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Willowbrook’s Silver and Blue Community Night attracts a large crowd

Warriors’ football team opens its 2024 season with this Friday’s home game against Glenbard East

Willowbrook High School celebrated the start of the 2024-25 school year with its eighth Silver and Blue Community Night, which took place in front of a sizable audience on Friday evening in the school’s stadium. The event featured introductions of the school’s fall athletic teams. Some of those teams, including the Warriors’ boys soccer and flag football teams, conducted brief scrimmages on the stadium’s new synthetic turf field, which was installed earlier this summer. The evening concluded

with Willowbrook’s varsity football team holding a scrimmage against the Fenwick High School Friars. Friday’s event also included introductions of the Villa Park Warriors Youth Football and Cheer program’s teams.

Willowbrook’s stadium will be packed for the 2024 season-opening football contest between the Warriors and nearby Glenbard East, which will take place this Friday, Aug. 30. The Warriors and Rams haven’t met on the football field since 2015.

Willowbrook High School held its Silver and Blue Community Night on Friday evening in the school’s stadium. The Warriors’ fall athletic teams were introduced during the event, which took place in delightful weather conditions. Some of those teams, including the Warriors’ boys soccer, flag football and football teams, held brief scrimmages. The night also included introductions of the Villa Park Warriors Youth Football and Cheer program’s teams. Some of that program’s cheerleaders are pictured (below) during their performance on Friday. Also pictured (above and left) are members of the Villa Park Warriors’ flag football program, who are shown while running on the field during their introductions.

Play at the plate

Freshman Lindsey Rugg of the Willowbrook softball team is pictured while at tempting to score a run during Friday’s game at Downers Grove South. Rugg tried to score from second base on a single by sophomore Katelyn Cox in the top of the second inning, when the game was tied at 2-2. Downers Grove South’s catcher tagged Rugg out at home plate for the third out of the inning. The Mustangs went on to defeat the Warriors 7-3 in the West Suburban Gold Conference contest. Wil

Willowbrook High School’s Class of 2021 celebrated its commencement with two separate ceremonies in the school’s main gymnasium on Sunday morning. The en tire class includes over 470 students. About half of those students attended the

Memorial Day in Villa Park

Villa Park Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) Post 2801 held its Memorial Day service on Monday morning at Cortesi Veterans Memorial Park. Post Commander Jim Blankshain is pictured bowing his

as Willowbrook High School students Lily Hendrickson and Anna Seelbach sound taps at the

of the ceremony. The post’s 2020 Memorial Day event was canceled because of the COVID-19 pandemic. This year’s observance included a reading of the names of the Post 2801 members who have recently died. That list included World War II veteran Charles “Sid” Bergh, who served as the master of ceremonies of the post’s annual Memorial Day service for several years. A veteran of the U.S. Navy, Bergh died in

Tucker, Villa Park Village President Albert Bulthuis, Villa Park Village Trustee (and Village President-Elect) Nick Cuzzone and Leslie Allison-Seei—chair of the Villa Park Community Pride Commission. Arbor Day is observed on the last Friday of each April. The National Arbor Day Foundation

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CHRIS FOX PHOTOS Villa Park Review

At DNC, state leaders tout Illinois as a ‘model of Democratic success’ Pritzker

By Hannah Meisel CAPITOL NEWS ILLINOIS

speaks to delegation, visits other state breakfasts on opening day

In announcing Chicago would host of the 2024 Democratic National Convention more than a year ago, national party leaders referred to Illinois as a key part of the “blue wall” of Midwestern states crucial to President Joe Biden’s 2020 election.

Instead of choosing a venue in a swing state, as they had done for the last two decades, Democrats selected a city and state long dominated by Democratic politics and policies. And while Illinois and Chicago in particular have become conservative media shorthand for out-ofcontrol progressive government, Illinois Democrats sought to cast their brand of politics as an exemplar for the nation.

Gov. JB Pritzker, who was instrumental in landing the DNC in Chicago, kicked off the Illinois delegation’s Aug. 19 breakfast at a downtown hotel by thanking elected Democrats in the room “for the work that you’ve done to make this the greatest Democratic Party that Illinois has ever had and in the entire country.”

Before making a quick exit to speak to delegates at two other states’ Democratic Party breakfasts,

Pritzker rattled off a litany of legislation passed during his 5½-year tenure as governor so far.

The governor acknowledged the Democratic supermajorities in the General Assembly that helped pass items ranging from a minimum wage hike to $15 an hour starting next year to a $10 million state investment to pay off a projected $1 billion in medical debt for low-income Illinoisans.

Republicans, he reminded the group, “voted against all of that.”

“It’s almost as if Republicans don’t want working families to succeed,” Pritzker said, pivoting to the attack dog role he’s been rehearsing for months and criticizing the GOP for being “obsessed with other things ... like explaining away Donald Trump’s 34 felony fraud convictions.”

But instead of focusing on Trump and other Republicans, Democrats tried to keep the spotlight on their positive vision for what their party can accomplish.

“This convention is our opportunity to share our successes, to set the agenda, and to show the entire country why Illinois is leading the way,” DNC Host Committee Executive Director Christy George, who most recently worked in Pritzker’s

office on budget and economic issues, told the breakfast crowd.

State Rep. Lisa Hernandez, D-Cicero, who serves as chair of the Illinois Democratic Party, echoed those sentiments as she called Illinois “a model of Democratic success” and “the beacon of progress in the Midwest.”

Illinois is increasingly a blue island in the mostly red center of the country, and Democratic politicians have leaned into that identity in recent years.

On the heels of Trump nominating his first U.S. Supreme Court justice weeks into his first term in early 2017, Democrats in the General Assembly began pushing for abortion protections in the event that a conservative majority on the court might someday overturn Roe v. Wade.

By the time that happened five years later, Illinois Democrats had approved a series of laws shoring up reproductive rights just as surrounding states began banning or severely restricting abortion access.

Late last week, Pritzker highlighted Illinois’ position as a sanctuary for abortion seekers and providers at an event hosted by Think Big America, the progressive advocacy organization he founded

last fall. The group, staffed by the governor’s political team, has so far been involved with abortion rights ballot measures in Ohio, Nevada, Arizona and Montana.

Illinois Democrats highlighted the law during an event Aug. 19 in conjunction with the anti-gun violence organization named for former U.S. Rep. Gabby Giffords, who has spent more than a decade advocating for gun control measures after surviving an assassination attempt early in her third term in Congress in 2011.

Recalling the chaos of the Highland Park parade, State Rep. Bob Morgan, D-Deerfield, who went on to become the lead sponsor of Illinois’ assault weapons ban, said it was an “opportunity to turn our pain into purpose.”

While Illinois is among a mix of Midwestern states that have not adopted “right to work” laws that bar employers from requiring workers to be union members to keep their jobs.

But Illinois Democrats went a step further, putting a constitutional amendment on the ballot that bans the state from adopting right-towork laws in the future. Illinois voters approved the “Workers Rights Amendment” in 2022.

And in a move that continues to generate attacks from conservatives, Illinois became the first state to completely eliminate its cash bail system last year. Abolishing cash bail was just one part of a wide-ranging 2021 criminal justice reform law pushed by the Illinois Legislative Black Caucus in the wake of the police killing of George Floyd in 2020 and a summer of protests that followed.

The law went unmentioned during the Illinois delegation’s official breakfast Aug. 19, but House Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch, D-Hillside, highlighted the legacy of black political power in Illinois, stretching back to the founding of the NAACP in Springfield following the 1908 race riots in the city. Welch traced the trajectories of major black activists and elected officials with ties to Illinois through time, including the Rev. Jesse Jackson, who he said inspired generations of young black Americans to get involved in politics with his oft-recited speech adapted from an earlier poem that featured the phrase “I am somebody.”

“I believed I was somebody, and I stand before you today as the first black speaker of the Illinois House,” he said.

Pritzker, Dems push to widen abortion messaging beyond ‘social issues’ silo ‘Dark money’ group founded and funded by Pritzker rolls out strategy at DNC

By Hannah Meisel Capitol News Illinois

Gov. JB Pritzker used part of his eight-minute primetime speech at the Democratic National Convention last week to push his own party to shift its messaging on abortion rights and reframe the issue as an economic one.

The billionaire governor said that when he meets with business leaders, they consistently tell him “they need more workers to fill all the jobs they have.”

“But the anti-freedom, anti-family policies of MAGA Republicans are driving workers away,” Pritzker said of Republican-controlled states that have moved to severely restrict access to reproductive health care in the wake of the U.S. Supreme Court’s 2022 Dobbs decision.

“Here’s the thing: Americans don’t want to be forced to drive 100 miles to deliver a baby because a draconian abortion law shut down the maternity ward,” he continued.

“Americans with LGBTQ kids don’t want them facing discrimination at school because the state sanctioned it. Americans want to go to their neighborhood grocery store and not have to worry about some random guy open-carrying an AR-15.”

Abortion as an economic issue

Moving abortion rights in particular out of the silo of “social issues” is what Anne Caprara—Pritzker’s chief of staff and a longtime Democratic strategist—sees as a path forward for the party.

“We like to talk about these things as ‘social issues,’ ” Caprara said, using air quotes to emphasize her point. “They’re actually very much econom-

ic issues.”

Caprara made the remark during a panel discussion Aug. 21 put on by Think Big America, the “dark money” progressive advocacy organization Pritzker launched with his own seed money last fall. The group is supporting abortion rights measures in a handful of states, and Caprara pointed to the ripple effects of Idaho’s near-total abortion ban.

The ban was implemented in the summer of 2022 following the high court’s reversal of Roe v. Wade. It makes providing an abortion a felony punishable by up to five years in prison and loss of medical license, except in cases of rape, incest or to save the life of the mother.

As of February, Idaho had lost nearly a quarter of its practicing obstetricians while three hospital systems have shuttered their labor and delivery departments, creating massive health care deserts for pregnant women.

“There’s a lot of businesses out there right now trying to figure out where to put their headquarters ... trying to attract workers in their 20s and 30s and early 40s,” Caprara said, echoing her boss’ speech from the night before. “They have to go to the places where people want to live.”

Jefrey Pollock, president of New York-based political research and communications firm Global Strategy Group, pointed to recent examples of businesses successfully pushing back on laws advanced by Republican-controlled state legislatures.

In Florida, for example, Gov. Ron DeSantis’ administration earlier this year was forced to roll back the majority of a 2022 law that drew significant criticism from the Walt Disney Com-

pany, whose theme parks and resorts net the state of Florida billions in sales taxes annually.

Disney and DeSantis’ war of words over the “Parental Rights in Education Act” eventually became a complex and protracted legal battle, during which the entertainment juggernaut pulled the plug on plans to build a $1 billion business campus and relocate up to 2,000 jobs from California.

The law, referred to by opponents as the “don’t say gay bill,” still restricts discussions of sexual orientation and gender identity as part of any classroom curriculum. But after a federal appeals court indicated it would likely overturn the entire law, the state narrowed it, once again allowing discussions about LGBT-related subjects on non-classroom time and allowing school libraries to offer books in the same vein.

