Forest Park Review 021721

GROWING COMMUNITY MEDIA, NFP ForestParkReview.com Vol. 104, No. 7

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REVIEW FEBRUARY 17, 2021

57-unit building proposed for Harrison Street PAGE 5

Ash Wednesday in Forest Park PAGE 7

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Deadline for village administrator applications extended Committee will consider hiring search firm

By MARIA MAXHAM Editor

The village administrator search will take longer than originally anticipated. Although the search committee said they would receive resumes only until Feb. 12, the group met on Feb. 11 and decided to extend the deadline. They also discussed the possibility of hiring a search firm and will revisit the topic at a meeting this week.

Despite having at least three resumes from what they consider strong candidates, the committee decided they were overall not satisfied that they had cast a wide enough net and brought in enough potential applicants.

The search committee is comprised of village commissioners Jessica Voogd and Joe Byrnes, Village Clerk and human resources director Vanessa Moritz, and the Chamber of Commerce’s Economic Development cochair Bridget Lane. Mayor Rory Hoskins also serves on the committee but was absent for the Feb. 11 meeting due to feeling ill after a COVID-19 vaccine and another conflicting meeting.

The committee said that extending the deadline without stepping up recruitment efforts would be pointless, so they discussed whether hiring an outside agency to assist in headhunting was a good idea, and if so, what amount the village would spend.

Among possibilities that will be considered by the See VILLAGE ADMINISTRATOR on page 4

ALEX ROGALS/Staff Photographer

BASKETBALL’S BACK!

Proviso East and West faced off during a varsity basketball game at Proviso East on Friday, Feb. 12. See more on page 17.

Three D209 administrators exit amid reorganization Nicole Howard, Paul Starck-King and Tracy Miller leave ahead of superintendent’s plans for staff realignment

By MICHAEL ROMAIN Staff Reporter

Three top administrators at Proviso Township High School District 209 are

IN Crime . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9 THIS Big Week . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 ISSUE Opinion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 Obituaries. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 Classified . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21

heading for the exits amid an anticipated central office restructuring that Supt. James Henderson said he plans to outline to the board later this month.

Nicole Howard, the associate superin-

tendent for Academic and Family Services, is leaving the district to take a job in Indian Prairie, Henderson said.

See D209 REALIGNMENT on page 15

Harlem Avenue Chioptle gets final approval

D209 boasts $9.1M budget cushion

PAGE 8

PAGE 16

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Forest Park Review, February 17, 2021

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Misplaced, but not forgotten

JEditor’s note: While John recovers from COVID, here is a reworked column from 2012. Get well soon, John. y dad was always losing things — keys, cash, glasses — but would never admit they were “lost.” He insisted they were “misplaced.” I’ve misplaced quite a few things in my time, including a kid on two occasions, but never my wallet.

A few years ago, I was tired of sitting on my wallet, while I was driving, so I placed it in my car’s center console. I was much more comfortable, as I spread misery across the South Side of Chicago, serving the unsuspecting with summonses.

When I returned to Forest Park, I billed out my cases. Feeling exuberant, I walked to the post office to mail the invoices.

Believing I deserved a reward for my hard work, I continued my stroll to one of my favorite Madison Street joints.

After dinner, I reached for my back pocket but didn’t feel the old familiar bulge. Embarrassed, I told the bartender I had left my wallet in my car. A customer a few stools down, a perfect stranger in every sense, offered to pay for my dinner.

I declined, confident I’d find the wallet in

M

the console.

When my wife arrived home with the car, there was no wallet inside. A search of the house was also futile. The stages of grief kicked-in and I moved beyond denial to acceptance.

I couldn’t sleep that night, though, as I did a mental inventory of the wallet.

It wasn’t so much the driver’s license and credit cards; it was the loss of sentimental items that pained me. I know some people have memory drawers or boxes. My memories had fit nicely in a thin leather wallet.

My 26-year-old son’s first footprint, which I’d often shown to admiring strangers, was in there, along with my 36-year-old son’s Little League pictures. More up-to-date were the wedding pictures of my daughters and the smiling face of my grandson.

Then there were the ticket stubs: U2 at the United Center, Frank Sinatra’s Oct. 22, 1997 concert (his last in Chicago), my pass to the 2012 Ryder Cup at Medinah Country Club, a ticket to Blue Man Group at the Briar Street Theater, two White Sox tickets to the upper deck, and a receipt from the Bateaux Mouches which cruises the Seine River through the heart of Paris.

I also carried the death notices of my brother and brother-in-law, a list of 20 stages of embryonic development that I

JOHN RICE

A

F O R E S T PA R K

used to start writing my autobiography and the only guest column that has appeared during my 21-year tenure, written by Forest Park’s own Rosa Chun.

There was a $25 gift certificate for Centuries & Sleuths, which still had $7.68 left on it, a Star Punch card from Starship Subs, with only five more punches needed to get $5 off my next sandwich, and a message from a fortune cookie that claims, “One learns most from teaching others.”

Some of the items were irreplaceable, like my dad’s final driver’s license from 1994.

There was also a CTA Ventra card with a few bucks left on it, my Forest Park Public Library card, and my Forest Park National Bank card. My health insurance card was in there but as is my custom, the wallet didn’t contain any cash.

The next day, I replaced my driver’s license and drove off to spread more misery.

After surprising five strangers with summonses, I returned home to find an e-mail from the Madison Street joint. They had found my wallet. It had somehow survived 24 hours stuck in the recesses of a barstool.

Like my dad would say, it was only misplaced.

■ 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

L O O K B A C K I N T I M E . . .

FROM FOREST PARK TO THE SMITHSONIAN First exhibited at the Centennial Exhibition in Philadelphia in 1876, Edmonia Lewis’s “Death of Cleopatra” was highly praised by critics at the time. The two-ton statue featured the Egyptian queen at the moment of her death. Lewis was the first professional African American and Native American sculptor.

The statue was sculpted only a decade after the end of slavery, marked by the close of the Civil War, during the period when “Reconstruction” was failing. Her masterpiece would take an unlikely journey to Forest Park after being showcased at the Chicago Interstate Industrial Exposition of 1878. It is unclear how he acquired it, but the statue would sit prominently at “Blind John” Condon’s race track and golf course, located where Living Fresh and the Forest Park Mall are today. The statue was miraculously rescued from a scrap yard and restored in Forest Park, before finding a permanent home at the Smithsonian.

–Jill Wagner

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, February 17, 2021

VILLAGE ADMINISTRATOR Search Firm Considered from page 1

MARIA MAXHAM

BIG REHAB: Forest Park’s south water tower, pictured here, will be repainted, inside and out, beginning this spring. The north water tower is scheduled to be rehabbed later this year.

Water tower rehabs planned

South tank to be repainted first, inside and out

By MARIA MAXHAM Editor

Repainting and rehabilitation of both the north and south village water towers in Forest Park are on the 2021 list of capital projects. The south water tower will be done first with the work potentially beginning as early as March 1.

At a Feb. 8 meeting, the village council voted to award the contract for rehabilitation of the south water tower to Tecorp, Inc., which submitted the lower bid of two received by Forest Park. The bids were opened in May, but the village waited to award the project until a required license agreement for construction access with the owner of the adjacent land could be reached.

At this time, the contract is only being awarded for the south tower, which will cost $674,200.

The village is still working on license agreements for cell providers on the

north tank to temporarily relocate their equipment so cellular service won’t be compromised. The bid for the north water tank by Tecorp is for $1,049,300.

Tecorp has confirmed in writing that the bid price is good until April 1, 2021.

According to engineer Jim Amelio from Christopher B. Burke Engineering, Ltd. (CBBEL), the goal of the water tower rehabilitation projects is far beyond prettying up the tanks or giving them a fresh coat of paint for the sake of appearances.

“The paint is there to protect the tower itself so that it doesn’t rust, and that it preserves the longevity of the structure,” Amelio said during the Feb. 8 meeting. “I think technically it’s a 20-to-25-year life expectancy per paint job, and I believe that we are kind of at the high end of that right now.”

Both the inside and outside of the tank will be painted, which means the tank will need to be completely drained.

Amelio said the drinking water of residents will not be negatively impacted in any way.

Water to residents’ homes when they take a shower or turn on the sink comes mostly from the City of Chicago

through pipes, but to maintain water pressure and for emergencies, the village has over two million gallons of water stored between the north and south water tanks and in underground reservoirs.

Both the north and south water towers contain half a million gallons of water each. Additionally, the village has two underground water reservoirs, one holding a million gallons of water under the community center playground and another with approximately 350,000 gallons under the Hannah Avenue pump station.

According to Sal Stella, water operator for the village of Forest Park, water storage is mandated by law; although the village’s water comes from the City of Chicago, in the case of a loss of connection, there would be water to pull from to supply to the town.

Stella added that there are lots of redundancies built into the water system to ensure more than one source of water in an emergency.

In terms of the exterior painting of the water tower tanks, the design will be as it is now, with simply the words “Forest Park” on them.

committee are different packages offered by GovHRUSA, a well-known business that provides consulting and executive recruitment for governmental agencies.

