances to make unforgettable memories with friends.”

Participants should bring a sack lunch and water bottle each day; breakfast and an afternoon snack are provided. Registration for the Club-

house Days Off Program is $65 per day, $55 for in-district residents and $35 for Clubhouse Before and After School participants.

Registration for both programs is open at the Deer Grove Leisure Center, 1000 W. Wood St., in Bensenville. Additional holiday break camps and programs are also available in December and January. For more details, visit BvilleParks.org or call the Bensenville Park District at 630-766-7015.

Addison Park District upcoming events

Sunday, Nov. 24

Thanksgiving Swimathon benefiting Toys for Tots

The Addison Park District’s second annual Thanks-swimming Swimathon for all water enthusiasts of all ages and skills will be held from 7 a.m.-noon. The event will benefit Toys for Tots, and swimmers are invited to raise funds for the organization, making a difference with every stroke and splash. For more information, call 630-2337275 or visit: https://addisonparks. org/mc-events/thanksgiving-swimathon-benefitting-toys-for-tots.

Wednesday, Dec. 4

Take a day trip to Four Winds Casino

From 7:45 a.m. to 6 p.m., take a trip to the Four Winds Casino, located in New Buffalo, Mich. The $50 for members ($55 for nonmember)

includes $15 slot play and a $10 food voucher. The bus ride includes water, a banana and snacks. The $10 lunch voucher can go towards the price of the buffet or be used at the Grille (onsite). For more information, call 630-233-7275, Option 2, and register at addisonparks.org.

Saturday, Dec. 7 and Sunday, Dec. 8 Polar Express Storytime Train Ride

The Addison Park District is hosting a Polar Express Storytime Train Ride from 8:12 a.m.-1:12 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 7 and 11:12 a.m. to 3:12 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 8 at the Itasca Metra Station. Fee is $22 for residents, $32 for nonresidents. A storyteller will be on the train to narrate this story while children and their parents enjoy chocolate milk, cookies and a snow ball fight on the way back from

the North Pole. When we reach the North Pole, we will find Santa Claus and take lots of family photos. A parent or guardian must accompany all children. Children age 9 months or younger do not need to be registered. For more information, call 630-2337275 or visit: https://addisonparks. org/mc-events/polar-express-storytime-train-8.

Saturday, Dec. 14

Breakfast with Santa From 9:30-11 a.m. at the Community Recreation Center, 120 E. Oak St., enjoy a catered breakfast and photos with Santa. Fee: $17 for residents, $22 for nonresidents. Children 1 year old and under do not need to be registered.

For more information, call 630-233-7275 or visit: https://addisonparks.org/mc-events/breakfast-with-santa-4.

Addison, was charged with speeding, transportation or carrying liquor by a driver and two counts of DUI near Lincoln and Church at 11:56 p.m.

Bensenville

Nov. 13, 4:21 p.m. in the 300 block of S York Road, a victim reported an unknown suspect stole her package containing two shirts from a store, which was left outside the building by the courier. This case is under investigation.

BEPC2400914

Nov. 9, 10 a.m. in the 800 block of S. York, a victim reported that a white 2018 Infiniti Q50 with dealer plates was stolen sometime last night between 11 p.m. Nov. 8 and 9 a.m. Nov. 9. Broken glass was located on the ground where the vehicle was last parked. This case is under investigation. BEPC2400902

Nov. 8, 10:16 p.m. in the 1000 block of S York., a suspect stole an unknown amount of liquor. This case is under investigation. BEPC2400900

Nov. 7, 6:06 p.m. in the 1000 block of Hillside Drive, a subject wanted to report that he was being extorted for $8,000 by an individual he met on Facebook. The incident is under investigation. BEPC2400897

Chicago Wolves bring ‘Read to Succeed’ program to elementary school in Wood Dale

Earlier this month, Chicago Wolves defenseman Ronan Seeley brought the Chicago Wolves’ “Read to Succeed” program to Oakbrook Elementary School in Wood Dale. The Chicago Wolves Read to Succeed Program is a successful library-based program that has encouraged more than a million students to make reading a fun and rewarding part of life. Targeting students in kindergarten through eighth grade, the program serves as a reward and inspiration for students to excel at existing or new reading programs at school.

Obituaries

HARRIET DUNNE

Harriet Dunne, nee Stemm, of Elburn, formerly from Lombard, passed away peacefully on November 10th, surrounded by her family.

Loving wife of 63 years to the late Robert Dunne. Dear mom to Mary Kaye (Rich) Lappa of Elburn, James Robert (Kate) Dunne of Savannah, Georgia, and Patrick John (Amy) Dunne of St. Charles, IL. Caring Grandma to Samantha Lappa, Rich Lappa, Lauren Dunne, Bryan Dunne, Steven Dunne, Jaxson Dunne, Savannah Dunne and Willow Dunne.

Harriet was a longtime member of Holy Trinity Lutheran Church in Lombard, serving there in numerous ways, including the Altar Guild. She enjoyed spending time with her church community in person and later, on-line.

Harriet worked at Glenbard East High School for over 20 years as a bookkeeper. Prior to that, she was a mom, staying home to raise her three children. In her free time, she loved to read, complete puzzles, spend time with friends attending plays and shopping. She also loved to watch her beloved Chicago Cubs. Above all, Harriet loved her family dearly, especially spending time with her grandkids.

Funeral services were held November 20th at Brust Funeral Home, 135 S. Main St., Lombard. Interment followed at Queen of Heaven Catholic Cemetery.

Donations in Harriet’s memory can be made to the American Lung Association, 55 W. Wacker Drive, Suite 800, Chicago, IL 60601.

Info: www.brustfuneralhome.com or 888-629-0094.

SANDRA K. DUFFY, 80

Sandra K. Duffy, nee Weaver, age 80 of Lombard, died Nov. 11, in hospice care surrounded by her loved ones.

Prayer Service was held on Monday, Nov. 18, 2024, at Brust Funeral Home followed by a Mass at Sacred Heart Catholic Church, 114 S. Elizabeth St., Lombard. Interment at Queen of Heaven Cemetery, Hillside. Info: www.brustfuneralhome.com or 888629-0094.

MARJORIE L. KAST, 92

Marjorie L. Kast, nee Greinke, age 92 of Lombard, formerly of Wheaton, died October 23, 2024.

Marjorie was the dear wife of the late James A. Kast. They met in Lombard and married on June 17, 1950. She was the loving mother of Jill (Jeff) Ruehrdanz of Colorado, Jim (Sherry) Kast of Bolingbrook, and Jana (Willie) Sullivan of Villa Park; adored Grandma of Hanni (Liam) Raley, and Finn (Ashleigh) Ruehrdanz, Jesse Kast, Jonathan (Valerie) Kast, Seth Kast, C.J. Kast, Caitlin (Justin Rogers) Dodd, Kellie Sullivan, Megan (Damian) Rogucki, Becca (fiancé Derrick Requet) Sullivan; also 4 “Bonus” Grandchildren: Ron (Jennifer) Beckett, Jonathan (Valerie) Beckett, Colin (Sarah) Beck-

ett and Tegan (Yoshio) Beckett; Great Grandma of 16. She was predeceased by her sister, Carolyn Papatriantafyllou and her parents, Herman and Viola Greinke.

Marjorie’s guidance and love was spread far and wide, from her “eighth grade girls,” her colleagues at Callahan and CO, multitudes of friends and neighbors that she considered family, and her kids, grandkids and their children. She was the glue that held the family together, reveled in our joys and accomplishments, and lent an ear and advice when needed.

Marjorie grew up a Cubs fan and was thrilled to watch them win the World Series. Family gatherings were complete with her orange Jello and baked beans. Mom, Grandma, Great Grandma will be missed terribly.

A Memorial Gathering will be held on Saturday, December 7, 2024, from 8:30 AM until the time of a Memorial Service at 10:30 AM at Brust Funeral Home, 135 S. Main St., Lombard. Private Interment to follow.

In lieu of flowers, donations in Marjorie’s name may be made to the American Heart Association Midwest Affiliate, Attn: Memorial/Tribute Processing Center, 3816 Paysphere Cir, Chicago, IL 60674, or The ARC of Aurora, 1342 South Chambers Road, Aurora, CO 80017.

Info: www.brustfuneralhome.com or 888-629-0094.

DONALD G. KLUGE, 94

Donald Gene Kluge, age 94, of Lombard, passed away peacefully at home on November 3, 2024. He maintained a youthful energy and spirit into his adult life and seemed to just keep going right to the end!

He was born on April 3, 1930, in Madison, WI, to Kitzy Myrtle (Dickerson) Kluge and Edwin Franklin Kluge. He graduated from East High School in Madison, WI, and attended the University of Wisconsin. Donald proudly served his country in the Army during

the Korean War and later in the Air National Guard, retiring after 20 yrs of service.

Donald was the dear husband of InSun, nee Kim; and the late YungAe nee Kim. He considered himself to be lucky in his life partners, twice. He met his first wife, YungAe, while serving in Seoul, South Korea. They were married for 37 yrs and made their home in Fort Atkinson, WI, raising six children: David (Toshiko), Cindy (Michael Maierle), Jerry (Carolyn Peckham), Kim (Kathryn), Susan (Robert Cuvala) and Kathleen. He cared for YungAe throughout her long struggle with leukemia until her death in 1991.