And in 2016, North Carolina’s business community played a large role in reversing a law that prohibited transgender people from using public bathrooms that match their gender identity. The so-called “bathroom bill” was repealed a year later after PayPal canceled a planned expansion that would have brought 400 jobs to the state while the NCAA and entertainers like Bruce Springsteen canceled scheduled tournaments and shows.

“Businesses, which are very important in North Carolina, stood up and said, ‘Hold on—can’t do this,” Pollock said. “And it became a business issue ... because they made it an economic issue and had a voice that was very, very credible.”

But abortion rights advocates also stressed the importance of zooming in on the effects of abortion bans on in-

dividual households when messaging reproductive rights as an economic issue.

“Abortion does enable families to set their own course in terms of how many kids they want to have, who can stay in the workforce, how many breadwinners you’ll have in the household,” said Kelly Hall, executive director of The Fairness Project, an organization that provides financial and strategic support on abortion rights campaigns.

“What does the household economy look like?” she continued, speaking with reporters after the Think Big America event. “And that really brings home that abortion is not just abortion. Abortion is an economic issue, abortion is a health care issue, abortion is a freedom issue.”

Abortion as a ‘freedom’ issue

Hall’s use of the word “freedom” when talking about abortion rights reflects an intentional shift advocates have made since SCOTUS’s reversal of Roe v. Wade. In the first abortion rights ballot measure campaign following the decision, an abortion rights group that dubbed itself “Kansas for Constitutional Freedom” leaned into the terminology that in recent years has played a major role in Republican messaging against Democrats and “big government.”

Just six weeks after the high court’s decision, Kansas voters rejected a proposed constitutional amendment that would have invalidated a state supreme court ruling that found Kansas’ constitution protects the right to an abortion and paved the way for restrictions.

In the two years since, five other

states have voted on abortion-related measures, with abortion rights groups winning each time. And in the 2024 campaign cycle, nearly a dozen states will take similar votes.

The Aug. 21 DNC programming hammered at the theme of abortion as a “freedom” issue, with Planned Parenthood Action Fund CEO Alexis McGill Johnson telling the story of a Georgia woman who had to fly to California to receive abortion care last summer. McGill Johnson said the woman traveled from her home state to neighboring South Carolina and Florida, but ran up against bans that had just taken effect in both.

“We cannot call ourselves a free nation when women are not free,” she said, noting the woman had to take on travel expenses, in addition to arranging child care.

Earlier in the day, McGill Johnson rejected the notion that abortion access is losing its salience as an issue that drives voters following the initial shock of Roe v. Wade being overturned. At Wednesday’s event, she said voters can “hold two thoughts at the same time,” even as Democrats are fighting off attacks from Republicans centered on the economy and inflation. Pollock, whose firm recently completed a research project on voter motivation for Pritzker’s Think Big America, said that while voters may not rank abortion as their top issue when talking to pollsters or the media, “that’s the wrong metric” when it comes to actual voter behavior.

“And so even if abortion is fourth or fifth on the sort of important scale, that does not mean that it’s not one of the most persuasive messages against a Republican candidate,” he said.

Federal jury convicts man of possessing multiple firearms while trafficking fentanyl in suburbs

Man pleaded guilty to distributing fentanyl and heroin in Villa Park, 3 other suburban communities

A federal jury has convicted a man on drug and firearm charges for possessing multiple guns while trafficking fentanyl and other narcotics in the suburbs.

The jury on Aug. 16 found Omari Andrews, Jr. guilty of possessing an AR-15 style firearm and three handguns while trafficking fentanyl, heroin, cocaine, crack cocaine, and marijuana in Mt. Prospect in 2023.

The jury returned its verdicts after a

Appellate Court

DuPage County

State’s Attorney

Robert Berlin has announced that the Third District Appellate Court of Illinois has affirmed the first-degree murder conviction of 65-year-old Donald Pelka in the 2018 shooting death of 29-year-old Kyle Gojdas of Glendale Heights.

In his appeal seeking a new trial, Pelka claimed that the cumulative effect of three errors committed by the Trial Court deprived him of his right to a fair trial.

The three alleged errors presented by Pelka address the admissibility of security video footage, the preclusion of specific evidence and jury instructions.

On Sept. 28, 2018, at approximately 3:30 a.m., DuPage County Sheriff’s deputies and officers with the Bloomingdale Police Department responded to a call of shots fired at the Bella One Spa located at

week-long trial in U.S. District Court in Chicago. Prior to trial, Andrews pleaded guilty to distributing fentanyl and heroin in Villa Park, Westmont, Des Plaines and Hillside in 2022 and 2023.

Andrews, 24, of Mt. Prospect, has been detained in federal custody since his arrest in 2023. U.S. District Judge Edmond E. Chang set sentencing for Dec. 18. Andrews faces a maximum sentence of life in federal prison.

affirms

The verdicts were announced by Morris Pasqual, Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, and Sean Fitzgerald, Special Agent-in-Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in Chicago.

The Skokie and Evanston police departments provided valuable assistance. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Alejandro G. Ortega and Sean Hennessy. Holding firearm and drug offenders

accountable through federal prosecution is a centerpiece of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN)—the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction strategy.

In the Northern District of Illinois, the U.S. Attorney’s Office and law enforcement partners have deployed the PSN program to attack a broad range of violent crime issues facing the district, particularly firearm offenses.

murder conviction of Donald Pelka

25W319 Lake St. in unincorporated Bloomingdale.

Upon their arrival, authorities found Gojdas, an employee at Bella One Spa, unresponsive suffering from gunshot wounds. He was pronounced deceased at the scene.

Approximately 10 minutes later, officers with the Hanover Park Police Department observed Pelka speeding and conducted a traffic stop. During the traffic stop, officers were advised that the vehicle in which Pelka was traveling matched the vehicle that was involved in the shooting.

Pelka was taken into custody at that time. An investigation in the murder found that Pelka was a customer at Bella One Spa and that Pelka and Gojdas had gotten into a verbal altercation in the parking lot of the establishment at which time Pelka pulled out a handgun and shot Gojdas twice in the torso.

The following day, Pelka appeared in Bond Court, where bond was set at $1 million with 10 percent to apply. He had remained in custody at the DuPage County Jail prior to his

District 88 Foundation to hold inaugural Gathering at the Grapevine fundraiser Sept. 28 will benefit students at DuPage High School District 88 (Addison Trail and Willowbrook high schools).

The District 88 Foundation invites all businesses, corporations and individuals to support its inaugural Gathering at the Grapevine fundraiser.

The event will take place on Saturday, Sept. 28, at DeVine Wine and Cocktail Bar in Villa Park and will include a wine tasting, tasty treats, live music, a raffle and more.

For full event details, go to www. dupage88.net/FoundationGatheringAtTheGrapevine2024

You can support this event through the three following options. Proceeds

• Sponsorship: There are two sponsorship levels available ($250-gold sponsor/$100-silver sponsor), or feel free to donate any amount.

• Donate raffle items: The foundation is looking for donated items to include in a raffle during the event.

• Donate wine/spirits: The foundation is looking for bottles of wine and spirits to feature during the fundraiser.

trial. On June 16, 2022, following a five-day-long trial, a jury found Pelka guilty of first degree murder and on Aug. 18, 2022, Judge Ann Celine O’Hallaren Walsh sentenced Pelka to 50 years in the Illinois Department of Corrections to be served at 100 percent.

In its decision, the Appellate Court rejected Pelka’s claims and found that the security video footage was properly admitted and there was “no indication of improper manipulation of the video.”

The Appellate Court also rejected Pelka’s claims that the Trial Court erred in not allowing evidence regarding bromantane allegedly found in the victim’s backpack after he was murdered stating, “the autopsy did not show the presence of any drugs in Gojdas’s system, there was not testimony from employees that he took

bromantane.” Pelka’s final claim of abuse of discretion by the Trial Court was also rejected with the Appellate Court noting that the Trial Court gave the jury proper instructions. In their conclusion, the Appellate Court summarized “Finding no errors, we thus find no cumulative error.”

“I thank the Appellate Court for their thorough analysis of this case and their finding that no errors, let alone the cumulative effect of multiple errors, were committed by the Trial Court affecting Mr. Pelka’s trial,” Berlin said. “This decision will ensure that Mr. Pelka spends the rest of his life behind bars for the cowardly, unprovoked shooting of an unarmed man while he was at work.”

Presiding Justice McDade delivered the judgment of the Court with Justice Holdridge and Justice Hettel concurring.

DuPage County to host Mental Health Summit Sept. 7

DuPage County Board Chair Deborah Conroy and the DuPage County Health Department will host the inaugural DuPage County Mental Health Summit on Saturday, Sept. 7.

The summit will provide attendees the opportunity to learn about the services and support systems for mental health and substance use treatment, engage in discussions on reducing the stigma associated with mental health conditions, and hear from local leaders and organizations about initiatives to support mental health and promote wellness.

DONNA L. URBANOWICZ, 67

Donna L. Urbanowicz, nee Minard, age 67 of Lombard. Beloved wife of Michael “Mickey” Urbanowicz; loving mother of Steve Hirota, Timothy, David, Eric, Ryne, and Jeffrey Urbanowicz; devoted grandmother of Kaitlyn and Tyler Urbanowicz; preceded in death by 2 sisters and 2 brothers; aunt of many nieces and nephews.

Services and interment are private. Funeral info: 630-832-4161 or www. steuerlefh.com.

The District 88 Foundation is a member of the Partnership for Inspired Education (PIE) Foundation, a 501(c)(3) charitable organization that serves public school students in District 88, Addison School District 4, School District 45 and Salt Creek School District 48.

Founded in 2009, PIE is designed to be the foundation that supports a long-term partnership with the community, businesses, schools and, most importantly, the children served.

For questions or more information, contact District 88 Director of Community Relations Dani Brink at dbrink@dupage88.net or 630-5303989.

“Our goal is to continue to fight the stigma surrounding mental health and substance use treatment. We hope to bring together professionals, advocates, and community

members to address the pressing issues surrounding mental health, while fostering a supportive environment for those affected by mental health and substance use challenges,” said Conroy. The summit will include tours of the Drug Court program, the Mental Illness Court Alternative Program, and other behavioral health resources offered by the County, followed by a Mental Health Expo Fair. Former Congressman Patrick Kennedy will provide the keynote address at around noon. A panel discussion, including leading mental health experts, policy makers, and individuals with lived experience, will conclude the day.

Visit www.dupagehealth.org to register. Seating is limited.

New law expands services at Philip J. Rock Center and School

A new law initiated by state Sen. Suzy Glowiak Hilton extends the services offered at the Philip J. Rock Center and School in Glen Ellyn to children who are deaf or blind.

“The Philip J. Rock Center and School is a vital resource for our children with visual and hearing impairments. This law gives more children access to the resources the center provides,” said Glowiak Hilton (D-Western Springs). “Our children

count on us to make decisions here in Springfield that address their needs. This law helps expand opportunities for children in DuPage County.”

The Philip J. Rock Center and School is the only publicly funded residential school in the country for deaf-blind students. The school currently assists nine students from age three through 21.

