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ECPA celebrates milestone at Spotlight Giving Gala Announces

partnership with Ryan Companies

By Dee Longfellow

FOR THE ELMHURST INDEPENDENT

A crowd of supporters gathered at the River Forest Country Club on Saturday, Sept. 14 when the Elmhurst Centre for Performing Arts (ECPA) hosted its annual Spotlight Giving Gala.

At the gala, the ECPA announced a partnership with Ryan Companies to begin development of the ECPA’s space in downtown.

Ryan was specifically selected for its experience in designing and building smart, well-planned, mixed-use developments, some of which are in Elmhurst.

The announcement was made to a crowd of between 250-300 people who helped raise funds to aid ECPA in its next chapter. The evening included an elegant cocktail reception that offered gathering places inside as well as on the outdoor patio looking out over the lush greens of the golf course. Silent auction items were on display during the reception.

Attendees then enjoyed dinner with wine at the tables after which a live auction was held. While it is too early to confirm the number of dollars raised at the event, the live auction alone brought in $20,000.

“It is because of our community, their generosity and commitment to this vision, that we have reached this milestone in our journey,” said ECPA Board chair Jeff Budgell, who spoke after dinner.

“We are thrilled to be taking this significant step forward and officially establishing our partnership with Ryan Companies.”

After dinner, everyone was invited to the adjoining ballroom for swing dancing, including lessons.

For more information, visit ECPA-Elmhurst.org.

Above: ECPA Giving Gala Host Committee members Carolyn and Mike Ubriaco arrive at the River Forest Country Club. Guests were able to have their photo taken surrounded by the lush greens of the golf course.

Right: ECPA Board chair

Jeff Budgell welcomed all the guests following dinner and announced that the ECPA made an agreement with Ryan Companies to begin the planning and building of the development that will one day be a state-of-the-art venue for live music, theatre, dance, comedy, and events to serve the western suburbs.

David and Jeanne Carlquist smile for a photo as they entered the ECPA Giving Gala at River Forest Country Club on Saturday, Sept. 14. Between 250 and 300 guests took part in the event, which included live and silent auctions, dinner with wine and swing dancing to top off the evening.

Jim and Amy Viola were among the guests at the ECPA Giving Gala on Saturday, Sept. 14. While it is too early to project the amount raised at the event, the live auction of five items alone raised $20,000.

JEFF NELSON AND BERNIE SURTZ PHOTOS Elmhurst Independent

SUBMITTED

A bevy of balloons

Above: Buttons and Bows celebrated the new school year with its annual ice cream social event. The staff was framed by a large group of balloons that greeted everyone who attended. Pictured are (from left): Ms. Sidoryk, Mrs. Sharko, Ms. Greetis, Mrs. Scott and Mrs. Triska.

Left: Students at Buttons and Bows and their parents were invited to an ice cream social to kick off the new school year. The staff was on hand to greet parents and answer any questions about the curriculum.

District 205 Board meeting summary

By Chris Fox ELMHURST INDEPENDENT

The Elmhurst Community Unit School District 205 Board held a regular meeting on Sept. 24 at the District 205 Center, 162 S. York St.

All seven board members attended the meeting.

Jefferson Elementary School named a 2024 National Blue Ribbon School

The meeting’s spotlight and recognition segment included a brief presentation from Lori Sweeney— the principal of Jefferson Elementary School. Sweeney stated that Jefferson’s staff is working to make learning relevant, rigorous and engaging at the school. She also noted that earlier in the week, Jefferson was named a National Blue Ribbon School (NBRS) by the U.S. Department of Education. According to District 205, the NBRS status recognizes outstanding schools based on their high overall academic achievement or success in closing the achievement gap among diverse groups of students.

Jefferson serves mover than 340 students in kindergarten through fifth grade.

The NBRS program is one of the U.S. Department of Education’s longest-running recognition programs. Since its inception in 1982, the program has honored public and non-public schools. Jefferson’s 2024 award is District 205’s ninth Blue Ribbon Award. The last district school to win the award was Sandburg Middle School, which received the honor in 2013.

District parent asks for better communication

There was one public comment during the Sept. 24 meeting. A district parent referred to a Sept. 10 incident at Sandburg Middle School. She said Sandburg parents received a vague notification from the school’s

principal during the day, stating that something went on during the day, and that the school’s students were safe. The parent stated that the incident involved police coming to the school. According to the parent who spoke during the meeting’s public participation segment, the district did not clearly communicate with parents and provide sufficient details about the incident.

Public hearing about the 2024-25 budget

The Sept. 24 meeting included a public hearing about the district’s annual budget for the 2024-25 school year. Christopher Whelton, the district’s assistant superintendent for finance and operations, gave a brief presentation during the hearing. Whelton gave a similar presentation about the district’s 2024-25 budget at the board’s previous regular meeting on Aug. 20.

Whelton’s presentation during the public hearing noted that about 91 percent of the district’s revenues come from local sources, and that property taxes make up about 84 percent of the district’s local revenue sources. Whelton said that salaries and benefits usually account for about 80 percent of the district’s annual expenditures. That figure is closer to 70 percent in the 2024-25 budget, due to some large transfers. Those large transfers include $7 million in spending for an increased scope of some of the district’s construction and renovation projects.

The 2024-25 budget marks the third consecutive year of using $7 million from district reserves to cover the cost of the increased scope of some projects.

Whelton said the district’s 202425 budget calls for the district to use about $12.2 million from its reserves to cover a deficit. According to the budget, the district anticipates reve-

See BOARD, Page 4

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Giannoulias encourages FDA to review harmful chemicals in food supply

GRAS designation under scrutiny as FDA introduces new post-market review process

Ahead of a public meeting to discuss food safety, Illinois Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias is advocating that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) develop a post-market assessment program to test harmful chemicals in our food supply.

The “generally recognized as safe” (GRAS) designation currently allows food manufacturers—not the FDA— to decide if chemical additives are safe for consumption.

This legal loophole has allowed food dyes, preservatives and other chemicals to be placed on store shelves with little to no oversight from the FDA, the federal agency tasked with ensuring food is safe. Many of these GRAS ingredients have been linked to serious health problems, including hyperactivity, nervous system damage, reproductive issues, hormonal damage and increased risk of cancer.

“Allowing the company that produces the ultra-processed food to decide if a chemical is safe, without having to inform the FDA, makes no sense and it adds up to a dangerous game for American families to play,” Giannoulias said.

“Developing a rigorous review program that puts our health first and

• Board

addresses the impact of chemicals in our food will go a long way to holding food manufacturers accountable and restoring trust and confidence in the FDA.”

The Secretary of State oversees Illinois’ organ donation registry, which is one of the largest in the nation. Studies have shown that organ damage and failure is a consequence of the health risks associated with chemical additives, particularly in children. Keeping donors’ organs healthy for individuals suffering from life-threatening diseases or injuries who need transplants is critical.

Many food chemicals have never been meaningfully reassessed for safety, even if they were approved decades ago and new science has since demonstrated potential harms. Instead, the product is brought straight to market for human consumption without a systematic health and safety review.

According to a 2022 Environmental Working Group analysis, “since 2000, food and chemical companies have petitioned the FDA only 10 times to approve a new substance. By contrast, for 756 of 766 new food chemicals added to the food supply since then, or 98.7 percent, these companies have exploited a loophole for substances that are ‘generally recognized as safe,’ or GRAS.”

(Continued from page 2)

nues of about $164.9 million, and expenditures of about $177.1 million, during its 2024-25 fiscal year, which ends on June 30, 2025.

Whelton stated that the district ended its 2023-24 fiscal year with an operating fund balance of about $58 million. At the end of the 2024-25 the district’s operating fund balance will be approximately $45.7 million.

There were no public comments during the hearing about the budget, and the hearing was declared closed.

Board votes 6-1 to approve the district’s 2024-25 budget

Later in the board meeting, board members voted 6-1 to approve the district’s 2024-25 budget. Board member Jim Collins cast the one vote against the resolution to approve the budget.

Shortly before the board voted to approve the district’s budget, Collins noted the $12.2 million deficit. He mentioned that the deficit is related to the third and final $7 million transfer ($7 million in 2022-23, $7 million in 2023-24 and $7 million in 2024-25) to pay for the increased scope of some renovation and construction projects. Collins said those expenditures are a good use of the district’s surplus money, and will benefit the district and its residents for many years.

Collins said nearly half of the district’s deficit in the 2024-25 budget (about $5.8 million) is what he called a structural deficit. That figure, of $5.8 million, he said, includes transfers the district makes each year to cover expenses including maintenance projects and debt certificates.

During the past year, the FDA has undergone a major reorganization of its Human Foods Program and established the Office of Food Chemical Safety, Dietary Supplements and Innovation. Additional steps have been taken including the development of an enhanced systematic process for the post-market assessment of chemicals in foods, slated for a discussion at a public held Wednesday, Sept. 25. European and other nations have outlawed many GRAS chemicals and mandate that corporations formulate their products with safer alternatives. In the U.S., California recently passed a law that outlaws several harmful chemicals in the food supply that goes into effect in 2027. Last year, Giannoulias, with the help of state Sen. Willie Preston (16th District-Chicago) and state Rep. Anne Stava-Murray (81st District-Downers Grove), introduced The Illinois Food Safety Act (SB 2637) which seeks to ban the sale of foods in Illinois containing chemical additives that have been linked to health issues.

Elmhurst Park District holds open houses to provide information about the Nov. 5 referendum

The Elmhurst Park District is holding two upcoming open houses to provide residents with information regarding the park district’s referendum in the Nov. 5 election.

The open houses will take place at the park district’s Wagner Community Center, 615 West Avenue, on Tuesday, Oct. 15 (10 a.m. to noon) and Tuesday, Oct. 22 (6 to 8 p.m.). Tours at the open houses will begin on the half hour.

In the referendum on the Nov. 5 ballot, the Elmhurst Park District is giving residents the choice to fund high-priority projects identified by the community.

The open houses will allow residents to view the proposed projects and renderings, ask questions and take a tour of Wagner Community Center, which will be replaced if the referendum is approved.

Collins said the district’s 202425 budget calls for a 7.6 percent increase in salaries and a 9.1 percent increase in benefits over the previous year. He also said the district is adding 11 additional teachers in the 2024-25 year while enrollment is flat.

According to the 2024-25 budget, the district has 1,202 full-time employees for the 2024-25 school year. Other board members, including Kara Caforio, referred to the district’s expenditures being unsustainable. While referring to the hiring of additional staff members, Caforio noted that the district has to comply with certain mandates issued by the State of Illinois without receiving any additional funding.

Board approves third of three $7 million transfers

Shortly after voting 6-1 to approve the district’s 2024-25 budget, board members voted unanimously to approve the last of three $7 million transfers from the district’s operations and maintenance fund to its capital projects funds. The district made similar transfers in each of the last two budget years to cover the additional scope in some of its construction and renovation projects.

Board tables vote on medical and dental contracts

The Sept. 24 meeting also included a discussion about renewing the district’s medical and dental benefit contracts for 2025. Following that discussion, board members decided to table the issue until a future meetings. Some board members, including Caforio, stated they wanted

the district’s insurance committee to keep working to secure more cost savings. The two board members on the district’s insurance committee are Collins and Dr. Kelly Henry—who is a physician.

