Forest Park Review 012021

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JANUARY 20, 2021

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Council moves ahead with Van Buren path grant and project

Critics say it’s ‘putting the cart before the horse’

By MARIA MAXHAM Editor

The village of Forest Park voted to enter into an intergovernmental agreement (IGA) with Cook County to accept an Invest in Cook grant, which will help pay for a 10-foot-wide walking and biking path along Van Buren Street between Madison Street and the existing parking area and path near the CTA Blue Line Forest Park transit center.

Through the agreement, the county will award the village with up to $247,500, approximately half of the total cost of the project, toward engineering and construction expenses.

According to project specifications, design of the path will begin this month and will be completed by July 1.

Bidding will be done in August, with construction anticipated to begin in October.

July 1, 2022 is the anticipated completion date of the path.

However, at least one resident and one commissioner said the project is akin to “putting the cart before the horse” since the anticipated demolition of the Altenheim buildings and potential development of that land should be a consideration and part of a larger plan that incorporates the creation of the Van Buren path.

During the public comment section of the Jan. 11 See VAN BUREN PATH on page 8

FROM SCHOOL BOARD TO SPEAKER

Photo by Jerry Nowicki, Capitol News

House Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch delivers his remarks after taking the Oath of Office on Jan. 13 in Springfield. Welch previously served on the D209 school board.

Backers, former opponents enthused

by Welch as Speaker Former D209 board member replaces Mike Madigan

By BOB SKOLNIK Contributing Reporter

When Emanuel “Chris” Welch was a student at Proviso West High School

IN Crime . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6 THIS Big Week . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 ISSUE Opinion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 Classified . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17

in the late 1980s his classmates liked him and were impressed by him. He was known as a good athlete, a smooth talker, and was class president all four years in high school. Classmates expected him to go far.

“He was very friendly, but he was driven,” said Harlin Neal, a high school friend and classmate. Neal first got to know Welch at Roosevelt Junior High School in Bellwood and was a fellow

Mr. Beef coming to Forest Park PAGE 5

member of the Proviso West Class of 1989. “You knew that there was something about him. You knew that in the future he was going to do well. In fact, he was voted Most Likely to Succeed in our class, but obviously none of us imagined that he would be replacing Mike Madigan, you know, as the Illinois Speaker of the House.”

See CHRIS WELCH on page 5

FP police respond to police reform bill PAGE 11

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Forest Park Review, January 20, 2021

E VE RYW H E R E E L S E I T ’ S H E A LT H C A R E

HERE, IT’S PERSONAL KEITH NGUYEN, P HARM D - CLINICAL PHARMACIST At Edward-Elmhurst Health, our care doesn’t stop when our shift ends. And pharmacist Keith Nguyen lives that attitude every day. For him, healthcare is a calling, and a 24/7 commitment, where putting others before himself is routine. His greatest reward is knowing he’s had a positive impact on his patients. That’s how it is for all of us here at Edward-Elmhurst Health.

Because for us, THIS IS PERSONAL. ThisIsPersonalEEH.org

Forest Park Review, January 20, 2021

A different kind of warmth will get us through

T

he news headlines have been grim and the weather is dismal.

We need to counteract this gloom and doom with some warm thoughts.

Today is Inauguration Day, Jan. 20! A new beginning.

Another chance for our federal government to get it together.

Like our last Inauguration Day, we’re pulling for a new president to succeed.

We also have a new beginning in Illinois politics. Chris Welch becomes the first Black Speaker of the House. Regardless of what you think of Welch, he is not Mike Madigan and has long been a friend to Forest Park.

Vaccines will be distributed and restaurants will re-open. Last week, I ran into friends at a Madison Street pub and had the first “normal” Saturday night since the pandemic began.

We have to guard against emotional exhaustion during stressful times like these. We need to take walks, reach out to friends — actually I’m too tired to finish this sentence.

To keep our sanity, we must focus on the present. We can’t dwell on past mistakes, or see the future as an endless ordeal. I need something to look forward to, like my second nap.

Being home together 24/7 for 10 months has put a strain on our domestic relation-

ships. In other words, I get the living room next.

As you’re pulling on your heavy gloves to shovel, think back to the midsummer softball tournament where no one wears gloves and everyone has to try a steak taco.

When you’re cursing the early-evening darkness, think of the people who live their lives in darkness and how Hines VA teaches the blind to navigate our streets.

If you read about how Forest Park has one of the worst nursing homes in the country, think of the Forest Park families who treat their aged relatives with dignity and make sure they enjoy their final years at home.

Is the west wind painfully freezing your brain? You might experience these same symptoms this summer at Brown Cow, but at least it will be self-induced.

Tired of politicians calling and solicitors ringing? Remember the time the doorbell rang and your neighbor brought over brownies that were still warm.

While you’re scraping the ice off your windshield, imagine you’re scraping off the backyard grill after barbequing chicken.

When you’re bundling up in layers of clothing, think of the day you’ll be able to wear only one layer while walking to the pool.

If the sun does decide to peek out, keep

JOHN RICE

A

L O O K

B A C K

I N

T I M E . . .

LINK TO THE PAST In 1992, Dino Panzani, 5th grade, and Ian Roundtree, 2nd grade, were making some last minute repairs to the chain links at the Field Stevenson “Book Link-up Launch.”

Panzani can still be found in Forest Park today, linking up our northside schools with clean and safe environments.

–Jill Wagner

your gaze above the tree line and you can pretend it’s July.

While you’re sprinkling salt on the sidewalk, keep in mind it won’t be long before we’re sprinkling grass seed on the lawn.

Sure, we miss our neighbors during the winter but what could be more comforting on a snowy morning than to hear your neighbor from down the block snow-blowing your sidewalk.

If dealing with this weather is as painful as going to the dentist, just remember it was a dentist who invented the golf tee.

If your kids are bouncing off the walls with boredom, take comfort from the fact they’ll be signed up to follow the bouncing ball on the soccer field.

Gray days can literally be depressing.

Abraham Lincoln, a chronic depressive, knew this and helped his buddy Joshua Speed through a time of personal turmoil and cloudy skies.

Those are the thoughts that warm us most. The times that our friends and neighbors show they care. Organizations like the Community Center prove that Forest Park has a heart. So no matter how cold our climate is, human warmth will get us through January and beyond.

■ John Rice is a columnist/private detective, who has seen his business and family thrive in Forest Park. He thoroughly enjoys life in the village and still gets a thrill smelling Red Hots, watching softball and strolling through cemeteries. Jrice1038@aol.com

F O R E S T PA R K

REVIEW Editor Maria Maxham Senior Editor Bob Uphues Contributing Reporters Tom Holmes, John Rice, Bob Skolnik, Jackie Glosniak, Robert J. Lifka Columnists Alan Brouilette, Jill Wagner, Tom Holmes, John Rice Food Editor Melissa Elsmo Staff Photographer Alex Rogals Design/Production Manager Andrew Mead Designers Debbie Becker, Mark Moroney Sales and Marketing Representatives Lourdes Nicholls, Marc Stopeck Sales & Development Mary Ellen Nelligan Circulation Manager Jill Wagner Publisher Dan Haley Business Manager Joyce Minich GROWING COMMUNITY MEDIA Board of Directors Chair Judy Greffin Treasurer Nile Wendorf Deb Abrahamson, Gary Collins, Darnell Shields, Sheila Solomon, Eric Weinheimer HOW TO REACH US ADDRESS 141 S. Oak Park Ave., Oak Park, IL 60302 PHONE 708-366-0600 ■ FAX 708-467-9066 EMAIL forestpark@wjinc.com CIRCULATION Jill@oakpark.com ONLINE ForestParkReview.com TWITTER @FP_Review Postmaster: Please send address changes to: Forest Park Review,141 S. Oak Park Ave., Oak Park, IL 60302-2901. Periodical rate postage paid at Oak Park, IL (USPS No 0205-160) In-county subscriptions: $28 per year. $42 for two years, $58 for three years.

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Forest Park Review, January 20, 2021

Region 10 moves to Tier 2 COVID mitigations Despite continued dining ban, many restaurants and bars are open

By MARIA MAXHAM Editor

Last week Gov. J.B. Pritzker announced that three of Illinois’ 11 regions were moving down from Tier 3 COVID-19 mitigations to Tier 2. On Saturday, he announced that one of those three, a region in southern Illinois, was moving down into Tier 1.

But a change to the mitigation metrics on Jan. 18 paved the way for the governor to relax restrictions in other regions by removing a requirement the hospital/surgical

beds be at or above 20 percent availability as one of the criteria.

This had been the sticking point for Region 10, which encompasses suburban Cook County including Forest Park, and which had met all requirements other than that one.

All regions in Illinois were put under Tier 3 mitigations on Nov. 20, a move that maintained a shutdown on indoor dining and also shuttered museums, bowling alleys, indoor fitness classes and other business operations.

Although Tier 2 does come with some loosened restrictions, such as once more allowing indoor group fitness classes, relief will not be provided to restaurants and bars, which are still not be allowed to serve customers indoors. Dining inside restaurants

Graph from the Cook County Department of Public Health

ON TRACK: Region 10’s COVID-19 positivity rate has been trending down. and bars can resume only when a region moves to Tier 1.

So before businesses in Forest Park can officially start serving indoors -- although many already have -- the region has to get to Tier 1.

To move to Tier 1, three conditions must be met. First, the test positivity rate must be below 8 percent for three consecutive days.

Second, ICU beds must continue to be at or above 20 percent availability. Third, there can be “no sustained increase” in the number of people in the hospital with COVID-19 for seven out of 10 days.

County cites violators of indoor dining ban Graph from the Cook County Department of Public Health

MEDICAL BEDS: With medical bed availability removed from the metrics determining whether a region moves down a tier (ICU bed capacity is still a measurement), Region 10 has moved from Tier 3 to Tier 2.

g n a H e r e h in t k r a P t s e For

Despite the fact that indoor dining and drinking is not allowed under Tier 3 and 2 mitigation restrictions, many establishments in and around Forest Park have opened all the same.