According to Moritz, the limited scope service offered through GovHRUSA, which costs $2,700, includes developing the position announcement and making extensive use of social media and traditional outreach methods to recruit candidates.

A $7,500 package from GovHRUSA would include professional outreach plus preparation of an assessment matrix to compare candidates and submission of top tier candidates to the village, Moritz said.

Two more packages, priced at $17,000 and $20,000, are also available.

Voogd suggested that rather than add services little by little, the committee should take a hard look at whether the village could benefit from the bigger packages offered by search firms, even though they’re more expensive.

“Do we foresee possibly wanting those additional services within those [larger] packages?” Voogd asked during the meeting. “Do we need to evaluate some of the larger packages and what they offer? I would just hate to be ala carte-ing ourselves all the way up to or past the $9,000 package or something like that.”

Byrnes agreed. “I think if we have to spend money for it, we’re going to have to spend money for it. I see no other way around it.”

Commissioner Dan Novak, who is not part of the search committee, said from the beginning of discussions about a replacement for Tim Gillian that he supported hiring a search firm.

“You get what you pay for,” Novak said during a Jan. 11 village council meeting in regard to using a headhunter. “And in turn, I think that this top level, top executive municipal position, you know, we need professionals to assist us for the best interests of Forest Park.”

“We tried to try to do something where we could save some money,” Byrnes said during the Feb. 11 committee meeting. “And I think we did give it our best shot.

But I don’t think we hit the people we thought we were going to hit by some of the resumes that I saw.”

Moritz said she would email the different packages from different agencies to the committee and other council members. The committee will meet this week to come up with a recommendation that will be voted on by the village council at the Feb. 22 meeting.

In a Feb. 16 interview, Hoskins said, “I’m confident we’ll have a qualified replacement for Tim [Gillian], but the process needs to work itself out.” He said the village already has a few good candidates, and with help from an outside agency, which the committee is leaning toward, there will be even more choices.

Forest Park Review, February 17, 2021

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57-unit apartment development proposed on Harrison Street

PROPOSED DEVELOPMENT: A 57-unit apartment building is being proposed for the 7400 block of Harrison Street. It would cover the entire block, minus H&R Towing, the gray-roofed building in the upper left corner (southeast corner) of the block.

Public hearing with plan commission on March 1

By MARIA MAXHAM Editor

Forest Park’s plan commission will conduct a public hearing on the proposed development of a 57-unit residential apartment building on the 7400 block of Harrison Street. The development would sit across from the tennis courts at the park district, in the current location of Forest Park Foreign Car Repair and previous locations of Oak Leaf Lounge and The Pines restaurant.

The planned development will cover the entire block, minus H&R towing, on the southeast corner.

The applicant is 7400-7412 West Harrison Street Properties, LLC. Tony Kaldis, who owns the property of the planned development, is one of the members of that LLC. The proposed apartment building is four stories tall, with parking and a lobby on the main level and three stories of residential units above that, including studios and oneand two-bedroom apartments. Plans also call for a rooftop deck.

The plan commission hearing for the proj-

MARIA MAXHAM

ect will be on March 1 at 7 p.m. via Zoom. A link for the public meeting will be available on the village website, and all related project documents will be posted on the website about a week before the meeting, according to Steve Glinke, director of public health

and safety and zoning for the village.

According to Glinke, the developer will need to complete a traffic study, an impact statement, a storm water management report and other assessments prior to approval in addition to the public hearing and vote

by the plan commission, followed by the same with the village council.

It is also anticipated that zoning variances will be necessary for the proposed development.

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Forest Park Review, February 17, 2021

Demolition of Altenheim buildings begins March 1 Village representative to be on-site daily

By MARIA MAXHAM Editor

Asbestos removal and demolition of the five structures on the village owned Altenheim property will begin March 1 and will be done by KLF Enterprises, Inc. at a cost of $546,970. A state grant will reimburse the village of Forest Park for the project. The work is anticipated to be completed by June 15, weather permitting.

A preconstruction planning meeting was held Feb. 11 to discuss the project. It included Mayor Rory Hoskins, Village Administrator Tim Gillian, Director of Public Health and Safety Steve Glinke, Director of Public Works John Doss, Jim Amelio and Gerry Hennelly from Christopher B. Burke Engineering, Ltd. (CBBEL), the village’s police chief and deputy fire chief, representatives from the water department and two representatives from KLF. Board members and the executive director of the Altenheim senior living community and representatives from the Residences at the Grove were also present.

KLF requested and was granted permission to work six days a week, Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. until 5 p.m. and on Saturdays from 8 a.m. until 4 p.m.

Glinke made it clear during the meeting that KLF and their subcontractors must adhere to working hours, including no warming-up of equipment before 7 a.m. on

Map courtesy of CBBEL

STARTING SOON: Demolition of the Altenheim buildings, pictured here, will begin on March 1 with asbestos removal. weekdays, no idling trucks on Van Buren Street, and avoiding truck traffic during peak hours.

For safety of materials and equipment on the site, Glinke suggested KLF put in temporary lighting to dissuade potential criminals and make the site easier for police to see. “It’s not like a rottweiler, but it’s better than nothing,” Glinke said.

Police Chief Tom Aftanas, present at the meeting, said that although police patrol the area, there are no guarantees officers will be at the site if and when something happens or be able to prevent it.

Because of the scope of the project and its proximity to both the senior living community and the Grove townhomes, Hennelly from CBBEL said he would be overseeing

the project on a daily basis and would be the point-person to call if any issues arise.

“I will be there all the time,” Hennelly said during the meeting. He added later: “We want to be on top of everyone who’s on the site at all times.” To ensure this is possible, KLF will provide subcontractor agreements and lists of all subcontractors to CBBEL. Asbestos removal will be the first step of the project, and KLF said that would take about three weeks to complete. A decontamination trailer will be onsite for workers.

Demolition will occur next. Taking down the chapel will be done in about 10 to 12 days, the cafeteria in about 6 days, and buildings D and G in about a month each, KLF representatives said.

Mark Zinni, a board member from the Altenheim senior living community, said the board was thankful for everyone being at the meeting and encourages the demolition of the buildings.

The senior living community’s primary concern, he said, is life safety for its more than 60 residents, who are senior citizens.

He said he’d like to see a diagram of the fencing being planned by KLF to ensure the work area is clearly marked off and separated.

“Good fences make good neighbors,” Zinni said.

KLF will submit specifications for fencing, including material and height, to CBBEL. Zinni also said the Altenheim senior living community needs to be listed on the certificate of insurance from the general contractor and all subcontractors to protect them from potential damage during the demolition project.

79-year-old resident succumbs to COVID-19 First COVID-19 death in over a month

By MARIA MAXHAM Editor

A 79-year-old woman died from COVID-19 on Feb. 9, marking the 28th coronavirus related death in Forest Park since the pandemic began. It was also the first COVID-19 related death in over a month among Forest Park residents.

In total, Forest Park has had 1,045 confirmed cases of COVID-19 since the beginning of the pandemic. As of Feb. 16, 12 cases were reported in the previous week and the percent change in confirmed cases over the past 14 days was down by 6.25 percent, according to the Cook County Department of Public Health.

Find more information at https://ccdphcd.shinyapps.io/covid19/.

Photo provided

COVID-19 TRENDS: Confirmed positive cases of COVID-19 in Forest Park are fairly consistent with the rest of suburban Cook County, according to data and this graph accessed from the Cook County Department of Public Health on Feb. 16.

Forest Park Review, February 17, 2021

What is Ash Wednesday anyway?

Administering ashes at two local churches will be different this year

By TOM HOLMES Contributing Reporter

We’ll see a relatively small minority of our neighbors — Catholic and Lutheran mainly — walking around today with black smudges on their foreheads. What’s going on?

Or, as St. John Lutheran Church member Elise Dalton put it, “Why would a contemporary American do something like having your pastor draw a cross on your forehead with burnt, oil-moistened, palm branch ashes?”

“Remember that you are dust and to dust you shall return.” Don’t we have enough depressing stuff on our plate right now with the virus, unemployment, businesses closing, and the impeachment trial? This year, at least, couldn’t we just skip to Easter and spring, to colored eggs and a new spring outfit?

Fr. Stan Kuca, pastor of St. Bernardine, explained that Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of Lent, a season of the church year, for those Christians who follow a liturgical calendar, which is a 40-day-long preparation for Easter.

Donna Gawlas, a longtime and involved member of St. Bernardine, referred to Lent as a “sobering” journey.

“It is a time of self-reflection,” said Gawlas, “and examination of conscience to make changes in my thoughts and in my words, what have I done or failed to do, to be a better follower of Christ.”

Jim Murray, another longtime member of St. Bernardine, added that Ash Wednesday is an important day for him because it reminds him of his mortality which prepares him to really hear the good news of the resurrection on Easter.

