Forest Park Review 030624

Casa Humilde comes to Forest Park

Brothers Javier and Jose Lopez journey from homebrewing to opening their rst independent restaurant

By JESSICA MORDACQ Staff Reporter

In the summer of 2015, brothers Javier and Jose Lopez started brewing beer out of their childhood home in Chicago’s Hermosa neighborhood.

T he decade before that, Jose had managed a b and and wo rked in f ood servic e. Javier was an IBEW Loc al 134 electrician with a p assion for craft beer. Both we re looking for something ne w, so they b ought a stove - top brewing kit for $600 and started making b eer as Casa Humild e.

As Javier and Jose started offering their beer at ar t shows and festivals, plus catering at back yard parties and pig roasts, they invested another $30,000 into their at-home operation. In 2019, the brothers joined District Brew Yards, a collective of breweries that opened a beer hall that year in Chicago and added a Wheeling location in 2022.

See HUMILDE on pa ge 3

&

free live music performances inside 13 local restaurants with the option to order from the host restaurant’s menu.

Music Lineup

Barry Winograd Duo

Tony Richards

Suenos Latin Jazz

Chris Greene Quartet

Crystal Rebone Duo

Neal Alger Brazilian Trio

Abigail Riccards Quartet

The New Deal

Maddie Vogler Duo

Mason Jiller

Paul Abella Trio

Kyle Asche Organ Trio

Tony Do Rosario Duo

Juli Wood Trio

Rene Avila Afro-Cuban Quartet

Chuck Webb and Guru Tonic

Casey Nelson & Christy Bennett

Erik Skov Duo

Almee Gwen Duo

Presented by Downtown Oak Park Business Alliance in partnership with 90.9 WDCB “Chicago’s Home for Jazz!”

For the full schedule go to downtownoakpark.net/event/jazz-thaw

Join us Sunday, March 31st for our popular Easter Brunch! Attendees will enjoy the delicious menu below along with a complimentary Mimosa! (Must be 21+ to consume alcohol)

Appetizers

Shrimp Cocktail, Baked Clams, Fried Calamari, Focaccia Bread, Easter Calzone

Breakfast

Assorted Egg Frittata, Ham on the Bone, Country Style Potatoes,Bacon, Belgian Waffles

Salads

Garden Tossed Salad, Jim & Pete’s Tortellini Pasta Salad

Entrees

Easter Ham, Sausage Giambotta, Boneless Lemon Chicken, Mediterranean White Fish, Chicken Fingers

Pasta & Risotto

Rigatoni Vodka, Risotto Primavera, Elbow Macaroni and Cheese, Sides, Fried Eggplant, Mashed Potatoes, Assorted Grilled Vegetables

Dessert

Fresh Fruit and Assorted Pastries

Beverages

HUMILDE

Brewery brothers from page 1

But the Lope z es we re always looking to start thei r own brewer y.

By June, Javier and Jose Lopez will open Casa Humilde at 7700 Madison Street to sell their beer, plus cocktails, wine and food. Before opening, the property will undergo a cosmetic change and the brothers will secure federal, state and local liquor licenses, which can take a few months

“We’ve been looking for our location for a while, for years now,” Javier said. “When we saw this opportunity come up, we went to look at the space, and we thought it was a good fit for us.”

Not only is Forest Park a central location between the city and the suburbs, right of f the highway, but Casa Humilde is also taking over the space of Exit Strategy Brewing, which closed in October 2023, so the brewery and kitchen were already built.

“What I have learned in the last three, four months is that

the brewing industry itself has some challenges. People are drinking less craft beer,” said David King, president of real estate firm David King & Associates in Oak Park. “You have to be more than a craft brewer to be successful today.”

While Casa Humilde will offer up to a dozen beers on tap — like Maizal, their top-selling, Mexican-style lager — it will also sell ciders, seltzers, cocktails and a variety of wines, highlighting those from Mexico. For the last two years, Javier and Jose have also operated Casa Humilde Coffee Roasters, processing beans from Mexico.

“The focus is still going to be the beer, but we also want to have options for people who don’t drink beer,” Javier said.

“We’ re a brewery, but above all, we consider ourselves

more of a beverage company,” Jose added. “We want it to be a space as if you were coming into our home.” To emphasize that element of hospitality, Casa Humilde will also serve food, which they didn’t sell at District Brew Yards.

“The main focus of the kitchen is going to be maize,” or corn, Javier said. Maize will be cleaned, soaked, milled and cooked to make from-scratch tortillas for entrees like tetelas, thick tortilla triangles filled with beans and cheese, topped with sour cream.

Casa Humilde’s kitchen will also cook al pastor on a spit and incorporate beer and coffee into some of their desserts. The brothers are finalizing hours and hoping to be open for dinner around 4 to 10 p.m., and earlier for brunch on the weekends.

King said that Exit Strategy Brewing stopped selling food six months or a year before it shuttered, a factor he believed contributed to its closure.

Katherine Valleau, who opened Exit Strategy Brewing with her husband, said that time frame is false, and cutting food service did not contribute to her business closing.

Rather, she largely credits supply chain issues and inflation post-pandemic.

“The beer industry is changing, consumership is changing, market share is changing,” Valleau said. “That’s what drove the decision. It was data-infor med,” in addition to doing what was best for her and her husband’s mental and emotional health.

“Do you keep pushing the boulder up the hill? Or do you have to say, ‘All right, we got this boulder as far up this hill as we possibly can, but there are now forces working against us that are out of our control,’” Valleau added.

After Exit Strategy Brewing moved out, King said he released the building in three months.

“That’s fast, and I would not suggest that’s fast because David King is a good salesman, I would suggest it is a result of where Forest Park is today. Businesses see us as a great community, and they want to be a part of it,” King said. “In the last five years, in the Village of Forest Park, specifically Madison Street, 75-to-80% of the new businesses that have come to town have been an upgrade from what previously was there.”

Javier and Jose Lopez plan to bring even more people to Forest Park by hosting live music and featuring local artwork on Casa Humilde’s patio, which can fit up to 150 people

Before opening in Forest Park, Casa Humilde sponsored podcasts and interviewed local Mexican and Latin musicians. The past two years, the brothers have hosted Casa Humilde Fest, a live music event in Joliet, gar nering over 1,300 attendees.

“We’ve kind of built our brand around that,” Jose said. “For us, it’s beer, good food, good people and music. You can’t go wrong, it’s always a good time.”

CHUY REYES

Jav ier and Jose Lopez

BIG WEEK March 6-13

Na tive Gardening: Why, What, How, Where & When

Thursday, March 7, 6:30 - 8 p.m., Forest Park Public Library-Austin Room

If you’re hearing a lot of buzz about going native in your home garden, you’re not alone. Increasing numbers of ora-friendly folks are adding native plants to their landscapes and for good reason. Whether you are already on board or curious, this program o ers inspiration, insight, many reasons, and many resources on native planting for the home gardener. 7555 Jackson Blvd., Forest Park.

Saturday Smash

Saturday, March 9, 2 - 4 p.m., Forest Park Public Library-Young Adult Lounge

Drop by the Young Adult Lounge for some Smash Bros, Mario Kart, and other Switch gaming. Bring your own Switch to link up. 7555 Jackson Blvd., Forest Park.

Black Joe Lewis & The Honeybears

Thursday, March 7, 6:30 – 10:30 p.m., Rober t’s Westside

Rober t’s Westside Presents Black Joe Lewis & The Honeybears with Shane Guerrete. Advance general admission tickets are available for $22 plus service fees, while day-of-show general admission tickets will be $25 plus service fees. 7321 Madison St., Forest Park.

‘Jane Eyre’ by Charlotte Bronte: Forest Park Theatre Reading Series

Thursday, March 7, 7 – 9 p.m., American Legion

Polly Teale’s bold adaptation of Charlotte Bronte’s great novel splits Jane into two selves, the sensible, frozen Victorian girl, and the passionate and sensual woman looked away to sur vive. This version of Jane Eyre, developed by England’s Shared Experience, has played successfully across the world. 500 Circle Ave., Forest Park.

French brasserie with wine

Thursday, March 7, 6:30 p.m., Table and Lain

Step into the charming world of French brasseries and uncover the secrets of crafting exquisite dishes that capture the essence of Parisian culinary e. Join a captivating “Brasserie Bites” cooking class, where you’ll learn to create classic brasserie fare with a modern twist. To add to the ambiance, will be serving French wine with dinner. 7322 Madison St., Forest Park.

Celebrate Women Leaders in Forest Park

Friday, March 8, 6 – 8 p.m., Foundry/FP

Mingle with women leaders from Forest Park while raising money for Sarah’s Inn domestic violence agency. 7503 Madison St., Forest Park.

The Transference EP Release Show

Friday, March 8, 6:30 – 10:30 p.m., Rober t’s Westside

Rober t’s Westside is hosting “The Transference” EP Release Concert featuring performances by the Kyle Downs Trio and Jeannie Rak. Doors open at 6:30 p.m., with the music star ting at 7:30 p.m. 7321 Madison St., Forest Park

Make your own squishy/plushie

Tuesday, March 12, 4 - 5 p.m., Forest Park Public Library - YS Program Room

Make your own simple felt plushie/squishy toy using felt, thread, needles, markers, and cotton. Designed for ages 8 to 10. 7555 Jackson Blvd., Forest Park.

Union pickets outside Parkway Dispensar y, says wages aren’t enough

e Mid-America Carpenters Regional Council protests how much the dispensary is paying non-union workers

By JESSICA MORDACQ Staff Reporter

Three members of the Mid-America Carpenters Re gional Council union stood outside Doc Ryan’s old property on Madison Street Tuesday, picketing against the wages that those working on the building are getting paid.