While visiting Korea, YungAe’s family played match-maker and introduced him to InSun who was a close family friend. InSun was a loving wife and devoted caregiver for 31 years.

Donald was a librarian for the University of Wisconsin-Madison and Whitewater and instilled in his children a love of books and learning. He was also a small businessman, working with his wife YungAe to promote healthy living through the line of vitamins and health products from Shaklee. He enjoyed a second career, teaching conversational English at a local community center in Seoul where he lived for several years. His efforts enriched the lives of the many Koreans who wanted to learn more about America.

More than anything, Donald was a family man. A devoted father, he drove his children to countless piano lessons, youth orchestra practices, and school and sports activities. After church he would often spend hours photographing his family in their Sunday finest. He was proud of his children’s Korean heritage, and he took many photographs of his young children wearing traditional Korean clothing. From recording his children singing “Itsy, bitsy spider” when they were very young to driving them as prospective college students to whatever college campus they wished to explore, he was an engaged and loving presence in their lives.

In Loving Memory of

LAWRENCE B. SWIERENGA

In addition to raising six children, in his retirement years, he raised and lat-

who was killed by a drunk driver 27 years ago on November 20. In honor of Larry’s memory please don’t drink and drive.

In Loving Memory of

Those we love remain with us

LAWRENCE B. SWIERENGA

For love itself lives on

And cherished memories never fade

er adopted his step-grandson, Joseph, diligently tutoring him in English, and helping him to start a new life in the United States.

He was a proud Grandpa to Lisa (Paul Murphy) Cuvala, Michele (Ian) Hogan, Melissa (Ryan) Steele, Joseph Kim, Marina Kluge, Lily Kluge; and Great-Grandpa of Lisette (Brandon), Anthony, Joe, Mila, Jacob, Kai, Dolcie, Damien, Khaleesia and Aevri; and Great-Great-Grandpa of Emiliana.

Donald was a gentle, humble and loyal person. Those lucky enough to know him well knew him to be extremely generous with his time and attention and would often be entertained by his good humor and wonderful stories. He had a strong moral center and encouraged his children to treat all persons equally and with dignity. He loved his country and enjoyed a good political debate, occasionally writing letters to the local newspaper commenting on current events. Donald played a wicked game of table tennis; and enjoyed playing croquet, card

games and pitching horseshoes with his children and siblings. He was a devout Catholic and long-time member of Sacred Heart Parish.

A Visitation will be held on Saturday, November 30, 2024 from 9:00 AM until the time of Funeral Prayers at 11:00 AM at Brust Funeral Home, 135 S. Main St., Lombard, and processing to 11:30 AM Funeral Mass at Christ the King Catholic Church, 1501 S. Main St., Lombard. Private interment at St. Joseph Cemetery, Fort Atkinson, Wisconsin.

In lieu of flowers, memorials in Donald’s name to: THE OUTREACH HOUSE – Food Pantry, Clothing Pantry and other assistance, 805 S. Main St., Suite A, Lombard, IL 60148, 630693-0185 https://www.theoutreachhouse.org.

CHRIST THE KING CHURCH, 1501 S. Main St., Lombard, IL 60148, 630-629-1717, https://www.ctklombard.org. Info: www.brustfuneralhome.com or 888-629-0094.

who was killed by a drunk driver 27 years ago on November 20. In honor of Larry’s memory please don’t drink and drive.

Those we love remain with us

Because a loved one’s gone

who was killed by a drunk driver 35 years ago on November 20. Loved and so sadly missed by Jean, Sally, family and friends; joined by Dad 01/02/1997 and Mom 08/11/2022.

Those we love can never be

For love itself lives on

More than a thought apart

And cherished memories never fade

For as long as there is memory

Because a loved one’s gone

Those we love can never be

They’ll always live on in our hearts.

Our family chain is broken, and nothing seems the same, but as God calls us one by one the chain will link again.

More than a thought apart

For as long as there is memory

Those we love don’t go away; they walk beside us every day.

They’ll always live on in our hearts.

Loved and so sadly missed by family and friends.

Illinois school Superintendent Tony Sanders discusses strategy to boost math scores

The Illinois State Board of Education recently released the 2024 School Report Card, showing a record-high proficiency rate for students in grades 3-8 in English language arts while math scores still have not fully recovered from the low point they hit during the pandemic.

In response, ISBE has announced

plans to develop a comprehensive, statewide strategy for boosting math skills across the board. In a podcast interview recorded Wednesday, Nov. 6, State Superintendent of Education Tony Sanders spoke with Capitol News Illinois about the report card and the need to address the sagging math scores. Following is an edited transcript of that interview.

CNI: Before we get to this math plan, what is this state report card that comes out every year. Why do we do this?

Sanders: So the state report card really is a result of federal requirements. All the way back to the early 2000s, school districts had to start under—then the law was called No Child Left Behind—had to start reporting annually, school-by-school, on the progress being made by students. Individual states developed their own accountability systems, so they all look different. But it was a way to inform parents, taxpayers and others on how students were doing across the state and within your local community.

CNI: You use the words “accountability report.” In what way do these reports hold schools and districts and state departments like yours accountable?

Sanders: The accountability system focuses on schools and districts that are underperforming. So the school districts that really are struggling the most in student growth and student attainment are the ones that typically are identified for supports. And with that comes additional monetary support. So they get more money to do additional strategies to improve student outcomes at those schools.

Within Illinois, parents can expect to see their schools currently labeled in one of four areas. They’re either going to be labeled as “exemplary,” meaning they’re in the top 10 percent of the state; “commendable,” which is about 72 percent of our schools; or they’re going to be “comprehensive” or “targeted status.” Those are the schools that are the lowest performing schools in the state academically.

CNI: And roughly how many of those do we have, and are they located in particular areas?

Sanders: So it is limited to the to 5 percent of the schools. There’s about 400 schools that are currently on that list, and they’re all over the place. They’re in large urban systems. They’re in small, rural communities. So you’ll find schools being labeled as “targeted”

or “comprehensive” everywhere in the state.

CNI: Getting back to the math scores, a lot of people will just say in casual conversation, “You know, math was never really my subject. I was never good at math. I can’t balance my own checkbook.” And the test scores have always borne that out. The achievement scores are rarely as high in math as in other subjects. Why is that? Is that a cultural thing for Americans? Are we just not a math-prone society?

Sanders: No. If you look back over the history of standardized tests, all the way the NAEP assessment (the National Assessment of Educational Progress), which is given across the nation, the scores have not changed significantly all the way back to the 1950s.

I try to think back to the time when Sputnik went up, and suddenly there was this urgency to improve math and science across the nation. And despite all those efforts back in the 50s and 60s, we still haven’t seen a lot of significant gains in math over decades of time.

CNI: What goes into developing a plan like this? The Literacy Plan took a long time.

Sanders: Yeah, it took a couple of years. That one was spurred on, really, by the General Assembly. They saw our English language arts results and prompted us. Nationwide, there’s been a conversation about the “science of reading” and shifting practice of literacy instruction. But we’ve not yet had that national conversation about math. So we intend to follow, again, the same type of process we did before: pulling together experts from across the state and the nation to look at what are best practices currently in terms of math instruction, pulling in curriculum experts, pulling in experts in English language learning.

CNI: You did a media briefing about the report card itself, and kind of walking us through step by step. And one of the things you said when it came to math was that Illinois adopted new learning standards for math back in 2010.

It’s been almost 15 years. And you also added that there’s never been a concerted statewide effort to provide teachers and educators with training in how to implement these standards. And it struck me that a child who started kindergarten in 2010 has now already graduated high school, but we still haven’t implemented a training program for teachers to deal with these new standards. Was that a failure on the state’s part?

Sanders: Every state adopted new standards for math and English language arts around the same time, around 2010.

CNI: Those were the Common Core Standards

Sanders: The Common Core Standards were implemented. And then they became the Illinois Learning Standards. When that shift happened, teachers, principals and local school districts all began taking a harder look at their curriculum and their practices in both English language arts and math.

The challenge with math, from a local district perspective and a teacher perspective, is that there’s too many standards within a student’s one-year span of time for a teacher to be able to hit every single standard and ensure every child is competent in that standard.

If you’re taking a look at them grade-by-grade, it’s a lot that we’re asking our teachers to cover. And so I think part of our work—and I would never call it a failure—but I think part of our work is really being very explicit about which are the power standards. Which are the ones that we need to ensure students must master by a particular grade level in order to progress to the next grade level? And I think that’s going to be part of the work that we’ll have to do as we roll out this math plan.

CNI: Is there anything else in the report card that you think should be highlighted?

Sanders: We have so much to be proud of in this year’s report card. Our students need to be very proud of the work they did. Our teachers need to stand up and take a bow for working so hard, not only during the pandemic, but after the pandemic, to fully prepare our kids.

We’ve seen historic rates of proficiency in English language arts, 40.9 percent of our kids being proficient in English language arts, which is an all-time high for the state of Illinois. That’s something to celebrate.

The highest ever known graduation rate on record. That is something to celebrate. Lowering our chronic absenteeism, so more students are showing up on a daily basis to school. That’s a win.