“The fasting and penance which are part of Lent for many are not easy, nor should they be,” said Murray, adding that there are nonspiritual benefits as well. “I give up booze and sweets for Lent, and I think doing so is good for both my body and my soul. I usually lose a few pounds and my A1C [diabetes blood test] goes down a little.”

“As the ashes are placed on my head,” said Kathy Roberson, a member of St. John Lutheran Church, “I feel a sadness for the many ways I don’t live my life as God intends. But then because the ashes on my forehead are in the shape of a cross, I think about Jesus, who died for me, because God loves me more than I can even imagine, and then I feel a deep sense of peace.”

Roberson said the focus on mortality on Ash Wednesday puts what’s going on in our

lives in spiritual context. “The pandemic, my unemployment, and all the insanity going on in our nation is scary, but nothing new. Just variations on recurring nightmares.”

Another St. John member, Faith Loewe, described how her experience of Ash Wednesday changed as she moved from child to adulthood.

“Growing up as the daughter of a Lutheran pastor all but guaranteed I would be in a pew on Ash Wednesday — and all other Wednesdays in Lent, for that matter,” Loewe said. “Following the imposition of the ashes, it was my childhood habit to try to catch sight of my reflection as soon as possible, to ensure that the ashes had formed into a clear cross and not just a pastor’s thumb smudge.”

Now, she said, “The combination of those two things — the solemn verbal reminder of what awaits all of us at the end of earthly life, and the piercing hope of the Cross — will always keep me in a pew on Ash Wednesday.”

“Having ashes in the shape of a cross put on one’s forehead once a year,” Dalton added, “in no way guarantees that you will not experience anxiety, disease, unemployment, etc., but being confident in the salvation the cross brings to all humanity does help to keep the pits of despair from devouring you.”

St. John’s pastor, Rev. Leonard Payton, said that God uses crises like the pandemic and unemployment to bring us back to spiritual basics. He said, “I think we … find that COVID, racial turmoil, and economic challenges are not the disease; they are the symptom.

“We have so many problems now that only God can solve. We beg for the Lord’s mercy.

Church is essential business. Of course, the first order of business is for the priesthood to repent, to remember that we are dust and to dust we will return.”

Fifty years ago, Ernest Becker in his bestselling book, “Denial of Death,” contended that American society in some ways is a massive conspiracy to deny our mortality.

Loewe picks up on that theme by saying that Americans will do anything to avoid thinking about their mortality and eventual death.

“Even so,” she continued, “worshipers on Ash Wednesday will face that reality and, ultimately, find hope in their ashen crosses — sobering yet exquisite reminders that, because of Christ’s cross, there is so much more than just this life of dust and ashes.”

Both St. Bernardine and St. John will have in-person worship today, but they will be following strict CDC guidelines. Pastor Payton will use swabs to apply ashes to hands instead of foreheads and Fr. Kuca will sprinkle the ashes on worshipers’ heads. St. Bernardine will hold Mass on Ash Wednesday at 6:30 a.m., noon and 7 p.m. St. John will have services at noon and 7 p.m.

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Forest Park Review, February 17, 2021

Chipotle OKd for Harlem and Madison ‘This one’s a no brainer’

By MARIA MAXHAM Editor

After its drive-thru was approved by the Zoning Board of Appeals on Jan. 19, a proposed Chipotle restaurant was given the goahead by the village council on Feb. 8, when the mayor and commissioners unanimously voted in favor of the project.

The new Chipotle, located at 7201 Madison St. (the corner of Harlem Avenue and Madison Street) will have what the restaurant chain calls a “Chipotlane,” a drive-thru solely for picking up food ordered ahead of time through the company’s app. It will also have an indoor dining-room like traditional Chipotle locations.

During the meeting, Director of Public Health and Safety Steve Glinke expressed his full support for the project.

“I have to say it’s very rare when I say, ‘This one’s a no brainer,’” Glinke said. “But this one’s a great project.” He acknowledged there had been a lot of back-and-forth on the location over the years, but staff has vet-

ted the project, which, he said, “receives our unqualified support and recommendation.”

The new site will include a landscape plan and a “Welcome to Forest Park” sign.

Commissioners asked how much say the village would have in how that sign looks and whether it would have a similar appearance to other signs in town, like the one on Roosevelt Road.

“I think we have some wiggle room on that,” Glinke said. Having a similar appearance, he added, “is in the interest of general maintenance and consistency for our branding.

That will be brought to the table.”

Another question was whether there would be signage preventing drivers exiting Chipotle onto HarRendering provided lem from turning north.

Glinke said that traffic signage APPROVED: The village council OKd the drive-thru Chipotle planned for the corner of Harlem is ultimately the responsibility of Avenue and Madison Street. third-party approval from the Illinois Department of Transportation. But he added: “As a very loyal patron Chipotle site], if you’re going to try to turn you’re only going to do it once. You’ll be of Parky’s [the restaurant to the north of the left from that alley [onto Harlem Avenue], lucky if you get across.”

7324 w. madison street forest park, il 60130

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Forest Park Review, February 17, 2021

9

Man stops traffic, attacks officer

On Feb. 8 at approximately 4 p.m., officers were called to Harlem Avenue and Roosevelt Road where a man on foot had been screaming and waving his hands in the left turn lane. He then climbed onto a car and was kicking it. He fell off the car and lay in the street.

By the time police arrived, the man was walking eastbound on Roosevelt Road from Elgin Avenue, and witnesses pointed him out to the officers, who stopped him and asked him if he needed help. The man, showing what police saw as signs of being on a hallucinogenic drug such as PCP, said he thought the officers were going to kill him.

At one point, he “threw his body on the ground and began to flip back and forth on the sidewalk,” according to the police report.

Police maintained traffic control while the man eventually sat still in the street, with his back against the snowbank. But then he

pointed at the officers and said he was going to kill them before lunging at one of the officer’s legs, taking the officer to the ground.

The man was handcuffed and transported to the hospital.

Video surveillance showed him grabbing onto the rear of an unknown vehicle and running along with it while it was in motion prior to the police arriving on the scene.

Lightbulbs stolen from outside apartment building A landlord on the 7400 block of Roosevelt Road reported that light bulbs had been stolen from outside light fixtures at the building. He said he’d replaced a burnt-out bulb on Feb. 9, but the next day all four bulbs, including the new one, were missing. He also indicated he is involved in a civil lawsuit with tenants regarding the lack of light outside the residences.

CTA train tagged

On Feb. 9, a CTA train at 711 Desplaines Ave. was tagged with graffiti. An employee reported the train arrived at the station at approximately 1 a.m., untagged.

It was moved into the “south jungle” area of the lot, and when checked at 1:45 a.m., it had been defaced.

Subject attempts to enter house Residents on the 1500 block of Elgin Ave. called police on Feb. 8 after an unknown subject approached their front door, rang the bell, turned the doorknob and attempted to open the door at around 1 p.m. A family member let the dog outside and the subject left the premises when the dog began to bark. The subject left the area in a blue ve-

hicle, according to the residents.

These items were obtained from police reports filed by the Forest Park Police Department, Feb. 8-12, and represent a portion of the incidents to which police responded.

Unless otherwise indicated, anybody named in these reports has only been charged with a crime. These cases have not been adjudicated.

Compiled by Maria Maxham

Nobody harmed in Harlem Avenue gas station shooting 10 shell casings found

By MARIA MAXHAM Editor

Car stolen at gunpoint from car wash

By MARIA MAXHAM Editor

A car was stolen at gunpoint at Crystal Car Wash, 901 Harlem Ave., around 7 p.m. on Feb. 9. The victim reported that his car was parked at the vacuums on the northeast side of the car wash when an unknown black sedan parked behind his vehicle.

Two unknown males wearing black face masks got out of the sedan and approached the victim’s vehicle, one at the passenger’s side and one at the driver’s side.

According to the police report, after a brief struggle over the victim’s backpack, the victim said one of the offenders pulled out a silver handgun, put it to the victim’s head, and told him to give up his belongings.

The victim backed away from his vehicle while the offenders drove his car northbound on Harlem Avenue. The black sedan was also driven away from the car wash.

The victim’s backpack, valued at around $600, was in the car along with the victim’s credit card and keys.

Security footage of the hijacking was available from the car wash. As of Feb. 10 at 2 p.m., the suspects have not been apprehended.

Forest Park and Oak Park police responded to multiple calls of shots fired near Washington Street and Harlem Avenue on Feb. 9 at 11:21 p.m.

Officers arrived on the scene, set up a perimeter and began searching the area for evidence, eventually finding nine 9 mm shell casings on Harlem Avenue and one shell casing on the northeast corner of the BP gas station at that location.

Near one of the gas pumps, officers observed a large amount of broken glass, possibly from

a vehicle, according to the police report. Pump #4 had a large bullet hole on the north-facing side of the pump, and a Monoco alcoholic beverage can with a bullet hole through it was found next to pump #3. Two bullet holes were found in the overhead garage door of the gas station.

Police spoke to witnesses who reported hearing gunshots. One witness said he saw unknown subjects running to a black sports car, which sped off eastbound on Washington Street.