They held a banner that read “Worker ex-

ploitation is not social equity!”

T he c onstruction wo rkers renovating the building are not pa rt of the M idA merica Ca rp enters Re gional C ouncil union, wh ich re presents over 50,000 wo rkers in I llinoi s, Missouri, K ansas and E aster n Iowa.

The purpose of the banner, according to Phil Davidson, communications director for the union, was to “let the public know when there are companies, in this case Parkway, that are hiring contractors that pay below the area’s standard wages that we fight for.”

Advocating for these wages helps provide a livable wage for workers in the construction trade, he said.

T he M id-America Ca rp enters Re gional C ouncil ’s wages are $52.01 an hour, wh at Davidson said is the “going rate” fo r union ca rp enter c ontractor s. He a dde d that he didn’t know wh at Parkway Dis-

p ensary is paying their c ontracted c onstruction wo rker s.

The property is in the process of becoming one of Parkway Dispensary’s first locations (there’s one in Tilton, and locations opening in Brookfield and Fox Lake early this year). It will also be Forest Park’s first dispensary, if it opens before the Bloc Dispensary that’s slated to re place the CVS on Harlem Avenue.

An often-cited argument against paying higher wages is that the cost is often passed on to the consumer.

The 1937 Group, the Chicago-based grower and seller that distributes cannabis to Parkway Dispensary, did not respond to multiple requests for comment.

“We don’t think it’s fair because it’s essentially undercutting the middle class,” Davidson said. By picketing to raise awareness for this, he added, the Mid-America Carpenters Re gional Council can lift up

all construction workers, even those who aren’t members of the union.

He pointed to the United Auto Workers strike against General Motors, Ford and Stellantis that went on late last year. Soon after the Big Three automakers ag reed to raise United Auto Workers wages, other manufacturers, like Toyota and Hyundai, followed suit.

According to Davidson, Mid-America Carpenters Re gional Council has often investigated contractors who claim to pay what the union considers a standard wage, only to discover they aren’t keeping true to that promise.

“We will actually go negotiate settlements on behalf of the non-union carpenters who are getting cheated on their money,” he said. In “making sure that companies pay those good living wages, it lifts up everybody, it’s not only union carpenters.”

Patty melt, the All-American hamburger

By DAVID HAMMOND Oak Park Eats Blogger

The origin of the hamburger is in dispute: perhaps grilled ground beef in a bun was first served stateside by F letcher Davis in his Texas diner — or maybe, as the name implies, it was first served in Hamburg, Ger many.

The origin of the patty melt, however, is somewhat better documented, with most sources agreeing that the hamburger patty (or patties) with cheese, served in rye bread slices rather than a bun, first appeared on menus in 1940s California at onymous restaurants.

Having bread slices stand in for a bun may seem a little, um, lowrent, but at Submarine Tender, the bread used is a good rye, g riddled crisp, with caraway seeds, for slight spiciness. The hamburger bun, on the other hand, serves the strictly functional role of enabling you to hold the hamburger while you eat it, but unless it’s a truly good bun (a rarity) the usually squishy white bread adds next to nothing to the flavor. The delicious patty melt at Submarine Tender has so much flavor, it doesn’t need mustard, ketchup, relish, whatever: it’s good straight-up, with only a dollop of g riddled onions, which adds a slightly sweet note to the sandwich.

sandwich, the flavors are more discernible.

As re ported in a 2020 issue of Scientific American: “Our sense of taste is more sensitive to warm food than to cold food.” No argument there.

Melted cheese is almost always better than un-melted cheese. I never buy American cheese (rubbery, one-dimensional), but I concur with Ralph Fiennes, the monomaniacal chef in “The Menu,” who declared, “American cheese is the best cheese for a cheeseburger because it melts without splitting.” True, true …

And yet … apparently Swiss cheese was in a patty

Submarine Tender’s patty melt uses two thin patties with cheese on both the top and bottom bread slices.

The re gular Submarine Tender sub sandwich is a decent bite, but compared with the patty melt, it’s clearly an also-ran. The ing redients — “assorted cold cuts,” a slice of cool cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, etc. — were fine, but the flavors did not merge in any significant way.

The patty melt is war m, and a warm sandwich is usually better than a cold

eat dinner sandwiches go, it

is hard to beat the patty melt: ground beef, Swiss cheese and caramelized onions griddled on rye bread until they become a crisp, oozing package of salty-sweet delight.”

Such praise was echoed by Ed Levin in Serious Eats, who wrote that patty melts “are one of the truly great underappreciated sandwich creations of all time. No one thinks about them. They haven’t gotten their due!”

If you haven’t already, now’s the time to begin giving patty melts their due. You can start at Submarine Tender, but you’ll also find them on the menus at Cozy Corner, George’s Restaurant, and other comfy, unpretentious local spots.

The village’s rst tree trimming program is underway

e partially grant-funded e ort has implemented the inventory, maintenance and removal of Forest Park trees

By JESSICA MORDACQ Staff Reporter

maintained and village w the street or

ing taken care of,” Stella said.

While healthy trees fight climate change and provide shade, those with low-hanging canopies and branches can damage vehicles and, during storms, create debris that becomes hazardous.

When inventory started in the spring of 2022, the public works and arborists from the Great Lakes Urban Forestry Management visited all 3,335 trees on the parkways of village property — plus 18 stumps and 392 planting spaces — measured their size and determined each one’s species, age and condition.

works will continue keeping tabs on the trees to see if any have degraded since they first took inventory, and Stella said he plans to take stock of all Forest Park’s trees again.

Until then, efforts will focus on enhancing existing trees and, in the 392 inventoried spaces, planting new ones, which happens every fall and spring.

Friday, the public works announced that it’s time for Forest Park residents to request trees on parkways that have open plots. Up to

25 of those who reach out can choose a tree from Doty Nurseries in Maple Park — though it can’t be a maple tree.

While Forest Park’s inventory of 3,335 trees revealed there are 71 tree species in the village, around 51% of the trees are maple, a percentage that’s far too high to support local arbor biodiversity.

“I have been specifying, since we have an overabundance of maples, I’m laying off maples for a while,” Stella said.

Two or three staff members in the public works’ in-house forestry department also went out for tree trimming “whenever we had chances to do it” with “outdated” equipment, said Sal Stella, director of public works.

But that changed in 2021, when the village received a matching grant of around $9,000 from the Illinois Department of Natural Resources to help finance the Urban Forestry Management Plan. This plan funded the inventory of 3,335 trees by the public works’ Geographic Information System and the creation of an outline for how to maintain them, and plant more, over the next decade or so

“When I got on as director three years ago, one of my main things that I wanted to do was to make sure that all these trees were be-

in the substantial risk category

them were silver maples.

“They are prone to be trees that, in their prime, looked nice, and that’s why a lot of them were planted. But when they show their age, they start to hollow from within,” Stella said. “That’s why they’re the ones that fall all the time, they become very brittle.”

While a majority of the remaining trees had no observed risk, another 124 had elevated risk, 91 which require pruning and 27 that need to be removed.

Davis Tree Care is trimming and tending to the 124 trees, covering three or four blocks every Friday, over the next three to five years.

Stella updates the Geographic Information System regularly, accounting for every tree that is taken down.

Davis Tree Care and the village’s public

Workers from Dav is Tree Care load tree prunings into a wood chipper on the 1100 block of Marengo Avenue.

Forest Park celebrates women leaders

Mingle with women leaders in a fundraiser

for Sarah’s Inn on International Women’s Day

By HECTOR CERVANTES Contributing Reporter

Forest Park is gearing up to pa y tribute to the accomplishments of women spanning sectors in honor of International Women’s Day while serving as a fundraiser for Sarah’s Inn.

Scheduled for 6 p.m. Friday at Foundtry/ FP, “Celebrate Women Leaders in Forest Park” is an evening dedicated to honoring female trailblazers in business, not-for-profit organizations, and public service. Attendees will have the opportunity to connect with influential female leaders while enjoying a selection of food and beverages courtesy of Zesty Catering.

The committee comprises several notable individuals from Forest Park, including

Forest Park commissioner Michelle MelinRogovin, and Historical Society of Forest Park Executive Director Alexis Ellers. Joining them, too, are Angela Hart, the proprietor of Let’s Play Work, Rachell Entler, who serves as village administrator, and Monique Cotton Yancy, a member of the FPS91 School board.

Additionally, the committee includes Kate Webster, a consultant specializing in culture change, Esthela Gonzale z, the manager at Shanahan’s, and Michelle Woehrle, President of 209 Scholarship. Lauren Burjan is a real estate broker for @properties, while Dr. Elizabeth Alvare z holds the position of Superintendent at FPSD91. Forest Park based chef Ashley Simone is also a member of the committee

The event, according to Hart, is a nopressure environment where you can mingle with people without feeling overwhelmed by business talk

“I am a new business owner; I have only been open for a year. Meeting people, providing emotional support, and sharing knowledge are essential aspects of our jour ney, and I have extended these efforts to others, fostering a network that continues to grow,” she said.

According to Melin-Rogovin, this event welcomes all participants and emphasizes interactions and discussions among attendees, which differs from many other events where speeches dominate. It offers a relaxed atmosphere specifically geared towards engaging in conversations and building connections.

A suggested $25 donation is part of the event for the fundraiser for Sarah’s Inn. Melin-Rogovin states the sponsorships for the are cover the cost of the event and direct ticket prices cover the cost for the donations to Sarah’s inn.