Some, like Charlie’s on Roosevelt Road,

never closed at all. Others shut their doors to serving inside temporarily, then quietly opened them again.

The village of Forest Park has said it will issue warnings and provide information about the mitigations to non-complying businesses, but further steps, such as taking away a liquor license, is not the plan, as officials believe it opens Forest Park to a potentially expensive and time-consuming litigation.

Cook County Department of Public Health, however, has done inspections of restaurants, and has issued some of them restaurants violation notices. These establishments, according to the Cook County website, are subject to penalties “including arrest, a fine of $1,000 per offense, and further actions.”

There are currently eight Forest Park establishments on the county’s list. They are Blueberry Hill, McGaffers, Slainte, Charlie’s, Angelo O’Leary’s, Jimmy’s Place, FatDuck and O’Sullivan’s.

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Forest Park Review, January 20, 2021

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Italian beef and burgers on Harlem Ave. Mr. Beef planning to open in former Long John Silver location

By MARIA MAXHAM Editor

Mr. Beef, famous for Italian beef sandwiches and hot dogs, is opening at 123 Harlem Ave. in the former location of the Long John Silver restaurant. Like the now-gone fast-food seafood restaurant, Mr. Beef will have a drive-through, as well as dine-in service (when COVID-19 restrictions are lifted)

CHRIS WELCH

First Black speaker from page 1 Wednesday Welch, 49, did just that succeeding Madigan who had been speaker for 36 of the last 38 years and was the longest serving leader of a legislative chamber in the nation.

Welch who represents the 7th House District which includes Forest Park, River Forest, Maywood, Bellwood, Hillside, and Westchester, is the first Black Speaker of the House in Illinois history.

Forest Park Mayor Rory Hoskins said he’s thrilled about Welch becoming the new speaker.

“I was very happy to hear the news that the House has chosen our state representative, Chris Welch, to be the new speaker for the 102nd General Assembly,” Hoskins said. “And on a personal level I’ve gotten to know Speaker Welch better over the years.

He was one of the first elected officials that I sat down and had breakfast with after I had been elected mayor of Forest Park. Despite the fact that we once competed for the same position he’d always been great for the village. He returns calls very quickly, if he says he’s going to do something he does it. He’s certainly been helpful to the village since I’ve become mayor so we’re just jumping and doing cartwheels over here for Chris Welch.”

Welch was first elected to the House in 2012. In the 2012 Democratic primary he edged out Rory Hoskins, who is now the first Black mayor of Forest Park, by just 34 votes.

Despite the close and tough race Hoskins and Welch now have a good relationship.

TASTY: A Mr. Beef restaurant with a drive-thru is coming to 123 Harlem Ave., previously the home of Long John Silver. and potentially an outdoor patio.

Some demolition on the current structure has already begun, though the new restaurant will rehab and use the existing building. The village is awaiting official building plans. Once plans are reviewed, permits will

be issued.

The Mr. Beef in Forest Park will be the second restaurant under the same ownership as the Mr. Beef at 3917 N. Harlem in Chicago, according to an employee at that location.

This makes three drive-thru restaurants currently planned for Harlem Avenue: Mr. Beef at 123 Harlem, Chipotle at Harlem Avenue and Madison Street, and Taco Bell at 161 Harlem.

State Rep LaShawn Ford (D-8th District), who held the Bible for Welch Wednesday when Welch was sworn in at the Bank of Springfield Center on Wednesday, said, “Chris Welch being the first Black speaker of the House from Illinois is a strong message for the nation. I mean it’s unbelievable.”

State Rep. Michael Zalewski (D-21st) agreed that selecting Welch as speaker was transformational.

“It really was a global moment for either a Black or woman speaker,” Zalewski said. “It just was. I was in the room for four days and I know what was being expressed and there needed to be a clean break.”

Welch was selected as speaker after Madigan couldn’t get the required 60 votes when 19 members of the House Democratic caucus refused to support him. Welch, a Madigan loyalist, parlayed support from the Black Caucus and then received the endorsement of the Latinix Caucus to emerge victorious after multiple ballots and Madigan’s withdrawal from the race after getting only 51 votes Sunday in the first round of voting among Democratic House members who met behind closed doors.

Zalewski, who had committed to vote for Madigan on the first round of voting, declined to say how he voted in subsequent rounds.

“We sort of committed to internal discussions being internal,” Zalewski said. “I will say I voted for Speaker Welch on the final ballot and then I voted for him publicly on the House floor.”

Ford said Welch is the right person for the job and the times.

“He’s definitely by far the greatest choice,” Ford said. “I mean he’s super qualified. He definitely has a passion for this, I would say, way of life. Chris Welch, one, loves politics,

he loves Illinois, he loves the government, and he understands it and he’s a hard worker and all of that is what it takes to be the Speaker of the House.”

Ford said that Madigan’s time had passed.

“The time changed and Madigan’s time had come and gone,” Ford said.

The House Black Caucus had backed Madigan until he suspended his campaign.

Then Welch and the Black Caucus made their move.

“Our loyalty to the work that Madigan has done over the years, the Black Caucus that is, it ultimately in the end, like we knew, would pay off,” Ford said. “We picked the speaker of the House. People really didn’t understand what was happening in the caucus but we knew what was happening. And you can’t talk about everything all the time because you break the loyalty.”

Welch said in a televised interview that he didn’t seek the job.

“I didn’t sign up to be speaker,” Welch said. “I didn’t seek this job out. It kind of found me.”

In 2006 the always ambitious Welch, then the president of the Proviso High School District 209 Board of Education, tried to unseat then state representative, now Cook County Clerk, Karen Yarbrough in the Democratic primary. Yarbrough beat Welch badly winning 73 percent of the vote.

“He realized that at that time that he had to make peace and allow for those who came before him to be who they were and take a step back and wait his turn,” Ford said.

Yesterday Yarbrough issued a statement congratulating Welch.

But not everyone is praising Welch. Michael Manzo, a Republican who is a village trustee in Oak Brook who briefly served with, and clashed with, Welch on the District 209 school board, said that selecting

Welch as speaker will not change Illinois politics.

“This isn’t a change, this is just Michael Madigan working through Chris Welch to control the state so for anybody who thinks there was a change made they’re very naïve to Illinois politics,” said Manzo served as Tony Peraica’s chief of staff when Peraica served on the Cook County Board.

Welch served on the District 209 school board for 11 years, from 2001 until 2012, most of that time as president. During that time Welch was often a subject of controversy amidst allegations of patronage hiring, staff turnover, and lawsuits. For several years a state financial oversight board was appointed to oversee the district’s finances.

But House members were not dissuaded by those issues or a Hillside police report from 2002 in which a former girlfriend accused Welch of trying to assault her. Welch was briefly taken into custody and read his Miranda rights but ultimately the woman declined to press charges.

In a televised interview after becoming speaker Welch said that he had matured since then and noted that he has a strong record on women’s issues. House Democrats were apparently unfazed by these issues although one Democrat, Kelly Cassidy voted present because of concerns about the domestic violence allegations.

“You would expect that there always is going to be controversies when you are in the process of government, there’s always going to be a controversy, you’re going to make some people happy, you’re going to make some people sad and that’s human nature,” Ford said. “The good thing is what you don’t want are criminal charges. Differences are always going to be (there) but what we know is there has been no criminal charges against him and therefore we would expect

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Forest Park Review, January 20, 2021

Police administer Narcan to man on el train

Police were called to the CTA el station at 711 Desplaines Ave. on Jan. 14 at 4:16 a.m. when a man was found unconscious on the train with blood near him. Officers found him with his head tilted back. They attempted verbal stimuli and sternum rubs to no avail; the man remained unresponsive.

The reporting officer then administered one dose of Narcan and continued sternum rubs, at which point the man finally opened his eyes. Paramedics arrived on the scene and continued to provide aid.

When asked for his name and date of birth, the man swore at the officers, and inside the ambulance he became aggressive and verbally abusive. He was taken to the hospital for further treatment.

Everyone drunk in bar fight A fight at Mugsy’s Bar, 7640 Madison St., brought police to the location on Jan. 14 at 11:02 p.m. Witnesses with slurred speech said an alleged offender tried to “get with” their sister, who wasn’t interested. Insults were thrown, and one of the women was allegedly punched in the back of the head.

The alleged offender, though, said he was jumped by the supposed victim and her sis-

ters and denied hitting her. He, like the others, had slurred speech and appeared to be intoxicated.

The reporting officer determined that “due to conflicting stories, no independent witnesses on the scene, and the intoxicated nature of all parties,” they were sent home and advised not to return to the bar. They did, but not without one of them yelling out “unintelligible expletives.”

Taverns are not supposed to be open to customers due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Cast iron skillet stolen A package containing a $121.66 cast iron skillet was reported stolen from the apartment lobby of a building on the 300 block of Desplaines Ave. on Jan. 14 at 7:38 a.m.

According to the victim, FedEx confirmed they’d delivered the package on Jan. 5.

Three train cars vandalized On Jan. 11 between 4 and 6 a.m. two CTA train cars at 711 Desplaines Ave. were vandalized with spray paint. The unknown offender(s) apparently entered the train yard through a hole along the fence.

On Jan. 11 it was discovered that some time before 10:40 p.m. an unknown subject entered the train yard and defaced a train car with graffiti.

No idea how gun mag got in pocket A car emitting the strong odor of cannabis and without a front license plate was pulled over on Jan. 12 at 4:28 p.m. In plain view in the car, according to the police report, were a lot of small zip lock baggies, commonly used to package narcotics. The driver could not provide any identification but gave police his name and information.