So much of this year’s report card is positive news. Even the math scores are an improvement. They’re just not moving as fast as our English language arts scores. So, by and large, Illinois has a lot to be proud of in this report card. It demonstrates a lot of hard work on the part of our teachers and students over this last academic year.

New detention pond

A new detention pond has replaced the former Sid Harvey property on the east side of North Main Street, just south of North Avenue. According to Lombard Public Works Director Carl Goldsmith, the pond contains “8.16-acre feet of storage, which is over 2,600,000 gallons to address flooding in the neighborhood.” Additionally, he outlined, “The project also includes the construction of a walking path around the perimeter of the detention basin, a parking lot and three pickleball courts.” Goldsmith said the Village of Lombard and the Lombard Park District have an intergovernmental agreement that in exchange for the village constructing the pickleball courts, the park district will provide maintenance of the entire site. “The work has been completed with the exception of the painting of the court surface, which will occur in spring 2025 due to weather conditions,” the director noted. Pictured here are workers installing fencing around the pickleball courts.

Worship Services Directory

Jane Charmelo PhoTos Rock Valley Publishing

Montini Catholic freshman placement exam Dec. 7; Scholarships available

Montini Catholic High School is offering academic scholarships to incoming freshmen taking their placement exam. The exam will be held on Saturday, Dec. 7.

Students can earn up to $10,000 toward their high school education when taking the December placement test at Montini. Scholarships (ranging from $1,000 to $2,500) are based on a student’s national ranking of the placement exam and are renewable for four years. Other scholarships and opportunities can be explored by visiting www.montini.org/ admissons.

Montini Catholic High School is a member of the Midwest District of the De LaSalle Christian Brothers, which includes three universities and 14 high schools. It is a family centered, co-educational, college preparatory high school, rooted in the life and teaching of Jesus Christ as emulated by St. John Baptist DeLaSalle. Programs challenge and encourage the spiritual, intellectual, personal, cultural, social and physical development of each student.

The school opened its doors in 1966 and is enjoying its 58th year of providing a Lasallian college preparatory education. Montini Catholic has graduated close to 8,000 students, 99 percent of whom have gone on to college. Montini’s Class of 2024 graduates earned over $13.5 million in academic scholarship offers last spring. All faiths, as well as diverse ethnic, cultural and socio-economic backgrounds are welcomed members of the Montini Catholic family.

Coming events

LHS ‘Figgy pudding’ program Nov. 21

The Lombard Historical presents “How to Make Figgy Pudding!” Get into the holiday spirit and learn how to make this classic dessert. Kim White will lead a step-by-step demonstration and there will even be some to try. Participants will be given a recipe card. Join us Thursday Nov. 21, at 7 p.m. This event is free but space is limited and requires tickets which are available at lombardhistory.org. For more information, check the website (lombardhistory. org), email info@lombardhistory.org or phone 630-629-1885.

Toy drive collections

The office of state Rep. Terra Costa Howard is collecting donations of new toys (unwrapped), sports equipment, formula, wipes and diapers for the Lombard Fire Department’s Toy Drive and Parade now through Dec. 13. Donations will benefit Toy Express and Teen Parent Connection. To schedule a time to drop off donations or a porch pick-up, you can email reptch42@gmail.com or call 630-812-9292. You can also donate through our Amazon Wishlist here. For more information, you can visit ww.villageoflombard.org//CivicAlerts.aspx?AID=851.

Montini Catholic’s National Honor Society celebrates 54 new members

Montini Catholic High School’s National Honor Society (St. Pope Paul VI Chapter) recently inducted 54 new members at its NHS Induction Ceremony. The goal of the NHS program is to empower and equip Montini students with the knowledge and skills to be transformative leaders at Montini, their communities and beyond. Montini Catholic National Honor Society members are the leaders of their class and represent the very qualities the society is built on—Character, Scholarship, Leadership, and Service. The minimum requirement for membership in the Montini Catholic High School chapter of the NHS is a 4.0+ cumulative GPA at the end of their sophomore year. All students qualifying receive the opportunity to petition for membership in the National Honor Society. When applying, students are asked to detail their qualifications in the areas of Scholarship, Leadership, Service, and Character. Students meeting all the requirements are then invited to become members in the NHS in the fall of their junior or senior year. Once accepted into the NHS, students are required to maintain high scholastic standards, act as true leaders of the school and perform 10 hours of community service each year (in addition to the 40 service hours required for graduation). Montini Catholic NHS inductees are listed here in alphabetical order (not according to where they are located in these photos): Madalyn Aguilar, junior; Isaac Alexander, junior; Molly Bonino, junior (Lombard); Brody Boyer, junior; Miley Brunski, junior; Adyson Caminiti, junior; Madeline Caruso, junior; Sophia Cetrone, junior; Julia Ciaccio, junior (Lombard); Gabrielle Colagrossi, junior; Christopher Davis, junior (St. Pius X graduate); Angelo DeSensi, junior (Addison); Sofia Flores, junior (Lombard); Cameron Fountain, junior (St. Pius X graduate); Sydney Gertsen, junior; Savannah Gutierrez, junior (St. Pius X graduate); Tyiance Haney, senior; Nicholas Harris, junior; Thomas Healy, junior; Henry Herold, junior; Blake Heyer, junior; Aliana Hrdina, junior; Lauren Jaskier, senior (Lombard); Karissa Jones, junior (St. Pius X graduate); Abigail Kimball, junior; Jonathan Kosinski, junior; Brian Kuratko, junior; Ashlynn Lindt, junior; (Lombard); Ava Lomardi, junior; Zongyuan Lyu, junior; Michael May, junior (Villa Park); Cassidy McCarthy, junior; Malin McGivern, junior; Ava Mihelic, junior (Lombard); Nicole Navarro, junior (Lombard); Eleanor Neal, junior (Lombard); Ashlinn O’Brien, junior (Lombard); Charles Paciga, junior (Villa Park); Gabby

Snell,

Andrew

SUBMITTED

Paulino, junior (Lombard); Bon Pham, junior (Lombard); Aubrey Podojil, junior; Brendan Pully, junior (Lombard); Christopher Reyes, senior; Brielle Rowgalo, senior; Audrey Rudd, junior; Bryce Ryan, junior (Lombard); Robert Sansone, junior; Jackson Simek, senior; Honor

junior;

Sparke, junior; Ariana Spizzirri, junior; Troy Stumbaugh, junior; Maria Torres, junior; and Sophia Torres, junior.

 One Stop Shop for all major courier services, such as USPS, FedEx, UPS & IPS by Meest

 Mail Boxes/Virtual Mail Boxes

 Passport Photographs

 Packing & Office supplies

 Freight

 Greeting Cards

 Gift Bags/Wraps/Packaging

 Large Format Printing

ECPA Winter Carolers on sale Nov. 29

They are back and they are the best! Elmhurst Centre for Performing Arts (ECPA) is thrilled to present the ECPA Winter Carolers once again this holiday season. Under the direction of Becky Marianetti, York High School Drama Director and Choir Director, and ECPA Board Member, the ECPA Winter Carolers will be spreading holiday cheer for one night only—Sunday, Dec. 8 from 5-8 p.m. Don’t miss your chance to start the holidays with a visit from these talented musicians. Plan a party and entertain your guests. The annual ECPA Winter Carolers are popular and will sell out. Be sure to mark your calendar to secure your visit. Sales go live on Black Friday, Nov. 29 at 8 a.m. More information can be found, and visits can be secured at www.ECPA-Elmhurst.org under the EVENTS tab.

Holiday OPEN HOUSE

Come join in the festivities of the holiday season at Lexington Square. Our decorations are on full display and we’re excited to spread some holiday cheer! Join us for an afternoon featuring live music, delectable food and festive beverages while you socialize with friends and neighbors. It’s our favorite time of the year, and we can’t wait to celebrate with you!

Support DuPage Forest Preserves on GivingTuesday and double

your gift

Matching gifts on Dec. 3 benefit nature, wildlife, and conservation efforts

DuPage County residents are encouraged to keep their GivingTuesday donations local by supporting DuPage forest preserves on Dec. 3.

Board members from the Friends of the Forest Preserve District of DuPage County, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, will match every donation dollar-for-dollar, doubling contributions to support wildlife and natural areas across the county.

From Dec. 3 through Dec. 31, donations made to the Friends will be matched up to $13,800 thanks to the commitment and generosity of the foundation’s volunteer board of directors. These funds will help care for injured wildlife, restore local habitats, and expand conservation efforts countywide.

To contribute, donors may give online at dupageforest.org/friends or mail a check payable to Friends of the Forest Preserve District of DuPage County at 3S580 Naperville Road, Wheaton, IL 60189.

“This giving opportunity through the Friends is a wonderful example of thinking globally and acting locally,” said Diane Addante, who is completing her second three-year term on the Friends board. “Here in DuPage County, the District protects and enhances habitats, improves air and water quality, and safeguards vital natural resources for future generations.”

In addition to supporting ongoing habitat restoration, this year the Friends is helping fund construction of the DuPage Wildlife Conservation Center in Glen Ellyn. The new center, slated to reopen in summer 2025, will provide

“

Here in DuPage County, the District protects and enhances habitats, improves air and water quality, and safeguards vital natural resources for future generations.”