The discussion about the district’s medical and dental benefit contract included two representatives from Alliant Consulting, which the district contracted with earlier this year. One of the Alliant representatives at the meeting noted that for the two-year period from July 1, 2022, to June 30, 2024, the district’s medical and prescription claims rose about 12 percent. In the recent 12-month period ending in June 2024, the district’s medical and prescription plan ran a cumulative deficit of over $2 million. During that period, total premiums added up to about $17.7 million, while total costs added up to about $19.8 million.

Regarding dental premiums, the resolution tabled by district board members called for increases in those premiums of 12.5 percent in each of the next two years.

Before voting to table the issue, multiple board members stated that the district needs to offer high quality health care to benefits, but that it cannot sustain the recent trend of rising premiums.

State transitions from the SAT to the ACT; all York juniors will take the ACT in April 2025

The Sept. 24 board meeting included a presentation about the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) shift from one standardized test—the SAT—to another—the ACT. The ISBE’s contract with the

College Board, which operates the SAT, expired on June 30, 2024. THE ISBE opened a bidding process and eventually awarded a six-year contract to the ACT, beginning with the current school year.

All juniors at York High School will take the ACT during the current school year. The ACT includes a science component, which will reduce the need for juniors to take a separate Illinois Science Assessment.

York’s current juniors are tentatively scheduled to take the ACT on April 15 and April 16, 2025.

On Oct. 23, 2024, York’s juniors will take a Pre ACT, which serves as a practice test for the ACT.

The ACT, which assesses students’ readiness for college and is used by colleges for admissions and scholarship decisions, includes tests in English, math, reading, science and writing.

The district will offer an in-person ACT preparation course in early 2025. That prep course, which will include nine 2-hour sessions, will cost $300 per student. The district will also offer a virtual ACT preparation course during that same period. The virtual course will cost $225 per student.

State of the District event takes place at York on Oct. 30 District 205 Superintendent Keisha Campbell noted near the end of the Sept. 24 meeting that the State of the District event will take place at York High School on Wednesday, Oct. 30. The event will begin at 7 p.m.

The District 205 Board will hold its next regular meeting on Oct. 15.

DuPage County Board chair proposes balanced budget for FY2025

DuPage County Board Chair Deborah Conroy recently presented a balanced budget for Fiscal Year 2025, outlining key priorities that support vital County services in a cost-effective, fiscally responsible manner.

The proposed FY2025 budget totals $635.8 million, with a General Fund of $257.1 million. The budget includes a $71 million property tax levy, capturing new construction without raising the property tax rate, which remains flat at 2 percent of the

average homeowner’s tax bill.

“I am pleased to present a balanced budget that not only maintains our outstanding levels of service, but also invests in key projects to prepare for the future,” Conroy said.

“This proposal provides crucial support for residents who need it most, providing the help they need without raising the County’s portion of the property tax.”

Highlights of the FY2025 budget include:

• $500,000 to assist in the fight against food insecurity;

• $350,000 for the DuPage Council on Strengthening the System for Mental Health and Substance Use Care, funding community initiatives for treatment and counseling at a grassroots level;

• Additional funding for public safety, including the Sheriff’s Office, State’s Attorney’s Office, and Public Defender;

• Doubling the number of attorneys

in the 18th Judicial Circuit Court to handle Shelter Care hearings on cases involving charges of child abuse and neglect;

• $1.8 million for County Board member initiatives.

The FY2025 proposed budget includes $151.9 million for capital, including a multi-year project to build a new maintenance garage and fueling station for the Division of Transportation, repairing water and sewer lines, renovating the DuPage

Care Center, completing the Animal Services expansion, and other stormwater and road construction projects. The public can provide feedback on the proposed budget plan at https://dupagecounty-ktgfp.formstack.com/forms/proposed_budget_ feedback.

The DuPage County Board will consider the chair’s proposed budget and will approve the county budget at its Nov. 26 meeting. The 2025 Fiscal Year begins on Dec. 1.

Elmhurst University ranked top Midwest school for veterans, No. 7 overall

U.S. News & World Report’s latest rankings name Elmhurst University the top school in the Midwest for veterans and No. 7 overall among the Best Regional Universities in the Midwest

Elmhurst also ranks No. 8 among the Top Performers for Social Mobility, No. 8 for Undergraduate Teaching and No. 12 for Best Value in U.S. News & World Report’s 2025 Best Colleges rankings, which were released on Tuesday, Sept. 24.

U.S. News publishes the Best Colleges rankings each year to provide prospective students and their families with the comparative merits of undergraduate programs at America’s colleges and universities. Now in its 40th year, the rankings evaluate nearly 1,500 national colleges and universities on up to 17 measures of academic quality, placing an emphasis on social mobility and outcomes for graduating college students.

Elmhurst’s rankings in the categories pertaining to veterans, undergraduate teaching and social mobility reaffirm the University’s values and commitment to student success, said President Troy D. VanAken.

“Academic excellence, professional preparation and social responsibility are central to who we are and how we can best equip our students to thrive, not only on campus but wherever their paths lead them next,” he said.

The Best Colleges for Veterans rankings provide data on top-ranked schools that make pursuing a college education more affordable for veterans and active-duty service members. Schools included in the ranking must be certified for the GI Bill and participate in the Yellow Ribbon Program, and are ranked to a significant degree based on their overall score in the 2025

“ Academic excellence, professional preparation and social responsibility are central to who we are and how we can best equip our students to thrive, not only on campus but wherever their paths lead them next.”

– President Troy D. VanAken

Best Colleges rankings.

Nearly 50 military students currently attend Elmhurst University, including veterans, students actively serving in the military, and the children and spouses of veterans. A $3.4 million gift to the University in 2021 helps support student veterans on campus and is introducing more STM majors (Science, Technology and Math) to careers in national security and defense.

The Top Performers for Social Mobility category describes colleges and universities that have been the most successful at advancing students’ social mobility by enrolling and graduating large proportions of economically disadvantaged students. About half of Elmhurst’s undergraduate students are the first in their families to attend college, and nearly all receive some form of financial aid.

The Undergraduate Teaching ranking is based on a peer assessment survey of college presidents, provosts and admissions deans who were asked

to name the schools they believe have faculty with a remarkably strong commitment to undergraduate teaching.

The Best Value Schools are based on overall academic quality, the per-

centage of full-time undergraduates in 2023-24 who received need-based scholarships or grants, and the average discount from the school’s total 2023-2024 sticker price for full-time

undergraduates receiving the average need-based grant.

The full U.S. News & World Report Best Colleges 2024-2025 report can be found at usnews.com/best-colleges.

Worship Services Directory

779 S. York Street Elmhurst, IL 630-834 -6700 www.visitationparish.org

547 N. Main St., Lombard, IL 60148 630-627-2435

Sunday Worship at 10:15 am

Lent and Easter Services at 7 p.m.

Sunday School & Bible Study 9 am

“The Crucial Hours”

Second Lenten Service March 9, 2022

Ladies Bible Fellowship Mondays at 6:30 pm Wednesday Service at 7pm

Rev. David Ernest “Satan Has Asked to Sift All of You” Jerusalem Lutheran, Morton Grove Matthew 27:15-26

Third Lenten Service March 16, 2022

Rev. Paul Spaude “What to Remember When Your are St. Matthews, Niles Seized with Remorse” Matthew 27:3-4

Adult Bible Study Wednesdays after Service Saturday, October 26, Game Night at 4 pm Everyone is Welcome! All services are live streamed. Watch on our website or on Facebook. sainttimothy.org 461997

Fourth Lenten Service March 23, 2022

Rev. Jonathan Bergemann “I Will Keep the Passover” Good Shepherd, Downers Grove Matthew 26:18

Fifth Lenten Service

March 30, 2022

Rev. Tom Nicholson “They Bound Him” Resurrection, Aurora John 18:12

Weekend Masses: Saturday: 4 PM (Vigil) Sunday: 7:30, 9:30 & 11:30 AM and 6 PM

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April 6, 2022

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Police beat

The Elmhurst Police Department recently reported the following arrests and citations. Persons charged with domestic battery are not named in order to protect the privacy of victims. Readers are reminded that an arrest does not constitute a conviction, and that subjects are considered innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law. Juveniles age 17 or younger are not named.

Criminal damage to property

Sept. 18-Sept. 23

A complainant in the 300 block of N. Geneva reported that an unknown suspect(s) damaged a rain gutter downspout and an alarm box at a city-owned sanitation lift station sometime between the above dates.

Sept. 21

Benito Roman Alonzo, 59, of Maywood, was charged with criminal damage to property for an alleged incident that occurred between Sept. 16 and Sept. 17 in the 700 block of N. Michigan. Police said a complainant stated her tires were slashed earlier in the week.

Andrew McDuffee, 20, of Lyons, was issued a citation for criminal damage to property at Elmhurst Hospital at 7:35 p.m. Police said the suspect started to get upset with hospital staff and began punching and throwing hospital equipment; a computer monitor was damaged.

Sept. 20

A victim in the 400 block of W. St. Charles reported a verbal argument with the suspect outside her house. During the dispute, the suspect took her phone. The victim tried to retrieve it, resulting in scratches on the suspect. The parties were separated, and the suspect left the premises.

Domestic battery, disorderly conduct, domestic incident, dispute, disturbance

Sept. 25

A 23-year-old Elmhurst man was charged with domestic battery and criminal damage to property in the 300 block of S. West at 10:10 a.m. Police said a victim was involved in an argument with the suspect when the suspect knocked the victim’s cell phone from his hands and struck him.

Sept. 22

Police said officers responded to a domestic battery in the 300 block of N. Route 83 at 8:53 p.m. A complainant stated that the suspect had struck her in the face during an argument. The complainant was uncooperative and the suspect denied striking the victim. There were no injuries on either party and no arrests were made.

Sept. 21

A 37-year-old Elmhurst man was charged with domestic battery in the 200 block of N. Caroline at 10:40 p.m. Police said the suspect was found to have battered the victim.

DUI, consumption of alcohol by a minor

Sept. 23

Abraham Villagrana Garcia, 25, of Montgomery, was charged with DUI, possession of open alcohol, unlawful possession of cannabis in a motor vehicle, expired plates and illegal

stopping where prohibited subsequent to a traffic stop near North and Route 83 at 3:25 a.m.

Sept. 22

Ricardo Hernandez-Barra, 34, of Lombard, was charged with illegal stopping where prohibited, DUI and no insurance in the 200 block of N. Addison at 11:30 p.m.

Sept. 21

Emely Lujan, 20, of Melrose Park, was charged with aggravated DUI, DUI, disobeying a traffic control device and consumption of alcohol by a minor subsequent to a traffic stop near York and North at 3:19 a.m.

Georgios Spyropoulos, 27, of Elmhurst, was charged with DUI, disobeying a stop sign, and violating a driver instruction permit subsequent to a traffic stop near Church and York at 12:52 a.m.

Sept. 20

Police said that subsequent to a well-being check in the 100 block of E. Brush Hill, Seneca Scott, 45, of Northlake, was found to be under the influence of alcohol. According to police, Scott ignored police orders and attempted to drive his vehicle. Scott was charged with DUI.