Upon running his information, police discovered the driver’s license was suspended for two insurance convictions and two failures to appear in court. The driver admitted he and his passenger had been smoking pot in the car, which is why the police smelled it. He was issued citations for driving with a suspended license, no insurance and no front plate.

The passenger was searched, and a handgun magazine containing 15 9mm rounds was found in his pocket. No gun was located,

however. The passenger said he had no idea that the magazine was in his pocket and that he does not nor has he ever owned a firearm.

He was processed for unlawful possession of ammunition within a FOID.

iPod stolen from car A blue iPod Touch with a black case, valued at approximately $200, was stolen from the center console of a vehicle on the 7300 block of Lexington St. on Jan. 12 sometime between 10 p.m. on Jan. 10 and 3 p.m. on Jan. 11. The owner said he thinks he locked his vehicle and did not see any signs of forced entry.

Armed standoff at Harvard and Marengo resolved without injury ARMED STANDOFF: An overhead view of police surrounding the building at 7301 Harvard St. during an armed standoff on Jan. 14.

Police negotiate with gunman inside building

By MARIA MAXHAM Editor

An armed standoff at an apartment building at 7301 Harvard St. that lasted for over two hours, according to Police Chief Tom Aftanas, ended around 5 p.m. Thursday with no injuries to the suspect or police.

According to a press release from the Forest Park Police Department, officers originally responded to a report of a man waving a gun out of the sunroof of a car near the corner of Harvard Street and Marengo Avenue around 3:11 p.m.

When they arrived, the vehicle was unoccupied, and they learned a man, believed to be the same one from the car, had hid inside the building where, according to residents, he was living with his grandmother.

He fired at least one shot inside the building and one out the window, toward a police officer, according to Aftanas.

Forest Park Sergeant Nick DeFors negotiated with the suspect for over an hour via a loudspeaker, asking him to come outside and telling him he would be brought to the hospital.

The suspect’s sister and grandmother

were also at the scene, and it was the grandmother, said Aftanas, who ultimately convinced the suspect to surrender by dropping the gun out the window and climbing out.

He was taken to the hospital for psychiatric evaluation.

According to Aftanas, the situation is still

under investigation, and it is believed that the suspect fired shots prior to the standoff.

“It was the most tense situation I’ve been in in a very long time,” Aftanas said after the standoff was resolved. He said he was glad nobody was hurt, including the suspect, whom he said appeared to be going

through a mental health crisis.

“The officers used a lot of restraint,” Aftanas said, since the suspect was pointing a gun out the window for over an hour, sometimes directly at them.

Police officers from Oak Park, River Forest and Maywood were also at the scene.

Forest Park Review, January 20, 2021

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Supt. responds to concerns about return-to-school plan Half days, in-person Zoom, enforcement of masks questioned

By MARIA MAXHAM Editor

On Jan. 4, the Forest Park elementary school District 91 announced it would begin to bring students back into the classrooms in February. Parents and guardians have been given a choice to either keep their children in remote learning only or allow them to return to the classrooms three mornings a week beginning then.

At a Jan. 14 board of education meeting, Superintendent Lou Cavallo explained the plan in more detail and answered questions raised by parents.

The hybrid approach to learning, which will begin with students in the classrooms in February, brings children into the building on Monday, Wednesday and Thursday mornings for instruction in the core subjects. The lessons will be held primarily via Zoom, even for kids in the classrooms, so they will be on the same page, so to speak, as kids learning remotely.

The response to the survey asking parents to choose was very good, Cavallo said, and the results were about 50/50, with half the parents choosing to send their children back part-time and half opting to continue with the remote-learning plan.

Cavallo addressed several questions brought up during the meeting.

Why will kids in the classrooms still be learning on Zoom?

“We did not want to have inequity between the students that are in the building and the students that are receiving their education at home,” Cavallo said.

He said the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) requires that at this point in the Restore Illinois plan, schools must provide a remote option for all students. To keep education equitable for those choosing to learn remotely, a focus on teaching via Zoom would be made so all students would be receiving the same education.

Cavallo said the district looked at different options, such as asynchronous instruction for the children learning from home.

But that would mean those students would be working essentially on their own, without live interaction with the teacher.

“That’s not the best instruction, especially for young kids to be independent and on their own,” Cavallo said. “That really requires the parent to become a teacher on those days. And we did not want to do that.”

Another option would be to live stream the in-class lesson to the students learning remotely. But Cavallo said he’d spoken to other districts that tried that, and it was not an ideal solution.

“The kids at home are always trying to

hear and figure out what’s happening, and those that have done it and told us it doesn’t work that well,” he said.

Ultimately, the decision was made that teaching via Zoom for both the students in the classroom and those learning remotely was the best solution.

“We decided that what we could do was continue to use Zoom primarily to provide an education to the kids in the room with the teacher as well as at home,” Cavallo said, but he added that teachers have been experimenting with Zoom and other technology, such as Promethean boards, to figure out ways to allow the kids in the classrooms to have the best experience possible while not neglecting those students not physically present.

Why is the in-person option for mornings only, not full days of school?

Another concern parents brought up was the fact that offering mornings-only for children returning to school was difficult for working parents, especially since the district is unable to provide transportation at this point.

Cavallo said he understood the morningonly option “is a tough one for a lot of parents.”

But there are multiple issues, he said, related to having students in the buildings for full days.

First, filling an entire day’s schedule would involve participation in specials, like physical education and music, that are difficult to do with masks and social distancing.

Second, lunch would need to be served if students attended all day long, and that, obviously, would require removal of masks, something the district isn’t sure can or should be done. It still being winter, lunch outdoors isn’t currently an option.

What if kids won’t wear masks?

The question of how to help students who can’t or won’t keep masks on was raised, particularly considering special needs kids or very young students.

Cavallo said it will be a requirement to keep masks on at all times, but he said it seems to be less of an issue than many had originally thought it might be.

“What we have found is that this has been far less of an issue with the majority of the students and schools than people were fearing,” Cavallo said.

He pointed out that the park district and community center have been caring for children during the pandemic, and those students, required to wear masks, have done so with little issue.

If a child forgets to pull his mask up after taking a sip of water, for example, he’ll be given a reminder from the teacher to put it back on, said Cavallo. But if a parent is concerned that, for some reason, his or her child won’t comply with wearing a mask, choosing in-person learning might not be a good idea.

“I think some folks may need to consider if their student is one that really just can’t wear a mask. Maybe their remote option is better. I mean, you have that choice. But we’re going to ask that all students wear masks just like everywhere else,” Cavallo said.

What if someone in a classroom tests positive for COVID-19?

According to Cavallo, if someone tests positive and has remained six feet apart from everyone and worn a mask the entire time, a quarantine of the whole class will not be necessary.

“It is only when we’re within six feet, then anyone else that was within six feet would also have to be quarantined for 10 days,” Cavallo said.

According to Cavallo, two teachers tested positive during winter break, and he had learned of another diagnosis the day of the meeting. Teachers were advised to remain home for the two weeks following winter break and then were given the option to return to the building.

What cleaning and sanitizing efforts will be made?

Cavallo said the safety of the students and staff is the priority. Masks will be required.

Distancing will be enforced. The majority of classrooms will have between six and eight students, “so there will be plenty of room to separate kids out,” Cavallo said.

The buildings have hydrostatic sprayers that will be used in the evenings. HEPA filters have been installed in all the schools.

Outside air intake has increased, which

might result in the classrooms being a little colder. “But that’s the safer thing to do,” Cavallo said.

Extra custodial staff has been hired to make sure everything is constantly cleaned.

For example, after a student uses the bathroom, staff will be notified and the restroom will be sanitized.

“Phase Two isn’t meant to be back to normal, back to better instruction, back to what we all really want,” Cavallo said. “It is a phase of getting kids in the building for the first time so that we can move on to hopefully having real in person instruction shortly after. That will depend on a lot of factors, including the vaccine. We don’t have a date for that yet; we have to wait until the metrics tell us it’s safe to do so.”

And he reiterated something he’s said before: “The virus is in control here.” At any time, the plan might change depending on what the status of COVID-19 is locally and upon advice from the ISBE and health agencies.

D91 teacher Patricia Allocco submitted a letter that was read during the meeting.

Allocco questioned why the district wasn’t waiting until all teachers had been vaccinated.

“I question why we are pushing to return students to the classroom when there are two new strains of the virus and we are so close to getting the vaccine,” wrote Allocco.

“Why put the teachers and students and D91 families at risk now? While remote learning is far from perfect, the students and teachers of D91 have gotten into a routine and are doing well. Why can’t we wait until the teachers get vaccinated?”

D91’s four phase back-to-school plan In Phase 1 of the plan, which begins on Jan. 25, remote instruction will continue for all students. Primary students will be scheduled to come into Betsy Ross and Garfield for FastBridge testing.

Phase 2 begins Feb. 8 and will continue until it is safe, as dictated by health authorities, to move into Phase 3.

In Phase 2, parents can choose to have their child attend school in person three mornings a week or continue to learn 100 percent remotely.

Those who attend school in-person will come into the classrooms on Monday, Wednesday and Friday mornings only for the core subjects.

Afternoons will consist of remote special classes at all grade levels.

Since it is only a half day, no lunch will be served at school, but lunches will be available for students to bring home with them.

During Phase 2, Tuesdays and Thursdays will be full remote instruction for all students, and the schedule and instruction will be the same as it currently is.

Transportation will not be provided, unless explicitly stated in an IEP. Students whose families opt for the remote learning option will attend remotely all five days.

The Howard Mohr Community Center and the Park District of Forest Park will continue to provide childcare and remote learning supervision.

During Phase 3, the start-date to be determined, in-person learning will still be mornings-only but increased from three to five days a week. At this point, remote instruction will no longer be offered as an option during morning in-person school.

During Phase 4, all students will return to full day in-person learning, five days a week. No remote learning option will be available. Transportation will resume, and extracurricular activities will be reinstituted.