Another witness said a subject entered a black four-door sedan that sped off eastbound on Washington Street.

At least two witnesses recounted hearing eight to 10 gunshots when looking out their windows to see subjects in the Bed, Bath and Beyond parking lot.

10

Forest Park Review, February 17, 2021

D209 Northbound Train to Greatness Townhall Sessions

Black History Month T-Shirt Drawing A drawing is being held to win a Forest Park Against Racism t-shirt. One submission per person is allowed, and the drawing will happen the first week of March. T-shirts can be picked up at the Forest Park Public Library, 7555 Jackson Blvd. Visit fppl. org/blackhistory for the link to enter.

The Proviso Township District 209 board of education and Superintendent James Henderson are holding townhall sessions on plans for the district’s students.

Limited in-person seats are available.

If you would like to attend in-person, contact Nicole Wilson at nwilson@ pths209.org to reserve your seat. You can also join the sessions via Zoom.

Thursday, February 18th at 6:30pm http://bit.ly/TownhallFeb18 Thursday, February 25th at 6:30pm http://bit.ly/TownhallFeb25

Quilting a Beloved Community On Feb. 21 at 1 p.m., join Dr. Melissa Blount and the Forest Park Public Library for a sewing circle. Dr. Blount will host a meaningful discussion of her artistic process, the psychological and creative intention of her work, and its relevance in today’s world.

She will also host a virtual sewing circle where you will learn an embroidery stitch to begin the process of creating a Forest Park community quilt featuring historical and contemporary Black women from the Chicagoland area.

Supplies for the sewing circle can be picked up from the library’s vestibule, 7555 Jackson Blvd. Visit fppl.org/blackhistory for more information.

Virtual Senior Yoga The park district of Forest Park is holding senior yoga classes from Feb. 18 through March 25 via Zoom, including both mat and chair yoga. Visit bit.ly/ SrMatYogaFebMar or bit.ly/ SrChairYogaFebMar for more info or to register.

Feb. 17–24

BIG WEEK Marvel Trivia Night On Feb. 18 from 4 to 4:45 p.m., the library’s youth services department is hosting a Marvel Trivia Night for middle grade students (ages 10-14). Kahoot will be used to test your knowledge on the Marvel universe and comics for a chance to win a prize!

Visit fppl.org/events or email mmanansala@fppl.org for more information.

Dog Man & Friends Comic Book Club: Phoebe and Her Unicorn On Feb. 22 from 4 to 5 p.m., join the Forest Park Public Library to hears excerpts from the books and learn how to draw Marigold the Unicorn. Visit fppl.org/events to register and get the Zoom link. Previous Dog Man & Friends attendees will be preregistered.

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We l c o m e t o O u r H o u s e | O a k Pa r k R e g i o n a l H o u s i n g C e n t e r

February 17, 2021

Special Advertising Section

Welcome to Our House

D

uring the civil rights movement, the Village of Oak Park initiated a concerted approach to improve racial integration and break the pattern of block-by-block segregation. In 1972, the Oak Park Housing Center opened its doors to address fair housing concerns and to promote affirmative racial integration of renters in Oak Park. Twenty years later, the housing center expanded its services to surrounding communities and changed its name to Oak Park Regional Housing Center (OPRHC). Still occurring today, OPRHC Rental Counselors meet with potential renters to find apartments through one-on-one counseling and guided/ virtual apartment visits. Participating building owners list their units for rent with us, receive education on fair housing requirements, and ways to enhance their units. All services of OPRHC are provided free to renters and owners. Within the area served, 41 percent of housing are rentals and one-third of renters move each year, thus OPRHC continues to sustain this successful integrated housing program.

In Oak Park, OPRHC serves an average of 2,000 clients annually and work with 1,300 building owners/managers amassing 7,500 units. To improve upward mobility, the OPRHC develops and initiates programs to connect residents and promote dialogue

Meet our staff:

Going on 50 years, the OPRHC has transformed from a rental integration agency to all-encompassing, regional housing agency providing advocacy on the premise of creating integrated communities and building wealth for people of color.

Moving Forward Acknowledging the agency’s growth, the OPRHC worked with a consulting agency to develop a strategic plan. At the top of the list was strong recommendations to undergo rebranding initiatives and upgrading technology. The goal over the next three years is to better define our purpose and mission, to increase our outreach to serve a growing targeted population, and to efficiently serve our clients with technology that meets today’s standards.

Athena Williams, Oak Park Regional Housing Center, Executive Director

within neighborhoods. Neighbors Knowing Neighbors events are held throughout the year and attracts over 150 residents from the near west suburbs and our Chicago neighbors to the east of the Austin Community. Planned for Spring 2021 is a Neighbors Knowing Neighbors event and a spring forum focusing on healing racial transformation in an effort to furthering equity and inclusion. In 2006, the OPRHC opened the West Cook Homeowner

Athena Williams, Executive Director

Center (WCHC), a HUD-approved homeownership program providing home buyer and financial empowerment counseling and education. In 2020, at the West Cook Home-ownership Center, 403 clients received after received home-ownership and financial empowerment education.

53 households received assistance in foreclosure avoidance, and more than 50 families purchased homes.

Michael Stewart, Associate Director

Deborah Williams, Program Director, Housing

Michael has been with OPRHC for more than 25 years. He works directly with Property Owners.

He also provides Human Resource and Operational oversight for the agency.

Athena Williams has been with the agency in multiple capacities since 2015.

Lisa Zeigler, Strategic Initiatives Director

Gretchen Worley, Residential Housing Coordinator

Lisa oversees grant management and special project implementations.

Gretchen has been with OPRHC for more than 20 years. She performs all duties from intake, to client advising, to client apartment marketing.

Deborah has been with the agency for 3 years.

She manages programs associated with Homebuyer Education and Counseling, Financial Education, Foreclosure Prevention, Rental Counseling and Assistance

Natasha Escobedo, CPA Natasha is our agency’s full-time Accounting Manager. She oversees all of the OPRHC finances.

Jerry Ehernberger, Senior Residential Coordinator Jerry has been with OPRHC for more than 15 years. He specializes in data collection and client advising.

1041 South Boulevard, Oak Park, IL 60302 • 708-848-7150 5934 W. Lake St., Chicago, IL 60644 • 773-887-5187 • www.oprhc.org Hours vary by location and season, please call ahead before you plan your visit!

The Oak Park Regional Housing Center is a 501c3 nonprofit, HUD approved agency. OPRHC is the home of: the Live in Oak Park Program, providing rental matching to affirmatively further fair housing; and the West Cook Homeownership Program, providing homebuyer education, all areas of housing counseling, and a financial education initiative to help people enhance their financial skills and create positive banking relationships The opinions and views presented in this section are not the opinions or views of any of our sponsors or funders.

Special Advertising Section

We l c o m e t o O u r H o u s e | O a k Pa r k R e g i o n a l H o u s i n g C e n t e r

February 17, 2021

Reducing the Cost ofthe Homeownership Reducing Cost

of Homeownership Huntington is passionate about the growth of our communities as well as doing the right thing. This is why we are limiting our lender closing costs

Huntington is passionate about1 for the borrowers growth of our communities as well as a home in a low- to purchasing or refi nancing to $500 2 our lender closing costs doing the right thing. This is why we are limiting moderate-income area . to $5001 for borrowers purchasing or refinancing a home in a low- to 2 . REVERSE FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION moderate-income areaSEE SEE REVERSE FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Meet our staff:

SPREAD FACTS, NOT FLU. GET YOUR SHOT. SPREADFACTSNOTFLU.COM NOTFLU.COM

Wilane Boone,

Anita Bailey,

Senior Counselor, Financial Coach

Counselor, Rental and Housing

Reducing the Cost of Homeownership Kamau “Maui” Jones,

Community Engagement about the growth Specialist

Jacqueline Mota, Communications Coordinator

Huntington is passionate of our communities as well as doing the right thing. This is why we are limiting our lender closing costs to $5001 for borrowers purchasing or refinancing a home in a low- to moderate-income area2.

Sharon

SEE REVERSE FOR ADDITIONALEckhoff INFORMATION , Intake Manager Sharon has been with OPRHC in multiple capacities over the past 12 years. Currently she oversees all reception area and intake processes.

Karen Barragen, Intake Coordinator Karen works alongside Sharon answering phones, following up with clients, etc.

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We l c o m e t o O u r H o u s e | O a k Pa r k R e g i o n a l H o u s i n g C e n t e r

February 17, 2021

Special Advertising Section

How the OPRHC has Helped Client: Marcia The Oak Regional Housing Center is a life-saver for single moms. Shortly after my son was born, I found out the condo I was renting would be going on the market. A friend recommended OPRHC. A Guide provided me with listings to match exactly what I was looking for and I found my new place the same week.

It saved me time apartment hunting with a newborn and allowed me to stay close to the downtown Oak Park area I love. I can’t wait to move in to our new place. A million thanks!