Fleeing, eluding

According to information provided last week by the Elmhurst Police Department, police reported one incident of fleeing and eluding during which the driver of a vehicle fled the scene after being stopped for a traffic stop by police.

Harassment, threats

Sept. 17

A complainant at a business in the 100 block of N. York told police at 11:11 a.m. that they received multiple harassing phone calls from the suspects, who are former employees that were previously terminated. Each suspect was served a trespass notice prohibiting them from returning to the business.

Identity theft, fraud

According to information provided by the Elmhurst Police Department, police reported three incidents of identity theft or fraud.

Possession of cannabis in a vehicle

According to information provided by the Elmhurst Police Department, police reported two incidents of possession of cannabis by either the driver of a vehicle or a passenger: Jason Rodriguez, 28, of Chicago, in the 600 block of W. North at 10:12 p.m.; and Breana A. Carlton, 21, of Bellwood, near Butterfield and Cedar at 10:32 p.m. Sept. 24.

Suspicious incident

Sept. 23

A victim in the 400 block of N. York told police at 6:30 p.m. that an unknown suspect was observed masturbating inside his vehicle while he was parked at the gas station. The suspect rolled down his window to allow the victim to view the exposure. A witness reported the incident to an employee. The suspect then left the area.

Sept. 20

A complainant in the 300 block of N. Larch reported two unknown male suspects offered to sealcoat his driveway. The suspects completed the work and then tried charging more than the agreed-on price. The suspects then left the scene.

Sept. 19

A reporting officer made contact with a victim, who stated that she received text messages from the suspect, who is in violation of his bail bond. An arrest warrant was obtained for the suspect.

Theft, burglary, attempted theft or burglary, forgery, deceptive practice, obstruction, robbery

Sept. 25

A complainant in the 300 block of Huntington reported that a suspect described as a black female had taken the complainant’s package off their porch.

Sept. 24

A victim in the 600 block of N. York told police at 8:15 a.m. that he had parked his semi-trailer truck in a parking lot and was sleeping in the cab. Sometime during the night, he felt the trailer shake. Upon checking on the trailer, he noticed his two Michelin spare tires were removed by an unknown suspect(s).

Sept. 23

Edward May, 42, of Villa Park, was charged

with retail theft at a store in the 900 block of S. York at 4:07 p.m.

A complainant at a business in the 800 block of Church reported at 9:01 a.m. that an unknown suspect(s) took one of their semi-tractors that was parked at the above location. Upon using a GPS tracking device, the vehicle was located at a USPS bulk mail center in Forest Park. The vehicle was recovered, processed for evidence, and returned to the owner.

Sept. 20

A victim in the 200 block of E. Diversey reported being robbed at a park by an unknown suspect described as a black male who displayed a handgun and took his wallet, which contained cash, as well as marijuana that he intended to sell. The suspect fled on foot.

Police said two suspects— one described as a Hispanic male between the ages of 18 and 30—were seen taking perfume at a store in the 300 block of S. Route 83 before fleeing the scene.

Sept. 18

According to police, a suspect was seen taking merchandise from a store in the 100 block of E. Schiller at 2:40 p.m. before leaving the store.

Aug. 30-Sept. 9

A complainant in the 900 block of S. Route 83 told police that an unknown suspect(s) removed the top cross bar of his storage unit to enter and remove vintage cards and video games sometime between the above dates.

Sept. 3

A complainant in the 100 block of W. Brush Hill reported that an unknown suspect(s) forged a check on the victim’s checking account and withdrew cash.

Warrant arrest

Sept. 24

Police said that subsequent to an unrelated investigation in the 1000 block of S. York in Bensenville, Kanye Hankison, 19, of Elmhurst, was found to have an active warrant out of DuPage County.

Man on parole sentenced to 38 years for robbing Speedway Gas Station and 7-11 convenience store at gunpoint on the same day

DuPage County State’s Attorney Robert Berlin has announced that a Chicago man on parole for two armed robberies out of Cook County has been sentenced to 38 years in the Illinois Department of Corrections for robbing at gunpoint a Downers Grove gas station and an Oakbrook Terrace convenience store on the same day in June 2021.

Robert Howard, 31, formerly of Chicago, appeared at his sentencing hearing in front of Judge Daniel Guerin who handed down the sentence. On June 23, 2021, Johnson appeared in bond court where Judge Guerin denied bond. He has remained in custody at the DuPage County Jail since that time. On July 25, Howard entered a blind plea of guilty to two counts of armed robbery with a firearm, a Class X felony. Due to Howard’s criminal history, he was extended term eligible, resulting in a sentencing range of between 21 to 60 years in the Illinois Department of Corrections.

At approximately 2:42 p.m., June 15, 2021, officers with the Downers Grove Police Department responded to the Speedway gas station located at 5004 Fairview Avenue, for an

armed robbery that just occurred.

Upon arrival, officers and detectives searched the area but were unable to locate anyone matching the description of the offender provided by the store clerk. Following an investigation into the matter, authorities learned that prior to the officers’ arrival, Howard entered the store, went to a cooler and took an item before walking to the counter where the register is located.

Once at the counter, Howard raised his shirt and revealed he had a gun in his waistband. He then went behind the counter, ordered the store clerk to open one of the cash registers, which she did, and took the cash from the register.

Howard then took the gun out of his waistband, pointed it at the clerk and said, “Open the register, I’m gonna shoot you if you don’t give me the money.”

When the clerk was unable to open the second cash register, Howard took two packs of Newport 100 cigarettes and fled on foot. After identifying Howard as a suspect in the case, authorities executed a search warrant on his home on June 21, 2021. When Howard arrived at the home for a meeting with his parole officer that same day, he observed officers at the home

Robert Howard

Three subjects accused of carjacking and robbing a man at gunpoint in Downers Grove

DuPage County State’s Attorney Robert Berlin and DuPage County Sheriff James Mendrick announced on Sunday that Judge Robert Gibson granted the State’s motion to deny pre-trial release for three subjects accused of robbing a Downers Grove man of his property and his vehicle at gunpoint.

Javari Williams, 18, of Harvey, Tremaine Nelson, 18, of Gary, Indiana, and Tyray Hemphill, 22, of Chicago, appeared in First Appearance Court on Sunday. All three subjects were charged with one count of armed robbery with a firearm, one count of aggravated vehicular hijacking with a firearm and one count of aggravated vehicular hijacking–victim over 60, all Class X felonies.

On Friday, Sept. 27, at approximately 6:50 p.m., DuPage County Sheriff’s Deputies responded to 36th and Fairview Avenue in unincorporated Downers Grove for a report of an armed robbery of a motor vehicle that had just occurred.

After speaking with the victim, a man over 60 years old, authorities learned that a black 2006 Dodge Charger was allegedly involved in the robbery.

The Downers Grove Police Department arrived on scene and was able to locate the Charger and the victim’s vehicle, a 2006 Silver Chrysler 300 SRT, in the area. Officers began pursuit of the two vehicles and after a short time, the Charger crashed at Route 83 in Hinsdale. After crashing, four occupants of the Charger al-

• Man

(Continued from page 6)

and began to run. As he ran, Howard tripped and fell at which time he was taken into custody.

When Howard was taken into custody, he had a loaded semiautomatic handgun in his waistband that matched the description of the gun used in the robbery at the Speedway gas station. Through further investigation, authorities learned that also on June 15, 2021, at approximately 3:38 p.m., Howard entered the 7-11 convenience store, located on 14th Street in Oakbrook Terrace, requested a job application and filled it out while waiting for the store to clear.

After a short time, Howard eventually approached the store clerk, brandished a handgun and took approximately $400 from the cash register before fleeing.

“On parole for less than seven months, Mr. Howard has no business being in possession of a loaded handgun, let alone terrorizing two hard-working individuals at gunpoint to commit two armed robberies,” Berlin said. “Mr. Howard’s repeated criminal behavior demonstrates his complete disregard for the rule of law and public safety. Judge Guerin’s 38-year sentence, however, sends the message that in DuPage County, we respect the law, and anyone found guilty of armed, violent criminal behavior will be held accountable. I commend the Downers Grove and Oakbrook Terrace Police Department for their outstanding efforts in this case which ultimately led to a significant sentence of 38 years behind bars.”

legedly exited the vehicle and began walking northbound on the shoulder of Route 83.

A Hinsdale police officer approached the four individuals, at which time three of them, later identified as the defendants, climbed over a wooden fence and fled, while the fourth individual allegedly claimed that he was the victim of a robbery and ultimately escaped law enforcement.

The Sheriff’s Office and other law enforcement agencies immediately established a perimeter and took the three defendants into custody after a brief search. It is alleged that Nelson was located in a window well in the 500 block of N. Quincy Avenue,

Hinsdale. It is further alleged that officers found a loaded Glock 23 semi-automatic .40 caliber handgun with one bullet in the chamber in the same window well. It is alleged that Williams and Hemphill were also located on the same property, along with two additional handguns, including a loaded Glock 23 Gen 4 with an extended magazine.

Following an investigation into the matter, it is alleged that the victim had arranged with an individual named “Reyes” to sell his car on the “OfferUp” sales application. It is alleged that Reyes and the victim met at the victim’s home and went for a test drive. It is alleged that after the test drive Reyes convinced the victim to walk down the street to meet a friend that had a tow truck. It is alleged that as the victim and Reyes began walking down the street, the victim turned around and began to walk back to his

car, at which time the defendants, who had pulled the Charger up to the victim’s car, exited the Charger and ran toward the victim with their guns drawn. It is further alleged that the defendants then pointed their guns at the victim’s head, back and groin and went through his pockets, stealing his wallet, cell phone, car keys, a gold chain, and a watch.

It is further alleged that the defendants then pushed the victim to the ground, told him “don’t f***ing move” and then fled in the victim’s car and the Charger. Authorities also learned that the Charger was reported stolen out of Chicago on Sept. 23.

“The allegations that Javari Williams, Tremaine Nelson and Tyray Hemphill violently robbed an innocent man of his car, pointing three guns at him, and tried to hide in a residential neighborhood, are frightening,” Berlin said. “We are all thankful that the victim in this case was not physically harmed. The quick apprehension of the defendants in this case demonstrates DuPage County law enforcement’s commit-

ment to public safety and willingness to work together to ensure the safety and security of all our residents. I commend Sheriff Mendrick and his office as well as the Downers Grove and Hinsdale Police Departments for their outstanding efforts that led to the apprehension of the defendants in this case. I also thank Assistant State’s Attorneys Michael Pingaj and Philip Ungar for their efforts in securing charges against the men allegedly responsible for this violent robbery.”

“This type of violent crime will not be tolerated,” Mendrick said. “DuPage county will continue to arrest anyone who contributes to gun violence in our county. I thank State’s Attorney Berlin and his team for filing appropriate charges in this case”

An investigation into the matter continues. Anyone with information is asked to contact the DuPage County Sheriff’s Office at 630-407-2400. The next court date for all three defendants is scheduled for Oct. 28, for arraignment.