8

Forest Park Review, January 20, 2021

No referendum on Altenheim Demolition bid period extended due to high interest

By MARIA MAXHAM Editor

Despite a group of residents urging the village to add a referendum regarding future-use of the Altenheim property to the April ballot and at least one commissioner in favor of doing so, Mayor Rory Hoskins said it’s not going to happen.

“The village is not pursuing a referendum,” said Hoskins on Jan. 14. “However, residents will have the opportunity to review any proposed developments and provide comments.”

During the Jan. 11 village council meeting, public comment from resident Chris Harris, on behalf of Save our Spaces, described as “a collection of Forest Park residents dedicated to saving and promoting green space in Forest Park,” was read. The letter raised concern about the recent intergovernmental agreement for the $750,000 state grant to demolish decrepit Altenheim buildings, specifically that it “includes a caveat that mandates mixed use in the space post demolition.”

Harris’ letter urged the village council, “in the spirit of community and listening to all voices,” to add a referendum to the April 6 ballot asking residents their opinion on future use of the Altenheim land.

“The village council can add this with a simple majority vote by Jan. 19,” reads the letter, adding that the group has consulted with an attorney experienced in ballot initiatives.

Commissioner Dan Novak said he would like the council to investigate the possibility of adding a referendum to the spring ballot.

“Is it an option to seek that non-binding referendum with this council to see what the Forest Park public wants, as we’re moving fast, and hasn’t been any workshops or town meetings, just to gauge the pulse of the public and what they want,” said Novak during the meeting.

Commissioner Jessica Voogd did not specifically say she wanted to see a referendum added to the ballot but she, too, said she’d like to see more public discourse regarding development of the Altenheim.

“I’m with Commissioner Novak,” Voogd said, “in that I’d like to see a couple more public special meetings to kind of discuss it and what our plans are for that.”

Bids for demolition of the Altenheim buildings were supposed to be opened on Jan. 13, but because of an unexpectedly large number of contractors wishing to tour the buildings, said Village Administrator Tim Gillian, the acceptance period for bids had to be extended.

“We are trying to allow as many contractors as possible into the facility to enhance the competition and hope for low pricing,” Gillian said in a Jan. 14 email. The new bid opening date is Jan. 27.

VAN BUREN PATH

development of the land. But failure to accept the grant would mean losing out on money from the county.

At the village council meeting, Village Administrator Tim Gillian said the village has applied for this grant unsuccessfully before, and he assured the commissioners that building the path from page 1 now wouldn’t interfere with future developments.

“What I would say is that there is no reason why a path outside meeting, which was held via Zoom, six letters from residents, the perimeter of any new development would in any way hinder urging the mayor and commissioners to wait on building the what they’re going to do,” Gillian said. “It could very easily be path until a comprehensive long-lens plan is developed for the made part of any new plans that occur at Altenheim, be it a resientire area, were read. dential development, or commercial or green space.”

Resident Ralph Di Febo wrote, “If you do not have an overall “A bird in the hand is the way to go,” Commissioner Ryan plan for the property, you might end up tearing up the path you Nero said, citing public safety during events at the Grove. “It’s build now to develop the rest of the property later.” Di Febo has probably in our best interest to have a walkable path there verbeen a long-time champion of keeping the Altenheim property sus not.” green, especially the south end.

Nero did, however, bring up that any future road-widening The question is whether building the path now could interfere concerns could put the village in a position where the path would with potential plans for the Altenheim demolition and potential need to be rebuilt, although he said “building around the existing path … is certainly feasible and not an unreasonable option.”

Commissioner Dan Novak said the public comment about putting the cart before the horse resonated with him, and he ultimately voted against the IGA, though the other three commissioners and the mayor voted in favor.

As part of public comment, a letter from the 7771 Van Buren townhome association, supporting the path, was read. It stated that although the future of the Altenheim has not been decided, this is a “separate issue” and should be pursued.

“We, the homeowners at 7771 Van Buren Street, are strongly in favor of the proposed project to build a bike and footpath on Van Buren Street,” reads the letter. “We believe having a bike and footpath will significantly increase the livability of our neighborhood.

We also believe it will improve traffic safety and improve the way our street currently looks. We asked the Path: N:\FOREST PARK\0023\GENERAL\2016\TEP\GIS\Exhibits\Invest in Cook Grant Application.mxd council to please vote yes on this project.”

County will pay half

Rendering from Christopher B. Burke Engineering

PATH PLANS: The village council voted to accept a grant that will pay for half of the proposed Van Buren Street path.

Forest Park Review, January 20, 2021

9

Hines is offering COVID vaccines to vets over 65

By MICHAEL ROMAIN Contributing Reporter

Hines VA Hospital, 5000 5th Ave. in Hines, is now offering Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine to veterans who are over 65 years old, hospital officials said in a statement on Jan. 14.

Within that larger group of eligible people, other sub-groups of eligible individuals include: Dialysis patients, chemotherapy patients, organ transplant veterans, Homeless Veteran Program participants, Hines employees, people at the Community Living Center, people at the Residential Care Facility and people at the Inpatient Spinal Cord Center.

“If veterans are in one of the categories above and are interested in receiving the Pfizer vaccine (first and second dose), they should call to schedule an appointment,” hospital officials stated.

Appointments are currently only at the main Hines campus, which is open 7 days per week for appointments. Veterans may call their provider, 708-202-2707, or 708-202-7000 for scheduling.

According to the statement, to be eligible for the vaccine, veterans must be enrolled in health care at Hines or one of its six community-based outpatient clinics. Enrollment information is available at www.va.gov/health-care/how-to-apply/.

More information for veterans about the COVID-19 vaccine can be found at www.va.gov/health-care/covid-19-vaccine.

Photo from Hines Hospital

HERE’S YOUR SHOT: Hines VA Hospital is offering Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine to eligible veterans in its auditorium.

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Forest Park Review, January 20, 2021

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Forest Park Review, January 20, 2021

Elimination of cash bond passes Illinois legislature Police chief Aftanas responds

By TOM HOLMES Contributing Reporter

State Sen. Kimberly Lightford (D-4th District) voted along with the majority (32-23) to pass the Pretrial Fairness Act (HB3653) at 4:49 a.m. on Jan. 13. HB3653 was introduced by the Legislative Black Caucus of which Rep. Emanuel “Chris” Welch (D-7th District), now the House Speaker, is a member. The bill was passed on to the Assembly which approved the 764-page piece of legislation later in the morning.

Passage of the Pretrial Fairness Act makes Illinois the first state in the nation to completely abolish cash bail — i.e. the requirement that arrestees post a monetary bond as a way of insuring that they return for their trial.

Although he hadn’t yet read the entire document by the time he was interviewed on Jan. 15, Police Chief Tom Aftanas sympathized with the spirit of the law, saying, “I’m sure at times, cash bail does affect the poor more than the wealthy. Even a low bond cannot be paid by the poor.”

According to NBC5, proponents of the bill contend that the current bail system disproportionately affects low-income people of color awaiting trial. Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx told Channel 5, “Eliminating cash bail ends the practice of detaining non-violent offenders simply because they are poor, while also preventing violent offenders from being released because they can afford bail.”

Lightford, who co-sponsored the bill, referred to how COVID-19, pandemic-related statistics revealed that Black and Brown populations were disproportionately affected by the virus and the riot in Washington D.C. on Jan. 6 to explain why proponents of the bill decided to push for its passage during the recent lame duck session of the state legislature.

“We must leverage this moment in time,” she told the State Journal Register, “to undo these damaging policies and procedures that are built into our state’s system of law and government that have created these deep inequities and opportunity gaps.”

Aftanas said he was not sure how much the act would affect Forest Park. Since Cook County Chief Judge Timothy Evans’ General Order 18.8A took effect on Sep. 18, 2017, “Most arrestees are given I-Bonds and are not required to pay cash especially since the pandemic began.”

According to Illinois Legal Aid Online, “An I-Bond, short for Individual Bond, is a personal recognizance bond. This means that you are released when you sign a statement saying you will come to court, without paying any actual money.”

Aftanas said judges are supposed to set bond according to the offender’s criminal

history as well as the severity of the alleged crime, but he added: “I can say with certainty that arrestees charged with misdemeanor offenses and many felonies are not being held in jail as it is.”

The chief’s biggest issue was with process.

“My colleagues and I just wish the legislators didn’t rush this bill through and vote on it in the middle of the night. Usually, we are asked to give our opinions and input to legislation that directly affects law enforcement. That was not the case in this situation.”

Rep. Dan Ugaste (R-Geneva) agreed with Aftanas’ comment about process saying, “Despite my issues with the content included in this bill, I found the process behind it the most disturbing. With minimal collaboration and zero efforts put forth for bipartisanship, a rushed bill was pushed through in the literal last minutes of our General Assembly. The process matters. In the case of the Black Caucus, while their policy deserves consideration, they completely disrespected the legislative process.”

Other critics of the Pretrial Fairness Act, which will take effect in 2023, include a petition signed by 112,000 Illinois residents who “oppose the community-endangering law,” as quoted in a Jan. 13 post by the Illinois Association of Chiefs of Police.

The post says, “We had been working in good faith with the Attorney General on a bill that would make great strides to modernize law enforcement, but that legislation was dumped into this monster bill and the result is a betrayal of the public trust that gives many more advantages to criminals than the police. It ties the hands of police officers while pursuing suspects and making arrests and allows criminals to run free while out on bail.”

In effect, Cook County’s experience after Judge Evans’ order in 2017 was an experiment in eliminating cash bail. A report from the Chicago Council of Lawyers revealed: • There has been a huge drop in overall pre-trial incarceration.

• Bond reform has helped close the racial gap in pre-trial detention decisions.

• Bond reform has not led to a spate of accused people missing court; in fact, court appearance rates are slightly better after bond reform.