– Diane Addante, board member Friends of the Forest Preserve District of DuPage County

veterinary care and treatment to injured wildlife. During construction, the existing center has continued treating wildlife patients, with more than 10,500 admissions this year alone.

Donations to the Friends have also supported habitat restoration at preserves like Churchill Woods Forest Preserve in Glen Ellyn and West Chicago Prairie Forest Preserve in West Chicago.

Businesses and civic groups are invited to learn about the Friends’ Community Partners program, which connects charitable giving with nature-focused initiatives at dupageforest. org/get-involved/community-partners.

For more information about the Friends, contact the Forest Preserve District’s Partnership & Philanthropy team at 630-871-6400 or fundraising@dupageforest.org.

Get them something they’ll actually use

Gifts that bring comfort during the cold can be smart and thoughtful

Staying warm during the cold winter months is a top priority for many, which is why holiday gifts that help in this endeavor are always a surefire hit!

Here are some head-to-toe gift ideas that will add comfort to the season and show your loved ones you care.

1. Functional gloves for the fashionista. From navigating with GPS to queuing up a playlist, the woman in your life relies on her devices all the time outdoors. That’s why her gloves should offer touchscreen-capable fingertips so that even in frigid temperatures, she can stay cozy and connected.

Enter the Women’s Mya Faux Fur Cuff Gloves from Isotoner, where style meets practicality. With SmarTouch technology for superior touchscreen capability and SmartDri water-repellent features that make rain and snow roll right off, elevating winter weather ensembles has never been easier!

2. On-the-go coziness for the fashion forward. Staying warm and stylish with this must-have beanie and scarf set is easy.

Featuring a waffle knit beanie with Levi’s iconic red tab and a soft buffalo plaid scarf, this duo is perfect for on-the-go coziness and will keep your loved one comfortable during all their favorite winter activities.

Designed for the fashion-forward, it’s an ideal gift for anyone looking to blend warmth with timeless style.

3. For the best dressed friend. Ultimate comfort and style go hand in hand with Women’s Shortie Stretch Microsuede Gloves.

Made from super soft and stretchy microsuede fabric, these slim-fitting contoured

gloves feature a velour interior and plenty of stretch, providing warmth and flexibility with none of the bulk.

With touchscreen-enabled fingertips and a water-repellent exterior designed with beautiful stitching detail, your loved one will stay warm, dry and stylish all winter.

4. For the multitasking guy. For the type who tackles winter head on – whether it’s shoveling snow or scraping icy windshields – you’ll want the Men’s Neoprene Gloves from Isotoner.

With a durable exterior, sleek tech detailing, and an adjustable zip closure, they’re designed to handle the cold.

Plus, a non-slip palm offers extra grip and SmartDri water-repellent technology, to keep hands warm and dry in all kinds of weather, so that he can find comfort in any moment.

5. For the busy guy who wants to be comfortable. The Isotoner Men’s Carter Microsuede Water Repellent Boat Moccasin is made with durable microsuede.

Not just a slipper, this versatile indoor/ outdoor footwear doubles as a shoe.

The moisture-wicking lining and cooling gel-infused memory foam with super supportive enhanced heel cushion offer ultimate comfort, rain or shine.

6. For the cozy homebody. Make winter movie marathons and sleep sessions toastier and more restful with a weighted blanket.

After all, it’s also important to stay warm inside. Research has found that weighted blankets may improve sleep quality, making this a great choice for those in need of some extra shut-eye.

Register to attend!

STATEPOINT PHOTO Rock Valley Publishing

Staying warm during the cold winter months is a top priority for many, which is why holiday gifts that help in this endeavor are always a surefire hit.

PUZZLE Page

SUDOKU

Fun by the Numbers

Like puzzles? Then you’ll love sudoku. This mind-bending puzzle will have you hooked from the moment you square off, so sharpen your pencil and put your sudoku savvy to the test! Here’s How

It Works: Sudoku puzzles are formatted as a 9x9 grid, broken down into nine 3x3 boxes. To solve a sudoku, the numbers 1 through 9 must fill each row, column and box. Each number can appear only once in each row, column and box. You can figure out the order in which the numbers will appear by using the numeric clues already provided in the boxes. The more numbers you name, the easier it gets to solve the puzzle!

CLUES ACROSS

1. Defunct airline

4. Beverage container

7. A team’s best pitcher

10. Unit of liquid capacity

11. It comes before two

12. Male child

13. Type of wheat

15. One’s mother

16. Upper side of an organism

19. United is one

21. Extraction process

23. A being with lesser divine status

24. People living together in a community

25. Luxury automaker

26. This (Spanish)

27. Semitic language

30. Period for a defined purpose

34. Wander aimlessly in search of pleasure

35. Up in the air (abbr.)

36. American marsupial

41. Decadent dessert

45. Aquatic plant

46. About aviation

47. Summer footwear

50. Rugged mountain ranges

54. With tin

55. Cut on the surface of a hard object

56. Wrapped in cloth

57. Defensive nuclear weapon

59. “American Idol” contestant

Clay

60. Midway between east and southeast

61. Court decision “__ v. Wade”

62. Born of

63. Soviet Socialist Republic

64. Actress __-Margaret

65. Not even

CLUES DOWN

1. Heat unit

2. __ Faulkner, American writer

3. Guatemalan town

4. Of funny things

5. Actress __ de Armas

6. Agents of one’s downfall

7. Takes forcibly

8. Body lice

9. Large nest of a bird of prey

13. Unhappy

14. Popular holiday dessert

17. Habitual drunkard

18. Used of a number or amount not specified

20. Complications

22. Fail to win

27. Before the present

28. Musical genre

29. Flurry

31. 007’s creator

32. Indiana Pacer Toppin

33. Midway between north and northeast

37. Feeling

38. Damage another’s reputation

39. Mottled citrus fruit

40. Beauty product

41. They man first, second and third

42. Harness

43. Herb

44. Expressed concern

47. Mississippi scientific area (abbr.)

48. Consumed

49. Nostrils

51. Gathered fallen leaves

52. Express good wishes

53. Monetary unit of Brunei

58. Japanese Buddhist festival

GROSS PAYMENT FOR CERTIFIED PERSONNEL

Salary Range: Less Than $25,000 TAYLOR LAPAGE; MICHELLE MIKSANEK; GISSELA VELAZQUEZ; SUSAN BIRNS; JENNIFER COX; ROBERT DAVIS; JANE ERICKSON; JAMES ESPOSITO; KELLY GONZALEZ; SAMANTHA HARTMANN; JOANNE KENNEY; THEODORE KOCH; DEBORAH MARKOS; LISA MC ENERY; CARMEN MC KENNA; MEGAN NUNZIATO; LISA O’BRIEN; KATHRYN PETERSDORF; EMILY PRASAD; TINA SCHMIDT; BRIDGET SEBASTIAN; LAURA WOLF

Salary Range: $25,000 - $39,999

PATRICIA KELLIHER; CHRISTINE GROSSMANN; KEVIN KRING; STEPHANIE CRAWFORD; LONIE DAHDAL; KATHLEEN PIERCE-MILLER; NAMON TARPLEY Salary Range: $40,000$59,999 ERYN KAMARYT; AMANDA MEDHAT; JEANNE BRASEL; TAYLOR KENT; PAULA BERRIER; MARISSA CONNETT; NAOMI MACINO; ISABELLA BOESSO; CAMILLE BERNARDIN; SYDNEY WILKEN; GINA KOVACH; KAINAT MOHAMMAD; ALLISON KRAUS; HEIDI SCHMULDT; VITA CALLEROS

Salary Range: 60,000 - $89,999 ELIZABETH BAUER; COLLEEN RYMUT; STEFANI LANCASTER; LUCY WOLFE; ALBERT INFANTE; HAILEY BOWLER; KARLYN MANDLEY; ODD ROAR STEINBAKK; MELISSA LACHCIK; PRIYA DUPHARE; CHRISTY KINGSMILL; AMANDA ABRUZINO; MEGAN SCHUBERT; MADELINE SCHULTE; JENNA LEKSAS; AMY RUDD; MIKAYLA KASPARIAN; SABA SYED; ANNE SOTO; JENNIFER SCIORTINO; EUNICE ANTONIO; DEBORAH AHLGRIM; EMILY STACHOWIAK; ALYSSA BENNETT; MICHAEL ROSEN; KILEY DUNNING; JENNIFER NECKA; ALLISON PETROS; LESLIE GARCIA; JENNIFER TUERK; SAVANNAH ANAYA; CARLY BADALAMENTI; KRISTEN ROSEMEYER; BENJAMIN SULLIVAN; LYNDSEY LIVERAR; TIMOTHY ACKER; CAROLYN TYSSE; CARRIE SNYDER; AMY SCHMIDT; BETSY BEHNKEN; KENDALL CARINO; MARLEIGHA LOSSIN; BRIANNA HARKS; LISA AHLGRIM; KAITLEEN QUILICO; JESSICA DE LUCA; JACLYN BLAKE; LINDSAY WICKLER; CAROLYN SCHMIDT; BRITELLE SMITH; SAMANTHA GRUBISICH; CYNTHIA SENA; MARILU ABREGO; JAIMIE WHITEHEAD; LINDSEY MARCH; JULISSA CRUZ; TIMOTHY ANDERSON; LAURA TILDEN; KIMBERLY LYNCH; MARISSA LETTIERI; JESSICA ANDERSON; LARISSA MUELLER; RANDIE JOHNSON; MELINDA SCINTO; BRIDGET HOFFMANN; CHERYL HANSEN; KARLY TRUMP; DIANA STRAUCH; MARIE ERICKSON; KYLA LORD; JENNIFER KURTZ; KATE TAYLOR; WENDY VON DER LINDEN; CHARLENE LOWERY; NICOLE BAILEY; DENNISSE SERRANO; TAYLOR AGRIESTI; RITA TAMELING; ABEER MEAH; EMILY VAN DUERM; KRISTIN ELLIS; CARLY SHARK; WENDY FIGUEROA; JEFFREY DAVIES; JENNIFER WALHOUT; JESSICA GESLAK; JENNIFER BARRY; KATELYN KENNEDY; KIRSTEN DARGIS; CARA SAVIDE; BENJAMIN KILLAM Salary Range: $90,000 and Over