DuPage County Clerk announces turnout for day one of early voting smashes record

County Clerk Jean Kaczmarek announces that voter turnout day one of early voting in DuPage County smashes the record set in the 2020 General Election. A total of 1,533 voters showed up at the polls—more than double the 660 voters who cast ballots four years ago this day.

“While it’s too early to make predictions, it appears that DuPage County is on track to have a large turnout for this presidential election. There’s excitement in the air,” Kaczmarek said. “In 2020, the turnout was 76.55 percent with 491,067 ballots cast—the largest

turnout in DuPage history.”

In recent years, DuPage County has had the highest voter turnout in the region in every election. “Four years ago, there was a huge line of voters winding around the Fairgrounds unpaved parking lot most of the day. Until 2020, voting this early was never very popular here,” Kaczmarek says. “We expanded our earliest voting sites from one to five. This expansion, along with state-of-the-art 100 percent paper ballot voting equipment has made it much easier and quicker to process voters. No one was waiting in a long

line today.”

Voters at the Fairgrounds now have a paved parking lot, thanks to nearly $2 million in voter accessibility grants issued to the DuPage County Clerk’s office from the Illinois State Board of Elections.

Early voting locations open now are at the DuPage County Fairgrounds, Wheaton; Addison Township Office; Bartlett Community Center; and the Naperville Municipal Center. Specific days and hours of all early voting locations can be found at: Voting Information (dupagecounty.gov)

“We’re providing optimum access to DuPage’s 623,326 voters, including vote-by-mail, permanent vote-by-mail, 24 early voting locations open on Oct. 21, and 250 polling places on Election Day, Nov. 5, with the option to vote anywhere,” she said. Kaczmarek encourages anyone who is uncertain of their voter registration status, including those voters who may have moved or changed their name since the last time they voted, to confirm their registration and view their sample ballot at the Clerk’s website: View Sample Ballot (dupagecounty.gov).

Javari Williams Tremaine Nelson Tyray Hemphill

ViewpOint

Slices of

life

Thoughts on love

We all want to be loved. I think that’s a universal statement - and there aren’t too many of them anymore. But I think it’s safe to say we all seek love.

When I lost the love of my life, I lost a huge chunk of love. Of course it isn’t gone, because love never dies; but it often feels gone—in many worldly ways—for now.

I live it on a daily basis.

So, I guess it’s pretty logical that I spend a lot of time contemplating love. What it is. How to define it. What it means. Why it’s important. Why we seek it. Why it fuels us. Why it makes us feel good. And so on.

In this, I’ve come to a realization.

We all want to be loved. It starts on day one (and maybe even before) of our experience as humans. Tiny babies cry out, literally asking for love (and milk and a diaper change, but I digress).

Babies need to have their physical needs met, but they need love as well.

It’s a requirement just as critical as a clean diaper or full bottle of milk, because if babies don’t receive love consistently, they may struggle with intimacy, trust and the ability to love others for the remainder of their life. (This is a condition called attachment disorder).

Imagine the ramifications. Not being loved leads to an inability to express love. I’m not sure there’s been a sadder sentence ever written.

Craving to be loved, indeed, is a universal truth. But I think there is something beyond being loved that is even more universal: We want to give love. We want to love. Can anybody find me somebody to love? Freddie Mercury had a point.

Being loved is nice. But it is a passive state of being. It requires nothing from you and you can’t control its ebbs and flows because you are on the receiving end. Someone can love you without you ever even knowing it. Think of all the rom-coms that have been based on this premise!

In that, you are a passive bystander to love, and life is not meant to be lived in bystander mode.

At least not if it is going to be the best life - and who among us doesn’t want that?

Being loved is passive. Loving someone—or something—on the other hand, is the the opposite of

By JILL PERTLER Columnist

passive. And in that it activates mega-neutrons of positivity within our beings. Simply put, love makes us feel good, in more ways than one.

The active state of loving another being produces dopamine, which is associated with increased happiness, pleasure, positivity and well-being.

The physical touch often associated with love releases oxytocin, which lowers stress. In addition, love helps to boost immunity and tends to improve sleep patterns. Overall, it increases life expectancy and is good for heart health, which might help to explain the plethora of hearts on Valentine’s Day.

Being loved is wonderful. Loving, especially in the reciprocal sense, is beyond wonderful. It is what life is all about. Quite simply. Quite literally. Quite understandably. Quite magnificently.

It’s hard to wrap your head around it. But I think maybe the Beatles alluded to the thought when they sang: All you need is love.

Of course coffee, wine and chocolate probably also belong on that list, but love is key.

And it doesn’t have to be romantic love, or even person to person love. Giving love is remarkably flexible.

Ask any pet owner if the love they have for their four-legged friend is real. You already know the answer.

I’ve just got one more point to make on this topic. We often think about loving another or acting in such a way as to gain the love of another. This is okay, but sometimes I think we forget to love the most important person in our own lives: Ourself.

Because that has to come first. Then all the rest about love for and from others will simply fall into place. And when it does, it’s almost like magic.

Which is a lot like love.

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.

Passing a bipartisan government spending bill

By U.S. Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi

actions encouraging violence.

Last week, I joined with an overwhelming majority of my colleagues from both parties to pass a three-month continuing resolution (CR) that will keep federal government funding levels at their current levels until Dec. 20 while a longer-term deal is negotiated.

Funding for the federal government would have run out at the end of the month, causing lasting harm to the safety, security, and economic well-being of all Americans. I’m thankful that the Senate and President Biden also acted quickly to avoid this unnecessary and disastrous outcome, and I look forward to working with my colleagues to ensure the government remains properly funded in the future.

Calling on all Americans to condemn and reject political violence

On Sunday, Sept. 15, Secret Service agents foiled an apparent assassination attempt against former President Donald Trump at his golf course in West Palm Beach, Florida—the second such attempt against the former president in roughly two months.

As I have said repeatedly, political violence has no place in our country, and Americans of all political leanings should all condemn speech and

Following the attack against former President Trump in July, I joined with my colleague, Rep. Brad Wenstrup (R-Ohio), to introduce a resolution condemning political violence in all its forms. I am calling upon my colleagues from both parties to join us in supporting this resolution to reaffirm our shared belief as Americans that political violence is unacceptable and cannot be tolerated.

Why

we should maintain engagement with our foreign adversaries

The House Committee on Oversight and Accountability recently held a hearing examining the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) political warfare. During my question line, I responded to the suggestion made by one witness that the U.S. should halt engagement with the CCP and not discuss priorities with the leaders of the People’s Republic of China (PRC).

As the Ranking Member of the House Select Committee on the Strategic Competition Between the United States and the CCP, it’s critical to our national security and economic well-being that the U.S. continue to have a dialogue with the CCP to deter further aggression against us and our allies and partners.

My hearing on how the CCP uses the law to silence its critics

The Select Committee on the Strategic Competition Between the

United States and the CCP recently held a hearing detailing how the CCP uses the law to silence its critics and enforce its rule.

As Ranking Member of the Select Committee, I highlighted how the CCP is using American courts to threaten those who speak up and use their own courts in China to sue and disadvantage American companies.

Meanwhile, it is nearly impossible for Americans to successfully sue in Chinese courts, and it can be very difficult to sue Chinese companies or properly defend against Chinese suits in American courts. This lack of reciprocity is extremely unfair.

The CCP uses frivolous lawsuits and other scare tactics to intimidate American businesses and individuals who speak the truth about them.

Just take Scott Paul, the head of the Alliance for American Manufacturing, who has testified before our committee twice.

When he made truthful statements in front of our committee about BYD, a Chinese carmaker, being controlled by the CCP, BYD sued him in U.S. court on baseless charges of defamation.

As highlighted at this hearing, the CCP views the law as a sword to use against its opponents and a shield to protect its own interests.

Raja Krishnamoorthi represents the 8 th Congressional District of Illinois, which includes part of Addison, Wood Dale and Bensenville.

Obituaries

DOLORES MAE BAILEY

Dolores Mae, the oldest child of Helen and Charlie Stevens, grew up in Maywood. She attended St. Eulalia school, Trinity High School, and DePaul University where she met her future husband, Dan Bailey. They married in May of 1951 and made their home over the years in Wauwatosa, Villa Park and, finally, Elmhurst in 1960. Together, Dolores and Dan had 9 children, 26 grandchildren and 32 great-grandchildren and counting.

Dolores’ faith was central and truly foundational in her life. She was an avid reader who could often be found curled up with an enjoyable book. She participated in many clubs and activities throughout her life including golf, bowling, bridge club and eating club. Yes, despite her petite size, she was often the person in the room who refilled their plate most frequently – often more than every man in the room!

Dolores was a kind, generous person who loved to gather with family and friends. Her home was often the site of enormous holiday gatherings with her children, grandchildren and great grandchildren filling the house with love, spirited conversation, and laughter and enjoying her delicious meals. Friendships were so very dear to her, especially with her lifelong best friend Theresie-baby. Nothing kept Dolores from getting to Therese’s house, even trekking across town in the deep snow!

She was a wonderful mother and grandmother who loved to hang out with her children and their families.

ROBERTA JOSEPHINE (KROK) RAMSEY

Roberta Ramsey, a beloved lifelong resident of Elmhurst, passed away peacefully with her family at her side on September 24, 2024, at the age of 85.

She was the cherished wife of James Clifton Ramsey, with whom she shared 67 beautiful years of marriage. Their love story began in 1955 when they met on the York High school bus. They were married on December 22, 1957, building a life full of love, laughter, and cherished memories. Roberta, nicknamed “Bobbi Jo” in her early years was born to Joseph and Helen Krok and was the proud sibling to five sisters: Mary, Kathleen, Christy, Pamela, and Debbie and three brothers: Edmond, Gregory, & Daniel. A dedicated and loving mother, Roberta leaves behind her children James (Marianne) Ramsey, Lynda (Steve) Stanfa, her late daughter Cindy (Jim) Dettloff, and Mark (Debbie) Ramsey.. She was a proud grandmother of seven: Kari, Bryan, Justine, Steven, Nicholas, Matthew and Kyle . Her love and legacy continue through her eleven great-grandchildren who called her GG: Addie, Lilly, Avery, Anderson, Jamison, Sebastian, Roslyn, Gwenyth, Bernadette, Harper, and Haylee.

Roberta was the heart of her family, always the catalyst for bringing

She created magical summer days when she would happily take the station wagon packed full of her children and friends up to Phil’s Beach for fun summer days at the beach. Birthdays and holidays were always incredibly special at the Bailey house as Dolores made sure each child had their favorite cake, pop and presents to celebrate.

Dolores was an avid sports fan with her favorites being the Chicago Cubs and Green Bay Packers! The fall of 2016 was a joyous one for her as she celebrated her beloved Cubbies winning the World Series into the wee hours of the morning. As a proud Packer’s stockholder, she loved the treks up to Milwaukee to cheer on the Packers at County Stadium! Walking into her home, you often heard the roar of crowd noise as she had the Cubs, Packers, Blackhawks, or Notre Dame games blaring!

Dolores hosted New Years Eve, New Years Day and St. Patrick’s Day parties that were legendary! An exceptional host, she fed most of Elmhurst with her delicious corned-beef and cabbage dinner, New Years Day breakfasts and summer bar-b-ques, and provided thousands of whiskey sours, old fashions and Irish coffees over the years.