• Bond reform has not led to a higher rate of arrests for people who are released pretrial.

• Only an extremely small percentage of people pretrial under bond reform have been arrested for a new violent crime.

HB3653 includes provisions for new police training policies, including crisis intervention and de-escalation tactics. One day after the bill’s passage Forest Park police ended a twohour-long confrontation with a gun-wielding man with no one getting hurt, indicating that the department is ahead of the curve.

As of today, HB3653 is on Governor J. B. Pritzker’s desk waiting to be signed.

11

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Forest Park Review, January 20, 2021

D91 board says they have someone in mind for superintendent Announcement will come at the end of the month

By MARIA MAXHAM Editor

Photo provided

STEPPING DOWN: Superintendent Lou Cavallo is retiring at the end of the school year. The school board plans to announce his replacement at the end of the month.

During a Jan. 14 meeting, the District 91 school board said they “have someone in mind” for the position of superintendent.

“We are moving forward with the nuts and bolts of making that happen, and we are planning on having a special meeting to approve this person,” board president Kyra Tyler said during the meeting.

The special meeting and announcement of who the superintendent is will tentatively be held at the end of the month, Tyler said. She indicated that

the community will be notified ahead of time of the event, which will be held via Zoom.

“My colleagues and I are really excited about this,” Tyler said. “And we’re really looking forward to sending Dr. Cavallo off and his legacy off in really good hands.”

Board member Monique Cotton, who was part of the superintendent search committee, said she wasn’t sure what to expect going into the search, but she was impressed with the quality and number of candidates for the position.

The candidates, she said, “came in so prepared with knowledge about our district and our town, every single one of them that we met. They knew the good and the bad, and they were all fully qualified. It was really hard for us to narrow it down, and it makes me proud that we got such qualified candidates, who knew all about our town and were so willing and excited to come here.”

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Forest Park Review, January 20, 2021

13

Jan. 20 - 27

BIG WEEK Dog Man & Friends Comic Book Club

Gabriel’s Message Oak Park Concert Chorale, which rehearses at St. John church in Forest Park, has produced their first virtual choir recording.

The carol was written by local composer Carl Schalk in 2020 for Oak Park Concert Chorale and Paul Lindblad, choir director.

Soloists are Valerie Poulos, Judy Thompson, Caleb Joseph and Mark Wilson. Listen at tinyurl.com/yxgkzse4.

PPE for People with Disabilities Progress Center for Independent Living, in partnership with the PPE For People with Disabilities Coalition, is distributing personal protective equipment (also known as PPE) to people with disabilities and their personal assistants living in Cook County.

PPE includes medical masks, gloves and other supplies. Call the Progress Center at 708-209-1500 or email kmeskin@ progresscil.org. You can also email if you would like to donate supplies.

LEGO Masters Virtual Challenge

Spanish Conversation Club Join the Forest Park Public Library for conversation in Spanish on Jan. 21 from 7 to 8 p.m. This free, virtual event is open to all levels of fluency from beginners to native speakers. The group will work together to set up topics for conversation. The event will take place on Zoom. Register at fppl.org/events.

How to Organize and Downsize Your Home On Tuesday, Jan. 26, from 7 to 8 p.m. the library is sponsoring an online, live program with professional organizer Caralyn Kempner. Organizing and downsizing a home can be a chronic problem for many people, but there is a solution, and it is never too soon to start. Kempner will offer detailed guidance on letting go of clutter and offer strategies on how to downsize and organize your home.

The program will take place over Zoom. Register at fppl.org/events to receive a link to the event.

Dog Man fans should not miss the book club on Jan. 25 from 4 to 5 p.m. This month, the library is featuring a little something from Jedi Academy, and the drawing tutorial of the month will be led by our guest artist Matilda! If you have your own copy of the first volume, feel free to have it on hand, but as usual, we will try to have an e-book version available if there are volunteers for guest readers. Sign up at fppl.org/events.

Fandoms collide in this virtual event on Jan. 23 from 1 to 2 p.m. as the library pays tribute to the popular LEGO Star Wars and LEGO Marvel & DC Universes, crossing them over with themed challenges. If you registered for previous challenges in this series, you’ll be preregistered. If this is your first LEGO event at the library, sign up at fppl.org/events to receive the Zoom invite link.

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Forest Park Review, January 20, 2021

OPINION O U R

V I E W

Police de-escalate

L

ast Friday afternoon, Forest Park police responded to a call at Harvard and Marengo of a young man waving a gun through the sunroof of a car. By the time police arrived, that person had moved inside the apartment building at that intersection and into an apartment he shared with his grandmother.

What followed was a two-hour standoff between the man and a gathering of police from multiple communities. Two shots were reportedly fired by the man. One was aimed within the building, the other out the first-floor window in an undetermined direction.

Tom Aftanas, Forest Park’s police chief, described the incident as “the most tense situation I’ve been in in a very long time.” Despite that tension, the department saw the unfolding drama as the result of a mental health breakdown rather than a criminal situation. And they treated it as such.

Sgt. Nick DeFors negotiated via a loudspeaker for more than an hour, the grandmother was able to speak to the suspect and eventually the young man dropped his gun out the window and was apprehended as he came through the window himself. He was transported to a hospital for a psychiatric evaluation.

This is how policing is supposed to work. Understanding the nuances of a situation, de-escalating the encounter, coming to a non-violent conclusion. Gratitude and respect to the department for its strong effort. We have been critical of this department in the past when conflicts ended in shots fired.

This challenging conflict ended well.

Nexus of power

Oak Park, River Forest, Forest Park, Austin and Maywood are turning into the power vortex of Illinois government.

The selection last week of state Rep. Chris Welch to be Speaker of the Illinois House, replacing, at long last, Mike Madigan, fuels the local influence. Hillside’s Welch represents portions of River Forest and Forest Park in the 7th District.

Oak Park’s Don Harmon was elected state Senate President last year. It was the culmination of a steady and determined climb through senate leadership. And it mirrors the rise of Harmon’s mentor the great Phil Rock, the Austin/Oak Park native who long held that role. Harmon’s 39th District included portions of Oak Park and Austin.

State Senator Kimberly Lightford is from Maywood and represents the 4th District, including parts of Oak Park, River Forest and Forest Park. She was the longtime leader of the Black Caucus in the Senate and has focused to great effect on education reform. After competing unsuccessfully with Harmon for the senate’s top job, she became Senate Majority Leader.

In his earlier political career as the longtime elected head of the District 209 Proviso Township High Schools we were intensely, and correctly, critical of Welch. He ran failed schools and often with self-interest. He is, though, an able politician and has been a better state rep than we anticipated. A reformer? Doubtful.

Nonetheless, with the needs of local governments so drastic due to COVID-19, it can only be of help that we have the ear of so many, so powerful leaders of state government.

I

Symbol of Trust Day

n 1984, President Ronald Reagan declared July 18 National Ice Cream Day, which now results in a spike of sales for the cold cream desserts on that day.

The National Day Calendar is maintained through a privately held organization in Mandan, North Dakota.

It raises awareness, allows promotional collaboration for a product or topic. It also creates a little distraction, a little hope, a little feeling of collective good and purpose.

This past Monday, in honor of Martin Luther King Day, was the National Day of Service.

Social media adores the National Day trend, which celebrates Siblings Day, Squirrel Appreciation, Big Wigs, Avocados and even beer cans; the trend allows us to collectively appreciate and take action with a collective mindset.

Of course, in Forest Park we all adore National Kindness Week (Feb. 17 this year), when Forest Park elementary schools flood the community with artwork on nametag stickers, given out in all the local shops.

As the circulation manager here, one of my duties is to enter subscription renewals that arrive in preaddressed circulation envelopes. I have collected a little gallery of envelopes that have delighted me and thought this week, I would share some of my treasures, just in case you too need a little distraction from the many heavy crises that abound.

Each circulation envelope is a micro gallery, adorned with a stamp or collection of stamps, which are a little symbol of trust, a token representing payment for delivery of the letter. Since there is no National Stamp Appreciation Day, we can appreciate stamps any day, anytime.

JILL WAGNER

Forest Park Review, January 20, 2021

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Forest Park Review, January 20, 2021

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Forest Park Review, January 20, 2021 New local ads this week

YOUR WEEKLY AD

REACHES SIX SUBURBAN COMMUNITIES: OAK PARK, RIVER FOREST, FOREST PARK, BROOKFIELD, RIVERSIDE, NORTH RIVERSIDE, AND PARTS OF CHICAGO

WEDNESDAY

CLASSIFIED

17

HOURS: 9:00 A.M.– 5:00 P.M. MON–FRI

Deadline is Monday at 5:00 p.m.

Please Check Your Ad: The publisher will not be responsible for more than one incorrect insertion.

Wednesday Journal Classified must be notified before the second insertion.

The newspaper reserves the right to edit or reject any advertisement.

Place your ad online anytime at: www.ForestParkReview.com/Classified/

BY PHONE: (708) 613-3333 | BY FAX: (708) 467-9066 | BY E-MAIL: CLASSIFIEDS@FORESTPARKREVIEW.COM HELP WANTED

HELP WANTED

YOUTH DEVELOPMENT SPECIALIST HEPHZIBAH CHILDREN’S ASSOCIATION PART TIME POSITIONS AVAILABLE Hephzibah Children’s Association is a renowned social service agency in Oak Park, IL that has been helping children thrive and families flourish through innovative community-based programs.

VILLAGE PLANNER POSITION The Village of Brookfield is recruiting for the position of Village Planner within the Community and Economic Development Department. Qualified candidates must have 2-5 years direct experience in the planning field, with a Masters degree in Urban Planning preferred and other professional requirements. The position entails a variety of planning and project management activities. Full description and instructions on how to apply available at: https://brookfieldil.gov/careers/

The Day Care Program is accepting applications for February – June, 2021 school year. We seek individuals to provide care and supervision of 5-11-year-old children. Positions are Monday through Friday from 12:15 – 6:00 pm.