KATHRYN HATFIELD; SARAH GUIDIZI; MAUREEN HARPER; JILL METZGER;

LEGAL NOTICES

BRENDA DUARTE; FLORENCE CASTRO; EILEEN BELL; LAURA WOLLENZIEN; ANNA TRAFICANTI; JANET FRANO; KIRSTEN MONEY; NEIL GUNSTEEN; MELANIE MORY; CARRIE FERNANDEZ; JENNIFER KENNEDY; KATHLEEN IRION; BETH LYONS; KYLE LICKEL; CHRISTOPHER PROHASKA; KATHRYN CRAWFORD; REBEKAH SIMAAN; ROSSANA D’AMORE; ASHLEY WOLSKI; RYAN KUEHNE; SANDRA FISCHER; TIMOTHY MISAVAGE; REBECCA NELSON; AMY AUCHTER; MARIA SHEA-MICHIELS; KIRSTIN MC GINNIS; MORGAN DOWELL; MARTINE FITZGERALD; KAREN BIERNAT; JACQUELINE MACKIN; JILLIAN YIRKOVSKY; MEGAN RICHARDS; NICOLE DASBACH; MEGAN SEAGRAVES; MICHELLE MATTSON; MICHELLE FRANKENBACH; KATHRYN BRYK; SANDY MOY; AMANDA SCHROEDER; JENNIFER DAMITZ; LINDA ABDELHADI; NANCY GOMEZ; GLORIA WITTENBERG; ANTHONY MELTON; LORI TOBOLSKI; PETER HARRIS; MEGHAN ZMIJEWSKI; GINA ABBINANTI; NOELLE TRAGASZ; AMY DE BOER; KATHERINE GRANADOS; JENNIFER DYER; JOANNE OBERG; ANDREA GEIGNER; JENNIFER ZYDLO; STEPHANIE VOLKE; REBECCA ELOE; SUSAN ROBERTSON; MEGAN ALLRED; SHAWN WESTERHOFF; JAMIE D’AMICO; NICHOLAS MARTIN; NICOLE MC FADDEN; ANDREA TAYLOR; HEIDI CRISTINA; JOANNA SCHULTZ; ALEXIS GUSTAFSON; TRACI LITHERLAND; TAMMY IRELAND; JAMIE DUNFORD; MEGAN CARUSO; CALLIE SEALOCK; JEANNE HOSTETLER; REBECCA MODROWSKI; ALLISON BROWN; ANGELA FABIANO; KELLY CONROY; HAYLEY SCHMELZLE; LINDA MAST; CAROL MAZZIE; JULIE SYPEREK; BARB YOUNT; COURTNEY HANSSEL; KRISTIN ADAMS; COLLEEN JOHNSON; REBECCA WALDBUSSER; STEPHANIE GANAKOS; ANNETTE HANSON; ANDREA GRIMM; LAURIE POLANSKI; LINDSAY KOOKOOTHE; KRISTIN PAASCH; RICHARD EISENHUT; SHANNON WEBER; SCOTT GARAZIN; COURTNEY PITTMAN; STEPHEN LANTVIT; JENNIFER BUESCHER; TIFFANY FUMAGALLI; RAMONA VALENTI; DENISE GLENNON; KATHLEEN DE FEO; DOUGLAS ALGOZIN; JULIE DUNHAM; DANA BERNING; KRISTINE GOEBBERT; MOLLIE RAWLEIGH; CHRISTINE FERRERI; MATTHEW HRUBESKY; TERRI BOSSONS; REBECCA GAMBOA; JODIE PULCIANI; LAUREN CORCHIN-DORN; REBECCA TOMASELLO; CHRISTINE SCHROM; ERICA BORN; JENNIFER SUGGS; KIMBERLY WOLF; ALLISON ELLENA; KELLY SKIBBE; ALICIA YORK; KURT FRAZIER; LISA FLAISHAKER; NANCY GOODIN; MELINDA DEVANY; MICHELLE HOGANSON; ROBYN CORDELL; JULIE MOLINA; MARGARET WAGNER; KATHRYN DIETZ; THOMAS SURDAM; LISA BALA; TAMARA POLAKOWSKI; CATHERINE KOZAK; MARGARET PALCZYNSKI; JULIE KEOWN; PATRICE KLEIN; DEIRDRE ARNDT; JASON WLOCH; AMY MARTINI; MICHELLE HRUBESKY; SHARON SLIWA; MARY GONZALEZ; FRANK FERRARA; KATHLEEN ANDERSON; MICHELE KATS; KELLY KONKEY;

MICHELE MEIERS; LESLIE ALGOZIN; ANNA MALCOLM; HEIDI BLAIR; KATHERINE OSTRANDER; ALAYNE HOWARD; DANIEL MC CLOSKEY; SUSAN DAESCHLER; CAROLE LOANE; JOSEPH GRAFFEO; MICHAEL KETTWIG; KIMBERLY LALLY; KRISTEN QUINN; SANDRA SCHALUND ; STACY NEELEN ; CLAUDINE BARNHART ; ELAINE BURNELL; KATHLEEN PARDIS; CATHERINE ANGELOS; MAURA FERRY; JEFFREY SIMPSON; JULIE FOX; ERIC HAREN; YESENIA VAZQUEZ; CHRISTIE TABB; STEPHANIE LOTH; CLODAGH SORRENTINO; SCOTT STEHLIK; ROBERTA WALLERSTEDT; DAVID DANIELSKI; MARIA MARTIN; TOD ALTENBURG; BRETT SHARKEY; THEODORE STEC GROSS PAYMENT FOR NONCERTIFIED PERSONNEL

Salary Range: Less Than $25,000 UME HAFSA; SAMANTHA HARTMANN; JEANNINE BEILFUSS; ALEX KIRKEENG; JOSEPH PISCITELLI; ASIFA TAHER; SHEIKVAKITHA MOHAMEDNAINAR; ALEXANDER WEHRLE; KIMBERLY BEATTIE; NABEELA NOUREEN; ASMA PARVEEN; SYEDA JAFRI; HILDA INGRAM; SUSAN SZYMANSKI; ADAM ARMSTRONG; MONA DAOUD; SUSAN DANSDILL; OLIVIA SCHWEFEL; JOHANNA SOTIROFF; KAYLEE HARKS; VIRGINIA RAINEY; KATHERINE CURRAN; LARRY BROWN; KEVIN BRENNAN; SARA MARKOS; LAUREN SALOTTI; STEFFEN NIEMANN; AHMEDI FATHEMA; JOSEPHINE NEHRA; LAURA KAPALA; JOANNE KENNEY; LISA SIKORSKI; KATHLEEN BETTS; HUMAIRA MAMDA; DIANA MELTON; FARHEEN SIDDIQUI; BETH BRADLEY; SARAH KAFFENBARGER; ANTHONY MENDOLA; ANDREW KELLEY; VIRGINIA ERGUVEN; KATHLEEN KOELLER; FAUSTINO VILLASENOR; SAIMA KALOTA; SAIRA BHAGAT; JACLYN MILLER; LISA DIBATTISTA; LORI VAVARUTSOS; ANGELA WILCOX; MICHAEL LEACH; NICHOLE JASSIM; KATHLEEN BONINO; ANDREA HEIDORN; WENDY UNDERWOOD; CAROL ROVELLA; MARTIN SAMPEY; CANDICE YENGIBAROV; NADIA NAVIWALA; SHANNON WOLSZTYNIAK; LAUREN JOHNSON; DIANA SEVERINI; DONNA BABINCSAK; KRISTEN OCASIO; AUBREY THIELENHOUSE; SANA SHEIKH; AAMNA MEAH; SYEDA BANO; KATHERINE TOBEN; JENNIFER WILLIAMS; MICHAEL HREHORIAK; CHRISTINA SANATANA; HENRY BARRY; KRISTA SULLIVAN; HILARY ALZUGARAY; JACQULYN WOOD; SAMANTHA ABDELHADI; KRISTA GARZA; ELIZABETH GOSSAGE; MEAGAN POUNDERS; ANGELA HYSSONG; TAKEEYA ROBINSON; ANCHALEE MEALER; JESSICA LOPEZ; TAYLOR WIEDEMAN; ROBERT SCHAEFER; JUSTIN CAMPBELL; SHELIA BITTS; ROBIN AUGUSTINE; LUBNA WALI; DIANNE WINDHAM; JOSEPH GIUFFRE Salary Range: $25,000$39,999 KEELY ETERNO; AMY MOOK; COURTNEY GUNDERSON; KRISTI SLEZAK; MONICA HALLERUD; DEBORAH BRANDEL; JESSICA HERNANDEZ; JENNIFER ADAMCZYK; MARY HARRIS; ANGELA DOHERTY; COURTNEY SCHWEBL; SARAH KHAN; KAREN SHERMAN; ANALI-