Dolores was preceded in death by her parents Helen and Charlie, siblings Chuck, Audrey and Peg, her husband Dan, and her son-in-law Carl. She, is survived by her children Dan, Mike (Debbie), Kathy Sutton, Patti (Jeff) Darley, Jim (Janelle), Chuck, Joanne (Mike) Cabbage, Carol (John) Caruso, and Tim; her grandchildren Andrea (Yehuda) Atias, Sandy (Britt) Pope, Kelly Sutton, Carl (Angela) Sutton, Jason (Tessa) Darley, Kim

everyone together. She found joy in the simple pleasures of life: cutting grass in her bare feet, enjoying a cold beer, bike riding, walking, playing solitaire and bingo and doing crossword puzzles. She loved cooking for her family and was rarely seen without an apron on. Her family fondly remembers her as “Mom,” “Grandma,” “Nana,” and “GG.” A hard worker with a loving and kind nature, Roberta, was known for her time spent with family.. To her lifelong friends, she was always “Bert” and her memory will live on in their hearts. Throughout her life Bert, a devoted mother, was often involved with her children’s grade school events and always offering a helping hand. Despite never learning how to drive she embraced life with enthusiasm, often seen riding her bike or walking to her destination. Roberta was preceded in death by her parents, sister Mary, daughter Cindy, and daughter-in-law Marianne. Roberta’s legacy of love, laughter, and family will be forever cherished.

Cremation rites have been accorded, as no formal services will be performed, we ask that everyone sign the guest book online and share a memory.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that loved ones honor Roberta by enjoying life’s simple joys, just as she did. Arrangements by Pedersen Ryberg Funeral Home.

(Brent) Seeley, Ryan (Chelsea) Darley, Kyle (Alesha) Darley, Helen Bailey (Sean Flynt) , Patrick (Sam) Bailey, Sara Bailey (Aaron Riske), Erin (Ben) Torrisi, Emma, Kailyn (Eric) Stefan, Collin (Kasey) Bailey, Jay Caruso, Hannah Bailey, Josh Cabbage, Maureen Bailey (Alec Biese), Belle (Trae) Bobillo, Micah (Adam) Trautman, Jacob Cabbage, Henry Caruso, Sophie Caruso and Mila Bailey; Great Grandchildren Melanie, Ella and Vanessa Atias Nora and Sully Flynt; Teddy and Winny Torrisi; Vin-

ny and Mateo Solana, Thomas Pope, Ciara and Trent Sutton, J.J. Perkins, Braden and Stella Nelson, Case and Connor Seeley; Zoey, Nora and Julia Darley; Hunter, Bayleigh and Lakelyn Darley; Nolan and Mason Darley; Roman, Camden and Easton Darley; Eloise Stefan; and Hudson Trautman. Dolores touched so many lives over the years and shared so much love. She will be missed by many family members and friends and is so very loved. Somewhere in heaven there is a heck of a celebration, and the whiskey

sours are flowing – Sláinte!

A visitation was held on Monday, September 30, 2024 at Elmhurst Community Funeral Home – THE AHLGRIM CHAPEL, 567 South Spring Rd. Elmhurst. A Mass of Christian Burial was held on Tuesday, October 1, 2024 at Visitation Catholic Church, 779 South York St. Elmhurst.

For information, please contact Elmhurst Community Funeral Home – THE AHLGRIM CHAPEL, (630) 834-3515 or www.ElmhurstFH.com.

Real estate/Business

SUBMITTED PHOTO Elmhurst Independent

Chamber presents its Good Works Award

Eva Sanchez of See Your House Right Here with @properties was honored with the 76th annual Elmhurst Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ECCI) Golf Outing Good Works Award, presented by the chamber on Sept. 20. Sanchez was recognized for her contributions to the betterment of the ECCI and the Elmhurst business community through her active nine-year chamber membership, which has included service on the Board of Directors (2016-24), Executive Committee (2021-23) and as Board Chair (2022). The award also honored Sanchez for her service as a Chamber Ambassador, and for her personal and business support of the chamber’s Golf Outing. Sanchez is pictured (left) with ECCI President and CEO John Quigley (right).

State Sen. Suzy Glowiak Hilton has teamed up with Oakbrook Terrace Mayor Paul Esposito to host a shred event for residents to safely destroy personal documents at no cost.

“When it comes to protecting yourself against fraud and identity theft, you can never be too careful,” said Glowiak Hilton (D-Western Springs). “Documents with personal information like your address, banking information or social security number should be securely shredded.”

The shredding truck will be avail-

Community calendar

Thursday, Oct. 3

ECPA presents “An Intimate Evening with Visceral Dance Company.”

From 6:30-9 p.m. at Stage 119, 119 Commerce Ave., join us as we continue our newest fundraising series, ECPA presents “An Intimate Evening with Visceral Dance Company”. Its compelling name, its powerful athleticism and the driving force of its founder, Nick Pupillo, ensure Visceral Dance as one of Chicago’s most exciting contemporary dance companies. This company exemplifies his daring vision to explore the infinite possibilities of contemporary movement and present the best of emerging, established, and innovative choreographers. The company is recognized for its exceptional technicality, diversity, versatility, and daring athleticism. Tickets: $20 for children ages 6-12; $50 for adults. For more information, call 224-283-7889 or email: ecpa.jenn@gmail.com

Saturday, Oct. 5

• Family Fall Fest. From 9 a.m.noon presented by the Elmhurst Park

District at Wild Meadows Trace, 511 S. York St., get your costumes ready and bring the family to The Depot at Wild Meadows Trace for Elmhurst Park District’s Family Fall Fest. Activities include Safety Town trick-ortreating, food trucks, plus fall festivities! Sponsored by Alpine Creek Dental, Kelly Stetler Real Estate and OHi Our Home Improvement.

• Journey Through the Cosmos with the Elmhurst Symphony Orchestra’s “The Planets & Star Wars.” Presented by the Elmhurst Symphony Orchestra from 7-9 p.m. at the Elmhurst Christian Reformed Church, 149 W. Brush Hill Road, Gustav Holst’s The Planets is celebrated as one of the most iconic works in the classical music repertoire. Completed in 1917 and inspired by astrological themes, this masterpiece has influenced countless composers, including John Williams, whose Star Wars Suite will also be performed. Tickets are $35-$45 for general admission; $12 for students. For more information, call 630-941-

0202 or email: contact@elmhurstsymphony.org

• Star Wars Reads Celebration. Presented by the Elmhurst Public Library from 11 a.m.-3 p.m., journey to a galaxy far, far away to celebrate Star Wars Reads Month. Test your knowledge of the Force, design a droid, and celebrate your love of reading through other crafts, games, and activities. Costumes are encouraged! Free. No registration required. For more information, call 630-2798696 or email: reference@elmlib.org

Sunday, Oct. 6

Lecture: “Lights, Camera, Action: The History of Chicago Film.” From 2-3 p.m. presented by the Elmhurst History Museum and being held at Elmhurst City Hall (209 N. York St.), Chicago played a key role in the early days of film, from production studios to equipment to marketing. Recently retired University of Chicago Cinema and Media

See CALENDAR, Page 16

Cheers to 94 years

able in the parking lot of the City of Oakbrook Terrace, located at 17W261 Butterfield Road, from 9 a.m. to noon, or until the truck is full on Saturday, Oct. 12. A limit of two boxes of documents per car is encouraged.

Examples of documents with personally identifiable information that should be safely discarded include bank statements, outdated medical records, tax returns, bills, junk mail, credit card applications and receipts.

Residents with questions can contact Senator Glowiak Hilton’s office at 630-785-3177.

The Kiwanis Club of Elmhurst celebrated its 94th installation of club officers last week. The club held its installation banquet for its club officers for the 2025 term at Angelo’s Ristorante in downtown Elmhurst on Sept. 24. Pictured left to right are the incoming officers—Patricia McKernan (secretary), Heather Bereckis (vice president), Dereck Schlager (president) and Andrea Pokrefke (treasurer). Not pictured is David Gaul (immediate past president). Mrs. Pokrefke was also recently installed as the Kiwanis II District Division 9 Lt. Governor for 2025. The Kiwanis Club of Elmhurst is the local branch of an International organization of members who are dedicated to serving our community by supporting youth programs, promoting education, and addressing local needs. Through volunteerism and fundraising, the club strives to create positive change and foster a brighter future for children and families of the local community and beyond. The Kiwanis Club of Elmhurst is also the sponsor of the York High School Key Club. Additionally, the club is integral in bringing the Special Olympics volleyball tournament to York High School each year. The club provides annual scholarships for higher education, provides funding for school lunches and musical instrument rentals for those who cannot afford them, and is involved in many other community events throughout the year. To learn more about the Kiwanis Club of Elmhurst, email elmhurstkiwanisclub@ gmail.com or visit its social media pages on Facebook and Instagram (@Elmhurst.Kiwanis).

SUBMITTED PHOTO Elmhurst Independent

Scout presents her Eagle Scout project

Service project featured the construction of a scent wall to help train police K9s

Elisabeth Andrusyk of Lombard, age 17, is currently in her third year with Scouting America in Troop 9117, which is chartered through Christ United Methodist Church in Elmhurst and Sea Scout Ship 1926 out of Oswego.

Elisabeth is a senior at Glenbard East High School. She is in the process of earning her Eagle Scout award, which is the highest honor

in Scouting America. In order to achieve this award, she must work her way up the ranks, earning specific Merit Badges and requirements.

One major part of her Eagle journey is to lead a service project that benefits the community. Working with Commander Matthew Himpelmann and K9 Officer Brandt Cappitelli of the Elmhurst Police Department, Elisabeth planned and con-

structed a K9 scent wall to help train the police K9s. In order to build this scent wall, she had to solicit for donations from her friends and family.

On Sept. 11, Elisabeth presented the finished wall to Himpelmann, K9 Officer Jason Giesel and Sergeant

Brendan Bruckner. The wall will be used for K9 trainings in Elmhurst and throughout the local police network. Elisabeth was also able to use extra raised funds to purchase the department a new pair of bite suit pants to help with further trainings with the K9s.

Several leaders and scouts from both Troop 9117 and Sea Scout Ship 1926 attended this presentation on Sept. 11. They presented pizza and refreshments to honor 9/11 and the Elmhurst Police Department.

Elisabeth Andrusyk, who is a member of Troop 9117, is in the process of earning the Eagle Scout award—the highest attainable honor in Scouting America. As part of earning the award, Elisabeth must lead a service project that benefits the community. Elisabeth’s service project involved the planning and construction of a scent wall to help train police K9s. Last month, Elisabeth presented the finished scent wall to the Elmhurst Police Department. The wall will be available to area police K9s. One photo (above) from the recent presentation shows Elisabeth (fifth from left) with (left to right) scouts Ava Z., Mia O., Elena F., Kara O., Stephen A., Nathan L., Matthew M. and Sachairi H., as well as Skipper Christa Harrison, Mrs. Rebecca Lichucki. Another photo (left) shows Elisabeth (center) with (left to right) Elmhurst Police Commander Matthew Himpelmann, Elmhurst K9 Officer Jason Giesel and K9 Tommy. Troop 9117 is chartered through Christ United Methodist Church in Elmhurst and Sea Scout Ship 1926 in Oswego. Elisabeth, age 17, is a senior at Glenbard East High School in Lombard.