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Donald Pelka

Opinion

Slices of life

Guard your thoughts

“A quiet mind makes way for the soul to speak.” (Me)

The mind is an abundant entity - spewing, spawning, spilling, speaking, squeaking, splaying, spraying, saying, replaying, spouting, sprouting, shouting, rerouting, doubting and outing our thoughts, often in ways that seem beyond our control.

Just today, I was about to run to the store, but thought about something I wanted to do beforehand. Then I rinsed out my coffee cup and my mind had already moved onto a whole new topic and I’d forgotten what task, exactly, I needed to do before leaving.

Perplexing.

You might say my thoughts got away from me.

It happens quite often. All the time. Especially at night and in the wee hours of the morning.

I battle against it but it is a constant battle.

It’s almost as if my mind has a mind of its own. It’s working against me—or maybe for me. Or with me.

Or maybe a little of all three. I’m guessing none of you reading this can relate to this phenomenon—written with a wry sense of sarcasm.

All of you, surely, are always and totally in control of every one of your thoughts. They are orderly and they make sense. You never think of pink cotton candy when you are supposed to be considering whether to put orange or yellow cheese sauce atop the green broccoli. Your thoughts are always on point. I wish I could say the same.

The mind is a curious thing. It is part of you, but it seems to operate on its own.

The rest of your physical body doesn’t operate under these terms. Your arms carry the grocery bags home from the store.

When you have an itch on the tip of your nose, your fingers scratch that exact spot.

Your legs walk, one foot in front of the other to get you from point A to point B.

But your mind? It wanders wherever it wants to go.

That’s why awareness is so important. Your mind will tell you things that, in all honesty, it shouldn’t.

It will tell you people don’t like you. Or that you aren’t good enough, or nice enough or whatever enough. It will tell you to judge others for their ugly T-shirt or ugly hair or ugly car.

It will lead in you places that are scary, threatening and dire. Your mind accentuates your faults. It dwells upon your weaknesses.

By JILL PERTLER Columnist

It forces you into dark corners. Your mind will tell you things that are not true.

This doesn’t always happen. But it can, and it often does when you least expect it. When you aren’t aware.

Your thoughts are valuable. They are precious. They are priceless. They can sway off course and go off track without your ever noticing. And they can affect you in the most significant of ways.

That is why it is important to guard them. To guard your thoughts. To protect them like they are a treasured possession, because they are.

You are your thoughts. It seems so simple, but negative thoughts breed negative actions and negative feelings.

Positive thoughts have the opposite effect.

It may sound easy to choose positive thoughts. But remember, the mind has a mind of its own.

Choosing our thoughts is a minute by minute, moment by moment endeavor. It is neverending. 24/7. Even in your sleep.

But you know what? Thoughts can become habits. And habits become easier with time. Recognizing a negative thought is the first step into turning away from it and finding a positive one. The more you turn negative into positive, the more natural it will become.

Say the positive out loud (even a whisper will do) if that makes it easier at first. Soon it won’t take any thought at all.

Practice guarding your thoughts and soon that guard duty won’t seem so intensive. Soon it will come naturally.

Negativity is all around us, waiting to pounce and it may seem overwhelming at times. One of the most valuable possessions we have to fight against any negativity is our own thoughts. Guard yours like the treasure they are and you will find the peace within that has been waiting patiently.

Then your mind will only wonder one thing: What took me so long?

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.

This Labor Day, vow to capitalize on opportunity to diversify the workforce

By Pat Devaney and Hannah Hill

This Labor Day is a celebration of our country’s growing embrace of a new face of leadership and opportunity. In our politics, a minority woman leads a presidential ticket for the first time. And on the frontlines of our labor movement, the “toolbelt generation” has tremendous room for growth led by women and minorities.

Our challenge ahead is to recognize this important moment and capitalize on it, rather than let it slip by.

We see more young people pursue apprenticeships and careers in the trades than pursuing the traditional four-year college degree. In Springfield, Gov. JB Pritzker and the Illinois Legislature are making substantial investments in these new trades pathways, including $13.4 million for pre-apprenticeship hubs that help workers find roles in the burgeoning clean energy sector. More women and minority workers will be recruited and welcomed into these roles.

Young people are recognizing working in the trades provides a successful middle-class career and retirement security where other paths fall short. But there are hurdles that must be overcome for a more diverse workforce.

Women make up less than 11 percent of the workforce in the construction industry and just 4.3 percent in the construction trades. Despite some new momentum,

recruitment and retention of women in the Illinois construction industry has plateaued at 5 percent for more than 20 years.

Why? The odds are still against working women finding success in the skilled trades.

Too few employers offer maternity leave benefits. Without maternity leave, women with children must go on short-term disability.

Child care is another major stumbling block. The costs are too high, or there are simply not enough options to match their schedules and needs. Non-union workers in child care often are paid poverty wages that lead to high turnover, forcing women workers to pay a heavy price if they want to support their families by heading to work.

With child care uncertainty and restrictions, women on the job face dilemmas. How do we report for work at 5 a.m. or 7 a.m. when everyone else shows up, if the daycare doesn’t open until 8 a.m.? Projects running behind schedule mean longer hours, or weekend schedules. Women in construction must turn down overtime hours because there is simply no one available to watch their children.

Our union leadership recognizes these serious challenges and is taking them head on. For example, programs like the Barrier Reduction Fund, outlined in the Climate Equitable Jobs Act are one piece of a larger puzzle that we can use to address child care inequities for working women.

A resolution adopted at our recent Illinois AFL-CIO convention this summer calls for a unified campaign to significantly increase women’s recruitment and retention in the building trades within five years. We will fight hard for increased funding and smart legislation at all levels of government to directly address these gender diversity challenges. We need better training programs, more visible outreach, and strong partnerships with allies who share our goals of closing the gender gap by ensuring good, union jobs for women in the building trades.

We took an important step forward in May with our first Tradeswomen Take Over Springfield advocacy day at the State Capitol, bringing teams on the frontlines to meet with legislators and make the case in person for the investments needed to open more doors to women and minorities.

At this critical time for our country and labor movement, we encourage you to visit the IL AFL-CIO website to find a Labor Day celebration parade or event near you: https:// www.ilafl-cio.org/events/2024/9/2/ laborday2024/. Ask the women in your lives how we can help them find the opportunities that have been elusive for too long. We succeed when we all can work together, to put people to work.

Pat Devaney is secretary-treasurer of the Illinois AFL-CIO, and Hannah Hill is a commercial painter and treasurer of Local Union 90, Painters District Council 58.

I live about a block east of I-355. Last night (referring to Aug. 23) I was up after midnight. I had my living room windows open and the TV on. Then all of a sudden, I hear the roar of what I can only assume were several of these crotch rocket motorcycles. The noise was such that it drowned out the sound on my TV. I swear, these arrogant crotch rocket cyclists think they’re on a raceway instead of a highway. Speed limits obviously don’t apply to them. I’m sure I’m not the only one who’s seen them swerve between cars on the highway at 80 to 90 mph. They’re dangerous! Have you even seen anyone on a crotch rocket get pulled over by police? I know I never have.

* * *

Oh boy, who’s confused now? Trump doesn’t know who his opponent is. He’s confused. He doesn’t seem to understand by his own admission. Oh boy, then old JD Vance. First he was for Trump, then he was against him. Now he’s for him again. Those guys should just go to the beach in Florida with all the other flip-floppers.

* * *

Trump uses the word “fake” to describe anything that is an unwanted truth. Now JD Vance has adopted the word as well. He called the polls that are showing Vice President Harris and Gov. Walz ahead in many states fake. In actuality, though, the poll numbers are real. And the only thing that’s fake is them.

* * *

So a new law will no longer allow hotels to use single-use soap and shampoo bottles, although they can be recycled. So instead, how about providing a place in the facility to put the used bottles for recycling? What will the alternative be then? Better those than the little sample

packets, or will they offer nothing at all? That was a nice amenity to have. Again, thanks to our liberal legislators who think they know what’s best for us; and instead of seeing if people voluntarily work to recycle or reuse, they automatically dictate through legislation. Key word, dictate.

* * *

Gov. Pritzker wants to address the needs of aging Illinois residents to make it a more “aging-friendly” state. To me, the No. 1 priority would be to create affordable housing for those of us on a limited income, and who are being taxed out of our homes. These days, “affordable” is nowhere near what I could afford to pay for housing, and the waiting lists are daunting. I am sure few developers want to build affordable senior housing—out of a desire to be altruistic—because there’s no real money in it. After that, how about tax relief for seniors? Families with kids are getting breaks, and I understand that, but we seniors need more incentives to stay here in Illinois. Like last week’s caller said, look at the number of people and businesses leaving the state. The only redeeming quality I have seen so far is not taxing pensions at the state level.

* * *

Michelle Obama talked a good game at the DNC. However, when she talked about striving to help our fellow Americans, and that we have an “obligation to give more than we take,” she did not mention how Democrat legislation is forcing us taxpayers to give more and more to those who will take. The illegal migrants, for instance, take more than they give, and on our dime. She said the Democrats fight for decent housing, health care, etc., but did not mention that it is out

of our pockets. Politicians, Obama said, live a life of service. I would question that with the wealth many of them have accumulated! These wealthy Democrats act like they can relate to the lower- to middle-class citizen. Baloney. They can afford to give, and give some more, with all their wealth. Bill Clinton said he hopes that Republicans and undecideds will listen to the Democrats’ message so they can “catch up.” I have yet to hear their plan to make things better, especially after the last four years. All they do is point the finger at the Republicans, to deflect away from their failures. Remember, the other three fingers point back at them.

* * *

Whatever happened to the old saying, “Charity begins at home”? Why are so many people sympathetic to the illegal immigrants and other countries that allow inaction or involvement in the takeover of their country’s politics, and become victims? Our past generations have suffered much to accomplish what they have achieved today. Let’s not give away what our forefathers have left us, and preserve our future. Freedom is not free stuff from our hard-earned tax dollars.

* * *

Well, I see that the defund-the-police idea isn’t getting much traction in Chicago lately. How about taking this money that they’re going to give to pay for “violence interrupters,” I think I got that right. So take that money and hire some more police, because back in the old days, the police were the original violence interrupters. Act more, talk less.

* * *

Everyone enjoys going to a circus. The most fun part of the performance is the clowns. How can you not love our vice president Kamala Harris?

* * *

If Kamala Harris gets elected and Putin will not stop in Ukraine, he will keep going to Poland, and that little North Korean guy will invade South Korea. So I don’t know why everybody is smiling. She hasn’t said a word about the issues at all.

Coming events

Versiti blood drives

How Speak Out works

• Speak Out is a forum in which readers can express their opinion anonymously concerning local, state, national and international topics. Each call is limited to 200 words whether the caller calls 630-629TALK or emails their opinion to speakout@rvpublishing.com.

• The views expressed by callers are their own.

• All calls are checked by four editors. If a consensus of editors believes a particular call is deemed to be in poor taste, erroneous, inaccurate, libelous, doesn’t make sense, or if claims stated in a call cannot be verified, the call will not be published.

• With regard to calls of a political nature, it is not possible to have an equal balance of calls with liberal and conservative viewpoints during any given week. The editors of Speak Out don’t have control of who calls in, what their political leanings happen to be, and the topic(s) they want to discuss.