Responsibilities include assisting with and monitoring e-learning, supervising arts and crafts, activities, sports, group games, and indoor and outdoor play, lunch and snack, and homework help.

The program begins in February and will be in Oak Park, IL serving 5-11-year-old (K-5th grade) children.

The program will follow the safety guidelines of the IDPH regarding face masks, social distancing and cleaning & disinfecting.

Requirements include: • Minimum of 6 semester hours in education, recreation, social work, or related college courses • Experience working with children If you are interested please contact: Amy O’Rourke, Director of Day Care by email at: aorrouke@hephzibahhome.org include letter of interest and resume.

Hephzibah Children’s Association is an equal opportunity employer. We welcome qualified applicants from all backgrounds to apply. We value, advocate for and support diversity throughout our organization. We embrace a respectful, multicultural, environment for employees and the clients we serve.

WATER OPERATOR The Brookfield North Riverside Water Commission is seeking qualified candidates for the position of Water Operator. This candidate will need to be competent in operational oversight and management of the systems and equipment used in a Class C Water Facility. Work involves the use of Microsoft Office products, general maintenance, housekeeping and mechanical knowledge of equipment used in a water plant. Must be able to lift at least 90 lbs. Must be able to work all shifts and at times during emergencies. Valid Illinois Driver License required. Applications are available at Brookfield North Riverside Water Commission, 8636 Brookfield Ave, Brookfield IL 60513 Applications and resume must be returned or emailed to Jobs@bnrwc.com no later than February 8th, 2021.

You have jobs.

We have readers!

Find the best employees with Wednesday Classified!

OFFICE SPACE FOR RENT RIVER FOREST–7777 Lake St. *1116 sq. ft. suite *569 sq. ft. with patio OAK PARK–1053 Lake St. *Entire 3rd Floor, 1275 sq. ft.

OAK PARK– 6142-44 Roosevelt Rd. *3 and 5 room office suites Strand& & Browne Strand Browne 708-488-0011 708-488-0011

SUBURBAN RENTALS

CITY RENTALS

ITEMS FOR SALE

HAULING

DELUXE 3BR APT 5955 W HURON First Floor. Large kitchen, all electric appliances. Near West Suburban Hospital. Near all public trans. $1150/mo.

Call 773-637-8677 for appt.

RALPH LAUREN KING SIZE COMFOTER Ralph Lauren Allison pattern King size comforter used as bedspread.

3 huge matching custom-made shams.

708-386-6160

BASEMENT CLEANING

Selling your home by owner?

Advertise in Wednesday Classified!

Call: 708-613-3342

ELECTRICAL Ceiling Fans Installed

WANTED TO BUY WANTED MILITARY ITEMS: Helmets, medals, patches, uniforms, weapons, flags, photos, paperwork, Also toy soldiers – lead, plastic – other misc. toys.

Call Uncle Gary 708-522-3400

ELECTRICAL

A&A ELECTRIC

Let an American Veteran do your work

We install plugs for battery-operated vehicles We fix any electrical problem and do small jobs We install Surge Protectors • Home Re-wiring • New Plugs & Switches Added • New circuit breaker boxes • Code violations corrected Service upgrades,100-200 amp • Garage & A/C lines installed Fast Emergency Service | Residential • Commercial • Industrial Free Home Evaluations | Lic. • Bonded • Ins. • Low Rates • Free Est.

708-409-0988 • 708-738-3848 Sr. Discounts • 30 Yrs. Exp. Servicing Oak Park • All surrounding suburbs • Chicago area

FLOORS

HANDYMAN

KLIS FLOORING INC.

Mike’s Home Repair

OAK PARK: ROOSEVELT/ OAK PARK AVE. CORRIDOR 2BR 4RMS close to blue line. On site laundry, parking, heat & water incl. $1200/ month 708-383-9223

New hardwood flooring installation & pergo. Sanding, re-finishing, staining. Low prices, insured.

Call: 773-671-4996 www.klisflooring.com

SUBURBAN RENTALS

SUBURBAN RENTALS

M&M

property management, inc.

708-386-7355 • www.mmpropmgt.com 649 Madison Street, Oak Park Contact us for a complete list of available rentals throughout Oak Park and Forest Park.

Apartment listings updated daily at:

JUNK

Clean out your basement, garage or attic.

773-637-0692 Ask for John

HEATING/ AIR CONDITIONING HEATING AND APPLIANCE EXPERT Furnaces, Boilers and Space Heaters Refrigerators Ranges • Ovens Washer • Dryers Rodding Sewers Lic/Bonded 25 yrs experience

FREE SERVICE CALL WITH REPAIR AND SENIOR/VETERAN DISCOUNT.

CURT'S HANDYMAN SERVICE

708-785-2619 or 773-585-5000

708-296-2060

Drywall Repair • Painting Fans Installed • Carpentry Trim Gutter Cleaning • Window Repair

FREE ESTIMATES Excellent References No Job Too Small

708-488-9411

HANDYMAN Roofing Repairs Concrete Repairs • Drywall All types of handiwork Call For Free Estimates Ask for John

❆ ❄ ❅ ❆ ❄ ❅ ❆ ❄ ❅ ❆ ❅ ❆ ❄ ❆

HAUL AWAY

Drywall H Painting H Tile Plumbing H Electric H Floors Windows H Doors H Siding Ask Us What We Don’t Do

773-637-0692

Find your new apartment this Saturday from 10 am – 4pm at 35 Chicago Avenue.

Or call us toll free at 1-833-440-0665 for an appointment.

Appliances & Furniture Removal Pickup & Delivery.

708-848-9404

PAINTING & DECORATING CLASSIC PAINTING Fast & Neat Painting/Taping/Plaster Repair Low Cost

708.749.0011

PLASTERING McNulty Plastering & Stucco Co.

Small & big work. Free estimates.

Complete Plaster, Stucco & Re-Coating Services

708/386-2951 • ANYTIME Work Guaranteed

Licensed, Bonded, Insured, & EPA Certified Expert craftsmanship for over 50 years

Attention! Home-improvement pros!

Advertise in Wednesday Classified. Call 708/613-3342

PETS

REFINISHING Terry's

Woodwork Restoration On-site refinishing of wood

and fiberglass since 1977.

Includes doors, woodwork, windows, staircases and new woodwork etc. All work done by hand. NO sanders. Your unfinished project my specialty!

References available.

Contact Terry Seamans at 630-379-7148 or terryseamans@yahoo.com

❆ ❄ ❅ ❆ ❄ ❅ ❆

PUBLIC NOTICES

While you’re away, your pets are okay . . . at home

cat calls

Oak Park’s Original Pet Care Service – Since 1986

Daily dog exercising Complete pet care in your home )PVTF TJUUJOH t 1MBOU DBSF Bonded References

524-1030

PUBLIC NOTICES

LEGAL NOTICE VILLAGE OF RIVERSIDE ADVERTISEMENT FOR BIDS Bicycle Racks Project Sealed bids will be received by the Village of Riverside for the installation of in ground and surface mounted bicycle racks in various locations throughout the central business district (“Bicycle Racks Project”). Sealed bids will be received on or before, but not after, 10:00 a.m. on February 3, 2021 at the Offices of the Village of Riverside, 27 Riverside Road, Riverside, Illinois 60546. Bids received after that time will not be considered.

All Bids shall be addressed and delivered to the address above on or before the time set forth above.

Sealed envelopes or packages containing the Bid Forms shall be transmitted to the attention of the “Village of Riverside” and shall be marked or endorsed with the title of the Bid (“Sealed Bid For Bicycle Racks Project”) and the Bidder’s full legal name.

The bids will be publicly opened and read aloud at the Offices of the Village of Riverside, 2nd Floor Auditorium, 27 Riverside Road, Riverside, Illinois 60546 at 10:00 a.m. on February 3, 2021. Bids shall be submitted in the form and manner contained in the Bidding Requirements.

The Bid Specifications and Project Manual for Bicycle Racks Project will be available for viewing on QuestCDN.com beginning January 7, 2021. Contractors may obtain copies of the Bidding Documents from CHRISTOPHER B BURKE ENGINEERING LTD, 9575 W HIGGINS RD, SUITE 600, ROSEMONT, IL 60018.

Each bid must be accompanied by a bid bond or a cashier’s check in the amount of 10% of the total bid, made payable to The Village of Riverside, as a guarantee that the successful bidder will promptly execute a satisfactory contract. Upon failure to do so, the bidder shall forfeit the amount deposited as liquidated damages and no mistakes or errors on the part of the bidder shall excuse the bidder or entitle the bidder to a return of the aforementioned amount.

No bid will be considered unless the bidder shall furnish evidence satisfactory to the Village that the bidder has the necessary facilities, abilities, experience, equipment, financial and physical resources available to fulfill the conditions of the Contract and execute the work, should the Contract be awarded such bidder.

Bidders will examine the plans and specifications and also the location in which said work is to be done and judge for themselves all the circumstances and surrounding conditions affecting the cost and nature of the work, and all bids will be presumed to be based on such examination, familiarity and judgment.

The successful bidder shall enter into a formal contract based on the conditions and requirements in the Bidding Requirements and the Bidding Requirements will be incorporated into the Contract.

The successful bidder will be required to comply with the provisions of all State of Illinois and federal laws concerning public works projects as well as the State of Illinois Human Rights Act and the regulations of the Illinois Human Rights Commission.

The Village reserves the right to reject any and all bids, and to waive any technicalities and irregularities in the bidding and to hold the bid proposals for a period of ninety (90) days from the date of opening set forth above.

Questions about the bid documents must be submitted, in writing, to Rebekah Carney 224.315.0186 or rcarney@cbbel.com.