BASKETBALL

for the 2024/2025 Season of the Glenbard East Future Rams

Location: Glenbard East Field House- enter through Door #1 (all grades will go to the Field House for registration)

ANY QUESTIONS CONTACT: STEVE ZIGMAN Coordinator - Glenbard East Future Rams szigman58@hotmail.com

No pre-registration required - registration will be at the tryouts. Boys will need to be wearing athletic wear.

SUBMITTED PHOTOS Elmhurst Independent

Displaying their wares

St. Alexander Catholic Church in Villa Park, which is celebrating its 100th anniversary this year, held its annual craft fair and bake sale on Saturday at the Parish Hall. Throughout the day, attendees browsed the many tables that featured items made by various local crafters which were available for purchase. Plenty of tasty homemade goodies also were on sale. Here, Elmhurst resident Nancy Keller had blankets, hats, scarves and various toys to sell—all of which she crocheted by hand.

Montini Catholic hosts Diocese of Joliet’s 75th Anniversary Mass with Bishop Hicks

Montini Catholic welcomed Bishop Ronald Hicks, Bishop Emeritus R. Daniel Conlon, local priests and deacons from several local parishes and over 750 guests from surrounding parishes at a special Mass on Saturday, Sept. 14 to commemorate the 75th Anniversary Jubilee of the Diocese of Joliet. On Dec. 11, 1948, His Holiness Pope Pius XII established the Diocese of Joliet in Illinois. The foundations of the faith reach back to the French missionary explorers, Father Jacques Marquette and Louis Joliet, who shared the message of the Gospels, evangelizing as they moved from settlement to settlement. It was during their time with the Native American people called the Illinois that the Catholic faith took root and matured. Members of Montini’s Peer Ministry Team were available to assist in various ways throughout the Mass. Shown (right) is Bishop Hicks giving his homily on “living the faith through service to others.” Also shown (above) are altar servers from Montini (from left to right) sophomore Molly Felice of Elmhurst and juniors Sofia Flores and Molly Bonino.

Athlete of the Month Athlete of the Month

Abby Vander Wal

Abby Vander Wal has helped to lead the Trojans volleyball team to a 15-2 start which includes a perfect 15-0 record in the month of September thus far. Abby leads the team in several statistical categories: kills (200), hitting percentage (.507), kill percentage (58.3%), and aces (30). She recently passed 1000 career kills. The highlight of the month was when the Trojans defeated 2 time defending class 3A champion Wheaton St. Francis in 3 sets; Abby had a career high 20 kills. With her size and length, she also adds value on the defensive side of the floor where she ranks second on the team in digs (102) and third in blocks (13). Her leadership is an example for her teammates and is invaluable. She sets the tone for everyone else to follow. Congratulations Abby!

Recognized by

MIKE SANDROLINI PHOTO Elmhurst Independent

SUBMITTED PHOTOS Elmhurst Independent

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. Separate with an instrument

5. State clearly

11. One-time MLB speedster

Gordon

14. Broad in scope

15. Lacking social polish

16. Amount of time

17. Frame

19. Automobile

20. Caps

21. High school dances

22. Utilize

23. Checked

25. One-sided

27. Having an extreme greed for wealth

31. Potted plants

34. We all have one

35. Lake north of the Kalahari

38. Unidentified flying object

39. Aging persons

41. Small amount

42. Mother of Perseus

44. Ornamental waist box

45. Officials

46. Uncertain

49. A cotton fabric with a satiny finish

51. Extensive, treeless plains

55. Your consciousness of your own identity

56. Consumer advocate Ralph

60. Notable Spanish sports club

61. Body part

62. One’s responsiveness

64. Woman (French)

65. Ready and willing to be taught

66. Muslim ruler title

67. Unhappy

68. Gradually disappeared

69. Able to think clearly

CLUES DOWN

1. Brushed

2. Water sprite

3. Ones to look up to

4. Monetary units

5. We all have one

6. Marine invertebrate

7. One who institutes a legal proceeding

8. Outer

9. Parallelograms

10. Uncomfortable feelings

11. Cross to form an X

12. Remove

13. Some pages are dog-__

18. Capital of Ukraine

24. A citizen of Denmark

26. Eighth month (abbr.)

28. Hindu queens

29. Acids structurally related to amino acids

30. Rider of Rohan in Tolkien

31. Wet dirt

32. Russian city

33. Observed

36. Irate

37. Travelers need them

39. Musical composition

40. Auction

43. Form of “to be”

45. Women

47. Inspire with love

48. Think Japanese ankle sock

49. Appears

50. Old World lizard

52. The lead dancer: __ ballerina

53. Protein involved in motion

54. Rosalind Franklin biographer

57. Popular 1920s style art __

58. __ Blyton, children’s author

59. Abnormal breathing

63. A place to rest

SpOrt S

York boys cross country team takes second in Peoria Bradford breaks 15-minute barrier in Top 10 finish

By Mike Miazga CORRESPONDENT

The York boys cross country team’s early-season success continued with a recent second-place finish at the Peoria Notre Dame invitational, held at Detweiller Park, the site of the annual IHSA cross country state finals. “We ran our best race of the year,” York coach Charlie Kern said.

York took second in the team standings only behind Mason High School out of Ohio. Individually, Emmett Bradford took seventh and broke the 15-minute barrier for the first time in his career. “This was a very significant breakthrough and will help Emmett see himself as one of the state’s best,” Kern noted.

Beyond Bradford, Kern was thrilled with York’s pack running.

“Our pack behind Emmett was phenomenal,” Kern said. Kern pointed out only seven seconds separated York’s second through fifth scoring runners. “Tight pack running is key to cross country success,” he added.

Max Zangan finished 49th in 15:34, while Sam Kehoe was right behind in 50th place in 15:35. Jack Sebsastian took 58th in 15:39. Carter Olsen took 62nd in 15:41. “This was a very good performance for our guys and it will help us to realize we are good,” Kern said. “We cannot rest on our laurels.”

In the sophomore race in Peoria, Patrick Hill moved into first place by 400 meters and held the lead until the

“ Patrick continues to impress us with all his courage and competitive spirit.”

–

Charlie Kern, York coach

final 100 meters and finished second.

“Patrick continues to impress us with all his courage and competitive spirit,” Kern said.

Hill covered the layout in 15:22, the fastest any freshman at York has run in the last 10 years. Harrison Manternach finished fourth with a time of 16:05, while freshman Michael Gurgone was seventh overall.

“Harrison was more recovered from an illness and it showed,” Kern said.

“Michael ran a very smart race.” Anders Dochoff finished 12th for York with a time of 16:34. “Anders continued his sophomore season with another impressive performance,” Kern said.

Sophomore Thomas Gonzalez was York’s final scorer. He took 25th and clocked in at 16:54. Fresh-

man George Scott took 39th while sophomore Dylan Golomb was 69th York won the sophomore team title with 50 points. Naperville Central was a distant second with 128 points.

The York sophomore boys cross country team won the Peoria Notre Dame invitational team title in commanding fashion. York finished with 50 points, while Naperville Central was second with 128 points. Patrick Hill took second individually and ran the fastest York freshman time (16:05) in 10 years. Harrison Manternach took fourth while Michael Gurgone took seventh.

SUBMITTED

PHOTOS Elmhurst Independent

The York boys cross country team recently won the Joliet Steelman invitational team title. York’s Emmett Bradford won the race, while Sam Kehoe took fifth, Carter Olsen sixth, Max Zangan eighth and Jack Sebastian ninth.

The York sophomore boys cross country team won the Joliet Steelman invitational title where freshman Patrick Hill won the race by 35 seconds and became the first-ever York freshman to break 16 minutes on the Joliet course.

The York varsity boys cross country team recently placed second at the Peoria Notre Dame invitational held at Detweiller Park. York’s Emmett Bradford continued the strong start to his season, finishing seventh overall and breaking the 15-minute barrier for the first time in his career.

Right:

York boys soccer team competes in Streamwood tournament

IC Catholic Prep graduate

By Mike Miazga CORRESPONDENT

Ochoa continues strong play in goal for Dukes

goalie Diego Ochoa made 12 saves.

two.

Leslie headed to Le Moyne

Will play volleyball for Division II school

By Mike Miazga CORRESPONDENT

Recent IC Catholic Prep graduate Bella Leslie wanted to head east for college.

The York boys soccer team went 1-2 in a recent three-game run in the Streamwood tournament. The Dukes defeated Timothy Christian 2-0, lost to Palos Heights Stagg 2-0 and dropped a 3-0 game to West Chicago. York was 2-4-2 overall through its first eight games and was off to a 1-0 early start in West Suburban Conference Silver Division play. In the loss to West Chicago, York

Her landing spot ended up being at NCAA Division II Le Moyne College where the former Knights volleyball and soccer standout will continue her volleyball career at the Syracuse, New York school as a libero.

Dukes sweep Downers Grove South in WSC crossover

By Mike Miazga

I feel like I would be so bored without it because it has been such a big part of my life.”

“Diego is playing out of his mind, regardless of results,” York coach Jordan Stopka noted. “Diego should be an all-state keeper. The only thing that will hold him back are his goals against, but if you watch a game in person, you can see the talent and just how much he keeps us in games.”

Leslie said she has plenty of memories from IC Catholic Prep’s coach Nancy Kerrigan’s program.

Through those first eight games, Quinn Stratton was leading the team in goals with three, while Aaron Jobi was the team leader in assists with

“We have recently made a lineup switch, which has made us more competitive in the middle of the field, but we ae still working on our possession,” Stopka explained. “We are also having trouble finishing our chances and we’re looking for someone to step up.”

Stopka noted York had a recent productive video session, “and I think it will make a huge difference moving forward,” he noted. Stopka

added York played a recent fourgame stretch without starting center back Freddie Steen, but he was expected back last week. “Getting him back will be huge,” he said. The York coach said the offense remains a work in progress. “Our offense needs some work,” Stopka said. “We can’t score currently, but we are creating chances.” Stopka explained for the amount the defensive unit has been under pressure, “they have performed really well,” he said.

“We need to give them a break. Jackson Bui has done a phenomenal job slotting into a center back position and will continue with Freddie.” York’s mindset heading into October is to aim for the finish line, Stopka said. “They say you want to play your best soccer heading into the playoffs and that will be our goal moving forward,” he said. “We have lots of work to do, but we also know we have the personnel to make a jump.”

York girls volleyball team continues impressive play

“All of the schools I was looking at were on the East Coast,” Leslie told the Independent last week. “I visited Le Moyne and really liked it. It reminded me of high school because it was a small school, and in a smaller school you will know a lot more faces than if I would have gone to a bigger school. The campus there is really pretty. It sits on a big hill and the scenery around it is great. Everything is pretty close together. They have very nice facilities. The volleyball program has good workout facilities and a nice locker room. I liked how modern it was.”