“I think everyone appreciates Sarah’s Inn mission and the fact they are a local Forest Park business and people know who they are and they do good work for our community,”Hart said.

Living Fresh Market in Forest Park is offering an gift basket giveaway worth $250. Everyone will have the chance to place their ticket in a bowl and someone will have the opportunity to win that prize.

When asked how do you envision the impact of this event extending beyond just Inter national Women’s Day and continuing to support and empower women in the community, Melin-Rogovin responded with

having the ability to identify women led businesses and organizations in Forest Park.

“One idea is to identify women-led businesses and organizations in Forest Park by making window clings available for placement on the door of each business that are on the chamber list and providing training for delivering a pitch would be helpful. Collaborating with existing organizations to facilitate some of these activities and enhance communication skills would also be beneficial,” Melin-Rogovin said.

Celebrate Women Leaders in Forest Park serves as an opportunity to gather the leading voices in the community, who are women, together in one space. Melin-Rogovin said that there are very few opportunities to do this because the women in the community who are making things happen are so busy and there is often not enough time to say hello and meet each other

“Everyone can celebrate women leaders. Last year, we had about 50 people attend, and this event has already sparked a lot of interest and excitement. We expect it to be bigger and better this year, fostering connections with businesses that will persist throughout the year,” Melin-Rogovin said.

28th annual St. Patrick ’s Day parade attracts thousands

With more than 80 groups in the parade this year’s festivities wen o without a hitch

By JESSICA MORDACQ Staff Reporter

Nearly 10,000 spectators lined Madison Street, Saturday afternoon from Van Buren Street to Elgin Avenue, many of them dren with outstretched arms, holding bags to be filled with candy and any other items tha marchers tossed their way.

Although there were a few gaps during the parade, more than 80 groups walked the route or rode down the street in deck out cars and floats, including village fire trucks, a District 91 school bus coated with green fringe, and the Medinah Shriners riding their chopper motorcycles and miniature 57 Chevys

Even some larger name corporations joined in on the fun. Jimmy Johns passed out bags of their signature chips, and a lime green Ford Mustang car ried McDonalds’ Hamburglar and Grimace, new to this year’s parade

Other participants included local organizations, businesses and bands — from Band of Brothers playing their bagpipes to the Proviso Marching Band.

While the Chamber of Commerce organized Forest Park’s 28th parade, dozens of other supporters helped. In addition to those who contributed with their time and talent, the parade’s title sponsors included the village, O’Sullivan’s Public House, Ironworkers Local 1 and Laborers’ International Union of North America Local One, Rework Office Furniture and Speaker Emanuel ‘Chris’ Welch.

Photos by TODD BANNOR

Going green in multi-family buildings

Forest Park’s e G shows us how it’s don

By LACEY SIKORA Contributing Reporter

In Forest Park, a condominium development is proving that it’s possible to li green in a multi-family building.

The board and residents are together to back new sustainability measures that they think can be applied to other buildings in the area.

David Gulyas, The Grove resident and a member of the Village’s Environmental Control Commission, said that he and his wife Carol brought a desire to inco rate green practice with them when they bought their condo at The Grov years ago.

“I’ve been involved in sustainable design for quite a while,” he said. “We an LEED certified home in Bloomington where we lived for 10 years.”

When the couple moved back to the Chicago suburbs to be closer to aging Gulyas brought his can-do attitude to their new building. As he describes it, “The Grove is not really old, but not really ne

Built in 2007, the building was in good shape, but Gulyas saw areas that we for improvement.

His first step was to investigate electric car charging for residents. “I got an electrical engineer to install an electrical pathway so all residents could install an electric car charger,” he said.

He then turned his attention to other ways residents c ould practice sustainable living.

While he might have kick-star ted the changes, Gulyas quickly credited others for helping the movement get of f the ground.

“We are just so lucky to know someone like Mark Burger,” he said. “Also, our building manager Tim Davis made the process easy, and the condo board was very open to these initiatives.”

Burger, a solar consultant with Oak Park-based Seven Generations Ahead, helped the group decarbonize the building’s common areas. After exploring their options, they found that community solar made the most sense for The Grove. This al-

e Grove

lows the building to source its energy from an Illinois solar farm without having to install solar panels.

For a single-family house, the move to go with solar panels is relatively straight forward. Bigger electricity users — those using 1 million kilowatts- can make special arrangements, but Burger said condominiums like T he Grove are sort of a “middle market.”

“The condominium building might use 100,000-200,000 kilowatt hours per year. They’re big but they don’t quite have the economy of scale,” he said.

He said SGA can help a condo board

wade through the choices and financial implications of different plans. Burger notes that Seven Generations Ahead does not make or sell products.

“We’ re not the developers, we’re the hand holders,” he said.

Working with the board at The Grove, Burger suggested a specific community solar provider, and the board researched that option and other companies to make sure they were getting the best deal. At the end, they chose Burger’s suggested provider, Solstice, and expect to see electricity bills that are 10-20% lower.

The Grove is also retrofitting older win-

dows to make them more energy efficient. Gulyas said that there are some benefits to being part of a larger, multi-family building when it comes to making these changes.

“We have about 140 units and two large buildings. We can take advantage of group purchasing,” he said.

The condo board is taking those advantages and exploring re placing The Grove’s aging air conditioning system with heat pumps that can cool and heat the units.

Working with Oak Park-based Energy Matters, they are converting their systems.

COURTESY

CRIME

Scu e ends in arrest after police ID wrong man

By JESSICA MORDACQ Staff Reporter

Police responded to the 800 block of Harlem Avenue after a woman called March 1 and said the father of her child had hit her. She provided a description of the man and the direction that he left the area. Police addressed a subject who matched the description, but he continued walking, refusing to stop or speak to police. When the officer approached the man, he swung his arm to try and hit the officer, then started yelling and clenching his fists. The officer drew his taser and activated it, warning the man that he would tase him. When the man stopped advancing at the officer, he replaced his taser to deescalate the situation and requested backup. When backup officers arrived and grabbed the man’s arm, he attempted to grab back and pull away, still refusing to give his name.

The man was placed in handcuffs. After looking in his backpack, police confirmed

his identity with an expired driver’s license.

He was not the man police were looking for.

He was released from handcuffs, requested medical attention for small cuts on his hands and was taken to Oak Park Hospital. Sergeant Andrea Caines gave him her contact information and advised that he could come to the station and file a complaint, the police re port said. The man was issued a citation for obstructing a peace officer and given an April court date.

Assisting re department

■ During the St. Patrick’s Day parade March 2, police observed a man on the ground on the 7500 block of Madison Street. He was riding a miniature motorcycle in the parade, made a turn and fell of f, hurting his chest and back and hitting his head on the pavement. He was taken to a nearby hospital.

■ On March 1, the fire department responded to a call at a Marengo Avenue apartment

of a person who fell after experiencing a medical incident and couldn’t get up. The fire department forced entry into the apartment. The subject was given medical treatment and transported to the hospital.

Aggravated ee or attempt to elude peace o cer

■ On Feb. 27, police responded to the 7600 block of Adams to address re ports of a screaming person. Upon arrival, they noticed a man exiting the address and getting in a car. Officers addressed him and he re ported the screaming person had walked away. The man drove of f and police followed, later turning on sirens because he entered a parking lot on the 600 block of Harlem Avenue without signaling to avoid the stoplight. The man fled at more than 80 miles per hour in a 55 mile-per-hour zone. The officer turned of f the sirens, but another officer later “captured” the driver.

■ While on patrol Feb. 29, police noticed

that a red Dodge Challenger didn’t have re gistration attached to the front of the vehicle. It exited Thorton’s g as station at high speed and, on the 600 block of Harlem Avenue, turned of f its headlights and taillights. When police attempted to pull over the car, it made a U-turn and sped around 85 miles per hour in a 55 mile-per-hour zone. As the Dodge gained distance, the officer stopped pursuing the vehicle. Police later learned the car was stolen from Palos Hills earlier in the day.

These items were obtained from Forest Park Police Department reports dated Feb. 26 through March 3 and represent a portion of the incidents to which police responded. Anyone named in these reports has only been charged with a crime and cases have not yet been adjudicated. We report the race of a suspect only when a serious crime has been committed, the suspect is still at large, and police have provided us with a detailed physical description of the suspect as they seek the public’s help in making an arrest

THE GROVE

Mostly green

from page 10

Gukyas said that heat pumps will probably allow T he Grove to g et to what he calls an 80/20 solution: “The heat pumps will provide up to 80% of our heating and 20% will be provided by the existing furnace system. We’re still using a little bit of fossil fuel, but you can keep moving forward.”

A community compost program is also part of the building’s shift towards embracing green initiatives. Gulyas said a company brings around a cart once a week that people can fill with their waste from “anything that lives.”

Participation in the compost program is optional, and Gulyas said that’s important. “You have to give people a choice. We stay away from moralistic choices.”

At the end of the day, Gulyas said it’s about giving people what they want.

“A lot of folks here are anxious and excited to do this,” he said about the steps they are taking towards sustainability.

“You look around and there’s j ust so much that’s going to be changin g in the next 10 year s. Kitchens will be changing. Appliances will be chang -

ing,” he said, referencing new codes in municipalities such as Oak Pa rk that are requiring all new c onstruction use electrical appliances and heat sources rather than natural ga s.

The rate of the changes requires that all hands are on deck according to Gulyas.

The Grove has proven to be up to the challenge, and Gulyas thinks that it will continue to move forward.

“I relish the opportunity to be able to do projects like this. It’s really a dream come true. It’s like a laboratory here. People are very excited about this.”

Burger said that getting more multifamily buildings to take on sustainability measure is one of the goals of Seven Generation Ahead.