LA CASAS; ANJU BAKHSHI; MOLLY MILNAMOW; KRISTEN UNVERZAGT; DEBRA FAIRBAIRN-WHITE; ANGELA GARCIA; FRANCESCA LAMONTAGNA; IVANA ADAMCIN; DEBRA LARSON; JULIA LAWINGER; HAFSA ABDULLAH; KIMBERLY SPERRY; PATRICIA ROSSETTI; DEANNA DEES; SOUAD ABID; DIANE GILHOOLY; LISA BIEGALSKI; CYNTHIA LAYTON; ANGELA GRECO; FAEDA BLAN; CATHERINE SPEARS; ANGELA WILLS; KELLY FACCHINI; JUDITH PAUL; DEBRA SCHLAEFKE; VICKIE REDMON; CHRISTINA LABONTE; RITA WOODS; TRACIE ELLIOTT; TARA MCCLOSKEY; MICHELLE PALMER; SUSAN O’HARA; KIMBERLY CALIGIURI; MAIMONA SYED; LINDA PUCCIO; HARRIET KOLLIAS; CAROLINE FEARN; TERRI NEWBERG; ELIGERTA CUKA; TERESA CIHAK; MARIA GORIS; JOANNE SCHLITTER; JO ANNE SUNDBERG Salary Range: $40,000 - $59,999 MELINDA LAUER; PATRICIA KRING; SUSAN KARCHER; EVANGELINA LOPEZ; JOSY WEYERS; CARRIE LITTLE; ANGILA MRAZEK; ELIZABETH VALDIVIA; ANNA GRAY-WILKE; DONNA RIENDEAU; LUCRETIA DAVIES; TRACY LATELLE; CYNTHIA VELDMAN; BEATRIZ CLARK; NOAH LYNCH; DYLAN SIMONS; TRACY RADCLIFFE; ROY BRADLEY; PENNY SCARPINITI; BRANDON RUPPENSTEIN; JACOB BANDALY; MARK ORSI; MARTIN VERA-GARDUNO; ALISON ZEFFIRO; MARGARET KRAJCOVIC; FRED RICHARDS; JEFFREY GABLIN; TAMMEN COADY; ARTHURO GAMINO

Salary Range: $60,000 and Over LOUIS SALVATORI; MICHAEL SALEK; DEBRA FEIL; JOSEPH SLEJZA; JOSE LOZANO; JASON LA ROSA; PATRICIA SCHMIDT; ALLEN DAVIDSON; EILEEN BUKIELSKI; LAURA SULLIVAN; ELLIOT MAY; NICHOLAS EAGAN; COLE FINN; YVETTE POLICASTRO; REBECCA HARRIS; KAREN ROCQUE; DEBI HANSEL; KRISTIN BULLOCK; FEDERICO NAVA; MELINDA MERKLE; CHRISTOPHER SULLIVAN; HANS BUDACH; PAMELA HERNANDEZ; DEBRA IVERSEN; MARK KUNBERGER; PHILIP MC ENTEE; JONATHAN DATHE; MICHAEL DE GUZMAN; ALEXANDRA HAHN; NEIL PERRY

Payments to person, firm, or corporation over $2,500, excluding wages and salaries.

Person, Firm, Aggregate or Corporation Amount

LEGAL NOTICES

PUBLICATION NOTICE OF COURT DATE FOR REQUEST FOR NAME CHANGE

Request of: Karoline Rose Klump Case Number 2024MR000662

There will be a court date on my Request to change my name from Karoline Rose Klump to the new name of Karoline Rose Krown. The court date will be held: 11/27/2024 at 9:00 at 505 N. County Farm Road, Wheaton, IL in Courtroom 2007.

/s Karoline Rose Klump Dated 10/29/2024

Candice Adams Clerk of the Circuit Court 8085-947651

(Published in The Lombardian Nov. 7, 14 & 21, 2024) 463945

IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF THE EIGHTEENTH JUDICIAL CIRCUIT DU PAGE COUNTY, ILLINOIS

PUBLICATION NOTICE OF COURT DATE FOR REQUEST FOR NAME CHANGE

Request of: William Marvin Brown Case Number 2024MR000662

There will be a court date on my Request to change my name from William Marvin Brown to the new name of William Marvin Krown. The court date will be held: 11/27/2024 at 9:00 at 505 N. County Farm Road, Wheaton, IL in Courtroom 2007.

/s William Marvin Brown Dated 10/29/2024

Candice Adams Clerk of the Circuit Court 8085-947650

(Published in The Lombardian Nov. 7, 14 & 21, 2024) 463954

NOTICE

CERTIFICATE NO. 79546 was filed in the office of the County Clerk of DuPage County on NOVEMBER 5, 2024, wherein the business firm of HEALTH INSURANCE SOLUTIONS, 27W233 GENEVA ROAD WINFIELD, IL 60190 was registered; that the true or real name or

names of the person or persons owning the business, with their respective post office address(es), is/are as follows: David Nelson, 1N241 Farwell Street, Carol Stream, IL 60188.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand and Official Seal at my office in Wheaton, Illinois, this 5TH day of NOVEMBER, A.D. 2024.

Jean Kaczmarek DuPage County Clerk (Published in The Lombardian Nov. 14, 21 & 28, 2024) 464159

NOTICE

CERTIFICATE NO. 79547 was filed in the office of the County Clerk of DuPage County on NOVEMBER 6, 2024 wherein the business firm of SANATEN GROUP, 121 FAIRFIELD WAY SUITE 316, BLOOMINGDALE, IL 60108 was registered; that the true or real name or names of the person or persons owning the business, with their respective post office address(es), is/are as follows: Ibrahim Oumar Abakar, 260 Hackberry Drive, Streamwood, IL 60107.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand and Official Seal at my office in Wheaton, Illinois, this 6TH day of NOVEMBER, A.D. 2024.

Jean Kaczmarek

DuPage County Clerk (Published in The Lombardian Nov. 14, 21 & 28, 2024) 464275

NOTICE

CERTIFICATE NO. 79543 was filed in the office of the County Clerk of DuPage County on OCTOBER 29, 2024, wherein the business firm of GLAMOUR NAILS, 128 W. ROOSEVELT ROAD, VILLA PARK, IL 60181 was registered; that the true or real name or names of the person or persons owning the business, with their respective post office address(es), is/are as follows:

Hoa Nguyen, 267 Shorewood Drive, Glendale Heights, IL 60139.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand and Official Seal at my office in Wheaton, Illinois, this 29TH day of OCTOBER, A.D. 2024.

Jean Kaczmarek

DuPage County Clerk

(Published in the Addison Independent, Bensenville Independent & Villa Park Review Nov. 7, 14 & 21, 2024) 463796

LEGAL NOTICE

ADDISON TOWNSHIP

REPUBLICAN CAUCUS

Tuesday, December 3, 2024 6:00 P.M.

ADDISON TONWSHIP EVENT CENTER 401 N. ADDISON RD. ADDISON, IL 60101

A Caucus of the Addison Township Republican Party will be held for the purpose of nominating candidates for the following offices:

Supervisor Town Clerk

Assessor Trustees – 4 to be Elected

Dated: November 13, 2024 BY ORDER OF:

PAMELA JOY MORETTI, TOWN CLERK

(Published in the Addison Independent, Bensenville Independent & Villa Park Review Nov. 21, 2024) 464469

LEGAL NOTICE

ADDISON TOWNSHIP

Tuesday, December 3, 2024

6:30 P.M.

Wood Dale Library

520 N. Wood Dale Rd.

Wood Dale, IL 60191

A Caucus of the Addison Township Democrat Party will be held for the purpose of nominating candidates for the following offices:

Supervisor Town Clerk

Assessor

Trustees – 4 to be Elected

Dated: November 13, 2024 BY ORDER OF:

PAMELA JOY MORETTI, TOWN CLERK

(Published in the Addison Independent, Bensenville Independent & Villa Park Review Nov. 21, 2024) 464470

PUBLIC NOTICE DUPAGE COUNTY BENSENVILLE, ILLINOIS

2025 ANNUAL BUDGET

A Public Hearing will be conducted by the Village Board of the Village of Bensenville at the Village Hall, 12 S. Center Street, Bensenville, Illinois, commencing at 6:30p.m. on December 17, 2024 to discuss the proposed Annual Budget for the Village of Bensenville.

The proposed budget is available for public inspection during normal business hours at the Office of the Village Clerk, 12 S. Center Street, Bensenville, Illinois.

Any and all persons wishing to be heard on the Budget should appear at said meeting.