“I loved playing there,” she said. “I probably enjoyed school volleyball more than club because I love my team and the coaching staff was very supportive on and off the court. It made it a really good environment to be in. Coach (Kerrigan) was great. I have known her for a while. When I was little, I did all the little kids camps, and her daughter was in my brother’s grade at IC.”

The results continue to be very favorable for the York girls volleyball team. The Dukes were 14-5 overall through their first 19 matches and had a 1-1 West Suburban Conference Silver Division mark through their first two league contests. York beat Oak Park-River Forest and lost to Glenbard West in conference play and swept Downers Grove South, a team that will be part of York’s sectional field.

Leslie plans on studying nursing at Le Moyne. “They have a good nursing program,” she said. “As far as what kind of a nurse I want to be, I’m not quite sure yet.”

Through those first 19 matches, Katie Day was leading the team in kills with 151. Amalia Toliopoulos was leading in service aces with 24. Ava Nawrocki was tops in digs with 133. Audrey Faley was the team leader in blocks with 28 and Toliopoulos had a team-high 214 setting assists.

Leslie said she will miss plenty about IC Catholic Prep. “I will miss how close knit of a community it was,” she said. “I knew everybody at the school. It will be weird going on campus and not knowing all the faces. I’ll miss those close connections with the coaches and teachers. It will be weird for the first year or so.”

Coach Danny Piwowarczyk said offensively York is getting strong play from outside hitters Day (junior) and freshman Eileen Carroll, along with right-side hitter-setter Toliopoulos. “Katie and Eileen have been working really hard all season to improve on hitting different shots,” he said. “We have been recently running a 6-2 offense where Amalia has a chance to set and hit, which has giv-

en us a boost in the number of kills per match we are seeing.”

“ I’m really excited to be able to play volleyball in college. It gives me something to do. I feel like I would be so bored without it because it has been such a big part of my life.”

– Bella Leslie

Blocking also has been a bright spot with Faley, Lilly Roach and Reese Timmerwilke “putting up a wall for us on the block,” Piwowarczyk said. “Opposing hitting percentage has been very low thanks to these three blockers.”

passers for us lately,” Piwowarczyk said. “Katie and Amalia have been doing a great job playing six rotations without taking a point off each night. This is their third year on varsity, and they are really starting to blossom into game-changing players in the area.”

son. “We are looking forward to having an opportunity to play at home in the playoffs,” Piwowarczyk said. When looking at his team’s body of work heading into October, Piwowarczyk is pleased. “Overall, I think we have been having a great season,” he said.

By Mike Miazga

CORRESPONDENT

Leslie played volleyball and girls soccer at IC Catholic Prep all four years. She was a center-midfielder on the Knights soccer team.

The hits keep coming for the Timothy Christian girls volleyball team. The Trojans and coach Scott Piersma were off to a 17-2 start through their first 19 contests and were 3-0 in Chicagoland Christian Conference action.

Leslie’s volleyball journey started in the fifth grade, the first year she could play the sport at IC Grade School. She’s been playing club volleyball since seventh grade, most recently with the Chicago Elite group that practices out of Scores in Willow Springs and Montini High School in Lombard.

on opposing defenses.”

Leslie said pandemic life hasn’t been overly exciting, though her club volleyball team has started practicing again. “We have been practicing two or three times a week,” she said. “We are going to be starting tournaments again. Before that I haven’t been doing anything because senior soccer season and the club volleyball season were cancelled. We were supposed to go to a few club volleyball qualifiers in Grand Rapids and Louisville. This summer, we have some tournaments planned over the next few weekends. They are little tournaments with all of the local clubs. Nothing large and really local. Other than that, I have been trying to work out a lot and stay in shape. I’ve been running a lot, so I got into that. I try and run every day.”

Piwowarczyk also praised the recent play of Nawrocki. “Ava has had some outstanding performances defensively as her ability to serve-receive, dig, cover and pursue balls that need to be chased down has been incredible,” he said.

Ellie Kehoe and Day have excelled in the passing game. “Ellie and Kate have been two very steady

been cancelled due to the pandemic. “I will probably leave Aug. 10-11 because it’s a far drive,” she said. “We had Zoom call with the team recently and they said they should have an answer about our season in the next 7-10 days. They talked about three scenarios and what could happen like if we start the season and someone gets sick and we have to stop and go.

York has its eye on continuing to pile up the wins leading into the Oct. 9 Class 4A sectional seeding. “Our goal is to keep working towards putting together the best wins we can before the sectional seeding,” Piwowarczyk said. “We have yet to lose a game against teams in our sectional and we are hoping to keep it that way before seeding.” York is hosting a Class 4A regional this sea-

“We have been competitive in every match we have played in, and our record reflects that. We are a bit on the younger side as a team with two freshmen and seven juniors, but the leadership from our five seniors has been strong. We have been each and every practice limiting the mistakes we are making in matches and have been seeing some recent success in doing so.”

Timothy Christian girls volleyball team off to 17-2 start Trojans win Manteno tournament title;

That’s one of the reasons why they are looking at moving the season to the spring. Right now the plan is to have a season, but we won’t know until the next 7-10 days.”

Vander Wal, Potempa, Williams all-tournament

Timothy went a perfect 10-0 in a recent 10-match span that included wins over Rosary, Wheaton St. Francis, Romeoville and a first-place showing at the Manteno tournament. The Trojans defeated downstate Morton, which finished fourth in Class 3A last year, in the tournament final at Manteno.

“I’m really excited to be able to play volleyball in college,” she said. “It gives me something to do.

• Stopka

At the same time, Piersma has seen big strides on the defensive end. “This is our most improved phase of the game,” he said. “We have worked hard on our ball control to make sure our offense can be as powerful and deceptive as it can be,” he said. “We have passed and defended very well over the last three weeks, which has put us in great positions to win matches. Even in close matches, we are confident in our ability to quickly side out and not let teams run off points on their serve.”

Leslie said she is scheduled to report to Le Moyne in the Aug. 1215 timeframe, but noted preseason volleyball activities already have

(Continued from page 18)

University of Texas commit Abby Vander Wal already is up to 218 kills to go with 107 digs, 34 aces and 13 blocks. Bella Potempa had 102 kills, 82 digs and 22 aces through 19 matches, while Ella Rickert had 87 kills, 14 aces and 20 blocks. Audrey Williams had 59 kills and 18 blocks, while Jenna Wasco had 21 kills, 22 aces, 10 blocks and 70 digs. Miriam Pozdol-Niego had 123 digs to go with 18 aces, while Elizabeth Alex was up to 351 setting assists to go with 66 digs and nine blocks.

They lost to West Chicago on think an own goal in the last five minutes. That was against the state champs in the sectional finals. That’s a hell of a season if you ask me.”

Stopka will teach Spanish at York. He taught Spanish and one math class at St. Pat’s. “My philosophy is I am more of a players’ coach,” he said. “I have been a big Liverpool soccer supporter ever since 2015 when Jurgen Klopp came over and he’s known as a players’ coach. He’s kind of my coaching idol. I want to related to the players and form bonds with them. am more light-hearted and smiling. I like to have fun and joke with the kids. The goal is understanding where each player can be successful and the provide the best way possible to convey the knowledge they need at the position they play. I am not big

Piersma ranked Timothy’s offense as the continued best part of the team’s game. “When we are controlling the ball on serve-receive and defense, we are able to use all our available hitters, including back row,” he explained. “As a result, we have seen a balanced attack at the net, which definitely makes it tough

Looking at the last three weeks, Piersma gave high marks to the progress Pozdol-Niego, Rickert and Williams have made. “Over the last three weeks, Miriam has been outstanding in the libero position,” he said. “Both her serve-receive and defense have enabled us to reach a new level of consistency. Ella and Audrey, our two middles, continue to improve on both sides of the game. When middles are able to get kills like they do, it takes the pressure off Abby, Bella and Jenna because teams aren’t able to commit to a double block on the pin all the time.”

huge rah-rah person. I’m a little bit more of an individual players’ coach. I will pull kids to the side at practice and games and teach them.”

Stopka noted York has been doing conditioning drills and said the plan as of earlier last week was to start summer camp pending District 205 approval. “I have probably been able to meet 60 to 70 percent of the players so far,” he said. “If it does get approved that would be the start of our contact days with four days a week for three weeks straight. And even though the IHSA waived the blackout dates before the school year, we won’t take advantage of that. I’m pretty sure families have plans to do things before school starts. I’m the new guy and I’m not going to say you can’t go with your family. Go do it and enjoy it. This is a crazy and

Piersma said Timothy is “in a really good place right now,” he said. “The girls are playing high-level volleyball with the confidence that we can beat anyone. As we get into October, we’ll have a few big matches that will test us, but this team seems up to any challenge that is thrown at them. It’s a fun group of girls to be

But if all systems are a go, Leslie can’t wait to take her skills as a libero to the next level with the Dolphins. “I feel like being a libero you have to be really quick and that is typically what I am good at. I have really good reaction time,” she said. “I like diving on the floor and saving balls. It’s a really good feeling when you make a save. The position fits my personality, too. You have to be the loudest one on the court. I have a loud personality. You have to be pretty loud if you want to be a libero. I think I match that description.”

around because they have the right balance of having fun while focusing on the task at hand.”

At Manteno, Timothy downed Pontiac (25-12, 25-12), Wilmington (25-10, 25-14), Crete-Monee (25-13, 25-15) and Morton (25-18, 25-18 for the championship). Timothy won each of its eight games at Manteno by an average margin of 11 points. Vander Wal, Potempa and Williams earned all-tournament honors. Vander Wal finished the tournament with 41 kills, four aces, seven blocks and 17 digs. Potempa had 13 kills, 16 digs and four aces. Rickert had 16 kills and five blocks. Williams had 16 kills and six blocks. Wasco had six aces and 15 digs, while Pozdol-Niego had seven aces, eight assists and 30 digs. Alex had 68 assists, 14 digs and three blocks, while Kate Vogelzang had one ace and three digs.

Rickert had seven kills and one ace. Wasco finished with three kills and two digs. Williams had one kill. Vogelzang had one ace and three digs, while Pozdol-Niego had one dig and one ace. Alex had 13 assists, four

digs and one block. Maria PozdolNiego had five assists and one ace. Anna Stoll had four assists and one dig. Carolina St. Charles had four digs. Etta Slinkman had one dig, while Norah Rudman had one dig.

ble and transparent and communicate with everybody.”

As far as the future, Stopka wants York competing at a high level on a consistent basis. “The short-term goal is to restock and build up the team,” he said. “A large portion of last year’s team was seniors, especially the starting 11. We have to make sure the now juniors are up to the speed of the varsity level and are ready to contribute. We want to keep that pipeline going with the younger groups of players. We want to make sure we are not only competitive, but that we are competing for regionals, sectionals and supersectionals. It starts for me with this junior class that is coming in. We want them ready to go and setting the standard for these other classes that come in so they can also contribute right off

In a 25-15, 25-23 non-conference win against Romeoville, Vander Wal had 10 kills, one ace and three digs. Potempa had four kills, one ace and three digs. Rickert finished with six kills, one ace and one block. Williams had four kills and one block. Wasco had three kills and one dig. Pozdol-Niego had 13 digs and two assists. Alex had 24 assists, one ace, one kill, two digs and one block. Vogelzang had one ace and three digs. Timothy also recorded a 25-11, 25-14 CCC win over Elgin St. Edward. Vander Wal had eight kills, three aces and digs. Potempa had four kills, one ace and one dig.