“We want to g et the wo rd out to other c ondo associations that want to do thi s, b ut do n’ t know how to start, ” Burger said.

When it comes to sustainability measures, he added, “Everyone is looking for the magic for mula, but it’s a question of the organization making it happen.”

If the leadership of the building is motivated, Burger said It ’s p ossible to make chang e.

“It wo n’ t happen overnight. It takes a few year s. If you stay the c ourse, in three to five years you’ll see real b ene fits li ke lowe r utility c osts and improved value of units.”

OB ITUAR Y

Robert Osterlund, 71 Teacher, programmer, thinker

Robert Gerard Osterlund breathed his last on Feb. 24, 2024 at 9 a.m. The morning sun streamed in the room, and the ground outside was covered with snow Born on Nov. 8, 1952 to Russell Gaylord Osterlund and Dolores Joyce Brown in Royal Oak, Michigan,

He loved Lutheran music from childhood on, which evolved into a love of early music, especially the Renaissance and earlier. His three greatest fascinations were: numbers, history, and music. A deep thinker, he took his time to think things over and, when he finally arrived at a point of decision, he stuck with it. He was married to Lucy for 45 years, whom he met as a Peace Corps volunteer in the Philippines. During his first of two tours, he taught economics at a local colle ge in Tugueg arao City, and left behind a trust for a deserving student.

They adopted Michael, Lucy’s ne phew. Later they became parents to a miracle daughter, Laura. Three years after that, after returning to the U.S., they were blessed with another miracle, a son, Christopher.

Bob had an analytical mind, a knack for details, logic, reasoning, order, problem-solving, and patience, all of the essential skills of a programmer. When he retired, he delved into historical wargaming with a small group composed of a Canadian and a Fin. Not long after, he for med ties with the company Wargame Design Studio, headed by an Australian.

His proudest accomplishments: having a family; creating PIKT, an open source computer security program; and contributing to the computer war game, Campaign Series: Vietnam. His happiest times were the years he spent in the Philippines.

His noteworthy attributes included a knack for mastering skills of study. He graduated valedictorian from Oak Park and River Forest High School and earned his bachelor’s and master’s de grees in Economics from the University of Chicago. He loved U.S. history and wanted to enlist in the Armed Forces but failed his entrance physical exam. He looked at life with a sense of wit and humor.

Things that excited him: watching the 100 Top-Rated Movies of All Time and bringing cultural awareness to his family, following the Best National University Rankings and Nobel Prizeaward winners each year, implementing new IT innovations in his work, and overcoming programming bugs (hard as it was)

Bob is survived by his siblings, Russell Osterlund (Patricia Poraczky) and Lynnette Osterlund (Greg Schlatter) and his nieces, Alessandra and Mariana Gallastegui; his son, Michael (Rebecca Bahlou) and grandsons Michael, Matthew, and Morgan; Michael’s ex-wife, Michiyo and grandsons, Marvin, Ian, and Ethan in Okinawa; his son, Christopher; his daughter, Laura, and sonin-law, Alan Klehr; and his wife, Otilia (Lucy) Melad.

A memorial service will be held on March 10, at St. John Lutheran Church in Forest Park

Bob’s ashes will be buried in the Osterlund family plot at Hill Cemetery in Lawrence, Michig an on March 11.

COURTESY REMAX.COM

Proviso West, PMSA are building robots and they need the community’s help

e students will compete in the Midwest Regional FIRST Robotics Competition at the end of March

By AMARIS E. RODRIGUEZ Staff Reporter

As the robotics team out of Proviso West and PMSA are finishing up their final weeks getting their robot into winning shape, funds are running low despite efforts from the two high schools’ programs

Proviso Township High School District 209 brought together two schools, Proviso Math and Science Academy and Proviso West, to create an award-winning robotics team that will go head-to-head in the upcoming Midwest Regional FIRST Robotics Competition. Doing this also pools resources for students to participate in STEM programs.

“We are going against schools that aren’t necessarily in as of an underserved community as we are,” said April Senase, advanced manufacturing teacher at Proviso West. “There are a lot of budget constraints and things like that come into play for us.”

The team, which began working together a year ago, has experienced cost-related delays.

“Where some of these other schools might have an endless budget, we don’t necessarily have that at Proviso,” Senase said.

Diamond Dorsey, 17 and a junior at PMSA, said they are a hardworking team that always tries their best, regardless of their financial situation.

“Even if we are not as fortunate as other teams, we still do what we can and get it done,” Diamond said. “We put a lot of heart and soul into what we do.”

Diamond, who first joined the team her freshman year, said the team could use funding and help from their community.

The merger of the two teams, the Myghty Pythons Robotics Team 2151 at PMSA and the West robotics team, was designed to also give students at PMSA the opportunity to use the manufacturing lab at West.

“We are still in the workings of everything and this is our first year of collaborating here in using the machine shop,” Senase said. “The more the merrier, so anytime we can absorb anybody we need too.”

And Senase means it: Two students who have joined this year are homeschooled.

“They are Proviso Township students but they are homeschooled,” she said. “Their parents reached out to me and said ‘our sons would love to be part of this,’ and I said ‘well why not?’”

Combining the schools inevitably came with “growing pains,” including transportation between schools, but the robotics team is coming into their own.

The STEM program brings exposure for students through FIRST Robotics Competition, an international high school robotics competition held each year where students from across the world work for a six-week period to build robots that can perform tasks.

The building of the robot includes designing, coding, building electrical components, marketing and media.

Students work with other students in these varying “departments” to get the robot ready for competition day. These departments are composed through “tryouts” to help guide students in areas that they will have the most chance of succeeding in.

“Nobody is turned away when we say tryouts; it is not like they can’t do it,” Senase said. “But we do have some expectations.”

Nick Birch, computer science teacher at PMSA and one of the coaches helping the robotic teams, said the opportunity to have hands-on experience through these types of STEM programs is priceless for students

“They can take a class, they can take computer science but it is not the same,” Birch said. “Here they are actually developing and they are using their computer science skills but they are seeing it in real time and being reactive with equipment. We can’t replicate that in the classroom.”

Depending on their department, some students also undergo certification in order to know how to properly and safely run various machinery.

The robotics team has 34 registered students. Nubia Zapata, 16, said she joined the robotics teams because she knew she wanted to pursue a career in STEM and the team gave her an opportunity to start working toward that. She is co-captain of the robotics team, which is working through ways to program the robot to be able to move on its own.

During the competition, two alliances composed of three robot teams play each other on basketball half-court size fields. Then teams will proceed through qualifying rounds matches played through randomly selected alliance teams. The top eight teams will select two other teams to form an alliance for the playoff matches to compete in the quarterfinal matches. In the end, two alliances will compete for the title.

Last year, the team came in 30 out of around 60 teams.

All of that work is expensive

“During build season we meet four times a week,” Senase said. “We have to feed these kids, they are here late.”

Community members have participated in meal trains to feed the students while other businesses have donated meals

But funding for competitions also adds up. Aside from the $6,000 re gistration fee, students need to be fed throughout the three days they are at the competition and transportation to and from the event needs to be covered.

“We can’t expect parents to do that,” Senase said. “Funding those kinds of things, it comes at a cost.”

According to Senase, the district funded the registration fee but the rest is up to the team.

“It is also a struggle on mentors, we are making pennies per hour,” Senase said, adding that the robotics team mentors have more contact hours with students than any athletic sport. “And yet the stipends for teachers to do this are smaller, they are not there.”

The commitment is for the benefit of students. To give them the opportunity to put that they were on a FIRST team on a resume and the opportunities that it could open.

“Stand behind us and partner with us,” Senase said. “They are the industry experts that can come in here and guide and mentor these students. We need them to take responsibility and build up this community of their future employees so that they can have employees for the future.”

Herman Walter, business and communication teacher at Proviso West and Village of Hillside trustee, said he is looking toward victory.

“Go big or go home!” he said.

The competition will be held March 27 through March 30 and will be held at the University of Illinois.

AMARIS E. RODRIGUEZ

e Prov iso West and PMSA team, Myghty Pythons Team 2151.

AMARIS E. RODRIGUEZ

Nubia Zapata, Daniel Palomino, Alex Gonzalez, and Law rence Olivier compose the programming team portion of the robotics team at West and PMSA.

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that, pursuant to Ordinance Number O-12-24, adopted on February 26, 2024, the Village of Forest Park, Cook County, Illinois (the “Village”), intends to enter into a Loan Agreement with the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency in an aggregate principal amount not to exceed $2,755,000.00 and bearing annual interest at an amount not to exceed the maximum rate authorized by law at the time of execution of the Loan Agreement, for the purpose of paying the cost of certain improvements to the public water supply system of the Village. A complete copy of the Ordinance accompanies this Notice.

NOTICE IS HEREBY FURTHER GIVEN that if a petition signed by 976 or more electors of the Village (being equal to 10% of the registered voters in the Village), requesting that the question of improving the public water supply system of the Village and entering into the Loan Agreement is submitted to the Village Clerk within thirty (30) days after the publication of this Notice, the question of improving the public water supply system of the Village as provided in the Ordinance and Loan Agreement shall be submitted to the electors of the Village at the next election to be held under general election law on November 5, 2024. A petition form is available from the office of the Village Clerk.