Dated this 21st day of November, 2024 /s/ Nancy Quinn Village Clerk Village of Bensenville

(Published in the Addison Independent, Bensenville Independent & Villa Park Review Nov. 21, 2024)

Coming events

Villa

On Sunday, Dec. 1, at 1:30 p.m., journey back with the Villa Park Public

showcases some of the happiest and most memorable holiday moments from classic and popular films. Join us for songs—including a show-ending sing-along —dances and magi-

Sunday,

1,

cal movie scenes from some of the most warmly embraced holiday films of all time, among them “Holiday Inn,” “It’s a Wonderful Life,” “The Polar Express,” “Going My Way” and of course, Bing Crosby’s “White Christmas.” Registration is required. For more information, please visit our website at www.vppl.info, or call 630-834-1164.

Genealogy club to meet Nov. 25

On Nov. 25 at 7 p.m., the Genealogy Club at Helen Plum Library will hear “Oh Where, Oh Where Are My Ancestors From?” Finding your immigrant ancestors’ town of origin is often considered the holy grail of genealogical research, and it isn’t always easy. Join Teresa McMillin,

board-certified genealogist, to learn what information you need to start your search, how to branch out beyond your ancestor, and how to organize and document your research. This program will be in-person and held in the Plum Meeting Rooms (1st floor). Registration required. Visit helenplum.org for details.

B-PAC program tonight

B-PAC: Glenbard Bilingual Parent Advisory Council and the GPS Parent Series in Spanish will present “How to Help Teens Manage Their Emotions for Greater Wellbeing” with psychologist Ferney Ramírez. The program will be held at 6 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 21, at Glenbard East High School, 1014 S. Main St. in Lombard. This pro -

gram will be presented in Spanish only. Ramírez coordinates programs for families in Chicago and various Illinois school districts and is the author of 10 mental health publications. He is president of the Family First Organization and has extensive experience in clinical psychology, couples therapy and family counseling. For further information, contact Luz Luna at luz_luna@glenbard.org or 630942-7447. Please share information about this event with friends and relatives. To be placed on a reminder list for GPS events or submit a question in advance, contact Gilda Ross, Glenbard District 87 student and community projects coordinator, at gilda_ross@glenbard.org or 630-942-7668.

Casten introduces legislation to financially empower women in abusive situations

U.S. Reps. Sean Casten of Illinois’ 6th Congressional District, and Joyce Beatty, of Ohio’s 3rd Congressional District, recently introduced the Financial Empowerment and Protection Act, legislation aimed at removing barriers to the financial insights often necessary for people to safely leave abusive relationships.

“For too long, financial abuse has been used by abusers to hold on to power and control over women— with laws on the books that allow them to withhold financial information women need to leave abusive relationships and build security of their own,” said Christian F. Nunes, president of the National Organization for Women. “Rep. Casten’s bill will finally correct this dangerous gap in our laws, and unlock doors to financial freedom women urgently need.”

“Far too often, we hear stories of victims of abuse who feel trapped in their situation due to limited or no insight into their household finances,” said Casten, whose district includes parts of Lombard. “This legislation, which came out of one such story from a constituent who called in, aims to take away that lever of control from an abuser, empowering women to make their own financial decisions.”

“Survivors of domestic violence deserve safeguards that sustain their financial stability and security. Maintaining survivors’ access to shared accounts, such as cell phone, utility and mortgage accounts, is one of

many policy solutions needed to better preserve their economic well-being,” said Jocelyn Frye, president of the National Partnership for Women & Families. “The Financial Empowerment and Protection Act would give power back to survivors by providing them with the tools to regain or retain their independence. We are grateful to Representatives Casten and Beatty for their tremendous efforts to support survivors and their families.”

Under the Financial Empowerment and Protection Act, mortgage lenders, landlords, utility providers, and childcare providers would be required to offer joint accounts for

See CASTEN, Page 24

Sports

Broncos beat Princeton to advance to Class 3A semifinals

Montini will face undefeated Wilmington in Saturday’s semifinal showdown in Lombard

The Montini Catholic football team’s quest for a 2024 state championship continued with Saturday’s 24-7 victory at Princeton in an IHSA Class 3A quarterfinal-round playoff game.

The Broncos, who have won eight straight games, raised their overall season record to 10-2 with their triumph in Princeton. Montini will face undefeated Wilmington (12-0) in this week’s Class 3A semifinal battle in Lombard. That game will start at 1 p.m. this Saturday, Nov. 23. The winner will meet Tolono’s Unity High School or Monticello in the Class 3A state-championship game, which will be played at Hancock Stadium in Normal on Friday, Nov. 29.

One week before facing Princeton, the Broncos earned an emotional 14-13 victory over undefeated Byron—the reigning Class 3A state champion—in a second-round game in Lombard. After scoring a touchdown with 10.9 seconds to play to cut Montini’s lead to 14-13, Byron elected to try a two-point conversion in an attempt to take the lead. The Broncos delivered a defensive stop on Byron’s running play on the decisive two-point try.

As soon as the Broncos secured their dramatic win over Byron on Nov. 9, Montini coach Mike Bukovsky considered how to prepare his team for its next post-season battle. The Broncos weren’t perfect in their quarterfinal game against Princeton, but they made several key plays on offense and defense to accomplish their primary goal of advancing to the next round.

“We knew it wasn’t going to be easy,” said Bukovsky after Saturday’s victory in Princeton. “We knew this was going to be a sticky game. I give a lot of credit to Princeton’s kids. They played very, very hard today. They lost their quarterback last week. They were short-handed, but they battled us tooth and nail. I tip my cap to those guys.”

Montini opened the scoring against Princeton with a 55-yard touchdown drive on its second offensive series of the game, which was played in cool and calm conditions on the Tigers’ natural-grass field. On a third-and-seven play from Princeton’s 25-yard line, sophomore quarterback Israel Abrams completed a short pass to senior Santino Florio, who darted down the field before bouncing off of multiple Princeton defenders near the 10-yard line. Florio spun away from the defenders and stepped into the end zone for a 25-yard touchdown reception. Senior Owen Berberich added the extra-point kick to give the Broncos a 7-0 lead with 4:23 left in the first quarter.

Princeton, which finished its season with a 10-2 record, fumbled the ball on the opening play of its ensuing drive. Montini junior Santino Tenuta recovered the fumble at the Tigers’ 35-yard line. The Broncos’ offensive

Chris Fox photos Rock Valley Publishing

Montini Catholic’s football team defeated Princeton 24-7 in Saturday afternoon’s IHSA Class 3A quarterfinal-round playoff game in Princeton. The Broncos, who have won eight straight games, will meet undefeated Wilmington in this weekend’s Class 3A semifinal contest in Lombard. Montini will enter this Saturday’s battle with a season record of 10-2, while Wilmington will arrive with a 12-0 record. Senior Santino Florio caught two touchdown passes from sophomore quarterback Israel Abrams during Montini’s victory in Princeton. Florio (No. 1) is pictured (above left) while scoring his first touchdown of the day on a 25-yard reception in the first quarter. Abrams fired a 21-yard touchdown pass to Florio at the end of the first half. Abrams (No. 7), who is pictured (above right) during the fourth quarter, gained 80 rushing yards in the game. Montini senior Jeremiah Peterson (No. 6) is shown (right) during his 14-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter. Peterson rushed for a team-leading 104 yards in the Broncos’ quarterfinal victory.

unit could not convert that turnover into points. Montini’s subsequent offensive drive ended when Princeton intercepted a pass by Abrams on a fourth-and-15 play from the Tigers’ 24-yard line.

Princeton coughed up another fumble on the final play of the first quarter. Senior Matteo Barrett of the Broncos recovered the loose ball at the Tigers’ 38-yard line. Montini’s ensuing drive ended with a turnover.

Senior Jeremiah Peterson ran the ball from Princeton’s 13-yard line and was near the goal line when he fumbled the ball. The Tigers recovered the ball near their own 1-yard line.

After Princeton punted the ball away, Montini began its next offensive series at the Tigers’ 35-yard line in the middle of the second quarter. Montini’s drive ended when the Ti-

gers batted down a pass on a fourthand-four play from Princeton’s 29yard line.

A short time later, Princeton completed a 50-yard touchdown pass. The Tigers then made the extra-point kick to even the score at 7-7 with 1:12 remaining in the first half.

After a short kickoff by Princeton, Montini began its next drive at its own 45-yard line. The Broncos then delivered their second 55-yard touchdown drive of the game. Abrams turned in some good rushing plays to move the ball down the field in the closing seconds of the half. With 12 seconds on the clock, Abrams dropped back to pass and scrambled around the field, making it clear this would be the final play of the half.

See broncoS, Page 23

• Broncos

(Continued from page 22)

Abrams eventually unloaded a pass to Florio, who dropped to his knees and caught the ball in the end zone for a 21-yard touchdown reception. Berberich added the extra-point kick to give the Broncos a 14-7 halftime lead.

“Santino is a playmaker,” said Bukovsky. “He shows up and makes plays in the biggest times in the biggest games. I’m really glad he’s on our side.”

Princeton’s offense opened the second half with a drive that consumed more than seven minutes off the clock. The drive ended with Montini’s defense stopping the Tigers on a fourth-and-two run from the Broncos’ 26-yard line. Montini took possession at its own 25-yard line.

“ It’s survive and advance at this point. We’ve got to have a really good week of preparation for whoever we play. We’re going to have our hands full next week.”