• If you have further questions about Speak Out, email: news1@ rvpublishing.com.

Where are you, Vice President Harris?

* * *

I just remind everybody how far we have come with this administration. We’ve had transgenders running around topless on the White House lawn. We now have free abortion pills and then you get a free hot dog. We have a statue of an IUD right by the Democratic National Convention. This country used to be in great shape, used to give a hand up, not a handout. I just read that Pritzker wants to run for a third term. Wonderful, and the last American out of here, please turn off the lights and grab the flag.

* * *

Hi, I am disgusted by the ill-informed callers who say Project 2025 is the Republican agenda. It is not. I repeat, it is not. Trump has said several times that some of the items are ridiculous and in the extreme. If you want to know the Republican platform, go to the Trump-Vance website and find out the truth; or that would require you to be open to the truth and that appears difficult for many liberals. It appears some Democrats prefer to propagate lies and foment fear. Might I suggest as an alternative you look at the reality of your life today—the cost of food, goods and housing is exorbitant. We have mass illegal immigration at the southern border. The cost of energy is ridiculous and crime is rampant. You might better spend your time looking to who can fix the current mess rather than reading the Project 2025. Thank you.

Celebrities, actors and singers; lots of joy. The DNC sure put on a great party. However, as much as I want to be a part of the in-crowd, I have to pay my bills. I have to feed my family, put gas in my car and worry if my child who goes to school downtown is safe from crime on the streets of Chicago. I don’t feel those who are millionaires and billionaires, who are such major influencers, can relate to my life. I don’t see Michelle Obama, Kerry Washington or Patti LaBelle trolling the aisles of Jewel looking for a bargain to stretch their food dollars.

Sept. 9: Peace Lutheran Church, 21W500 Butterfield Road, Lombard, from 3-7 p.m. in the Great Room. Sept. 10: Yorktown, in the mobile bus, lower level near Von Maur from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. First Church of Lombard, Fellowship Hall, 220 S. Main St., from 1:30-7 p.m. Free radon tests will be given to donors from 1:304:30 p.m. at First Church only.

Sept. 13: National University of Health Sciences, 200 E. Roosevelt Road, Lombard, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the Student Center Gym. Be entered for a chance to win two tickets/VIP experience to your favorite hometown football team. Call 630-723-2589. Appointments are appreciated but walk-ins are welcome. Bring a photo ID. Call 800-7TOGIVE or visit www.versiti.org/IL to register.

Lombard Farmers Market

Visit the Lombard Farmers Market on Tuesday, Sept. 3, from 3-7 p.m. in downtown Lombard on the corner of S. Park Avenue and W. St. Charles Road. Enjoy music from singer/songwriter True Adkins, sponsored by JL Vintage Odds and Ends. Shop seasonal fruits, vegetables, bread, treats for your pet and other handcrafted goods. Grab a bite to eat at one of our downtown restaurants. The Lombard Farmers Market is brought to you by the

I can’t imagine Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Ana Navarro or Common trying to figure out how they’re going to pay their electric bill after we had such a hot July. As an independent voter I think Republicans seem to have ideas how to fix the economy, protect the border and bring down energy costs. I am not sure how I will vote on Nov. 5 but unless the Democratic Party can give me answers as to how they plan to fix the mess this country is currently in, I won’t join that wealthy in-crowd, but take a different direction and vote Republican.

Yeah, Trump could be more presidential, but he wants to get things done. Thank you.

Michelle Obama’s speech at the Democratic National Convention was laughable. Here is a successful woman of color who graduated cum laude from Princeton and got a law degree from Harvard law school, once practiced at an elite law firm and was the first African-American First Lady of the United States. She and Barack have a home in Chicago, one in Washington that’s worth $8.1 million dollars, a $12 million dollar mansion on Martha’s Vineyard and a beachfront home in Hawaii they bought for $8.7 million dollars. Yet she stood up there, lecturing about income inequality, ranting about Donald Trump and suggesting she was feeling hopeless about America until Kamala Harris became the nominee. Michelle Obama plays the victim as well as Donald Trump. *

After watching this festival of joy called the Democratic National Convention, Democrats spent so much time talking about abortion, it got me thinking. Planned Parenthood put a clinic near the convention for a couple of days that offered free medication abortions, vasectomies and emergency contraception. Since abortion seems to be the be-all, end-all issue for these people, I bet if Planned Parenthood had free mobile abortion and vasectomy clinics everywhere throughout the country, it would solve every problem we face in this country!

Lombard Area Chamber of Commerce and Industry. For more information, including schedule changes, follow us on Facebook @LombardChamber.

Mental Health Summit Sept. 7

DuPage County will hold its first Mental Health Summit and Expo on Sept. 7. The DuPage Council on Strengthening the System for Mental Health and Substance Use Care will host its inaugural Mental Health Summit and Expo from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the DuPage County Administration Building, 421 County Farm Road in Wheaton. At the expo, you can talk with representatives of local mental health and substance use treatment organizations and hear from a panel of mental health experts, practitioners, and policymakers. The event will feature former U.S. Rep. Patrick J. Kennedy. For more information and to register for the event, visit www.dupagehealth.org/788/Mental-Health-Summit-and-Expo for a link to register.

Memory care support group

Dates at Saint Paul Church, 545 S. Ardmore, Villa Park: Sept. 4, Nov. 6. Dates at Dates at Adult Christian Care Epiphany Church, 314 W. Vallette, Elmhurst: Oct. 2, Dec. 4. 10:30-11:30 a.m. Call or text Jamie at 312543-5158. Limited space.

out& about Jane Charmelo

Minister comes ‘back home’ to Lombard

The Rev. Dave Price returns to Faith United Methodist Church

t could be said that Dave Price is somewhat of a “rockin’” reverend, by the way he has interwoven music and the gospel— incorporating praise bands to bring a variety of rhythms to the worship services.

The Rev. Dave Price is making a “comeback tour” to Lombard, as he returns to Faith United Methodist Church in Lombard, after serving as a pastor there from 1998 to 2005. He is also the senior pastor at First United Methodist Church in Glen Ellyn, where he has served since July 2023.

Price said he didn’t plan on becoming a minister, but instead, went to the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, where he got a degree in political science with the intention of becoming a lawyer.

However, Price continued, his plan changed when he got involved with a group called the Navigators, explaining, “They try to navigate people back to God.”

Price went on to attend Bethel Seminary in Minnesota, North Park Seminary in Chicago and also Garrett Evangelical Theological Seminary in Evanston.

The minister said he became an “itinerant” pastor, traveling from place to place to serve different churches.

“We’ve lived in 14 different places,” he said of his service to the church, including Mokena, Joliet, Homewood and Lansing, among others, after the latter of which, “I got a call to come to Lombard.”

Fast forward, and, ironically, Price was serving at a church in Lansing—where he has childhood roots—when he was asked to return to the western suburbs to become the senior pastor at First United Methodist last year. Then, Price recalled, he recently got a call from the church’s district superintendent in Lansing, and, “He asked me if I had another church left in me,” meaning Faith United Methodist Church.

The minister said that “A lot of churches have struggled,” so he was willing to divide his time between Glen Ellyn and Lombard.

“He has many gifts and excels at being a wonderful musician who continues to reach out and touch lives through his music ministry,” shared congregant Carolyn Smith, grateful that Price and his wife Laura have returned.

She said he has “an effectiveness at reaching people,” and believes Price’s love of sharing music has a lot to do with that.

Price said he was in a band back in eighth grade, called Steal Rhythm, adding, “We still play

“ Music reaches all generations . . . Music ties people together.”

– Pastor Dave Price

to this day at Pierogi Fest” in Indiana. He played the trumpet in school bands, but emphasized that “I was a rock and roller in high school.”

He is also in a band called Pastor Dave and The Trustees, which plays acoustic rock, gospel, bluegrass and other genres.

Price observed that bringing music into the church is a way for people to connect, saying, “Music reaches all generations … Music ties people together.”

For instance, the minister recalled that while at a church in Lansing, he started a contemporary church service, and it grew so

large—300 to 400 people—that he had to move the service to a nearby high school gym.

And while now serving two Methodist churches, he believes that between them, they will be able to “complement one another.”

Additionally, while Price was at Faith United the first time, “He developed a strong connection with our young adults, and they benefitted greatly from his music and counsel,” Smith noted. “His ministry has grown because of that.”

“We are blessed and excited to have Pastor’s commitment, spirit, enthusiasm and music fill

our sanctuary and our lives as together, we reach out to our Faith Family and our community to spread the word of God,” Smith summed up.

Faith United Methodist is hosting a picnic on Saturday, Sept. 14, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., during which time Price and his band will be providing the entertainment.

He said the event is free, although a free will offering will be accepted.

“A little Pierogi Fest is what we’re doing,” Price described with a chuckle, adding that he invites the community for “food, fellowship and fun.”

Faith United Methodist Church is located at 815 S. Finley Road, Lombard. Visit www.faithlombard. org for more information.

First United Methodist Church is located at 424 Forest Ave., Glen Ellyn. Visit www.geumc.org for more information.

“

We are blessed and excited to have Pastor’s commitment, spirit, enthusiasm and music fill our sanctuary and our lives as together, we reach out to our faith family and our community to spread the word of God.”

–

Carolyn Smith, congregant

Photo courtesy of rev. dave Price Rock Valley Publishing

The Rev. Dave Price (right), who recently returned to Faith United Methodist Church in Lombard, will perform with his band, Pastor Dave and The Trustees, at a picnic on Saturday, Sept. 14, at the church, located at 815 S. Finley Road, Lombard. The community is invited.

Biden designates Springfield 1908 Race Riot Monument

Financial institutions sue credit card fee law;

By Jerry Nowicki and Andrew Adams Capitol News illiNois

President Joe Biden signed a proclamation on Aug. 16 to designate the “Springfield 1908 Race Riot National Monument” on the 116th anniversary of the deadly riot in the state capital.

“We’re allowing history to be written—what happened—so our children, our grandchildren, everybody understands what happened and what could still happen,” Biden said at an Oval Office ceremony to designate the monument.

Illinois House Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch—the first black man to hold that position in Illinois—said he became emotional while attending the White House ceremony upon an invite from Biden’s staff.

“That race riot led to the creation of the NAACP, which led to Thurgood Marshall, which led to Brown versus Board of Education, and so many big victories in this country when it comes to race relations,” Welch said in a phone interview. “You have to say that it was this that led to the creation of opportunities for people like me to become the first black speaker.”

In August 1908, a white mob

Obituaries

KATHY A. CARTER, 77

Kathy A. Carter, age 77, longtime Lombardian, returned to her heavenly Kingdom on August 21, 2024,

Kathy was the dear wife of the late Jeffrey A. Carter; dear mom of Sherie; loving sister of Jerry (fiancée Karen Foley) Boss of Sycamore; aunt of Bobby (Olesia Shalayska) Boss, Melissa (Tim) Foley, Jarrett (Theresa) Bunjes; and great aunt of 6. She was also preceded in death by her parents, Hank & Elaine Boss.