/s/ Vanessa Moritz Village Clerk

Village of Forest Park Cook County, Illinois

ORDINANCE NO. O-12-24

AN ORDINANCE AUTHORIZING

THE VILLAGE OF FOREST PARK, COOK COUNTY, ILLINOIS, TO BORROW FUNDS FROM THE PUBLIC WATER SUPPLY LOAN PROGRAM (Lead Service Line Replacement Project)

WHEREAS, the Village of Forest Park, Cook County, Illinois (the “Village”), operates its public water supply system (the “System”), pursuant to and in accordance with the provisions of Article VII of the Illinois Constitution, Division 139 of the Illinois Municipal Code (65 ILCS 5/11-139-1 et seq.) and the Local Government Debt Reform Act, 30 ILCS 350/1 et seq. (collectively, the “Act”); and

WHEREAS, the Mayor and Village Council of the Village (“Corporate Authorities”) have determined that it is advisable, necessary and in the best interest of the public health, safety, and welfare to improve the System by construction and installation of the following: replacement of lead water service lines (public and privately owned portion), together with any land or rights in land and all electrical, mechanical or other services necessary, useful or advisable to the construction and installation (the “Project”), all in accordance with the plans and specifications prepared by the consulting engineers of

LEGAL NOTICE

NOTICE OF INTENT TO BORROW FUNDS AND RIGHT TO PETITION

the Village, which Project has a useful life of not less than seventy-five (75) years; and

WHEREAS, the estimated cost of construction and installation of the Project, including engineering, legal, financial and other related expenses is Three Million Nineteen Thousand Dollars ($3,019,000.00), and there are insufficient funds on hand and lawfully available to pay these costs; and

WHEREAS, the Corporate Authorities of the Village have determined that it is advisable, necessary and in the best interest of the Village to secure a loan (the “Loan”) from the Public Water Supply Loan Program (the “Program”) of the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (“IEPA”), in the aggregate principal amount of Two Million Seven Hundred Fifty-Five Thousand Dollars ($2,755,000.00) to provide funds to pay a portion of the cost of the Project, with the remaining cost of the Project paid from other Village sources; and

WHEREAS, the Loan shall bear an interest rate as defined by 35 Ill. Adm. Code 663, which does not exceed the maximum rate authorized by the Bond Authorization Act, as amended, 30 ILCS 305/0.01 et seq., at the time of the issuance of the Loan; and

WHEREAS, the principal and interest payments of the Loan shall be payable semi-annually, and the Loan shall mature in twenty (20) years, which is within the period of useful life of the Project; and

WHEREAS, the Loan shall be repaid from revenues of the System (the “Dedicated Revenue Source”) and the Loan is authorized to be accepted at this time pursuant to the Act; and

WHEREAS, the Village does not have any outstanding debt obligations which encumber the Dedicated Revenue Source; and

WHEREAS, in accordance with the provisions of the Act, the Village is authorized to borrow funds from the Program in the aggregate principal amount of Two Million Seven Hundred Fifty-Five Thousand Dollars ($2,755,000.00) to provide funds to pay the costs of the Project; and

WHEREAS, in accordance with the Program, the Village is eligible to have up to 100% of the principal of the Loan forgiven by the State of Illinois; and

WHEREAS, the Loan to the Village shall be made pursuant to a loan agreement, including certain terms and conditions between the Village and the IEPA (the “Loan Agreement”).

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT ORDAINED by the Mayor and Village Council of the Village of Forest Park, Cook County, Illinois, as follows:

SECTION 1. INCORPORATION OF PREAMBLES. The Corporate Authorities hereby find that the recitals contained in the preambles are true and correct, and incorporate them into this Ordinance by this reference.

SECTION 2. DETERMINATION TO BORROW FUNDS. It is necessary and in the best interests of the Village to construct the Project for the public health, safety and welfare, in accordance with the plans and specifications, as described; that the System continues to be operated

in accordance with the provisions of the Illinois Environmental Protection Act, 415 ILCS 5/1 et seq.; and that for the purpose of constructing the Project, it is hereby authorized that funds be borrowed by the Village in the aggregate principal amount (which can include construction period interest financed over the term of the Loan) not to exceed Two Million Seven Hundred FiftyFive Thousand Dollars ($2,755,000.00), the principal of which may be forgivable up to 100% in accordance with the Program.

SECTION 3. PUBLICATION. This Ordinance, together with a Notice in the statutory form (attached hereto as Exhibit A), shall be published once within ten (10) days after passage in the Forest Park Review, a newspaper published and of general circulation in the Village, and if no petition, signed by electors numbering 10% or more of the registered voters in the Village (i.e., 976) asking that the question of improving the System as provided in this Ordinance and entering into the Loan Agreement therefore be submitted to the electors of the Village, is filed with the Village Clerk within thirty (30) days after the date of publication of this Ordinance and notice, then this Ordinance shall be in full force and effect. A petition form shall be provided by the Village Clerk to any individual requesting one.

SECTION 4. ADDITIONAL ORDINANCES. The Corporate Authorities may adopt additional ordinances or proceedings supplementing or amending this Ordinance, providing for entering into the Loan Agreement with the IEPA, prescribing all the details of the Loan Agreement, and providing for the collection, segregation and distribution of the Dedicated Revenue Source, so long as the maximum amount of the Loan as set forth in this Ordinance is not exceeded and there is no material change in the Project or purposes described herein. Any additional ordinances or proceedings shall in all instances become effective in accordance with the Act or other applicable laws. This Ordinance, together with such additional ordinances or proceedings, shall constitute complete authority for entering into the Loan Agreement under applicable law. However, notwithstanding the above, the Village may not adopt additional ordinances or amendments which provide for any substantive or material change in the scope and intent of this Ordinance, including but not limited to interest rate, preference or priority of any other ordinance with this Ordinance, parity of any other ordinance with this Ordinance, or otherwise alter or impair the obligation of the Village to pay the principal and interest due on the Loan to the Program without the written consent of the IEPA.

SECTION 5. LOAN NOT INDEBTEDNESS OF THE VILLAGE. Repayment of the Loan to the IEPA by the Village pursuant to this Ordinance is to be solely from the Dedicated Revenue Source, and the Loan does not constitute an indebtedness of the Village within the meaning of any constitutional or statutory limitation. The foregoing notwithstanding, the Village is only seeking a loan for which 100% principal forgiveness or some lesser amount is available and, to the extent that principal

forgiveness in an amount satisfactory to the Village is not available and provided for the Project, the Village has determined that it will not be seeking a loan for the Project.

SECTION 6. APPLICATION FOR LOAN. The Mayor of the Village is hereby authorized to make application to the IEPA for the Loan through the Program, in accordance with the loan requirements set out in 35 Ill. Adm. Code 663.

SECTION 7. ACCEPTANCE OF LOAN AGREEMENT. The Corporate Authorities hereby authorize acceptance of the offer of the Loan through the Program, including all terms and conditions of the Loan Agreement as well as all special conditions contained therein and made a part thereof by reference. The Corporate Authorities further agree that the funds obtained through the Loan shall be used solely for the purposes of the Project as approved by the IEPA in accordance with the terms and conditions of the Loan Agreement.

SECTION 8. AUTHORIZATION OF MAYOR TO EXECUTE LOAN AGREEMENT. The Mayor is hereby authorized and directed to execute the Loan Agreement with the IEPA and all such other documents as may be necessary to obtain the Loan. The Corporate Authorities may authorize by resolution a person other than the Mayor for the sole purpose of authorizing or executing any documents associated with payment requests or reimbursements from the IEPA in connection with the Loan.

SECTION 9. SEVERABILITY. If any section, paragraph, clause or provision of this Ordinance is held invalid, the invalidity of such section, paragraph, clause or provision shall not affect any of the other provisions of this Ordinance.

[REMAINDER OF PAGE INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK]

SECTION 10. REPEALER. All ordinances, resolutions, orders, or parts thereof, which conflict with the provisions of this Ordinance, to the extent of such conflict, are hereby repealed.

ADOPTED by the Council of the Village of Forest Park, Cook County, Illinois, this 26th day of February, 2024.

AYES: Maxham, Voogd, Melin-Rogovin, Hoskins

NAYS: None

ABSENT: Nero

APPROVED by me this 26th day of February, 2024.

/s/ Rory E. Hoskins Rory E. Hoskins, Mayor

Attested and Filed in my office, And published in pamphlet form this 26th day of February, 2024.

/s/ Vanessa Moritz

Vanessa Moritz, Village Clerk

PROPER TY TR ANSFERS

Oak Park home sells for $1,050,000

The following property transfers were re ported by the Cook County Clerk from October and November 2023. Where addresses appear incomplete, for instance where a unit number appears missing, that information was not provided by the clerk.