– Coach Mike Bukovsky

The Broncos’ defense made another fourth-down stop later in the third quarter. Once again, Montini held the Tigers to a 1-yard gain on a fourth-and-two play. The Broncos regained possession at their own 45yard line.

Berberich gave Montini a two-possession advantage when he kicked a 27-yard field goal to push his team’s lead to 17-7 with 9:06 left in the game.

Princeton’s next drive ended with an incomplete pass on a fourthand-10 play from midfield with about six minutes to play. Montini’s offense then drove 53 yards for a score—a 14-yard touchdown run by Peterson with 2:38 remaining. Berberich closed out the scoring with his third extra-point kick of the day.

Princeton’s last offensive drive of the game ended when Montini senior Sean Hubeny intercepted a long pass. The Broncos’ offense then ran out the clock.

Peterson gained 104 rushing yards on 17 carries in Saturday’s victory. Abrams ran for 80 yards on 11 attempts. Senior JoJo James rushed for 58 yards on four carries.

Abrams completed 9 of 14 pass attempts for 93 yards and two touchdowns. He threw one interception. Florio hauled in five receptions for 63 yards and two touchdowns.

“It wasn’t our cleanest week, but our defense played very well,” added Bukovsky during his post-game comments in Princeton. He spoke before Wilmington advanced to the semifinals with its 22-13 quarterfinal victory over the Durand-Pecatonica co-op team. “It’s survive and advance at this point. We’ve got to have a really good week of preparation for whoever we play. We’re going to have our hands full next week.”

Senior Matteo Barrett (No. 10) celebrates after Montini’s defense stopped Princeton on a fourth-down run late the third quarter of Saturday’s IHSA Class 3A quarterfinal-round game. The Broncos defeated Princeton 24-7. Montini will face Wilmington this Saturday in a Class 3A semifinal in Lombard. The winner of that game will play in the Class 3A state-championship game in Normal.

Firebirds’ U-19 girls team wins another title

The Firebirds Soccer Club’s U-19 girls team recently won the Illinois State Premiership championship in its division for the second straight season. This Firebirds team has posted two consecutive undefeated seasons in the Illinois State Premiership I Division, which is run by the Illinois Youth Soccer Association. The champion of the division is determined by the most points earned during the season, with three points awarded for a win, one point for a draw and zero points for a loss. The Firebirds won the title in their division this season with a 26-point total by posting a 10-match record of eight wins, two draws and no losses. The division’s second-place team earned 20 points. Most of the players on the Firebirds’ U-19 girls team have been playing together since they were in the U-9 level. The team consists of players from Lombard, Elmhurst, Glen Ellyn and Wayne. Many of the team’s players also play for their high school teams at area schools including Glenbard East, Willowbrook, Montini Catholic and York. One of those players—Annalee DeFeo—who is a senior at Montini Catholic and a member of the Broncos’ girls soccer team, was the division leader in goals scored during the Firebirds’ U-19 girls team’s recently concluded season. Members of the U-19 girls team,

Gilleran. Not pictured are Naomy

pictured left to right, are: (front row) Paige Goldsmith, DeFeo, Lily Cruz, Ava Lewandowski, Payton Brose, Julia Bereta, Lucille Smith, Cleo Glenzinski and Maggie Quinn; (back row) Avery Lucatorto, Makenna Gibbons, Grace Coffey, Alexa Janos, Lindsey Kloet, Halie Ahrens, Teagan Murphy, Clara Fitzer and Jessica

Gonzalez, head coach Mike Williams and team manager Mike DeFeo.

Morgan swims at the IHSA state meet

Willowbrook senior Audrey Morgan of the Addison Trail/Willowbrook girls swim team competed at the IHSA girls state swimming and diving meet, which took place Friday and Saturday, Nov. 15-16, at FMC Natatorium in Westmont.

Morgan participated in the 500yard freestyle event at the state meet. She completed the race in 5 minutes, 14.82 seconds during Friday’s preliminaries and placed 34th among the state meet’s competitors in that event. Morgan did not advance to Saturday’s finals. The swimmers with the top eight preliminary times in the 500yard freestyle competed in Saturday’s ‘A’ final. The eight swimmers who placed 9-16 in the preliminaries took part in Saturday’s ‘B’ final.

Morgan qualified for the state meet with her first-place effort in the 500yard freestyle at the Nov. 9 sectional at York High School in Elmhurst.

• Casten

cohabitating or co-parenting couples. Oftentimes, abusive partners use financial limitations as a method of control to prevent a victim from leaving the situation.

This means that people leaving abusive relationships may have limited access to pay their own bills; and may lose access to housing and childcare.

Domestic violence shelters report that information about these accounts

is commonly withheld during the dissolution of abusive relationships. This legislation aims to circumvent this, allowing victims equal insight into their household finances.

This bill has endorsements from the National Partnership for Women & Families, National Organization for Women (NOW), the Illinois Coalition Against Domestic Violence, and the Illinois Coalition Against Sexual Assault.

Thursday, November 28

Warriors sign

National Letters of Intent

Three Willowbrook High School seniors signed National Letters of Intent last week to continue their academic and athletic careers at the collegiate level. Hannah Kenny (above), who recently concluded a decorated four-year varsity career with Willowbrook’s girls volleyball program, will attend the University of Louisville, where she will play for the Cardinals’ women’s volleyball team. Amelie Ojeda (below), who ran to a fifth-place finish in the IHSA Class 3A girls cross-country state meet on Nov. 9, will continue her cross-country and track careers at Northern Illinois University. Sonia Ruchala (bottom), who will play her senior season for the Warriors’ softball program in the spring of 2025, will continue her softball career at Indiana University Indianapolis.

St. Pius eighth-grade girls B volleyball team takes second

The St. Pius X Parish School eighth-grade girls B volleyball team secured second place in the recent Tri-County Catholic Conference (https://tccathletics.org) divisional championship. The Knights faced St. Francis Xavier from La Grange in the championship match on Oct. 26 at St. Francis High School in Wheaton. St. Francis Xavier prevailed in a tight three-game match. Pictured (left to right) in the St. Pius X team photo are: (front row) Samantha C., Natalia P., Abby Y. and Kate B.; (back row) Coach Jason B., Kelsey P., Gia B., Daniella H. and Coach Luke B.

Endeavor Health announces strategic leadership appointments

Endeavor Health has appointed Joe Dant and Sean O’Grady to newly created executive leadership roles designed to support the organization’s continued growth and operational excellence as one system.

Dant, who most recently served as President, South Region and Institutes, including Edward, Elmhurst and Linden Oaks hospitals, has assumed the new role of Endeavor Health’s System Chief Growth Officer.

O’Grady has assumed the new role of President, Acute and Ambulatory Operations for the health system. O’Grady was most recently President, North Region and Institutes, including Evanston, Highland Park, Glenbrook, Northwest Community, Skokie and Swedish hospitals.

“This evolution in our organizational structure will provide clarity, focus and strengthen our path forward together,” said J.P. Gallagher, Endeavor Health president and CEO.

“By harnessing the talents of two of our most experienced operations leaders in Joe and Sean, we will accelerate our progress in delivering on our mission and vision as a leading community-connected health system, bringing the best of what our health system has to offer to our patients, team members and communities.”

As Endeavor Health’s Chief Growth Officer, Dant will lead the

system’s holistic growth strategy, driving proactive business development and enabling delivery of exceptional patient access and experience. He is responsible for driving growth across Endeavor Health’s Clinical Institutes and will work closely with teams focused on physician alignment models and system partnerships.

He will also have oversight of Endeavor Health’s diverse portfolio of joint ventures, philanthropy and patient experience.

“I am so proud of the momentum that our health system has created and couldn’t be more excited about this new opportunity,” said Dant.

“Our unique ability to combine empathy and excellence is what sets us apart, and I look forward to the work of advancing our growth and differentiation.”

In his new role as President, Acute and Ambulatory Operations, O’Grady will oversee Endeavor Health’s nine hospitals and ambulatory operations, as well as clinical service lines. He will also maintain his leadership of the Endeavor Health Research Institute and Academic Affairs Office.

“By integrating our hospitals and ambulatory facilities under a common leadership, I am confident we will make significant strides in aligning our operations and advancing our commitment to safe, seamless and personal care for the people we are privileged to serve,” said O’Grady.

submitted photo Rock Valley Publishing

Business & Service

CUSTOM CONCRETE

CUSTOM CONCRETE

Residential driveways, patios, walkways.

HANDYMAN BILL

Specializing in general maintenance and repair both inside and out.

Stamped and colored concrete. Call Greg 630-469-6898 388922

Residential driveways, patios, walkways. Stamped and colored concrete. Call Greg 630-469-6898 453462

Classifieds

Elmhurst Office (630) 834-8244

and Onlne at www.TheIndependentNewspapers.com

Announcements

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Automobiles

FOR SALE: 1996 CONVERSION VAN, $4,000 or best offer. 630-853-3059

Burial Needs

7 CEMETERY PLOTS Willing to sell as a group or individually. Located at Roselawn Memory Gardens 3045 WI-67, Lake Geneva, WI 53147. This is a private sale. Contact Randy, the seller at randy@slpublishers.com.

Misc. For Sale

FOR SALE: 32 FOOT ALUMINUM LADDER, $100 or best offer. 630-853-3059