Kathy was born and raised in Lombard. She was an active member of Christ the King Catholic Church in Lombard, where she was faithful to her church community and savior Jesus Christ.

She was a loving member of the disabled moms groups where they would take “Chick Trips” and help each other through the scenarios of everyday life. She was also active with Joni & Friends Illinois (https:// joniandfriends.org). A national organization committed to serving people with disabilities with practical help

lynched two black men, Scott Burton and William K. Donnegan, and burned down homes and businesses in the city’s black community. The riots were spurred by the mob seeking to lynch two men held in the Sangamon County Jail, Joe James and George Richardson.

James had been accused and was later convicted in the county of murdering a white man, while Richardson was accused of sexually assaulting a white woman who later signed a statement saying she had falsified the allegation.

Biden’s proclamation said the deadly event was “emblematic of the racism, intimidation, violence, and lynchings that black Americans experienced in communities across the country in the late 19th and early 20th Centuries.”

The monument will be located between N. 9th and 11th streets, and between E. Mason and E. Madison streets.

Welch said it’s important to emphasize history to avoid repeating it, and he mentioned the July 6 killing of Sonya Massey, a black woman, by a white police officer.

“We have a party in this country

and the saving love of Jesus. She loved taking her daughter Sherie to Stars (Seeking to Always Reflect the Savior), a ministry by College Church whose desire is to provide a place for everyone with intellectual or sensory challenges to worship and learn more about GOD.

Funeral Prayers and Mass were held on Wednesday, August 28, at Christ the King Catholic Church, 1501 S. Main Street, Lombard. Interment was at Genoa Township Cemetery, Genoa, IL. Memorials to Kathy’s family would be appreciated. Info: www. brustfuneralhome.com or 888-6290094.

DONNA L. URBANOWICZ, 67

Donna L. Urbanowicz, nee Minard, age 67, of Lombard. Beloved wife of Michael “Mickey” Urbanowicz; loving mother of Steve Hirota, Timothy, David, Eric, Ryne, and Jeffrey Urbanowicz; devoted grandmother of Kaitlyn and Tyler Urbanowicz; preceded in death by 2 sisters and 2 brothers; aunt of many nieces and nephews.

Services and interment private. Funeral info: 630-832-4161 or www. steuerlefh.com.

Mendoza withholds payments to embattled village right now that would love to erase history. They want us to forget a lot of the things that make America, America,” he said. “And I think it’s important that we continue to recognize the significance of these events and make sure folks remember what occurred in this country.”

Lawsuit challenges credit card fee law

Financial institutions filed a long-promised legal challenge Aug. 15 to a new state law that would prohibit them from charging fees on the tip and tax portions of debit or credit card transactions.

An “interchange fee” is a standard charge applied over 150 billion times annually across the U.S. when a credit or debit card is swiped. While it usually applies to a full purchase price, the Illinois law would exempt the portion that goes to tips and state and local taxes.

No other state has enacted such a limitation on interchange fees.

The provision, dubbed the Interchange Fee Prohibition Act, was included in the budgeting process to appease the state’s retailers, because the governor and Democratic lawmakers capped an existing tax discount claimed by retailers to fill a budget gap.

But the move drew swift backlash from financial industry advocacy groups. The Illinois Bankers Association, American Bankers Association, America’s Credit Unions and the Illinois Credit Union League filed a joint lawsuit after weeks of public advocacy against the change.

The change is not slated to take effect until July 1, 2025. The plaintiffs argue it would “upend the intricate and carefully calibrated global systems for debit and credit card purchases.”

Specifically, they say the state action “usurps the federal government’s sole regulatory authority” of certain banks and credit unions.

The lawsuit also argues the fees are necessary for the financial institutions to offset risks such as the purchaser defaulting or the purchase being fraudulent.

Institutions “do not have the capabilities, systems, or processes to comply” with the law by July 1, the lawsuit argues, and they’d have to invest “potentially hundreds of millions of dollars” depending on the institution to put systems in place.

The lawsuit asked the courts to prevent the law from taking effect on July 1 and declare it invalid.

Proponents of the IFPA say it should be easily implemented because insti-

Affordable health screenings coming to Glen Ellyn Sept. 13

Residents living in and around the Glen Ellyn can learn about their risk for cardiovascular disease, osteoporosis, diabetes and other chronic, serious conditions with affordable screenings by Life Line Screening. St. Mark’s Episcopal Church will host this community event on Sept. 13. The site is located at 393 N. Main St. in Glen Ellyn. Screenings can check for:

• The level of plaque buildup in your arteries, related to risk for cardiovascular disease, stroke and overall vascular health.

• HDL and LDL Cholesterol levels

• Diabetes risk

• Kidney and thyroid function, and more Screenings are affordable and convenient. Free parking is also available.

Special package pricing starts at $159, but consultants will work with you to create a package that is right for you based on your age and risk factors. Call 1-877-237-1287 or visit our website at www.lifelinescreening.com. Pre-registration is required.

tutions are already prohibited from charging fees on purchases made through government programs such as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, and the tax and tip portion of charges is already separated in financial systems.

State cuts funds to village of Dolton

Comptroller Susana Mendoza announced Aug. 15 her office will withhold roughly $135,000 from a village in Chicago’s south suburbs for failing to file required annual financial reports with the state.

The village of Dolton, led by controversial Mayor Tiffany Henyard, has failed to file its annual financial report, a financial audit and three Tax Increment Financing district reports for two years, according to the comptroller’s office.

The money being withheld is for the village’s “offset” funds, which is money held by the state from people who owe traffic tickets or other money to municipalities like Dolton.

Mendoza’s office also threatened to impose a fine of over $78,000 on

Coming event

Senior Suburban Orchestra seeks musicians

The Senior Suburban Orchestra (SSO) is looking for musicians to join their ranks. We currently have openings for all strings, oboe, clarinet, trumpet, French horn and percussion/drums. Rehearsals are on Tuesday afternoons (1-3:15) at St. Paul’s United Church of Christ (5739 Dunham Road, Downers Grove) September through May. We perform for churches, social organizations, schools, and retirement

the village if its leaders don’t address the problem. She said her office works with municipalities if they fall behind on reports, but that “Dolton is different.”

“The mayor’s office has refused to communicate with us or address the problem,” Mendoza said in a statement. “If Mayor Henyard refuses to follow state law, my office will use the tools at our disposal to safeguard the interests of Dolton’s citizens.”

Henyard has drawn significant criticism in recent years for alleged corruption, misuse of public funds and personal battles with others in Dolton government. Her behavior sparked a change in state law earlier this year.

Federal investigators have served several subpoenas on the village, seeking, among other things, all expense reimbursements and credit card expenditures for Henyard, according to reporting from FOX 32

The village’s board of trustees also hired former Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot—who worked on federal corruption investigations as a prosecutor in the late 1990s—to investigate Henyard earlier this year.

communities and our concerts are typically during the daytime hours on weekdays. Among our present musicians we have a wide range of experience, with some having had a lifetime of performing opportunity, and some who are presently taking lessons to improve their skills. If you or someone you know would like to inquire about joining our orchestra, please contact our personnel manager, Lori Davis at (630)935-7103 or lsd542000@yahoo.com.

First day of school

Montini Catholic High School students began the first day of the 2024-25 school year on Aug. 15. The new school year marks the Lombard school’s 59th year of Lasallian college preparatory education. In celebration of the Feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Mother, also on Aug. 15, students attended their first Liturgy of the school year. Father Jim Schwab, retired, the former pastor at St. Mary of Gostyn in Downers Grove, celebrated the Mass in the school’s gymnasium on the opening day of the school year. One picture from Aug. 15 shows senior Joseph Urizar of Villa Park (right) greeting Montini Principal Chris Tiritilli (left).

Police Reports

The Villa Park Police Department recently reported the following arrests and citations.

Readers are reminded that an arrest does not constitute a conviction, and that suspects are considered innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.

Persons charged with domestic battery are not named in order to protect the privacy of victims. Juveniles age 17 or younger are not named.

Aug. 20

Matthew A. Struck, 36, of Itasca, was charged with retail theft on the above date for an alleged incident that occurred at a store in the 1-100 block of E. North on May 28.

Police said Michele D. Ayers, 52 (residence not given) was issued an in-jurisdiction warrant in the 300 block of S. Ardmore at 1:47 p.m.

Aug. 19

Terelle M. Turner, 28, of Bellwood, was charged with retail theft at a store in the 1-100 block of E. North at 5:15 p.m.

A complainant in the 900 block of S. Route 83 reported that their vehicle had been stolen.

Aug. 18

Michael Cord Ferguson, 28, of Villa Park, was charged with unlawful use or possession of a weapon or ammunition by a convicted felon in the 100 block of E. Maple.

A complainant at a store in the 400 block of W. North reported that a suspect battered them. The suspect was issued a citation.

A complainant in the 300 block of N. Harvard reported at 11:48 a.m. that a subject was making obscene gestures toward them.

Aug. 17

Police said Alan L. Clark, 43, of Villa Park, had an in-jurisdiction warrant in the 300 block of N. Ardmore at 8:34 a.m.

Lufkin Park is open

The Village of Villa Park held a ribbon cutting last week to celebrate the newly renovated Lufkin Park. Speakers at the Aug. 19 ceremony included Villa Park Village President Nick Cuzzone, Villa Park Director of Parks and Recreation Greg Gola, State Rep. Diane Blair-Sherlock, DuPage County Board Member Elizabeth Chaplin and Villa Park Village Manager Matthew Harline. The redevelopment project at Lufkin Park, located at 1000 S. Ardmore Ave., was funded in part by a $400,000 grant from the Illinois Open Space Land Acquisition and Development (OSLAD) fund. The park’s new amenities include a playground, splash pad, walking trail, floating fishing pier and picnic shelter overhang.

Aug. 16

A complainant at a store in the 1-100 block of E. North reported at 4:42 p.m. that a suspect removed merchandise from display shelves and attempted to leave without paying. The suspect was issued a trespass warning.

A complainant at a store in the 1-100 block of W. North reported at 10:18 p.m. that a suspect was causing a disturbance and refusing to leave. The suspect was issued a trespass warning, but continued to refuse to leave and was issued a citation.

Aug. 15

Police said Roberto Santacruz, 29, of Bensenville, had an in-jurisdiction warrant in the 300 block of E. St. Charles at 7:31 p.m.

A male juvenile, 15, was charged with disorderly conduct at Willowbrook High School, 1250 S. Ardmore, at 4:13 p.m.

Aug. 14

A complainant in the 300 block of W. Division reported at 7:30 a.m. that an unknown suspect broke their window.

A complainant in the 2000 block of Ovaltine Court reported that their Amazon package was stolen.

A complainant at a store in the 1-100 block of E. St. Charles reported at 8 p.m. that unknown suspects removed merchandise from display shelves and left without paying.

Aug. 13

A complainant in the 200 block of W. Division reported at 2:07 p.m. that a suspect is harassing them via telephone.

Identity theft, fraud

According to information provided last week by the Villa Park Police Department, police reported one incident of identity theft or fraud.