OA K P ARK

1158 S Harvey Ave $470,000 Thomas Kandrell Reynolds Alexis

222 N Marion St $490,000 Schiess Ronda S Walter Carolyn C Tr

Co Tr 8002382832

410 Wisconsin Ave $173,000 Cooper Danita Melendez Juan

1178 S Scoville

$182,000 Judicial Sales Corp Np Rentals Llc

403 N Marion St $187,500 Thompson Michael Ford Thomas J 629 Gar eld St $195,000 Zubak Scott Lucente Sarah

225 N Grove

$201,000 Decaspers Anthony Stephen Mccormick Timothy 858 Washington

$210,000 Valentine Mark Paul Charles 1007 S Oak Park Ave $212,000 Milinovich Timothy Monroe Mekonya 1118 N Austin Blvd $214,000 Bank Of

1021

Tr Dupage Remodelers Llc

921 Ontario St $282,000 Gettinger Michael K Mizen Grace K

227 N Grove Ave $307,000 Obrien Mary E Bangiola Aldo J

165 N Kenilworth Ave $310,000 Fitzgibbons Susan Rupp Barbara J

929 Ontario St $312,000 Corzine Roy A Iii Rojas Allison L

646 S Lyman Ave $346,500 Us Bk Natl Assn Tr Delta Assets Llc

532 Carpenter Ave $346,500 Chapin Ryan Galax Llc

737 N Humphrey Ave $353,500 Riddle Matthew Bottero Bennett

200 S Maple Ave $364,000 Kreutzer Craig Ryan Ann Marie

1210 N Oak Park Ave $387,000 Chicago Title Land Trust La Greca Salvatore Co Tr 8002389285

1176 S Harvey Ave $370,000 Colantoni Alexandra Mannix Thomas

710 Gunderson Ave $399,000 Patera Katherine Javor Daniel

464 Lenox St $454,500 Us Bk Natl Assn Tr Mcguire Michael

641 N Cuyler Ave $466,000 Williams Edith G Keith Megan Jean Tr

1017 N Harlem Ave $505,000 Mason Patrick A Maberry Ii Andre

610 N Lombard Ave $515,000 Ruth B Peck Decl Of Trust Dtd 2-21-2005 Thomas Ben S

113 S Grove Ave $515,000 Schenk Noel Yolo Loft Llc

519 N Taylor Ave $545,000 Oconnor Matthew Ryan Seheult Russell Oliver Tr

603 Clarence Ave $545,000 Mitchum Robert D Jr Stuhlmacher Michelle Faye

208 S Taylor Ave $550,000 Jacob Beth-Anne Trust Shore Samuel L

1138 Home Ave $550,000 Br64 Partners Inc Trevino Ericka Menchen

426 S Humphrey Ave $567,000 Daniel Olusegun O Gutierrez Ti any

1000 N Taylor Ave $580,000 Hoerr Dirk D Dunn Emily R

47 Le Moyne Pky $595,000 Surmac Bldr Llc Jones David A

514 N Taylor Ave $600,000 Dalkilic Ali Gettinger Michael G

635 Madison St $670,000 Chicago Title Land Trust Co Tr 5760 Charli Jean And Oliver Holdings Llc - Oak Pk

1006 S Highland Ave $680,000 Henry Kebreab Mallo Alex

413 Home Ave $75,000 Us Bank Trust National Assn Tr Hayes Deborah

411 Linden Ave $805,000 Larson Charles R Tr Schiess Ronda S

219 S Cuyler Ave $880,000 Kawuki Bruce Serrano David W

1 Le Moyne Pky $895,000 Scotstown Homes Llc Love Josephine

1131 N East Ave $975,000 Goodling Zachary Quach Tammy

420 S Kenilworth Ave $99,000 Orozco Carlos Camacho Cristian Ivan Castillo

1043 Woodbine Avek $1,100,000 Siegel Josh Loizou Constantinos Louis Tr

735 Columbian Avek $1,352,500 Cardosi Kim M Kazimir Erica

420 N East Avek $1,750,000 Monson Paul D Switzer Mark Livingston

5 Fillmore Stk $133,000 Haddad Joseph C Riley William Rodgers

1044 Ontario Stk $145,000 Clemons Bessie M Daniels Jimmie L Tr 9831

1041 Susan Collins Lnk $150,000 Vicuna Mylene Bersamina Adyai Llc

821 Lake Stk $160,000 Trevisano Marne Tr Villa Jackelyn

720 Home Avek $180,000 Cozza Joseph Ohalloran Real Prop Llc

1040 Ontario Stk $190,000 Alvarado Jacinto Paonessa Francesco A

PROPER TY TR ANSFERS

Continued from page 15

OA K P ARK

ADDRESS PRICE SELLER BUYER

923 Clarence Avek $197,000 Laan Zachary Vander Ho man Alicia Kay

801 Washington Blvdk $221,500 Giuntoli Tina Bwette Diana

201 S Maple Avek $227,000 Levy Reginald Anthony Clinton

1225 N Harvey Avek $298,000 Ohara Anita Surmac Bldr Llc

330 N Taylor Avek $302,500 Berg William G Bella Prop Llc

709 Gunderson Avek $365,000 Kuhn Julia A Wayne Ryan

1034 N Austin Blvdk $402,000 Simoy Phillip A Ronde Ames Moses

237 Home Avek $405,000 Bigongiari Mary J Kozelka Peter

805 Gunderson Avek $420,000 Meier Lisa Tr Divani Abbas

1042 S Ridgeland Avek $440,000 Ford Michelle Clarke Leslie

2 Le Moyne Pkyk $45,000 Linear Dwain Nowak Holds Llc

1031 Wesley Avek $457,500 Calabrese Nicholas L Contreras Jenna C

323 N Taylor Avek $475,000 Longinow Lillian T Tr Rodriguez Gerardo G

821 S Elmwood Avek $500,000 Ondrla Thomas J Prov Joseph T

47 Chicago Avek $510,000 Harty William J Bean Ryan D

641 N Taylor Avek $515,000 Yowell Ronald J Palm Christine E

515 S Euclid Avek $525,000 Hammer Matthew R Beck Bradley

1152 S Harvey Avek $525,000 Textor Lindsey Brooks Maxwell

618 Wesley Avek $525,000 Anand Ankit Brown Eric R

1022 S Kenilworth Avek $536,000 Hutson Charles A Velador Sergio

316 N Taylor Avek $545,000 Todd Raul R Knicker Kenneth David

1117 Wesley Avek $550,000 Waltenbaugh Karen S Tr Fitzgibbon Kevin Michael

211 S Taylor Avek $555,000 Haas Susan A Nielsen Evan J

944 N Taylor Avek $570,000 Murphy Anne Marie Tr Sloan Loren

143 S Cuyler Avek $577,500 Roberts Je rey Tr Ford Jason Elliot

806 S Lombard Avek $585,000 Kaufold Eric R Aier Benlina

132 S Grove Avek $585,000 Callen Hollis A Tr Doty Michael

256 Iowa Stk $600,000 Perez Christian National Resid Nominee Services Inc

256 Iowa Stk $600,000 National Resid Nominee Services IncEssenpreis Kiersten

329 S Taylor Avek $615,000 Mrkvicka Steven R Vlastis Anna Louise

744 S East Avek $675,000 Kelly Kevin W Mon ls Philip R 1111 Edmer Avek $695,000 Ortenberg Nancy Tr Torres Martin V

612 S Humphrey Avek $700,000 Javor Kenneth E Welch Brandi

911 Fair Oaks Avek $765,000 Kazimir Erica O Pancewicz Katharine

1015 N Kenilworth Avek $850,000 Barrett Michael Tr Sanders Ti any

2 Elizabeth Ctk $900,000 Lau Betty-Jane L H Tr Dollarhide Eli Nathaniel

RIVER FOREST

ADDRESS PRICE SELLER BUYER

7900 Green eld St $1,637,000 Mirza Kamran M Gass Christopher

547 Edgewood Pl $635,000 White Joseph E Abella Joseph M Tr

116 Lathrop Ave $465,000 Chicago Title Land Trust Lawton Kimberly Ann Co Tr 8002392309

349 Ashland Ave $656,000 Kitchen Llc Black Fodder Co ee Llc

206 Franklin Ave $825,000 Brice Ashley O Kelly Kevin

RIVER FOREST

ADDRESS PRICE SELLER BUYER

1439 Jackson Ave $880,000 Banerji Manatosh Loring Scott Charles Hauser

1125 Keystone Ave $894,000 Louis Kimberly Kurrie Zemanski Michael

947 Thatcher Ave $900,000 Gass Christopher Lehne Joseph

718 Lathrop Ave $1,460,000 Macy Lawrence Lu Marvin

1533 William St $140,500 Arnold Charles Lauricella Paul Joseph

406 Franklin Ave $145,000 Muhammad Bashir Rebolledo Jessica

1537 William St $150,000 Blanka Roman Roldan Aida L

414 Clinton Pl $265,000 Jorge Joseph Morrone Emilio

407 Ashland Ave $400,000 Christensen Mark E Tr Sumielto Trust

7200 Oak Ave $76,000 Stojiljkovic Alexandra Tr Rivera Eugenio K

FOREST P ARK

ADDRESS PRICE SELLER BUYER

850 Des Plaines Ave $108,500 Chenette Brian Rengifo Junior A

315 Marengo Ave $120,000 Baker Keyna Bland David

300 Circle Ave $121,500 Wiese Ken Cleal Bryan

251 Marengo Ave $175,000 Johansen Pamela S Solomon Paul A

1324 Circle Ave $235,000 Coronel Jeannette C Team Jendy Inc

7314 Randolph St $263,000 La Dev Corp Lorenz William M

330 Circle Ave $280,000 Ih2 Prop Illinois Lp Douglas Bruce

444 Ferdinand Ave $287,000 Chicago Title Land Trust Co Tr 5259 444 Ferdinand Llc

820 Hannah Ave $295,000 Luchez Lionel Baumgarten Martha

7706 Wilcox St $295,000 Demirtas Hakan Niewijk Grace M

1009 Dunlop Ave $296,500 Plotkin Jonathan P Tr Delaney Kerry

1522 Elgin Ave $325,000 Petrick Michael R Jendy Llc

7541 Brown Ave $330,000 Davaadelger Batzaya Wickers Lindsay

837 Hannah Ave $360,000 Stellfox Geo rey Dwyer-Dallmann Virginia

508 Hannah Ave $365,000 Murray James J Hosty Brian C

1110 Troost Ave $367,500 Huang Albert Y Brambila Marisol

7621 Roosevelt Rd $399,000 Myha Inc Rebm Prop Llc

533 Marengo Ave $480,000 Haeger Lisa A Haeger-Montino Lauren A

118 Elgin Ave $520,000 Andriusis Justin E Painter Ryan Samuel

304 Marengo Ave $550,000 Hhi Heritage Llc Kreutzer Craig

614 Elgin Ave $570,000 Moody Jonathan C Linton Christopher Michael Fortson

7635 Roosevelt Rd $665,000 First Secure Bk And Trust Co Tr New Golden 7635 W Llc

16432 Madison St $900,000 Newdocs Inc Shri Prop Llc

505 Hannah Ave $567,000 Gillian James S Sotakoun Kristen A

520 Hannah Ave $549,000 Oshea Kevin J Extr Mast John Fox

908 Marengo Ave $538,000 Rao Chandrika Cozza Joseph

604 Hannah Ave $500,000 Rhoten Theresa C Bowen Jessica Tr

443 Beloit Ave $330,000 Johnson Nancy C Newdocs Inc

1013 Circle Ave $300,000 Zahn Rachel Leal Belem Diaz

7432 Washington St $170,000 Delgado Lucerito Rodriguez Maribel

315 Des Plaines Ave $164,000 Williamson Jason Mccoy Denita J

315 Des Plaines Ave $157,500 Wells Mary Est Thelwell Jhordan

7300 Harvard St $145,000 Chawla Pradeep Warrior Const Inc

7201 Adams St $142,500 Wilmington Sav Fund Society Fsb Tr Mccormick Homes Llc

A tree grows in Forest Park

Forest Park was late to the game in actively managing its urban forest. But with a strong focus brought three years ago by Sal Stella, then the new public works chief, the village has made determined headway.

It sought a small grant that funded a full inventory of the 3,335 trees on village parkways. It partnered with the Great Lakes Urban Forestry Management to assess each of those trees. So now each tree is mapped, each vacant space on a parkway is mapped, and the variety of each tree is logged for size, age and condition.