By order of the President and Board of Trustees of the Village of Riverside, Cook County, Illinois.

Dated this 20th day of January, 2021.

Sonya Abt, Community Development Director

Published in RB Landmark 1/20/2021

Wednesday Classified 3 Great Papers, 6 Communities To Place Your Ad, Call: 708/613-3333

18

Forest Park Review, January 20, 2021

CLASSIFIED

(708) 613-3333 • FAX: (708) 467-9066 • E-MAIL: CLASSIFIEDS@FORESTPARKREVIEW.COM

Let the sun shine in...

PUBLIC NOTICES

PUBLIC NOTICES

Public Notice: Your right to know

In print • Online • Available to you 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, every day of the year ForestParkReview.com | PublicNoticeIllinois.com PUBLIC NOTICES

PUBLIC NOTICES

PUBLIC NOTICES

PUBLIC NOTICES

NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING VILLAGE OF OAK PARK PLAN COMMISSION DOCKET NUMBER: PC 21-01 HEARING DATE: February 4, 2021 TIME: 7:00 p.m. or as soon thereafter as the Agenda permits LOCATION OF HEARING: The Plan Commission will conduct the public hearing remotely with live audio available and optional video.

The meeting will be streamed live and archived online for on-demand viewing at www.oak-park.us/commissiontv as well as cablecast on VOP-TV, which is available to Comcast subscribers on channel 6 and ATT Uverse subscribers on channel 99. The remote public hearing is authorized pursuant to Section 7 (e) of the Open Meetings Act. The Village President has determined that an inperson public hearing is not practical or prudent due to the COVID-19 outbreak during Governor JB Pritzker’s current disaster proclamation. It is also not feasible to have a person present at the public hearing due to public safety concerns related to the COVID-19 outbreak.

Written testimony or comments regarding the application may be provided prior to the public hearing by email to planning@oak-park. us. The individual’s name and a reasonable part of their testimony or comment will be read aloud into the record at the public hearing if received no later than 30 minutes prior to the start of the public hearing. If email is not an option, written testimony or comment can be dropped off in the Oak Park Payment Drop Box across from the south entrance to Village Hall, 123 Madison Street, to be received no later than 5:00 p.m. on February 4, 2021. All written testimony and comments will be distributed to the Plan Commission and made a part of the official hearing record. Those wishing to provide public testimony at the hearing shall contact the Village Planner at planning@oak-park.us for instructions on attending the live Zoom meeting by 5:00 PM the day of the hearing. Interested persons

may also participate in the hearing to cross examine the applicant and its witnesses by emailing the cross-examination form to clerk@ oak-park.us before 5:00 PM on the day prior to the public hearing to sign up. Individuals who sign up to participate in this manner will receive an email from Village staff with information about how to join the meeting online through Zoom webconference means or by phone.

Questions regarding written testimony or comment can be directed to 708-358.5420 or email to planning@oak-park.us.

SUBJECT PROPERTY ADDRESSES: 203 S. Marion Street, Oak Park, Illinois 60302 ZONING DISTRICT: DT Downtown Zoning District; DT-3 Pleasant Sub-District LEGAL DESCRIPTION: LOTS 1, 4, 5 AND 8 IN BLOCK 4 IN SCOVILLE AND NILES ADDITION TO OAK PARK, BEING A SUBDIVISION OF THE WEST 40 ACRES OF THE SOUTHWEST ¼ OF SECTION 7, TOWNSHIP 39 NORTH, RANGE 13, EAST OF THE THIRD PRINCIPAL MERIDIAN IN COOK COUNTY, ILLINOIS P.I.N.: 16-07-308-008-0000, 1607-308-009-0000, 16-07-308-0100000, 16-07-308-011-0000 PROPERTY OWNER: Charles and Lynne Williams on behalf of 203 S. Marion Street Corporation, 203 S. Marion Street, Oak Park, IL 60302 PETITIONER: Focus Acquisition Company, LLC, 100 S. Wacker Drive, Suite 2100, Chicago, IL 60606 REQUEST: The Petitioner is requesting a planned development for a seven (7) story, mixed use residential development consisting of approximately 1,200 square feet of retail, 153 rental apartments, 6 maisonette residential units and 123 covered parking spaces with the following Zoning Ordinance allowances: 1) Article 8: Uses, Subsection 8.3 Use Restrictions: Table 8-1 Use Matrix allows dwelling units

above the first floor only, where six (6) residential maisonette units are proposed on the first floor, 2.) Article 10: Off-Street Parking and Loading, Subsection 10.4: Required Off Street Vehicle and Bicycle Parking Spaces: Table 10-2 requires one parking space per dwelling unit for a total of 159 spaces, where 0.77 parking spaces per dwelling unit will be provided for a total of 123 parking spaces, 3.) Article 5: Commercial Districts, Sub-section 5.3 Dimensional Standards: Figure 5-2 allows a maximum building height of 60 ft, where a 84 foot 10 inch building measured to the top of the roof is proposed, 4.) Article 5: Commercial Districts, Subsection 5.3 Dimensional Standards: Table 5-1 requires a building setback along streets to be built to a zero (0) foot lot line where a request for a ten (10) foot setback be allowed for 64 linear feet along Marion Street, 5.) Article 10: Off-Street Parking and Loading, subsection 10.3: Off Street Parking Design Standards, B. Access: requires a nine (9) foot turnaround at the end of parking stalls, where a request is to not provide them in order to provide additional parking spaces on site.

A copy of the application and each of the applicable documents are on the Village Website at www. oak-park.us and also on file and available for inspection at the Village Hall, Development Customer Services Department, 123 Madison Street, Oak Park, Illinois 60302, during current business hours, Monday through Thursday, between 9:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. The Plan Commission may continue the hearing to another date without further notice by public announcement at the hearing setting forth the time and place thereof.

ALL INTERESTED PERSONS ARE INVITED TO BE HEARD OAK PARK PLAN COMMISSION Oak Park, Illinois 60302

Published in Wednesday Journal January 20, 2021

PUBLIC NOTICE Notice is00given, pursuant to “An Act in relation to the use of an Assumed Business Name in the conduct or transaction of Business in the State,” as amended, that a certification was registered by the undersigned with the County Clerk of Cook County. Registration Number: Y21005627 on January 14, 2021 Under the Assumed Business Name of CHAD KEAST HAIR with the business located at: 31 G HARRISON ST, OAK PARK, IL 60304.

The true and real full name(s) and residence address of the owner(s)/ partner(s) is: CHAD KEAST 1028 RANDOLPH ST 1NW OAK PARK, IL 60302, USA.

PUBLIC NOTICE Notice is hereby given, pursuant to “An Act in relation to the use of an Assumed Business Name in the conduct or transaction of Business in the State,” as amended, that a certification was registered by the undersigned with the County Clerk of Cook County. Registration Number: Y20005512 on December 29, 2020 Under the Assumed Business Name of PANDA STUDIOS with the business located at: 1913 S. MANNHEIM RD, WESTCHESTER, IL 60154. The true and real full name(s) and residence address of the owner(s)/partner(s) is: PATRICIA ANN REIS 10518 CANTERBURY ST, WESTCHESTER, IL 60154, USA.

Published in Wednesday Journal 1/20, 1/27, 2/3/2021

Published in RB Landmark 1/13, 1/20, 1/27/2021

Selling your Condo “By Owner?”

Call 708-613-3342 to advertise.

PUBLIC NOTICE OF COURT DATE FOR REQUEST FOR NAME CHANGE STATE OF ILLIONIS, CIRCUIT COURT COOK COUNTY. Request of JULIAN RICHARD ANDREOTTI Case Number 2020CONC000961 There will be a court date on my Request to change my name from: Julian Richard Andreotti to the new name of: Julian Richard Topete-Andreotti The court date will be held: On February 17, 2021 at 9:30 a.m. via Zoom Video-conference. Please use the information below to access the hearing.

Notice to Prospective Village of Oak Park Federal Grants Applicants The Program Year (PY) 2021 Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) application process (and potentially the Emergency Solutions Grant [ESG] application process) begins February 8, 2021. For PY 2021, which runs from October 1, 2021 to September 30, 2022, there will be an estimated $225,000 available in Village Public Service CDBG funds and $40,000 in Public Facilities Improvements CDBG funds. Other PY 2021 grant funds will be set aside for Village-run activities. The Village does not know if we will receive ESG funds for PY 2021 but we are proceeding as if we will, with an estimated $140,000 in funds available.

The federal CDBG program is a source of funding that addresses local housing and community development needs. These funds are available to non-profit organizations that serve primarily low and moderate income (LMI) persons residing in Oak Park. Each proposed activity must meet the CDBG Program National Objective of primarily serving LMI persons and be eligible. ESG funds are available to non-profit organizations that serve persons who are experiencing, or are at-risk of, homelessness. Grant funds are for non-profit agencies, not individuals.

Applications for PY 2021 CDBG and ESG funds must be completed online and will be available February 8, 2021 on the Village’s website at www.oak-park.us/ PY2021Grants The Application process runs from February 8 to March 5, 2021, with the option of an early, feedback-eligible “safer” due date of February 26, 2021.

Reasonable accommodations will be made for non-English speaking persons and for people with disabilities. For more information, write to grants@oak-park.us Published in Wednesday Journal January 13, 2021

PUBLIC NOTICE OF COURT DATE FOR REQUEST FOR NAME CHANGE STATE OF ILLIONIS, CIRCUIT COURT COOK COUNTY. Request of Dylan Stephen Weinand Case Number 2020CONC000687 There will be a court date on my Request to change my name from: Dylan Stephen Weinand to the new name of: Dylan Stephen Weinand-Flannery

ZOOM MEETING ID:970 3250 0245 ZOOM PASSSWORD: 895226 CALL IN: 3126266799

The court date will be held: On March 17th, 2020 at 9:30 at Daley Center, 50 W Washington Street, Chicago, IL, 60602 in Courtroom # 1706.