Legislation assisting victims of auto theft signed into law

Legislation enabling victims to replace their license plates and registration stickers at no cost if their vehicle has been stolen was signed into law by Gov. JB Pritzker, Illinois Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias announced.

SB 3471, sponsored by state Sen. Elgie R. Sims Jr. (17th District— Chicago) and state Rep. Jehan Gordon-Booth (92nd District—Peoria), allows victims to file for free replacement plates and a sticker beginning Jan. 1, 2025, if they provide a police report or affidavit indicating their original plates were stolen.

“Victims of auto theft face extraordinary obstacles in repairing what has been damaged and lost when their vehicle is taken from them. This law eliminates one of these hurdles, making it easier and more affordable for victims to get back on the road,” said Giannoulias, whose office drafted the bill. “Waiving these replacement fees is a small but important step in helping victims return to a sense of normalcy.”

“When an auto theft occurs, we

need to make it as easy as possible for the victim to get back on their feet and back on the road,” Sims said. “By providing replacement license plates and registration stickers at no-cost, we are protecting the pocketbooks of victims and easing one of the worries associated with recovering from this type of crime.”

“Many Illinoisans rely on having a plated and registered vehicle to transport their kids to school, pick up groceries and get to work. When their plates or vehicle is stolen, each of these tasks becomes more complicated,” Gordon-Booth said. “To help Illinoisans recover from the theft of such an essential part of their lives, this legislation will cut down on their costs and headaches.”

Under the new law, after reviewing a victim’s request and documentation showing the plates were stolen, the Secretary of State’s office will assign a new plate number and issue the replacements free of charge.

In 2022, the most recent vehicle theft data, there were 38,649 thefts statewide, an increase of more than

10,000 cases compared to the year prior. More than 22,000 of the thefts occurred in Chicago that year, where thefts doubled compared to 2021.

• Law

(Continued from page 3)

Under the new law, the center can serve children who have visual or hearing impairments, as well as those who have both. With construction underway on a new facility that will accommodate up to 20 students, Glowiak Hilton’s law allows the Philip J. Rock Center and School to expand their services to more children in the community with hearing or visual impairments.

“Outdated statutes shouldn’t hold our children back,” said Glowiak Hilton. “This law coincides with the school’s expansion and will help them deliver services to more students.”

Senate Bill 3768 was recently signed into law and takes effect Jan. 1, 2025.

SUBMITTED PHOTOS Rock Valley Publishing

DuPage County forms municipal Cybersecurity Task Force

Leaders of DuPage County’s Information Technology Leadership Roundtable met Aug. 1 to announce the formation of a Cybersecurity Task Force designed to provide mutual backup in the event of a cybersecurity incident.

The county launched the roundtable initiative in May to foster collaboration between county-wide and municipal IT professionals. This program aims to facilitate the regular exchange of ideas, resources, best practices, and county services to support and enhance the technology environments countywide.

During the group’s initial meeting, members expressed interest in forming a smaller task force focused on cybersecurity issues and challenges.

“I’m pleased with the enthusiastic response from our communities regarding the County’s desire to host a roundtable dealing with important technology issues we all face as public bodies,” said Yeena Yoo, chair of the DuPage County Technology Committee. “The recent CrowdStrike outage alone is reason enough to get IT professionals to discuss ways we can collaborate and assist each other as issues arise. I think our Cybersecurity Task Force provides a

mechanism for that essential mutual aid and to increase security across systems within DuPage County.”

Members of the Cybersecurity Task Force are: Marc Talavera, Village of Carol Stream; Annie Davis, DuPage County Workforce Development Division; Tom Gilbert, Village of Oak Brook; Michael Sampey, Village of Addison; Jacob Weisz, Village of Glendale Heights; Peter Schaak, Village of Schaumburg; Glen Liljeberg, Village of Westmont; and Gregory Dover, Village of Woodridge.

During the August meeting of the IT Leadership Roundtable, municipal and county IT professionals spoke with a CrowdStrike representative about the recent outage. They also heard a presentation on ransomware and security best practices.

The DuPage Municipal Cybersecurity Task Force is scheduled to meet on Thursday, Aug. 29. The DuPage County Information Technology Department had a workshop on Artificial Intelligence for Roundtable Members, government leaders and staff which was held Aug. 21. And, the next quarterly Municipal Roundtable meeting is scheduled for Nov. 7.

In primetime DNC speech, Pritzker leans into role of benevolent billionaire

Governor chides Trump as ‘rich in only one thing: stupidity’

By Hannah Meisel CAPITOL NEWS ILLINOIS

Cheered on by an Illinois delegation watching from the floor of the United Center, Gov. JB Pritzker on Aug. 20 embraced an identity that’s generally proven alienating in both Democratic and Republican politics: being extremely wealthy.

“Donald Trump thinks that we should trust him on the economy, because he claims to be very rich,” the second-term governor said during a primetime speech at the Democratic National Convention. “But take it from an actual billionaire—Trump is rich in only one thing: stupidity.”

Pritzker, who is worth an estimated $3.4 billion thanks in large part to inherited family wealth from Hyatt Hotels, is the wealthiest current elected official in the U.S. And in the more than seven years since he declared his candidacy for governor, Pritzker has not shied away from pouring cash into not only his own election bids but campaigns up and down the ballot.

The governor’s billionaire quip came just minutes after U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vermont, declared on the same stage that Democrats should prioritize getting “big money out of our political process.”

“Billionaires in both parties should not be able to buy elections—including primary elections,” Sanders said.

But earlier in the day, Pritzker justified his spending in order to match—and defeat—Republicans.

“People like to criticize me for spending money to win reelection or election, but I had three billionaires put ... hundreds of millions of dollars against me,” he said in an interview

with POLITICO’s Jonathan Martin at the outlet’s pop-up restaurant within the convention perimeter in collaboration with CNN.

Pritzker was referring to conservative megadonors Richard Uihlein, who supported the unsuccessful campaign of former state Sen. Darren Bailey against Pritzker in 2022, and Ken Griffin, who’d infused millions into that year’s gubernatorial primary for the candidate who ultimately placed third in the contest.

Pritzker also named former Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner—technically only a multi-millionaire—who Pritzker spent nearly $172 million to defeat in 2018, a figure he nearly matched for his re-election campaign four years later.

Pritzker’s ability to self-fund his initial race for governor was attractive to some in the Democratic Party of Illinois, whose own record of steady fundraising had suddenly been dwarfed by Rauner. He launched his 2014 bid for governor and quickly broke the self-fundraising “caps” in order to accept unlimited funds from donors.

But when Pritzker began testing the waters of a possible challenge to Rauner in late 2016, many progressive Democrats were skeptical of his interest because of his wealth.

According to reporting at the time, those Democrats feared running a billionaire would undermine the party’s messaging against Rauner as an “out-of-touch rich guy.”

Pritzker painted a self-deprecating portrait of his candidacy on Aug. 19 to a hotel conference room of Illinois delegates and Democratic supporters at the party’s breakfast.

“You all remember that back in 2018, our party was not exactly begging for me to run for governor,” he said. “No one was crying out for a white, Ukrainian-American, Jewish

But, he said, he was a lifelong Democrat because of the opportunities given to his immigrant ancestors when they came to Chicago as refugees.

He echoed those sentiments in his DNC speech, trying to balance his prioritization of social issues with economic ones and making the case that they are inextricably linked.

“I meet with business leaders all the time, and there’s one universal thing they all need: people. They need more workers to fill all the jobs they have,” he said. “But the anti-freedom, anti-family policies of MAGA Republicans are driving workers away.”

He highlighted Illinois’ status as an abortion destination as surrounding states have severely restricted the procedure after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in 2022. But he also said those states will see residents voting with their feet to flee red states—a reversal of well-worn Republican attacks on Illinois for outmigration.

“Americans don’t want to be forced to drive 100 miles to deliver a baby because a draconian abortion law shut down the maternity ward,” he said. “Americans want the hope of giving birth through IVF, not the fear that it might be taken away. Americans with LGBTQ kids don’t want them facing discrimination at school because the state sanctioned it.”

Pritzker has also invested serious money in efforts to enshrine abortion rights in other states’ constitutions, last year founding a “dark money” organization dubbed “Think Big America” that’s already involved in referendum campaigns in a handful of states.

And the fact that the governor was delivering his speech onstage in his hometown is the result of Pritz-

ker’s efforts to woo DNC organizers to Chicago instead of a venue in a swing state. After the convention was secured, Pritzker spent more than a year preparing for his host role: an effort that prompted spending millions more.

But he’s leaned into the job with gusto, appearing in an episode of Comedy Central’s “The Daily Show” in a pre-taped segment that aired Monday night and contracting with a pair of local breweries to produce

limited edition cans of “JBeer” for the DNC.

And after the convention hall cleared out on Aug. 20, Pritzker hosted a massive invite-only party featuring John Legend—a move reminiscent of his large-scale inauguration parties in 2019 and 2023 that also saw A-list musical guests playing for hundreds.

While Pritzker has not been afraid

See PRITZKER, Page 14

Above: the DuPage County Information Technology Leadership Roundtable during its Aug. 1 meeting.

billionaire.”

Worship Services Directory

Gather with us for weekend worship!

Saturdays 5 p.m.

Sundays 8:30 and 11 a.m.

Education Hour between services at 9:45 a.m.

142 E. Third St. Elmhurst, IL

ImmanuelElmhurst.org 630-832-1649

Handicapped accessible and hearing loop enabled

779 S. York Street

Elmhurst, IL

630-834 -6700 www.visitationparish.org

DuPage Foundation welcomes new committee members

St. Timothy Evangelical

Lutheran Church

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

Lent and Easter Services at 7 p.m.

Sunday Worship at 10:15 am

“The Crucial Hours”

Second Lenten Service March 9, 2022

Sunday School & Bible Study 9 am Saturday, September 28, Game Night at 4 pm

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

Everyone is Welcome!

Third Lenten Service March 16, 2022

All services are live streamed. Watch on our website or on Facebook. sainttimothy.org

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

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

Daily Masses:

Sixth Lenten Service April 6, 2022

Rev. Phil Schupmann “The Semblance of Legality” Resurrection, Aurora Luke 22:66

Monday—Friday: 6:15 and 8:15 AM Saturday: 8:15 AM

Confessions: Saturday: 3-3:45PM

Maundy Thursday Communion 7 p.m., April 14

Good Friday Tenebrae 7 p.m., April 15

Easter Sunrise 6:30 a.m., April 17

Adoration:

Easter Breakfast 8 a.m., April 17

Easter Festival 10:15 a.m., April 17

Available in Our Lady Mother of the Eucharist Chapel 24/7

DuPage Foundation recently announced the appointment of Julie Gustafson of Wheaton, to its Arts DuPage Advisory Committee, and James Kozar of Lombard and Nathan Ronchetti, of Naperville, to its Marketing Committee.

James Kozar

“It’s a pleasure to have these outstanding individuals join our committees as volunteer leaders,” said Mike Sitrick, DuPage Foundation president and CEO. “Community members play a vital role in helping advance the Foundation’s mission by sharing their knowledge and expertise. They also help us foster critical relationships and partnerships by serving as community ambassadors and connectors.”