So far that ef fort has resulted in the full removal of more than two do z en damaged trees and the gradual pruning of another 91 trees.

A couple of things learned in the process: Silver maples look good when you plant them but they age poorly and become problematic as their trunks become brittle. So no more silver maples will be planted. And while the village is home to 71 different tree species, just over half of all trees are maples. So as the village encourages residents with an empty parkway to apply to have a new tree planted and can request a specific species, they will not find maple trees on the list. As Stella says, “I’m laying off maples for a while.”

Those are the sorts of decisions a public works director can make when he knows his trees block by block. Another sign of smart progress in the village.

New brewery with big plans

That didn’t take long.

Casa Humilde, a craft brewery owned by brothers Javier and Jose Lopez, will open within months in the former Exit Strategy Brewery space on Madison Street.

The brothers have been brewing their own beer since 2015, first from a kit and later as part of a brewing collective, District Brew Yards, in the city. Their evolution has continued to this moment when they are planning to open Casa Humilde as a stand-alone business serving not only their own beer but also their own coffee and then a wide range of other cocktails, ciders, hard seltzers and wine. The brothers also plan a full tilt restaurant with a focus on maize — as in cleaned, soaked, milled and cooked corn — as the basis for multiple dishes

The plans also include live music and local artwork. These fullservice brothers also host podcasts featuring Mexican and Latin musicians and for the past two years in Joliet they have hosted a live music fest.

“For us, it’s beer, good food, good people and music. You can’t go wrong; it’s always a good time,” said Jose Lopez. Get ready, Forest Park.

OPINION

Qualities of a good leader

‘Uncle Walt.” Pastor Mitty’s nephew up in Manitowoc had another question.

“What are the characteristics of a good leader?” As usual, Brian was asking questions that the pastor of Poplar Park Community Church wished he had two hours to ponder and research before giving an answer.

Mitty laughed, “You know, Brian, you keep asking me questions that I want to refer to someone above my pay grade.”

“Seriously, Uncle Walt. You and I both suspect that my mom voted for Trump in the last election, and around the dinner table the three of us sometimes talk about the upcoming election.”

Alice heard bits of the discussion as she refilled coffee cups and got to the point where she couldn’t restrain herself. “You’ re all a bunch of woke groupies,” she began. “No one mentioned President Trump. He turned the ship around from crashing on the socialist rocks. He didn’t let laws passed by liberals keep him from doing the right thing.” She would have kept right on with her campaign speech had the cook not rung the bell telling her an order was up.

Ryan Becker had remained quiet a long time, being the youngest in the group He even raised his hand as a sign that he wanted to say something.

“So what do you think, Brian?” That was Mitty’s goto tactic when he had no clue what to say.

“C’mon, Uncle Walt. I may be a teenager, but I know I don’t know everything.”

“Smart kid,” said Mitty to himself and then out loud asked, “OK if I get back to you?”

The next day he called his neighbor as soon as he got home from church. “Michael, Brian called yesterday and asked me to list the qualities of a good leader.”

“I bet he and Matt and Susan have been arguing about politics, right?” Michael said.

Mitty smiled. He couldn’t conceal much from a friend like Michael.

“OK, I’ll get serious . This may surprise you, b ut I think I would tell Brian to read the bio gr aphy of George H. W. Bush. ” “41?”

“Yeah. Not too young, not too old. Been around the block a few times. Had a resume a mile long. Was a veteran. Both a businessman and educated. Graduated from Yale. Most of all, I like the fact that he was a moderate.”

At the next Saturday morning men’s fellowship, Mitty told the guys about Brian’s question and Michael’s response.

Asch mentioned FDR because he steered the ship of state through the storms of the Depression and the start of World War II. Dominique liked Eisenhower because he presided over an economic boom and invested in the country’s infrastructure. The younger men nominated JFK because of his charisma.

“Ah, ask not what your country can do for you,” Eric Anderson recited from memory. “Ask what you can do for your country.”

Asch sighed and said, “Thank you for that, Eric That’s what is wrong with our country today. It’s all about me and my rights. I never hear about duty or responsibility.”

When everyone had given him a nod, he began, “Pastor, I think you have the qualities of a good leader.”

Uncle Walt/Pastor Mitty was genuinely stunned and therefore speechless. Everyone at the table looked at Ryan with surprise on their faces and with the expectation that he would say more.

Ryan explained, “OK, so Pastor is not charismatic like Kennedy, and he doesn’t have a long resume like the first Bush had. He will never have his face carved on Mt. Rushmore. What matters to me is that he listens to what I have to say.”

The nine men around the table were thrown off balance by what Ryan had said. Their minds were on excellence and performance, but their young brother was talking about respect and empathy. Their minds had been searching for examples of men who were winners. Ryan was talking about a man who at best had a 50/50 won/lost record.

“You know,” said Dominique after a lengthy silence, “all my life what I have really wanted is respect. When I’m honest, that has been what has been driving me.”

On the way home, Mitty tried to remember everything he had heard, so he could give a good re port to his nephew, but his thoughts ke pt returning to what Ryan had said.

As he passed the History/HerStory Book Store, the thought came to him, “I am a good leader, relatively speaking, but what makes our church work is that the followers are as good or better than their leader.”

That night he called his nephew, summarized what he had heard from different people and then added, “You know, Brian, it’s as important to think about the competence of the voters as the qualifications of the people they elect. You know, GIGO. Garbage in, garbage out.”

After thinking about what he had just said about GIGO, Mitty revised his statement by relaying to Brian what Dominique had said about feeling respected

Editor Erika Hobbs

Sta Repor ter Jessica Mordacq

Amaris Rodriguez

Digital Manager Stacy Coleman

Digital Media Coordinator Brooke Duncan

Contributing Reporters Tom Holmes, John Rice, Bob Skolnik, Jackie Glosniak, Robert J. Li a

Columnists Alan Brouilette, Jill Wagner, Tom Holmes, John Rice

Design/Production Manager Andrew Mead

Editorial Design Manager Javier Govea

Designer Susan McKelvey

Sales and Marketing Representatives

Lourdes Nicholls, Ben Stumpe

Business & Development Manager

Mary Ellen Nelligan

Circulation Manager Jill Wagner

Publisher Dan Haley

Special Projec ts Manager Susan Walker

Board of Directors

Chair Judy Gre n

Treasurer Nile Wendorf

Deb Abrahamson, Gary Collins, Steve Edwards, 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

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: $38 per year.

$70 for two years, $93 for three years.

Out-of-county subscriptions: $58 per year.

Forest Park Review is published digitally and in print by Growing Community Media NFP.

© 2024 Growing Community Media NFP.

The lost art of writing letters

Dive Bar Letter Writers is an organization in Forest Park that gives people the opportunity to practice the lost art of written correspondence.

It was founded in July 2021 by Kimberly Adami-Hasegawa and combines two of her favorite hobbies — drinking cocktails and letter writing.

The term “dive bar” may sound insulting but many find our dive bars endearing. Letter writer Karen Considine prefers the ter m “sticky floor bars.” The group chose Goldyburgers because it is welcoming, comfortable and accessible for city dwellers using the Green Line — a place where you’re bound to get mustard on your letter

dif ferent degrees of lockdown. New Zealand had the most extreme restrictions and it took six months for Kimberly to get her letter delivered.

She met most of her pen pals through social media. They would later exchange addresses and begin sending “snail mail,” a slow non-inter net form of communication. It’s an opportunity to put the phone down and use the pen.

messages. She carries a stack and fills them out when she’s free, rather than scrolling through her phone. Postcards were the original “emails” and they require little effort. When she travels, she mails them from exotic locations

When Kimberly was growing up, she was that rare child who actually enjoyed writing thank-you notes for Christmas and birthday gifts. In high school, she had two pen pals, one in France, one in California. She corresponded with them on a monthly basis.