Client: Javairia When Javairia came to the Oak Park Regional Housing Center for the first time, she was in desperate need of help. She loved her current apartment, but her lease was set to expire in just over a month and she was not able to renew it. To make matters worse, the pandemic was only making it more difficult to find a new apartment.

She was living in South Oak Park, knew she wanted to stay in the Village and was looking for quality assistance that wouldn’t cost her much. When she reached out to the Live in Oak Park program, she was relieved to learn that she was going to receive free assistance. She started touring studio apartments with Gretchen, the Housing Center’s Guide, who introduced Javairia to different neighborhoods of Oak Park and explained the benefits of each of them. Within the week, Javairia found a great new studio apartment in a neighborhood she found charming and felt safe in, and she was able to avoid the stress she expected from having to find a new home on short notice.

LENDER CLOSING COSTS Any Huntington mortgage product can qualify for this offer, but standard borrower qualifications, financing guidelines, and property type eligibility guidelines will apply.

Reducing the cost of homeownership is one way we are making a difference in our communities.

Ready to learn more? Let's talk.

Ahkeem Henderson Mortgage Loan Officer NMLS# 224387 5310 W Cermak Rd Cicero, IL 60804 o: (708) 466-2017 e: ahkeem.k.henderson@huntington.com www-auth.hban.us/mortgage/henderson-ahkeem 1

Applies to Huntington closing costs. Customer must still pay certain customary expenses at closing, such as charges by other parties, including but not limited to those for property taxes, transfer taxes, property insurance, flood insurance, mortgage insurance, owner’s title insurance, guarantee fees, bond fees, state revenue stamps, city revenue stamps, seller concessions or cash back to the borrower. Example loan payment calculation: $150,000 loan amount at a fixed rate of 4.99% (5.081% APR) with 0.00 rate buy-down points, 360-month term, 80% loan to value, and customer-paid closing costs of $500 results in $804.32 P&I monthly payment (payment amount does not include amounts for escrow of taxes or insurance so actual payment obligation will be greater).

2 The property must be located in one of Huntington’s assessment areas and designated as a low- or moderate-income census tract by the Federal Financial Institutions Examination Council.

All loans are subject to application and credit approval, satisfactory appraisal, and title insurance. Terms, conditions, and loan programs are subject to change without notice. Other terms, conditions, and restrictions may apply.

The Huntington National Bank is an Equal Housing Lender and Member FDIC. a®, Huntington® and aHuntington.® are federally registered service marks of Huntington Bancshares Incorporated. Welcome.℠ is a service mark of Huntington Bancshares Incorporated. ©2021 Huntington Bancshares Incorporated. NMLS ID #402436 (01/20)

It is all about the intention

“T

hat is just how Oak Park is.

Diversity is a way of being here.

It’s who we are as a community.”

My friend said this after I expressed my admiration for the continued work of the Oak Park Regional Housing Center. I was taken aback by her comment, as I know this is not just how Oak Park is. Who we are as a community has always been reliant upon people who work tirelessly to create diversity as a way of being. Since the 1970s, the Oak Park Regional Housing center has been largely responsible for proactive strategies and programs that undo discriminatory practices and actively resist the ongoing cycle of segregation.

A long-term supporter of the Housing Center, my friend identifies as a progressive.

I share these details about her to highlight a common dilemma; Whether on film or in Not-For-Profit organizations, superheroes always struggle to gain recognition, even from the people who appreciate and benefit from the results of their superheroism.

Until we understand that segregation is created and undone by continual, intentional policies and decisions, this invisibility problem will remain. Well before COVID-19 caused service delivery interruptions, we failed to honor the Housing Center staff, volunteers and stakeholders for the difference they make in our communities every single day.

Their intentional, well-executed undoing is what makes Oak Park “who we are as a community”, and this undoing is far from finished. Diversity, inclusion and equity within our communities did not, does not, and will not ever happen “naturally”. This is why I think my friend’s declaration tells an incomplete story, a common mistake of privilege. We simply do not see the people who create and implement policies

Tracey Wik, OPRHC past Board President and current Board Member which enhance our quality of life daily because they are hiding in plain sight.

The monumental struggle to maintain a new and improved status quo is rarely recognized or appreciated.

Even stay-at-home orders did not thwart staff from their important mission.

Led by the talented and indefatigable Executive Director Athena Williams, the organization was unstoppable. Seeing their work as more vital than ever, the staff enthusiastically executed strategic plans developed pre-Covid-19. These efforts paid off – more than 1000 new renters moved to Oak Park, sustaining integration through the Neighbors knowing Neighbors Program and “Affirmative Moves*”. In addition, Ms. Williams hired new talent to fill key positions, including grant manager, community engagement specialist and finance director. She worked tirelessly to procure resources which enabled each and every staff member to do their work remotely and safely.

Like other superheroes whose true identities are unknown, Housing Center staff and volunteers quietly went about their day-to-day business, positively influencing people’s lives one decision at a time. These efforts deserve more than a shout out – these community members have earned far more than our gratitude.

While recognition is important to continue staff engagement, what would have the greatest impact is to continue to do our part with financial contributions, participatory citizenship and more. What difference can you make to continue this important work? * Affirmative moves occur when a person moves to a building where their race is underrepresented.

Tracey Wik, OPRHC past Board President and current Board Member

Special Advertising Section

We l c o m e t o O u r H o u s e | O a k Pa r k R e g i o n a l H o u s i n g C e n t e r

February 17, 2021

Oak Park Regional Housing Center...By the Numbers!

The OPRHC and its two programs: Live in Oak Park and the West Cook Homeownership Center, have worked diligently throughout 2020 to meet our

community’s evolving housing needs.

While 2020 presented many challenges, we met them head-on with determination and compassion to ensure the necessary

housing services and resources to all the communities we serve.

1041 South Boulevard, Oak Park, IL 60302 • 708-848-7150 5934 W. Lake St., Chicago, IL 60644 • 773-887-5187 • www.oprhc.org Hours vary by location and season, please call ahead before you plan your visit!

The Oak Park Regional Housing Center is a 501c3 nonprofit, HUD approved agency. OPRHC is the home of: the Live in Oak Park Program, providing rental matching to affirmatively further fair housing; and the West Cook Homeownership Program, providing homebuyer education, all areas of housing counseling, and a financial education initiative to help people enhance their financial skills and create positive banking relationships The opinions and views presented in this section are not the opinions or views of any of our sponsors or funders.

14

Forest Park Review, February 17, 2021

D209 REALIGNMENT

place. We’ll do our best, but she has worked very, very hard for the couple of years she’s been here.

We’ve caught up on a lot of things. The board has seen some old invoices that have come through that we’ve finally gotten paid … So, she’s done from page 1 yeoman’s work with a high degree of excellence.”

“I want to thank you as well,” D209 board memTracy Miller, the district’s director of account- ber Della Patterson told Stark-King. “I wish you ing, resigned on Feb. 15. Henderson said she took well.”

“My family and I would like to thank the board a job closer to her home, which is nearly three for the support they’ve given us,” Stark-King said. hours from the district’s administrative offices.

Henderson’s anticipated realignPaul Starck-King, the assistant sument will be D209’s second major perintendent for finance, is retiring. central office restructuring in roughStark-King and Howard will both ly three years. The realignments are stay in their jobs until June 30. often a courtesy school boards grant During a phone interview on Feb. superintendents and typically hap15, Henderson said the adminispen with new administrations, but trators are leaving as he works on they’re not always without controimplementing a larger central office versy. realignment.

Former superintendent Jesse “I will be bringing to the board a Rodriguez’s proposed realignment recommendation to reconstitute the prompted heated debate between district and that is what’s happenboard members in 2018 about “ading,” Henderson said, adding that JAMES HENDERSON ministrative salaries and the process “some positions will stay the same D209 Superintendent for hiring and promoting administraand some will be different.” tors,” according to previous Forest He said he anticipates presenting the proposed realignment to the board after he Park Review reporting.

At the time, Rodriguez said his staff restructurhosts his upcoming town hall meetings that are ing was cost-neutral, and designed to “transform” scheduled to take place on Feb. 18 and Feb. 25.

At a regular board meeting on Feb. 9, Hender- the district and challenge the status quo.

Henderson said his staff restructuring would son praised Howard for being “a trooper” and the “voice of reason” during his six months at the realize some significant cost savings, improve the district’s organizational structure and processhelm.

Starck-King said Miller “has done tremendous es, and put the district in the position to “spend work for us” and that she’ll be “difficult to re- funds more strategically.”

Staff Restructuring

s c i t i l o All P !

L A C O is L

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D209 supt. planning community town hall meetings Remote and limited in-person attendance options available

By MICHAEL ROMAIN Staff Reporter

District 209 Supt. James Henderson is planning to host two community meetings, which he’s calling Northbound Train to Greatness Town halls.

During a recent interview, Henderson said that the town halls are designed for him to provide community members with feedback from his conversations with various stakeholders in Proviso Township.

He said he went on a listening tour just after getting hired last year and had conversations with “mayors, ministers, business leaders, state legislators, and a cadre of teachers,

principals, students and other administrators.”