• Gustafson is the founder and President of MJG Advisory LLC, which works with clients in the business, art, and philanthropic sectors to build strategies and foster connections. She enjoys helping clients focus on their passions, philanthropy, and legacy so that they can share what is important to them with their loved ones. Gustafson is a passionate advocate for the arts who also enjoys freelance writing and speaking engagements about topics related to art collecting, inheritance, and legacy. She is a regular contributor to the Foundation’s “Leaders & Legacies” series with the Daily Herald.

• Kozar is a filmmaker who has worked in the marketing and advertising field for more than 10 years,

Coming events

Plum Library programs

producing branded content for his clients, which include advertising agencies, local not-for-profits, and fortune 500 companies. He enjoys developing creative projects and strategies that help advance an organization’s objectives. Kozar has a remarkable ability to discover authentic moments and connect with subjects using a compassionate approach.

• Ronchetti is a principal consultant at Slalom, where he uses his expertise to deliver digital transformation projects to various stakeholders. He is passionate about creating and building solutions that align with the vision and goals of organizations. He is also co-host of 630 Naperville, a local TV show on Naperville Community Television (NCTV17), that showcases stories and achievements of the community. Ronchetti has a remarkable ability to find clarity by developing relationships and offering strategic recommendations that deliver results.

About DuPage Foundation

DuPage Foundation, a 501(c)(3) community foundation, is DuPage County’s champion for philanthropy. DuPage Foundation manages more than $140 million in assets and has awarded more than $95 million in grants since its founding in 1986. Individuals and organizations seeking to provide impactful support to address critical issues in DuPage County and beyond can create powerful customizable gift solutions and partnerships through DuPage Foundation. Learn more at dupagefoundation.org.

DuPage County Ombudsman Program Wednesday, Sept. 4 at 7 p.m.

The DuPage County Ombudsman Program is a resident advocacy program that provides information about residents’ personal and financial rights in a long-term care facility. Learn more about the services they provide, including investigating concerns, seeking to resolve problems within facilities, and advocating for good individual care.

Latino Hip Hop as a New Form of Poetry Monday, Sept. 9, at 2 p.m. Latino hip hop musicians are advancing the poetic traditions of their countries in unique ways. Nevertheless, academic and poetic circles have surprisingly not embraced and celebrated these artists as poets. In this lively interactive discussion, music journalist Catalina Maria Johnson will use video and lyric examples to make a case for hip hop as the new poetry, focusing on Latinos in the U.S. and the Americas. Register for these programs at helenplum.org or by calling (630) 627-0316.

GPS program Sept. 4

The GPS Parent Series: Navigating Healthy Families will present “Good Inside: A Guide to Becoming the Parent You Want to Be” with author Becky Kennedy at noon and 7 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 4, via Zoom. Go to the GPS Parent Series website for information and the links to these webinars. Kennedy is a clinical psychologist, bestselling author of “Good Inside” and mother of three. She also hosts the podcast “Good Inside with Dr. Becky.” Lori Gottlieb will be in conversation with Kennedy. Gottlieb is the author of the New York Times bestseller “Maybe You Should Talk to Someone.” Go to www. gpsparentseries.org for information and the links to these webinars.

Documentary premiere Sept. 6

Tim Frakes will introduce his new documentary on Hidden Lake Forest Preserve Friday, Sept. 6, 7:30 p.m., at Glen Briar Park at the Butterfield Park District. Registration is free, seating is limited. Go to lombardhistory.org to register.

Four Chicago residents charged with burglary/retail theft at two Oak Brook stores in unrelated incidents

DuPage County State’s Attorney Robert Berlin and Oak Brook Chief of Police Brian Strockis announced last week that charges have been filed against four Chicago residents for allegedly stealing merchandise from two Oak Brook stores in two separate incidents.

Talia Martinez-Pacheco, 23, Santiago Rojas-Galea, 18, Cheryl Gryer, 26 and Daiveon Watson, 21, each appeared at First Appearance Court on Aug. 22. All four subjects were charged with one count of burglary (Class 2 felony) and one count of retail theft (Class 3 felony).

It is alleged that on Wednesday, Aug. 21, at approximately 6:30 p.m., Martinez-Pacheco and Rojas-Galea entered the Macy’s department store located at 1 Oakbrook Center, selected numerous items of clothing having an approximate retail value of $2,378.87, and exited the store without paying for the merchandise.

In a separate incident, it is alleged that on the same day, at approximately 6 p.m., Gryer and Watson went to the Nordstrom department store located at 10 Oakbrook Center. It is further alleged that Watson entered the store, selected numerous clothing items with an approximate retail value of $834.74, and exited the store without paying for the merchandise.

Following an investigation into the alleged incidents, all four defendants were taken into custody.

“As evidenced by these recent arrests, law enforcement in DuPage County remains on the lookout for anyone who would attempt to steal from any of our retail establishments,” Berlin said. “Make no mistake, if you are caught stealing in DuPage County, you will be arrested, charged and prosecuted. For their alleged behavior, if found guilty, the four defendants in these two cases will find themselves facing a possible prison sentence of up to seven years in the Illinois Department of Corrections. I commend the Oak Brook Police Department for their continued efforts in protecting our local businesses and their patrons.”

These two cases exemplify the Oak Brook Police Department’s commitment to keeping our community safe,” Strockis said. “It also shows how strong our partnership with loss prevention continues to be. I’d like to thank our officers for their hard work.”

The next court date for both Martinez-Pacheco and Rojas-Galea is scheduled for Sept. 16, for arraignment in front of Judge Mia McPherson. The next court date for Gryer and Watson is scheduled for Sept. 9, for arraignment in front of Judge Ann Celine O’Hallaren Walsh.

Gateway Special Recreation Association Announces new daytime program

Gateway Special Recreation Association (SRA) has announced the launch of a new daytime program starting in September.

The program, for ages 18-and-up, goes from 8:15 a.m.-2:15 p.m. Monday through Friday beginning on Monday, Sept. 9.

It will be held at the Family Recreation Center, 1450 Forest Gate Road, Oak Brook, Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays. On Wednesdays, the program will be held at Central Park West, 1500 Forest Gate

Road, Oak Brook.

Program fees are as follows: $805 per month five days per week; $640 per month four days per week; $480 per month three days per week; and $320 per month two days per week.

This innovative program, named “Elevate,” will provide structured, five-day-a-week services for adults with disabilities, helping them transition from high school or transition centers to adult life in the community.

Ryan Massengill, superintendent of Recreation at Gateway SRA, ex-

pressed her excitement about the new program. “We are incredibly proud to introduce Elevate, a program designed to help people achieve their personal goals and live fulfilling lives,” she said.

Elevate will utilize leisure education tools to teach real-life recreation skills and provide opportunities for participants to transfer these skills successfully into the community. The program will include ongoing evaluation to ensure participants are meeting their individual recreation goals.

“The launch of Elevate is a testament to the dedication and hard work of our team. We are excited to see the positive outcomes this program will bring to our community,” said Jim Pacanowski, Gateway SRA Board Chair.

“This initiative aligns perfectly with our mission and strategic goals.”

For more information about the Elevate program and other offerings from Gateway SRA, visit GatewaySRA.com or email Peter Torres at PTorres@RayGraham.org.

Coming event

Single Mothers Support Group to meet Sept. 8

SHE Single Mothers Support Group, Sunday, Sept. 8, at 12:15 p.m., Elmhurst Christian Reformed Church, 149 W. Brush Hill Road. Complimentary lunch, free child care (ages 0-12), and support from other single mothers. RSVP: elmhurstcrc.org/she.

Montini Catholic welcomes Class of 2028 at its Quest Freshmen Orientation event

Montini Catholic in Lombard began its 59th year of education earlier this month by welcoming its Class of 2028 to the Lasallian college preparatory high school’s annual Quest Freshman Orientation event. The goal of the day is to provide freshmen a special day to get acquainted with one another and their teachers. Students are also able to walk the hallways and get acclimated before their first day of classes, which was held Aug. 15. Members of Montini’s Student Government were on hand to guide the new students through their day. Student leaders also helped out, leading small groups and sharing their own experiences as freshmen while providing advice and encouragement. The program concluded with a prayer. Before leaving, students lined up to sign a list of goals they planned to accomplish during their four years at Montini. The list and signatures will be framed and displayed in the hallway throughout the group’s four years at Montini. For many freshmen, entering into their first year of high school, the experience can be very stressful and overwhelming. Montini’s Quest event is designed to make this experience as fun and memorable as it can be.

Submitted photo Rock Valley Publishing

Above: Junior Savannah Gutierrez of Lombard assists new freshman Abriana Schumerth.

Pritzker

the governor’s speech echoed themes of his biggest failed campaign: the 2020 effort to enshrine a graduated income tax into Illinois’ constitution.

Pritzker insisted Democrats want to “cut taxes on everyday people,” a promise similar to what he said when he kicked off the effort for a graduated income tax in 2019 and repeated often during the nearly two-year campaign: “People like me should pay more and people like you should pay less.”

The so-called “Fair Tax” was Pritzker’s signature campaign promise two years earlier, but despite spending millions on the campaign, voters rejected the ballot measure.

Ice bucket challenge

On Tuesday, Aug. 6, Township regulars Gary Smith and Carol Harwart volunteered to drench York Township Supervisor John W. Valle as he completed the ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis) Ice Bucket Challenge before lunch at the Senior Nutrition Center to help bring awareness and encourage people to donate. The ALS Association aims to discover treatment and cures for the disease while providing free support to those living with the condition. The supervisor plans to make a donation toward the cause following the challenge. Valle said, “I invite other DuPage County Townships to participate in the Ice Bucket Challenge as well and help me join the fight to end ALS. We need to come together to try and find a cure and support the families of those who suffer from this dreadful disease.”

SUBMITTED

Community Presbyterian Church

holds annual picnic

On Sunday, Aug. 11, Community Presbyterian Church of Lombard had its annual outdoor picnic. Members and guests of all ages attended. A huge pot luck buffet, music, games, and sharing were enjoyed by all. Sunday services are held at 10 a.m. and are online at cpclombard.org. Come join us at 1111 E. Madison St., Lombard.

BANANA SPLIT

BROWNIE

CHERRY

CHOCOLATE SYRUP

COLD

CONE

COOKIE DOUGH

CUP

FROZEN YOGURT

GELATO

HOT FUDGE

ICE CREAM

ICE MILK

ICES

MIXED

NUTS

PEANUT BUTTER

REFRESHING

SHERBET

SORBET

SPRINKLES

SUNDAE

WAFFLE

WHIPPED CREAM

Answers on page 22

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!

SUBMITTED PHOTOS Rock Valley Publishing

Rams gear up for fall sports at their community night event

Glenbard East High School held its 8th Annual Red and Black Athletic Community Night on Friday, Aug. 23. The celebration, which took place in ideal weather conditions, included brief scrimmages and exhibitions from several of the Rams’ fall athletic teams.

Glenbard East’s varsity cheer and varsity dance teams performed in the school’s stadium during Friday’s event. Shortly after those performances, the Rams’ marching band entered the stadium and performed

“The Star-Spangled Banner” and Glenbard East’s fight song.