THE

Ochoa made 12 saves in goal during York’s recent Streamwood tournament game against West Chicago. York coach Jordan Stopka continues to praise the outstanding play of Ochoa, who he labels an all-statecaliber goalkeeper for the Dukes.

proudly presents

YORK HIGH SCHOOL PLAYER OF

WEEK DIEGO OCHOA YORK BOYS SOCCER

CHRIS FOX PHOTO Elmhurst Independent

Anthony Bucolo fires a pitch during a recent U12 baseball game. U12 baseball action

York football week 6 preview

Downers Grove North (5-0, 3-0) at York (5-0, 2-0)

When: Friday, 7:30 p.m., Clarence D. East Field, York High School

Last year: York 32, Downers Grove North 21 Outlook: A big one for sure here. Both teams became playoff eligible last week with their fifth wins. The winner of this heavyweight battle stays atop the West Suburban Silver with fellow unbeaten Lyons Township (No. 8 in the state in Class 8A) still lurking on both teams’ schedules. Downers North is ranked No. 3 in the state in the most recent Class 7A Associated Press poll, while York is No. 3 in the

state at Class 8A. The winner punches an automatic playoff ticket. York has played one team with a winning record so far and its first five opponents have a combined W-L mark of 10-15, while Downers Grove North is in a similar situation — one team with a winning record and an opponent combined W-L of 7-18. North has allowed a total of 14 points this season (two touchdowns) and has shut out three of its first five opponents. Don’t bet against York at home, where the Dukes are 15-2 dating back to the start of the 2022 season.

IC Catholic Prep football week 6 preview

Wheaton St. Francis (3-2, 0-1) at IC Catholic Prep (2-3, 0-1)

When: Friday, 7:30 p.m., Plunkett Athletic Complex Elmhurst

Last year: St. Francis 35, ICCP 34 Outlook: As they say, the reports of the IC Catholic Prep football team’s downfall are greatly exaggerated. The Knights, a Class 4A team ranked fifth in the state in that division last week, took a Class 8A state-ranked Chicago Marist team to the brink last week, losing 34-28. In the Marist game, Will Bryk completed 22 of 32 passes for 281 yards and two touchdowns. Dom Gilatta ran nine times for 54 yards, while Foley Calcagno ran eight times for 12 yards and two touchdowns. Bryk had seven carries for 43 yards. Nate Brown caught 10 passes

for 108 yards and two touchdowns, while Chance Williams had seven catches for 63 yards. Jaden Penna had three catches for 95 yards and Dean Kemph had three catches for 24 yards. John Goggin led the defense with 14 tackles, while Kemph had 10 tackles and one interception. Brown had eight tackles and one tackle for loss, as did Calcagno. Demarion

Nutall had eight tackles and a forced fumble. Landon West recovered a fumble. St. Francis is coming off a close 27-25 loss to Providence Catholic. The Spartans also lost to fellow CCL-ESCC Green Division entrant Chicago St. Rita, which plays ICCP in Week 9. St. Francis was ranked No. 4 in the most recent Class 5A Associated Press state poll.

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Elmhurst Public Library programs

Friday, Oct. 4 - 2-4 p.m.

Friday Features: “Unsung Hero”

Enjoy an afternoon at the movies. Find each week’s featured film at elmlib.org/Friday. No registration required.

Saturday, Oct. 5

11 a.m.-3 p.m.

Star Wars Reads Celebration

Journey to a galaxy far, far away to celebrate Star Wars Reads Month! Test your knowledge of the Force, design a droid, and celebrate your love of reading through crafts, games, and activities. Costumes encouraged!

Live in-person. No registration required.

Monday, Oct. 7 - 10-11 a.m.

Medicare Supplement

Insurance Buyers’ Guide

Learn how to navigate your Medicare supplement options with Weiss Financial Ratings’ Medicare Supplement Insurance Buyers’ Guide.

Live in-person. Registration required.

Tuesday, Oct. 8 - Noon-2 p.m.

In Stitches Needleworkers

Knitters, crocheters, and needleworkers of all skill levels: Bring a project on which to work, share knowledge with others, and have fun!

Live in-person. No registration required.

Tuesday, Oct. 8 - 1-3 p.m.

Bridge and Pinochle

Enjoy an afternoon of card games every week. Prior experience is required.

Live in-person. No registration required.

• Calendar

Wednesday, Oct. 9 10 a.m.-1 p.m.

American mahjong: open play

Gather every Wednesday for American mahjong, a game of skill, strategy, calculation, and a certain amount of chance.

Live in-person. No registration required.

Wednesday, Oct. 9 6:30-8:30 p.m.

Documentary Screening: “My Octopus Teacher” View and discuss the Academy and Critic’s Choice Award-winning documentary “My Octopus Teacher,” which shows a filmmaker forging an unusual friendship with an octopus living in a South African kelp forest.

Live in-person. Registration required.

Thursday, Oct. 10 10:30-11:30 a.m.

Culture Club: Olympic Peninsula

Faye Levin-O’Leary recounts her backpacking trip to the temperate rainforest of the Olympic Peninsula. Learn about the unique ecosystem and enjoy beautiful photographs of this Northwestern gem. Hybrid program with virtual presenter. Registration required.

Thursday, Oct. 10 7-8:30 p.m.

Good Giving: How to Donate and Volunteer Effectively Learn how library resources can help you decide where to donate or volunteer your time or money this holiday season.

Live in-person and on Zoom. Registration required.

(Continued from page 10)

Studies Professor, Judy Hoffman, explores Chicago’s film history and considers whether there is a “Chicago Style” of cinema. The lecture is free for members, $5 for nonmembers. For more information, call 630833-1457.

Saturday, Oct. 12

Artist talk with Rafael Blanco

Starting at 1 p.m. at the Elmhurst Art Museum, hear Blanco reflect on the murals he has reimagined for this exhibition, and his experiences as an artist creating public murals across the United States. Blanco sees rejection as integral to life’s experiences, especially the life of an artist. He will share insights into how he transforms rejection into success that empowers him as an artist to imagine new visions for his work. For more information, call 630-834-0202 or visit elmhurstartmuseum.org.

Tuesday, Oct. 15

Mail to: The Elmhurst Independent, 240 N. West Ave., Elmhurst, IL. 60126. Or call 630.834-8244

GreenMan Theatre presents Spooky Stories From 7-8:30 p.m. at the Elmhurst Public Library, hear a collection of spine-chilling stories in a reader’s theater performance from GreenMan Theatre. The event is free—live in-person and on Zoom. Registration is required. For more information, call 630-279-8696 or email: reference@elmlib.org

Thursday, Oct. 17

St. Olaf College Orchestra at York High School. The St. Olaf Orchestra will perform at Merle E. Baker Auditorium starting at 7:30 p.m. during its 2024 Fall Tour. The St. Olaf Orchestra is a full symphony orchestra rich in international artistry and tradition and known for its enthusiastic and passionate performances. This year’s program includes Dvořák’s Symphony No. 8, along with Anna Clyne’s Restless Oceans, “Morning Music” from Peer Gynt by Edvard Grieg, and student soloists. Tickets are $10 and free for students, and are available at stolaf.edu/tickets/orchestra or by calling 800-363-5487.

Elmhurst

Farmers Market

Recurring weekly on Wednesdays through Oct. 30 from 7 a.m.-1 p.m. on Vallette, just east of York, an Elmhurst community jewel offering a wide variety of farmers, vendors, and more with free parking. For more information, email: info@elmhurstfarmersmarket.com

Elmhurst History Museum Info: elmhursthistory.org.

Elmhurst Art Museum Info: 630-834-0202 or visit elmhurstartmuseum.org.

Illinois Supreme Court rulings address FOID seizures, hospital room privacy

By Peter Hancock and Hannah Meisel

CAPITOL NEWS ILLINOIS

The Illinois Supreme Court recently vacated a lower court ruling and reinstated a statute that authorizes the state to revoke a person’s Firearm Owners Identification card once they’ve been charged with a felony, even if they haven’t yet been convicted.

The case involved Aaron and Charles Davis, a father and son who were charged with reckless discharge of a firearm, a felony, for allegedly shooting their rifles into the air over the Fourth of July weekend in 2016.

Soon after the charges were filed, the Illinois State Police revoked their FOID cards pursuant to a provision of the law that authorizes the agency to revoke permits from anyone “who is prohibited from acquiring or possessing firearms or firearm ammunition by any Illinois State statute or by federal law.”

In the Davises’ case, ISP relied on a federal law that makes it illegal “for any person who is under indictment for a crime punishable by imprisonment for a term exceeding one year to ship or transport in interstate or

foreign commerce any firearm or ammunition or receive any firearm or ammunition which has been shipped or transported in interstate or foreign commerce.”

The charges were later reduced to misdemeanors and each of the defendants had their FOID cards reissued after pleading guilty. After receiving their new cards, the Davises sued, arguing they were denied their constitutional right to keep and bear arms for self-defense during the time their FOID cards were revoked. They sought a declaration that the FOID Card Act is unconstitutional as it applies to people who have been charged with, but not convicted of, a felony.

Their attorney, Thomas Maag, of Wood River, also represents one set of plaintiffs in a federal lawsuit in the Southern District of Illinois challenging the constitutionality of the state’s ban on assault-style weapons and large-capacity magazines. A trial in that case was held last week in East St. Louis and a ruling is now pending.

In March 2023, Madison County Judge Ronald Foster granted the Davises’ motion and declared the law

unconstitutional as it applied to people charged with, but not convicted of, felonies. He issued a permanent injunction barring the state from enforcing that provision of the law.

The state appealed directly to the Supreme Court, which stayed the lower court order while the appeal was pending. And in a unanimous opinion Sept. 19, the high court reversed the lower court decision, saying because the Davises had already had their FOID cards reissued, they no longer had standing to sue and claim they were being injured by the law.

Hospital room privacy

The Illinois Supreme Court last week unanimously ruled that patients admitted to a hospital should not have a universal expectation of privacy that would prevent law enforcement from entering a hospital room to question them or search their belongings.

The case stretches back to October 2016, when Cortez Turner arrived

at St. Joseph Memorial Hospital in Murphysboro with a gunshot wound to the leg.

Emergency room staff had already been notified that a gunshot victim would be arriving via ambulance, but Turner was dropped off by a friend two minutes before the ambulance arrived carrying Detrick Rogers, who was fatally wounded by a gunshot to the head.

In the middle of the night, detectives from the Murphysboro Police Department and Jackson County Sheriff’s Office showed up to the trauma room in which Turner was being treated. During the course of being questioned, Turner agreed to the officers’ request to seize his blood-stained clothing, which was on the counter in the room.

Eventually, Turner was implicated in Rogers’ death, an alleged drive-by shooting. Turner was later charged with first degree murder in addition to perjury for lying to a grand jury about the murder. After his 2019 conviction, Turner was sentenced to 30 years in prison.

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