The superintendent said he’ll be “speaking on themes such as trust. I heard trust a lot in my conversations.

We also talked about equity and transparency.”

The town halls will take place on Zoom on Thursday, Feb. 18 and Thursday, Feb. 25. Both will start at 6:30 p.m.

The link to join the Feb. 18 town hall is: bit.ly/TownhallFeb18. The link to join the Feb. 25 town hall is: bit.ly/TownhallFeb25.

Physical attendance during the town halls is limited. Those who want to attend in-person should contact Nicole Wilson, the district’s communications director, at: nwilson@ pths209.org, in order to reserve a seat. Face masks and face shields will be provided to all in-person participants.

ws on e n e t a d e up-to h t l l nd the a a t t e n e G m govern L A C O L ns at the o i t c your e l e LOCAL g n i m o upc HED S I B R U F RE NEW &

m o c . w e i v Re k r a P t s e For

with s e v i r h lism. t a y n c r a u r o c j o y Dem mmunit o c t n e d indepen

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Forest Park Review, February 17, 2021

D209 announces $9.1 budget cushion Facilities Master Plan work continues

By MARIA MAXHAM Editor

Due to additional funding and COVIDrelated savings, Proviso Township High School District 209 announced it started the new year with a $9.1 million budget cushion.

Paul Starck-King, assistant superintendent of finance and operations, who is retiring at the end of the school year, presented information at the January board meeting about the revenues and savings that have created this budget cushion for the district.

Additional revenues for the district include $4.9 million in federal CARES Act money and $267,000 in a digital equity grant.

Savings include $1,260,122 in salaries and benefits for positions the district isn’t filling for now; $2,578,033 in transportation; and

$130,894 in school liaison officers.

Starck-King said the CARES Act money can most likely be used for expenses already planned, since “the language we’ve seen around it so far is pretty loose.”

In a press release, D209 indicated that “despite the $4.5M hit the district took when it had to transition quickly to remote learning when the COVID-19 pandemic began,” the

district is now on a strong financial footing.

“We had to dip into our savings account when the pandemic hit and I am proud to say that we have replenished the cushion. We are thankful that [Superintendent James] Henderson and his team have been diligent in keeping the district on good financial ground during these trying times,” said D209 Board President Rodney Alexander in the press release.

Throughout the pandemic, work has continued on the Facilities Master Plan, with Phase 1, Sequence 1 projects completed at all three high schools.

At Proviso East, this

work includes culinary arts classroom renovations, a physical education field and walking track, relocation of the auto shop, new hot water storage tanks and recirculation pumps, work on the north parking lot, landscaping and stormwater management.

At Proviso West, work includes the advanced manufacturing classrooms, revamping of the north lot, field house transformation, and new hot water storage tanks and recirculation pumps.

At the Proviso Math and Science Academy works includes renovation of the parking lot, including landscaping and physical education playing fields.

Bids for contractors for the next phase of work on the Facilities Master Plan came in at $6.8M under budget, according to a representative from Gilbane at the January D209 board meeting.

According to a press release from the district, “This will allow the district to reallocate funds into instructional programs that further improve academic success.”

D209 makes big progress on health, life and safety fixes Some issues, dating back to the 1980s, finally corrected

By MARIA MAXHAM Editor

In January, D209 administration announced that the district had fixed hundreds of health and life safety (HLS) issues in the three high school buildings, some dating back to the 1980s, including all urgent items and most of the recommended fixes.

Carl Giometti, project architect from Perkins & Will, talked about life safety issues during the January board meeting.

At Proviso Math and Science Academy,

there were 85 items on the original survey, all of which will be completed in the next sequence of master facilities updates.

At East, there were 605 issues originally on the survey, and only 178 will be remaining after the next round of upgrades, largely items that will be corrected in subsequent fixes, particularly during electrical system upgrades and heating and ventilation work, Giometti said.

Giometti stressed that all urgent items have been resolved and required items will be fixed during the next phase of construction.

Board member Amanda Grant, who has served on the finance and facilities committee, pointed out how important these items are and how long some of them have been outstanding issues.

g n a H e r e in th k r a P t s e r Fo

“All the urgent items of HLS from all schools are complete,” Grant said during the meeting. “These HLS items have been with us for decades. Some have been pushed off and pushed off and pushed off since the 1980s. These are really important changes we’re making to our schools to make them safer for our students and staff.”

Grant added that waiting until phase 3 of construction to finish the outstanding items will be a money-saver for the district.

In an email, Superintendent James Henderson said, “We’re proud to be delivering on a promise to make our facilities safer for our students and staff. In the first sequence of phase 1 work of our Facilities Master Plan, we tackled more than 800 health, life and safety issues to make sure our school buildings are up to code.”

Some of these items, according to Henderson, include: • Adding horns and strobe lights to emergency fire panel evacuation controls at Proviso East and West to ensure that individuals who are visually and hearing impaired can be properly alerted when a fire alarm has sounded.

• Replacing doors in classrooms and hallways that had reached the end of their useful life.

• Installing new fire doors in the stairwells at Proviso Math and Science Academy to ensure individuals can get out of the building safely, in the event of an emergency.

• Upgrading parking lots and eliminating potholes at all three schools, decreasing danger and opportunity for injury.

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Forest Park Review, February 17, 2021

East, West boys’basketball back for first time since pandemic hit

By MICHAEL ROMAIN Staff Reporter

High school basketball is back in Proviso Township since the COVID-19 pandemic hit last March, and it’s back with a bang. Proviso East faced off against crosstown rival Proviso West in the players’ very first game in roughly a year, District 209 officials said.

Both the sophomore and varsity games took place Friday, Feb. 12, at Proviso East High School, 807 S. 1st Ave. in Maywood.

Attendance at games be capped at 50 people, which includes the players.

Nicole Wilson, D209’s communications director, said the district will live-stream games on its YouTube page.

“Our goal is to live-stream at least one game per week while in-person capacity is limited,” Wilson said.

The basketball season will only be a month-long, lasting through March 13.

There will be no state tournament, Illinois High School Sports Association (IHSA) officials said.

Late last year, the IHSA “laid out its schedule and procedures for the remainder of the school year, with seven sports now allowed to begin practicing and potentially holding competitions by the beginning of

February,” according to an NBC 5 news report.

“Announcements were also made for several early-spring sports, including football, which will allow practices to get underway on March 3. According to the IHSA, games can begin on March 19 in regions that are in Phase 4 coronavirus mitigation rules, and the season will conclude on April 24.

There will not be a postseason tournament

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Forest Park Review, February 17, 2021

OPINION O U R

V I E W

Apartments on Harrison

Y

ou have a restaurant space which has been basically abandoned for well more than a decade, the adjacent restaurant parking lot and a car repair shop. The restaurant has been a source of neighborhood frustration for its intermittent pop-up uses. And while it is not as decrepit as the about-to-bedemolished buildings at the Altenheim, the Pines property on Harrison Street is in some decay.

So we are not blue at the news that a new plan for that block is being announced. And certainly given the realities of the moment we’re not surprised or disappointed that the plan is for apartments.

Obsolete retail and dining spaces are giving way to residential development everywhere. Put it near the foot of a mass transit station at Circle Avenue and the logic only improves.

So here we are. Two weeks away from a Plan Commission meeting to initially consider a four-story, 57-unit apartment building. There are questions to be asked and time to ask them.

What zoning variances are being requested? Who is the money behind the trust making the proposal? What’s their track record as developers and landlords? What will be the price range for the apartments? Will there be affordable units? Is parking adequate — likely will need fewer spaces just feet from the Blue Line.

But just declaring it too big or out of character for the neighborhood is too simple. It’s a block from a gigantic candy factory. There is an oil company right there. An apartment facing Harrison Street is not the same as a residential side street.

The good news is that the eyesore of The Pines might be going away. New neighbors, new property taxes are positives not cause for worry. Let’s have the discussion.

Headway at Proviso schools Emblematic of the gross mismanagement of the Proviso high schools over recent decades is the enormous punch list of life safety issues lingering at the three schools. The issues have been in the many hundreds, the oldest items on the list go back to the 1980s. That’s Ronald Reagan’s era.

The crush of financial management and leadership failure allowed this list to grow and to age, putting our children — a generation of our children — at risk along with their teachers and the staff.

Now the district is taking rightful pride in systematically whittling this list well down. It is, of course, all part of the well-planned and funded Facilities Master Plan which the district has undertaken. So along with the big fixes, the hundreds of small issues are also built into the updates.

There is a ways to go as the big plan rolls out in phases.

But everyone associated with the district in recent years and currently has reason to take pride in this long-overdue accomplishment.

O

Dam ice

n my roof is pent-up ice.

Never good to let things get pent-up, not in people, not in communities, and not on the roof.

I can see the long stalactites forming along the southside of the house as my gutters are overrun with ice. A glacier on my house.