Published in Wednesday Journal 1/20, 1/27, 2/3/2021

Published in Wednesday Journal 1/13, 1/20, 1/27/2020

Lost & Found and To Be Given Away ads run free in Wednesday Classified.

To place your ad, call 708-613-3342

PUBLIC NOTICES LEGAL NOTICE SERRANO LEGAL SOLUTIONS, LLC Attorney for Petitioner P. O. Box 3581 Oak Park, IL 60303 Attorney for Petitioner STATE OF ILLINOIS) COUNTY OF COOK )ss Circuit Court of Cook County, County Department, Domestic Relations Division.

In re the marriage of LAURA VALDEZ, Petitioner and LINO CHIMALPOPOCA-ABARCA, Respondent, Case No. 2021D430022 The requisite affidavit for publication having been filed, notice is hereby given to you, the above named Respondent, that a Petition has been filed in the Circuit Court of Cook County, Illinois, by the Petitioner, for Dissolution of Marriage and for other relief; and that said suit is now pending.

Now, therefore, unless you, the said Respondent, file your response to said Petition or otherwise make your appearance therein, in the Office of the Clerk of the Circuit Court of Cook County, Illinois, Room 802, Richard J. Daley Center, 50 West Washington Street, in the City of Chicago, Illinois, on or before February 19, 2020 default may be entered against you at any time after that day, and a judgment for Dissolution of Marriage entered in accordance with the prayer of said Petition.

DOROTHY A. BROWN, Clerk.

Published in Wednesday Journal 1/20, 1/27, 2/3/2021

REAL ESTATE FOR SALE IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF COOK COUNTY, ILLINOIS COUNTY DEPARTMENT CHANCERY DIVISION WELLS FARGO BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION AS TRUSTEE FOR OPTION ONE MORTGAGE LOAN TRUST 2006-3, ASSET-BACKED CERTIFICATES, SERIES 2006-3 Plaintiff, -v.CHARLES T. GRANT, JUANITA J. GRANT, THE PRAIRIE PLACE AT 6436 ROOSEVELT CONDOMINIUM ASSOCIATION Defendants 2019CH14912

REAL ESTATE FOR SALE

REAL ESTATE FOR SALE

6436 ROOSEVELT RD, 413 OAK PARK, IL 60304 NOTICE OF SALE PUBLIC NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale entered in the above cause on November 5, 2020, an agent for The Judicial Sales Corporation, will at 10:30 AM on February 9, 2021, at The Judicial Sales Corporation, One South Wacker Drive, CHICAGO, IL, 60606, sell at a public sale to the highest bidder, as set forth below, the following described real estate: Commonly known as 6436 ROOSEVELT RD, 413, OAK PARK, IL 60304 Property Index No. 16-18-428-0431030, Property Index No. 16-18428-043-1054 The real estate is improved with a condo/townhouse.

Sale terms: 25% down of the highest bid by certified funds at the close of the sale payable to The Judicial Sales Corporation. No third party checks will be accepted. The balance, including the Judicial Sale fee for the Abandoned Residential Property Municipality Relief Fund, which is calculated on residential real estate at the rate of $1 for each $1,000 or fraction thereof of the amount paid by the purchaser not to exceed $300, in certified funds/or wire transfer, is due within twenty-four (24) hours. No fee shall be paid by the mortgagee acquiring the residential real estate pursuant to its credit bid at the sale or by any mortgagee, judgment creditor, or other lienor acquiring the residential real estate whose rights in and to the residential real estate arose prior to the sale. The subject property is subject to general real estate taxes, special assessments, or special taxes levied against said real estate and is offered for sale without any representation as to quality or quantity of title and without recourse to Plaintiff and in “AS IS” condition. The sale is further subject to confirmation by the court.

Upon payment in full of the amount bid, the purchaser will receive a Certificate of Sale that will entitle the purchaser to a deed to the real estate after confirmation of the sale.

The property will NOT be open for inspection and plaintiff makes no representation as to the condition of the property. Prospective bidders are admonished to check the court file to verify all information.

If this property is a condominium unit, the purchaser of the unit at

the foreclosure sale, other than a mortgagee, shall pay the assessments and the legal fees required

by The Condominium Property Act, 765 ILCS 605/9(g)(1) and (g)(4).

If this property is a condominium unit which is part of a common interest community, the purchaser of the unit at the foreclosure sale other than a mortgagee shall pay the assessments required by The Condominium Property Act, 765 ILCS 605/18.5(g-1).

IF YOU ARE THE MORTGAGOR (HOMEOWNER), YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO REMAIN IN POSSESSION FOR 30 DAYS AFTER ENTRY OF AN ORDER OF POSSESSION, IN ACCORDANCE WITH SECTION 15-1701(C) OF THE ILLINOIS MORTGAGE FORECLOSURE LAW. You will need a photo identification issued by a government agency (driver’s license, passport, etc.) in order to gain entry into our building and the foreclosure sale room in Cook County and the same identification for sales held at other county venues where The Judicial Sales Corporation conducts foreclosure sales.

For information, examine the court file, CODILIS & ASSOCIATES, P.C. Plaintiff’s Attorneys, 15W030 NORTH FRONTAGE ROAD, SUITE 100, BURR RIDGE, IL, 60527 (630) 794-9876 THE JUDICIAL SALES CORPORATION One South Wacker Drive, 24th Floor, Chicago, IL 60606-4650 (312) 236-SALE You can also visit The Judicial Sales Corporation at www.tjsc.com for a 7 day status report of pending sales.

CODILIS & ASSOCIATES, P.C. 15W030 NORTH FRONTAGE ROAD, SUITE 100 BURR RIDGE IL, 60527 630-794-5300 E-Mail: pleadings@il.cslegal.com Attorney File No. 14-19-11626 Attorney ARDC No. 00468002 Attorney Code. 21762 Case Number: 2019CH14912 TJSC#: 40-2378 NOTE: Pursuant to the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, you are advised that Plaintiff’s attorney is deemed to be a debt collector attempting to collect a debt and any information obtained will be used for that purpose.

Case # 2019CH14912 I3162077

Starting a new business in 2021?

Call the experts before you place your legal ad!

Publish Your Assumed Name Legal Notice in • Wednesday Journal • Forest Park Review • Riverside Brookfield Landmark • Austin Weekly News • Village Free Press Call 708/613-3342 to advertise.

P

Forest Park Review, January 20, 2021

INC., REALTOR

(708) 366-8989 7342 MADISON ST, FOREST PARK, ILLINOIS 60130

SOLD!

928 S. Kenilworth Ave. Oak Park ....................$275,000

SOLD!

Property has been owner occupied by the same family for 50+ years. 1st fl has spacious living rm and dining rm, kitchen and 1/2 bath. 2nd floor has three bedrooms and full bath. Stucco exterior and 2 car detached garage.

Great location in south west Oak Park. Needs some updating but livable as-is.

935 Elgin Avenue, Forest Park ........................$489,000 This is a money maker! This early 1970s brick four flat houses two one bedroom apartments on the top floor, a large three bedroom two bath apartment on the first floor, and a large two bedroom two bathroom apartment in the lower level. Tandem parking for 8 cars.

Meticulously maintained by the current owner for several decades.

The numbers work! This one really won't last long.

SOLD!

1117 Marengo Avenue, Forest Park .......................$263,500 What a great opportunity to get into Forest Park at an affordable price! This home offers four total bedrooms, two on the second floor and two on the first floor. The home is in perfect condition!

Living room, dining room, and eat in kitchen, plus a finished basement. Huge deck off the back of the house and a very large two car garage!

SOLD!

Need a helping of

Call Jill at (708) 524-8300 or visit ForestParkReview.com/subscribe

1028 Beloit Forest Park ....................$289,000 This 3 BR, 2.1 BA home has not been available in over 55 years.

It has been meticulously maintained within the same family for that time. This home offers two first floor good sized bedrooms and a large second floor master. Each floor has a full updated bathroom. The first floor living room, with it's vaulted ceilings, fill with sunlight pouring from the front foyer windows.

337 Marengo Avenue, Forest Park ......................$275,000 Fantastic location alert!! Just a stones throw from Madison Street shopping, restaurants, and night life makes this a very desirable piece of real estate! This is two flat is ready for some love and attention. Just stuck in time is all. Or a fantastic de-conversion to single family! So bring your decorating ideas, and be prepared to fall in love!

SOLD!

19

20

Forest Park Review, January 20, 2021

189 S. Oak Park Ave., Oak Park, IL 60302 (708) 386-1400

HomesInTheVillage.com

Featured Listings for This Week 617 Circle Ave • Open Sun 1-3 pm Oak Park $739,900 Multi unit Maria x117

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Properties of The Week

803 S Taylor Ave • Open Sun 12-2 pm Berwyn $429,900 Multi unit Maria x117

Oak Park $368,800 Multi unit Kyra x145

Oak Park $419,900 3BR, 2BA Linda x183

1038 Woodbine Ave Oak Park 5BR, 2.1BA...$820,000 Patti x124

Erika Villegas,

Oak Park $269,900 3BR, 1BA Kris x101

Oak Park $200,000 2BR, 1BA Laurie x186

Oak Park $169,900 3BR, 2BA Marion x111

Oak Park $158,800 2BR, 1BA Kyra x145

Oak Park $158,800 2BR, 1BA Kyra x145

Forest Park $77,900 1BR, 1BA Maria x117

734 N Lombard Ave Oak Park 3BR, 1.1BA...$467,500 Patti x124

Managing Broker/Owner

Mike Becker

Laurie Christofano

Marion Digre

Morgan Digre

Leticia Cruz

Jane McClelland

Elissa Palermo

Kyra Pych

Maria Rodriguez

Linda Rooney

Kris Sagan

Patti Sprafka-Wagner

Harry Walsh