Friday’s event included a parade of most of the Rams’ fall athletic teams, who walked along the stadium track. The evening concluded with Glenbard East’s varsity boys soccer team playing a scrimmage.

The Rams’ varsity boys soccer team played its first match of the season earlier this week with a home contest against Plainfield Central on Aug. 27.

The Rams’ varsity football team was not at Friday’s event; the team instead played a scrimmage at Lake Park High School. Glenbard East’s varsity football team will open its 2024 season with this Friday’s game at Willowbrook High School in Villa Park. The Rams and Warriors have not faced off on the football field in nine years. The two teams last battled in the opening game of the 2015 season. Glenbard East won that meeting, prevailing 42-21 in Lombard.

Glenbard East High School recognized its fall

the Rams’ fall athletic teams were introduced during the

from the parade of teams on the

shows some of the Rams in the boys soccer program. A group of Glenbard East girls

players are

Glenbard East’s dance team—the Ramettes—performed during Friday’s event. Some of the Ramettes are

performance.

CHRIS FOX PHOTOS Rock Valley Publishing

athletic teams at Friday’s Red and Black Athletic Community Night celebration. Most of

event. Those teams then walked on the stadium track in front of the audience. One photo (above)

track shows members of Glenbard East’s cheerleading program. Another photo (below left)

volleyball

also pictured (bottom right).

pictured (bottom left) during the

Montini Catholic High School held its annual Bronco Jamboree at the school on Friday, Aug. 23. The event serves as a kickoff for the fall sports season. All of Montini’s fall sports teams were recognized during the evening. One photo (above right) shows (left to right) five members of the Broncos’ varsity girls volleyball team: senior Sienna Skarda, junior Ava Mihelich (Lombard), senior Izzie Evenson (Lombard), sophomore Sophie Maquet and freshman Peggy Pacelli. Another photo (above left)

shows (left to right) three seniors on Montini’s varsity cheerleading team: Gabriella Janis (Lombard), Alyssa Ranieri and Maria Bednarczyk (Lombard). The Bronco Jamboree featured intra-squad action, including a scrimmage played by Montini’s varsity football team. Senior Nick Irion (No. 9) of Lombard is pictured (below) before the scrimmage. The Broncos’ varsity football team opens its 2024 season with this Friday’s home game against Chicago’s Hyde Park Academy High School.

Receive a digital copy of your hometown newspaper every week with an eSubscription for only $35 a year. There’s no waiting for your home delivery. Your link to the weekly newspaper will be emailed to you every Thursday. The digital version of the newspaper can be read on a computer, laptop or tablet. For an eSubscription, visit rockvalleyenews.com or call 627-7010.

Montini student receives special scholarship

Montini Catholic junior Liliana Navarro of Lombard is the 2024 recipient of the John L. Duffy Memorial Scholarship. The scholarship was established in 2022 by Stephen McPartlin, stepbrother of former Montini student John L. Duffy. Montini’s Duffy Memorial Stadium was named after Duffy in 1968. A member of Montini’s inaugural Class of 1970, Duffy was the school’s first athletic manager. Duffy died of leukemia in April 1968, near the end of his sophomore year. The scholarship in Duffy’s name was established to honor his life and experience. It supports a current Montini student who has served or is serving as a manager of one of the Broncos’ athletic teams. Navarro, who just began her junior year, serves as the manager of Montini’s varsity wrestling team. She received her award during Montini’s Founder’s Day ceremony in May. She is pictured (right) at that ceremony with Montini Principal Chris Tiritilli (left). Before attending Montini, Navarro attended Glenn Westlake Middle School.

Warriors’ boys golf team opens its season with a win

The Willowbrook High School boys golf team opened its 2024 season with a 149-188 victory over Elmwood Park at Sugar Creek Golf Course in Villa Park on Aug. 21.

Junior Charlie Roelle delivered the Warriors’ best score of the meet, firing a 3-over total of 35 on

the nine-hole, par-32 course, which is the Willowbrook team’s home venue.

Three Warriors—senior Austin Coppersmith and juniors Bobby Biggs and Ben Rattana—each fired nine-hole scores of 38 during season-opening meet to account for

Let’s get it started

Willowbrook High School celebrated the start of the 2024-25 school year during Friday night’s Silver and Blue Community Night event in the school’s stadium. The evening featured introductions of the Warriors’ fall athletic teams. One photo (above) shows (left to right) three seniors on Willowbrook’s girls volleyball team—Anna Marinier, Hannah Kenny and Lily Javier. The Warriors’ girls volleyball team won the IHSA Class 4A third-place trophy during the 2023 season. Another photo (top right) shows junior Leigh Bernardo (No. 2) of Willowbrook’s flag football team waving to the crowd after she is introduced. Earlier this year, the IHSA announced that girls flag football would become the 32nd sport to contest an IHSA state series. The inaugural IHSA state finals in girls flag football will take place at Willowbrook on Oct. 18-19. Friday’s Silver and Blue Community Night concluded with the Warriors’ varsity football team conducting a scrimmage against Fenwick High School. One photo (left) from the scrimmage shows Willowbrook junior quarterback Jahonise Reed (No. 11). Another photo (right) shows senior Charlie Siegler (No. 3).

Willowbrook’s team total of 149 (35+38+38+38). The Warriors continued their season with Friday’s sixth-place finish in the eight-team St. Laurence Invite at Green Garden Country Club in Frankfort. Biggs carded Willowbrook’s lowest score of the event with his 6-over total of 78 on the 18-hole course. He finished seventh among all individuals in the event, which featured 48 com -

petitors.

Coppersmith contributed an 18hole score of 84 in Friday’s invite.

Charlie Roelle shot an 87, while junior Matt Ciesinski posted a 91 to round out the Warriors’ sixth-place team score of 340 (78+84+87+91).

Willowbrook battled against Downers Grove North in Saturday’s 18-hole dual meet at Cog Hill Golf and Country Club’s No. 1 course in Lemont. The Trojans defeated

the Warriors 314-352. Coppersmith turned in Willowbrook’s best round of the day with his score of 85 on the par-72 course. Biggs shot an 87, while junior Tommy Roelle carded an 89. Rattana posted a 91 to complete the Warriors’ scoring lineup. Willowbrook is competing in three meets this week. On Saturday, Aug. 31, the Warriors will play in their own John Hamann Invite at Sugar Creek Golf Course.

Business & Service

Classifieds

Announcements

CLASSIFIED IN-COLUMN ADS cannot be credited or refunded after the ad has been placed. Ads canceled before deadline will be removed from the paper as a service to our customers, but no credit or refund will be issued to your account.

DISCLAIMER NOTICE This publication does not knowingly accept fraudulent or deceptive advertising. Readers are cautioned to thoroughly investigate all ads, especially those asking for money in advance.

Burial Needs

7 CEMETERY PLOTS Willing to sell as a group or individually. Lo-

cated at Roselawn Memory Gardens 3045 WI-67, Lake Geneva, WI 53147. This is a private sale. Contact Randy, the seller at randy@slpublishers.com.

Personals

LOOKING FOR A COMPANION 60+ year old woman looking for a male companion who is interested in going out to dinner, concerts, shows, movies, etc. If interested, please call 630-782-1006

Pets

FOR SALE: 10 WEEK OLD BLACK LABRADOR RETRIEVER PUPPIES, have 2 vaccines; $650 ea. Looking for good forever homes. 708-770-7620

sex, disability, familiar/ status or national origin, or an intention to make any such preference, limitation or discrimination. Familial status includes children under the age of 18 living with parents or legal custodians, pregnant women and people securing custody of children under 18. This newspaper will not knowingly accept any advertising for real estate which is in violation of the law. Our readers are hereby informed that all dwellings advertised in this newspaper are available on an equal opportunity basis. To complain of discrimination call HUD tollfree at 1-900-669-9777. The toll-free tele phone number for the hearing impaired is 1-800-927-9275. EQUAL HOUSING OPPORTUNITY

Business & Service DIRECTORY

Immaculate Virgin, assist me in my necessity. Oh Star of the Sea, help me and show

can attain my goal, you who gave me divine gift to forgive and forget all evil against me, and that in all instances in my life you are with me. I want in this short prayer to thank you for all things as you confirm once again that I never want to be separated from you in eternal glory.

Thank you for your mercy towards me and mine.

The person must say this prayer 3 consecutive days, after 3 days the request will be granted. This prayer must be published after the favor is granted. A.S.

NOTICE

CERTIFICATE NO. 79505 was filed in the office of the County Clerk of DuPage County on August 22, 2024 wherein the business firm of DIY Investment 4U, 380 E. SAINT CHARLES ROAD UNIT 43, LOMBARD, IL 60148-2375 was registered; that the true or real name or names of the person or persons owning the business, with their respective post office address(es), is/are as follows:

SCOT MOORE, 21W761 BUSCH ROAD, GLEN ELLYN, IL 60137

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand and Official Seal at my office in Wheaton, Illinois, this 22ND day of August, A.D. 2024. Jean Kaczmarek DuPage County Clerk (Published in The Lombardian Aug. 29, Sept. 5 & 12, 2024) 460478

NOTICE

CERTIFICATE NO. 79502 was filed in the office of the County Clerk of DuPage County on August 21, 2024 wherein the business firm of NPandgenecare, 254 N. PARK BLVD., GLEN ELLYN, IL 60137 was registered; that the true or real name or names of the person or persons owning the business, with their respective post office address(es), is/ are as follows:

MARY MCMANUS, 254 N. PARK BLVD., GLEN ELLYN, IL 60137

LEGAL NOTICES

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand and Official Seal at my office in Wheaton, Illinois, this 21ST day of August, A.D. 2024. Jean Kaczmarek DuPage County Clerk

(Published in The Lombardian Aug. 29, Sept. 5 & 12, 2024) 460499

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

PUBLICATION NOTICE OF COURT DATE FOR REQUEST FOR NAME CHANGE

Request of: Emily Jean Decker Case Number 2024MR000508

There will be a court date on my Request to change my name from Emily Jean Decker to the new name of Oliver Jean Decker. The court date will be held: OCTOBER 13, 2024 at 9:00 a.m at 505 N. County Farm Road, Wheaton, IL in Courtroom 2007.

/s/ Emily Jean Decker

Dated August 12, 2024

Candice Adams Clerk of the Circuit Court 8085-945764

(Published in The Lombardian Aug. 22, 29 & Sept. 5, 2024) 460111

IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF THE EIGHTEENTH JUDICIAL CIRCUIT DU PAGE COUNTY, ILLINOIS PUBLICATION NOTICE OF COURT DATE FOR REQUEST FOR NAME CHANGE

Request of: Kalyn Terese Konrath Case Number 2024MR000485

There will be a court date on my Request to change my name from Kalyn Terese Konrath to the new name of Kalyn Terese Rattin. The court date will be held: SEPTEMBER 27, 2024 at 9:00 a.m at 505 N. County Farm Road, Wheaton, IL in Courtroom 2005.

/s/ Kalyn Terese Konrath

Dated August 5, 2024

Candice Adams Clerk of the Circuit Court 8085-945387

(Published in The Lombardian Aug. 15, 22 & 29, 2024) 459693

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