When scrolling through Facebook I saw a fellow Forest Parker had a video of her neighbor shoveling his garage roof during the first big snowstorm we had a week or two ago. Thought it was odd. Then the next day I saw a few men on a roof as I drove on Harvard shoveling their roof.

Is this a thing? I shoveled the sidewalk, all night, but really, the roof? That just seems excessive.

To emphasize my naive understanding of roofs and snow I sent a photo to the neighbor across the street from my view of the front porch. It showed the dripping snow mound that draped its winking eye, obscuring my view of the block. I thought it was cute.

See, if I understood the pent-up issues and damage that could be causing this provocative art piece on my house, I may not have been so simple. I am not proud of the fact that I found the snow and ice wonderful and beautiful, but I did.

Thankfully, a friend pointed out my household art was a danger to the core of the roof, and the expansion and contraction of water, snow and ice can create an ice dam.

I knocked off the masterpiece, and just wait as the snow falls and the layers build.

I have a linden tree in front of my house. Like most blocks in town, a variety of trees grow along the parkway and all shed leaves at different times. The linden is a special tree, its steadily dropping leaves getting the award for first and last to drop its foliage.

Those leaves land in my gutters.

So, I wait for the last warm weekend

in the year to get the gutters done.

It was the first Saturday in early December 2020 that I took out the extension ladder and went through the process of extending and retracting over and over around the house.

So, yes, the gutters were clean, on our 100-year-old house. A few years ago, we rerouted the one gutter that, and I am not kidding, directed water under the house.

With the floods of the recent years, we had to change the flow. Maybe 90 years ago directing water under the house worked because rain fall was a certain range, but the earth is a different place than it was back then and we must adapt.

So my roof has pent up water and ice and I am tossing pantyhose filled with Safe-TSalt up with fingers crossed that it releases enough pressure to prevent damage from ice dams.

I have been thinking a lot about my roof and the pent-up emotions that were the subject of an opinion by Michael Romain last week, “Thank you Illinois Legislative Black Caucus.”

Only time will tell if my roof is damaged. Only time will tell if the seven bills recently put forth will, after becoming laws, will provide tangible changes in the lives of our families, friends, neighbors and that have pent-up needs for justice, equality and equity.

JILL WAGNER

O B I T U A R Y

Blanche Scodius, 95 Former Forest Park resident Blanche M. Scodius (nee Naiser), 95, of Brookfield, formerly of Forest Park and Melrose Park, died on Feb. 8, 2021.

Born on Dec. 28, 1925, she was the wife of the late Victor; the mother of Victor (Janet), Joseph (Martha Ann), and Michael (Sharon); the grandmother of Brandon, Evan, Sara (Nicho-

las Brown), Rachel, Jack, Maxmilian, and Alexandria; and friend to many.

Visitation was held on Feb. 13 at ZimmermanHarnett Funeral Home, 7319 Madison St., Forest Park, followed by funeral Mass at St Bernardine Church, Forest Park, and interment at Mount Carmel Cemetery In lieu of flowers, donations to the Parkinson’s Foundation are appreciated.

Forest Park Review, February 17, 2021

F E B R UA RY

BLACK

HISTORY MONTH

2021 Dear OP/RF community: We, the Staff and Administration of Thrive Counseling Center believe that a statement from us about the Black Lives Matter movement is overdue and its importance is still very relevant. We want this statement and the ensuing conversation to be both meaningful and purpose-driven.

February is Black History Month which should serve to remind us that this country, our country, was built on the backs of millions of African Americans. We believe that the contributions and sacrifices of millions of African Americans deserve more than a cursory nod in the form of Black History Month once a year; we want to make it meaningful. We acknowledge and honor the contributions of the Black community and see this is an opportunity to join the conversation about the Black Lives Matter movement and how it has affected all of us.

We should never forget May 2020 when the centuries-long systemic injustices towards people of color were thrust into our collective consciousness with the death of George Floyd. We want everyone to know that conversations about what led us to this moment and what we can do to support our community of color have been happening here at Thrive.

We have formed a committee of Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC) on our staff, whose mission is to examine and address the ways in which we may have been complicit in systemic oppression and what we can and should be doing differently.

We hope to be recognized as a pioneering mental health provider in the Oak Park/River Forest community. We strive to be a provider of essential services that is aware of our responsibility to understand and support individuals and families who are struggling with the dual challenge of systemic racism and mental illness.

Thrive, like many other community-based organizations, is evaluating the shortfalls in our own individual and collective understanding of systemic racism and other forms of systemic violence.

In August we began training our clinical staff to address specific issues that people of color face and the interlocking oppressions they experience. We are continuing to research best practice models of community service where mental health treatment and social justice are treated with equal importance. We value your trust in us and pledge we will strive to earn it.

We acknowledge this pandemic has caused additional hardship on Black, Indigenous, and other people of color and want the community to know that our agency is here for you.

Black Lives Matter. We know it to be true.

Please give us a call, we are here to help.

HOPE

RESILIENCE

R EC OV E RY

120 South Marion Street, Oak Park, IL 60302 • (708) 383-7500 • www.thrivecc.org

19

20

Forest Park Review, February 17, 2021

JOIN THE FARMINGTON TEAM Since the 1930s, our families have been dedicated to Chicago’s meat industry. And for more than 49 years, we’ve been proud to call Forest Park our home at Franklin and Circle Streets. Just as it was when our company was founded so many years ago, we remain committed to doing what is best for our employees, our customers, and our community.

MORE THAN 49 YEARS IN FOREST PARK Farmington Foods specializes in delicious, center-of-the-plate meat and poultry products for retailers and foodservice operators alike. Look for our Big Shoulders Smokehouse products in grocery stores across the country!

WE'RE HIRING NOW! If you’re interested in joining our team, please call Farmington Foods human resources today!

(708) 771-3600 Ext# 2069

Visit our websites at FarmingtonFoods.com and BigShouldersBBQ.com 7419 West Franklin Street, Forest Park, IL 60130

Forest Park Review, February 17, 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

21

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

CITY RENTALS 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.

YOUTH DEVELOPMENT SPECIALIST HEPHZIBAH CHILDREN’S ASSOCIATION PART TIME POSITIONS AVAILABLE The program will follow the safety Hephzibah Children’s Association guidelines of the IDPH regarding is a renowned social service agenface masks, social distancing and cy in Oak Park, IL that has been cleaning & disinfecting. helping children thrive and families Requirements include: flourish through innovative community-based programs.

• Minimum of 6 semester hours in education, recreation, social work, The Day Care Program is accepting or related college courses applications for February – June, • Experience working with children 2021 school year. We seek individuals to provide care and supervision If you are interested please contact: of 5-11-year-old children. Positions are Monday through Friday from Amy O’Rourke, Director of Day Care by email at: 12:15 – 6:00 pm. aorrouke@hephzibahhome.org include letter of interest and resume.

Responsibilities include assisting with and monitoring e-learning, suHephzibah Children’s Association is pervising arts and crafts, activities, an equal opportunity employer. We sports, group games, and indoor welcome qualified applicants from and outdoor play, lunch and snack, all backgrounds to apply. We value, and homework help. advocate for and support diversity throughout our organization. We The program begins in February embrace a respectful, multicultural, and will be in Oak Park, IL serving environment for employees and the 5-11-year-old (K-5th grade) chilclients we serve. dren.

HELP WANTED DEPUTY FIRE CHIEF OF EMS & INFECTIOUS DISEASE The Village of Oak Park is seeking qualified candidates for the position of Deputy Fire Chief of EMS & Infectious Disease in the Fire Department. This position will direct, manage, supervise, and coordinate the programs and activities of the Fire Department’s Emergency Medical Services and Infectious Disease Division; to coordinate assigned activities with other Village departments, divisions, and outside agencies; and to provide highly responsible and complex administrative support to the Fire Chief and Public Health Director when assigned. Applicants are encouraged to visit the Village of Oak Park’s website at http://www. oak-park.us/jobs. First review of applications will be February 21, 2021.

FIRE MARSHALL The Village of Oak Park is seeking qualified candidates for the position of Fire Marshal with the Oak Park Fire Department This position will manage, supervise, and coordinate the activities and operations of the Fire Prevention Bureau. Asist in the development, implementation, and coordination of various programs within the Bureau. Applicants are encouraged to visit the Village of Oak Park’s website at http://www. oak-park.us/jobs. First review of applications will be February 26, 2021.

SENIOR SERVICES SENIOR SERVICES At We All Care Home Care Agency we offer in home care services in senior. We make sure you or your family member safe and comfortable in their home. We assistant with cooking, cleaning, transportation, assistant with vitals, Medication reminder and much more. Feel free to call 773-827-4543 Lost & Found, Items for Sale, and To Be Given Away ads run free in Wednesday Classified. To place your ad, call 708-613-3342

OFFICE & RETAIL SPACE FOR RENT RIVER FOREST–7777 Lake St. * 1116 sq. ft. * 1400 sq. ft. Dental Office RIVER FOREST–7756 Madison St. * 960 sq. ft.

OAK PARK–6142-44 Roosevelt Rd. * 3 & 5 room office suites FOREST PARK–7736 Madison St. *2500 sq. ft. unit Strand & & Browne Strand Browne 708-488-0011 708-488-0011

SUBURBAN RENTALS

WANTED TO BUY

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

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

SUBURBAN RENTALS

SUBURBAN RENTALS

STUDIOS, 1, 2 & 3 BR Best Selection & Service

OAK PARK & FOREST PARK

708-386-7355

MMpropMgmt.com

ELECTRICAL Ceiling Fans Installed

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

CEMETERY PLOTS

HANDYMAN

4 FOREST HOME CEMETERY PLOTS 4 Forest Home cemetery plots available together or separately. Easy access and exit, in desirable Garden Sec. 61, Lot 342-A spaces 1,2,3,4. $1650 each, transfer costs not included.

Call 847-468-0013 and leave message

HANDYMAN

PETS

HAULING

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

FLOORS KLIS FLOORING INC.

Apartment listings updated daily at:

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

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

HANDYMAN Mike’s Home Repair 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.

FOUND PET BLACK CAT Black cat in River Forest, along Chicago Ave, between Ashland and Park.

Please contact 708-366-8880

ELECTRICAL

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

708-296-2060

CURT'S HANDYMAN SERVICE Drywall Repair • Painting Fans Installed • Carpentry Trim Gutter Cleaning • Window Repair

FREE ESTIMATES Excellent References No Job Too Small

708-488-9411

Roofing Repairs Concrete Repairs • Drywall All types of handiwork Call For Free Estimates

773-637-0692 Ask for John

BASEMENT CLEANING

Appliances & Furniture Removal Pickup & Delivery.

708-848-9404

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

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

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 PUBLIC NOTICE Cellco Partnership and its controlled affiliates doing business as Verizon Wireless (Verizon Wireless) is proposing to build an approximately 33foot replacement light pole telecommunications facility in the vicinity of 7234 Circle Avenue, Forest Park, Cook County, Illinois 60130. Public comments regarding potential effects from this site on historic properties may be submitted within 30 days from the date of this publication to: Project 6121000731 - JR c/o EBI Consulting, 6876 Susquehanna Trail South, York, PA 17403, jrobinson@ ebiconsulting.com, or via telephone at (240) 357-0091 Published in Forest Park Review 2/17/2021

FREE SERVICE CALL WITH REPAIR AND SENIOR/VETERAN DISCOUNT.

708-785-2619 or 773-585-5000

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

PUBLIC NOTICES LEGAL NOTICE INVITATION TO BID ASBESTOS CONSULTING SERVICES The Board of Education of Oak Park Elementary School District #97 will receive sealed Asbestos Consulting Service bids at the Administrative Office located at 260 West Madison Street – Oak Park, IL, (60302), until 1:00 p.m. on Wednesday March 3rd, 2021. At this time sealed bids will be publicly opened and read.

Copies of specifications may be secured at the Oak Park Elementary School District #97 District Office, 260 Madison Street, Oak Park, IL 60302. Cut-off date for picking up scope of services is 4:00 pm, February 24th, 2021.

Bids mailed or delivered shall be marked to the attention of: Ms. Jeanne Keane Oak Park School District 97 260 Madison Street Oak Park, Illinois 60302 The front of the envelope should be clearly marked “ASBESTOS CONSULTING SERVICES”. Additional information may be obtained by contacting Ms. Keane at (708)524-3125 or jkeane@op97.org Bid Due Date: Wednesday March 3rd, 2021 at 1:00 P.M. Only those bids complying with the provision and specification of the bid will be considered. The Board of Education reserves the right to waive any informalities, qualification or irregularities and/or reject any or all bids, when in its opinion, such action will serve the best interest of the Board of Education of Oak Park Elementary School District 97.

Sheryl Marinier Board Secretary Published in Wednesday Journal Februaryv 17, 2021

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: Y21005947 on February 8, 2021 Under the Assumed Business Name of GUERRERO DESIGN with the business located at 1 E. ERIE STREET SUITE 525-2263, CHICAGO, IL 60611. The true and real full name(s) and residence address of the owner(s)/partner(s) is: JULIO C GUERRERO JR. 2322 LARKIN STREET SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94109, USA. Published in Wednesday Journal 2/10, 2/17, 2/24/2021

Attention! Homeimprovement pros!

Reach the people making the decisions – your target demographic.

Place an ad in Wednesday Classifieds!

Call 708/613-3342

Starting a New Business?

Call the experts before you place your legal ad!

Publish your assumed name legal notice here!

Call Mary Ellen for details: 708/613-3342

22

Forest Park Review, February 17, 2021

CLASSIFIED

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

Let the sun shine in...

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

local employees... happy employees!

NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING VILLAGE OF OAK PARK PLAN COMMISSION DOCKET NUMBER: PC 21-02 & 21-03 (Zoning Ordinance Text Amendment and Special Use Permit) HEARING DATE: March 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 March 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 crossexamination 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 web-conference 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 ADDRESS: 1114 Madison Street, Oak Park, IL 60302 ZONING DISTRICT: MS – Madison Street Zoning District LEGAL DESCRIPTION: LOT 7 IN SUBDIVISION OF LOTS 65 TO 68 AND 71 AND 72 AND ALLEY BETWEEN SAID LOTS IN SCOVILLE AND NILES SUBDIVISION OF BLOCK 5 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

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 February 17, 2021

PUBLIC NOTICE OF COURT DATE FOR REQUEST FOR NAME CHANGE

PUBLIC NOTICE OF COURT DATE FOR REQUEST FOR NAME CHANGE

STATE OF ILLINOIS, CIRCUIT COURT COOK COUNTY.

STATE OF ILLINOIS, CIRCUIT COURT COOK COUNTY.

Request of KEVIN KHANG DINH Case Number 20214000570

Request of WILLIAM DEWAYNE LEONE Case Number 20214000561

There will be a court date on my Request to change my name from: KEVIN KHANG DINH to the new name of: KEVIN KHANG LEODINH

There will be a court date on my Request to change my name from: WILLIAM DEWAYNE LEONE to the new name of: WILLIAM DEWAYNE LEODINH

The court date will be held: On APRIL 13, 2021 at 9:30AM at DISTRICT 4 COURT MAYWOOD, COOK COUNTY in Courtroom # 0112

The court date will be held: On APRIL 13, 2021 at 9:30AM at DISTRICT 4 COURT MAYWOOD, COOK COUNTY in Courtroom # 0112

Published in RBLandmark 2/17, 2/24, 3/3/2021

Published in RBLandmark 2/17, 2/24, 3/3/2021

Illinois Classified Advertising Network WANTED

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COOK COUNTY, ILLINOIS. P.I.N.: 16-07-322-022-0000 PETITIONER: Kim Rasmussen, 133 S. Scoville Avenue, Oak Park, IL 60302 PROPERTY OWNER: Timothy Rasmussen, 133 S. Scoville Avenue, Oak Park, IL 60302 REQUEST: The Petitioner is requesting 1.) a text amendment to Article 8 (“Uses”), Section 8.3 (“Use Restrictions”), Table 8-1 (“Use Matrix) of the Oak Park Zoning Ordinance, by adding “Live/Work Dwelling” as a Special Use (“S”) within the “Use” column for the MS – Madison Street Zoning District, and 2.) a Special Use Permit to allow live/work dwelling within the MS-Madison Street Zoning District at 1114 Madison Street (P.I.N. 1607-322-022-0000).

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 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 March 11, 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 high-

Place an ad on Wednesday Classified’s Local Online Job Board.

Go to

REAL ESTATE FOR SALE

REAL ESTATE FOR SALE

REAL ESTATE FOR SALE

REAL ESTATE FOR SALE

est 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 I3163568

in the above cause on December 17, 2019, an agent for The Judicial Sales Corporation, will at 10:30 AM on March 25, 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 1226 N AUSTIN BLVD, OAK PARK, IL 60302 Property Index No. 16-05-127-0270000 The real estate is improved with a multi-family residence.

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. 14-19-06429 Attorney ARDC No. 00468002 Attorney Code. 21762 Case Number: 2019CH08452 TJSC#: 41-167 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 # 2019CH08452 I3164170

IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF COOK COUNTY, ILLINOIS COUNTY DEPARTMENT CHANCERY DIVISION QUICKEN LOANS INC. Plaintiff, -v.DRIKO DUCASSE, UNKNOWN OWNERS AND NONRECORD CLAIMANTS Defendants 2019CH08452 1226 N AUSTIN BLVD OAK PARK, IL 60302 NOTICE OF SALE PUBLIC NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale entered

P

Forest Park Review, February 17, 2021

INC., REALTOR

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

SOLD!

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

1028 Beloit Forest Park ....................$289,000

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!

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.

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!

YOUR SOURCE FOR NEW AND USED MILITARY SURPLUS ITEMS AS WELL AS LAW ENFORCEMENT & SECURITY GEAR.

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!

The New Year brings New Beginnings.

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Forest Park Review, February 17, 2021

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

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