Today, she has 15 pen pals and has developed some very good friendships with her correspondents in New Zealand, the Netherlands and the United States. It was interesting during the pandemic when these far-flung pals were dealing with

Kimberly enjoys buying new pens, stationery and greeting cards. She even started her own greeting card company: Galaxie Safari. The company combines the names of her favorite typewriters: the Royal Safari and the Smith Corona Galaxie. She owns nine typewriters, including an Olivetti from Italy. She loves using a typewriter because it’s so tactile and she likes the sounds they make. Few people are enjoying the music of typewriters these days. People are also missing out on the joy of opening a mailbox and getting something besides a bill. Kimberly saves the letters from her pen pals. She has kept the letters her grandparents sent her in college as well. She loves reading their handwriting and hearing their voices Kimberly doesn’t just compose long letters. She also uses postcards for brief

A LOOK BACK IN TIME

She likes personal letters, cards and postcards because they are tangible. The fact that someone took the time to write makes them meaningful. To her, postage stamps are tiny works of art that contain tiny bits of history. Kimberly prefers vintage stamps. She inherited a stamp collection from a friend’s grandfather, and uses sheets of his stamps for postage

When the USPS issues commemorative stamps, Kimberly buys sheets of them. She also observes “National Card and Letter Writing” month in April. In fact, their next gathering will be April 14 at Goldyburgers She admits it’s difficult to find new recruits who love letter writing. But they get up to 15 people to attend their get-togethers, where members are busy writing cards and letters and adding little touches, like confetti, to make their letters more festive They are turning back the clock to a simpler time, when people wrote in cursive or used typewriters, when it took weeks to send or receive a letter.

When they knew their mail carrier by name and a family’s milestone events were marked by what came in the mail.

Softball ambassador to the world

Staf f Sergeant Panorea Collis of 813 Beloit is featured in this 1956 Forest Park Review photo. She is holding the pair of Dutch wooden shoes she was given after hosting a clinic teaching women in Holland the American style of softball. Panorea, an all-star catcher for the Chicago Chiefettes in the women’s national softball league joined the Air Force and served in Germany from 1953 to 1955. While serving, she was the player-coach for the Hamilton Defenders, the worldwide championship girls softball team for the Northern California Armed Forces Women’s Softball League. “It was uncanny,” Sgt. Collis remembered. “The game was played in complete silence by the Dutch girls. Who ever heard of a ballgame without a little pepper? It was amazing.”

Jill Wagner

Landmark March 6, 13, 20, 2024

EQUAL HOUSING OPPORTUNITY

All real estate advertising in this newspaper is subject to the Fair Housing Act, which makes it illegal to advertise any preference, limitation or discrimination based on age, race, color, religion, sex, handicap, familial status or national origin, or intention to make any such preferences, limitations or discrimination.

The Illinois Human Rights Act prohibits discrimination in the sale, rental or advertising of real estate based on factors in addition to those protected under federal law. This newspaper will not knowingly accept any advertising for real estate which is in violation of the law. All persons are hereby informed that all dwellings advertised are available on an equal opportunity basis. Restrictions or prohibitions of pets do not apply to service animals.

To complain of discrimination, call HUD toll free at: 1-800669-9777.

GROWING COMMUNITY MEDIA

LEGAL NOTICE

The Village of Oak Park will receive electronic proposals at the Office of the Village Engineer, 201 South Boulevard, Oak Park, Illinois 60302, until 10:00 a.m. on Thursday, March 28, 2024 for

Project: 24-8, Lot 10 Streetscape. Bids will be received and accepted, and bid results posted via the online electronic bid service listed below. In general, the improvements consist of installation of permeable interlocking brick pavers; removal and replacement of curb and gutter, sidewalks and sidewalk ramps; drainage structure adjustments; pavement patching; full depth pavement removal; earth excavation; cold-milling of bituminous concrete; installation of hot-mix asphalt base, binder and surface courses

Plans and proposal forms may be obtained via the electronic service starting on Thursday March 7, 2024 at 4:00 pm. Plans and proposals can be found at https://www.oak-park.us/yourgovernment/budget-purchasing/ requests-proposals or at www. questcdn.com under login using QuestCDN number 8997082 for a non-refundable charge of $64.00. The Village of Oak Park reserves the right to issue plans and specifications only to those contractors deemed qualified. No bid documents will be issued after 4:00 p.m. on the working day preceding the date of bid opening.

The bidder is specifically advised that the Village is a Subgrantee of a Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago (MWRDGC) grant, pursuant to an agreement entered into and between the MWRDGC and the Village. Each bidder is required to comply with the MWRDGC’s Affirmative Action Requirements and Affirmative Action Ordinance, of which are

as follows:

1) $44,000 for Women-Owned Business Enterprises (WBE) and/ or Minority-Owned Business Enterprises (MBE)

2) $6,600 for Veteran-Owned Business Enterprises (VBE)

The DBE requirements listed within these Contracts are requirements, not goals.

The MWRDGC requires that contractors entering into contracts shall have a performance bond and a payment bond. The Contractor shall furnish a satisfactory performance bond in the sum of the amount of the contract in dollars guaranteeing the proper completion of the work and the maintenance of the work during the period of one (1) year from and after the date of the completion and acceptance of the same. The Contractor shall furnish a satisfactory payment bond in the full amount of the Contract guaranteeing payment of all material used and for all labor performed.

The Contract will be subject to the requirements of the Multi-Project Labor Agreement. A copy is on file at the offices of the Engineer and may be requested from the Engineer. The Contractor shall execute the form entitled “Certificate of Compliance with Multi Project Labor Agreement (MPLA), as found in the Bid Proposal Submittal Packet.

All prospective bidders must prove they are pre-qualified by the Illinois Department of Transportation in order to submit bids. This project is subject to the Illinois Prevailing Wage Act, 820 ILCS 130/0.01 et seq.

THE VILLAGE OF OAK PARK

Bill McKenna Village Engineer

Published in Wednesday Journal, March 6, 2024

LEGAL NOTICE

The Village of Oak Park --Office of the Village Engineer, 201 South Boulevard, Oak Park, Illinois 60302-- will receive electronic proposals until 10:00 a.m. on Friday, March 29, 2024 for Project: 24-3, 2024 Sidewalk Improvements Program. Bids will be received and accepted, and bid results posted via the online electronic bid service listed below. In general, this contract includes removal and replacement of public sidewalk, parkway and carrage walks, combination curb and gutter, driveways, and PCC basecourse; pavement adjacent to curbs, adjustment of drainage structures, buffalo boxes and all appurtenant work thereto. Sidewalk sequencing during the work and adherence to the completion date is of emphasis for this project as outlined in the plans and proposal forms. Plans and proposal forms may be obtained via the electronic service starting on Friday, March 8, at 4:00 p.m. Plans and

proposal forms can be found at https://www.oak-park.us/yourgovernment/budget-purchasing/ requests-proposals or at www. questcdn.com under login using QuestCDN number 9014465 for a non-refundable charge of $64.00. The Village of Oak Park reserves the right to issue plans and specifications only to those contractors deemed qualified. No bid documents will be issued after 4:00 p.m. on the working day preceding the date of bid opening.

This project is financed with local Village funds and federal Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds and thus is subject to all federal rules, regulations and guidelines, including Davis-Bacon and Related Acts, Section 3, and Equal Opportunity requirements.

THE

VILLAGE OF OAK PARK

Bill McKenna Village Engineer

Published in Wednesday Journal, March 6, 2024

HEARING

TIME: 7:00 p.m. or as soon thereafter as the Agenda permits

LOCATION OF HEARING: Room 201 (Council Chambers), Oak Park Village Hall, 123 Madison Street, Oak Park, Illinois, 60302

CALENDAR NUMBER:

01-24-DRC

APPLICANT: Hot Rod’s Exclusive Inc.

ADDRESS: 805 Garfield Street, Oak Park, IL 60304

REQUEST: The Community Design Commission will conduct a public hearing on an application filed by the Applicant, Rodney Dotson, owner of Hot Rod’s Exclusive Inc., seeking a variance from Section 7-7-15 (C) (1) of the Oak Park Sign Code, requiring that permanent window signs affixed to or painted on the inside of a window shall occupy

PUBLIC NOTICES

ADVERTISEMENT FOR NOTIFICATION OF BID FOR PROVISO SCHOOL DISTRICT 209

Gilbane Building Company, Construction Manager, for and acting on behalf of The Board of Education of Proviso Township High School District 209, is receiving lump sum proposals from interested contractors for the Proviso School District Capital Improvements Project. This release includes the following:

Soil redistribution work at Proviso

West High School. Exterior emergency concrete stair and enclosure, steel grated mechanical platforms, and wood staining work at Proviso East High School

Bid Release 17 includes the following bid packages:

• 31J Site Grading Work (Proviso West High School)

• 03C Concrete Work (Proviso East High School)

• 05B Steel/Misc. Metals Work (Proviso East High School)

• 09P Painting/Staining Work (Proviso East High School)

• 06N General Trades Work (Proviso East High School)

Important Dates:

1. The bid documents will be distributed to bidders on or about Monday, March 11, 2024

2. An in-person Pre-Bid will be held Thursday, March 21, 2024 at 10:00 a.m.

3. The last day for bidders’ questions is Monday, March 25, 2024 by 5:00 p.m.

4. The proposals will be due on Thursday, March 28, 2024, at 10:00 a.m. via Building Connected

To bid this project, bidders should prequalify with Gilbane Building Company via Compass at https:// compass-app.com/auth/register. The bid proposals are to be completed online via Building Connected.

Bid security in the form of a bid bond in an amount equal to ten percent (10%) of the base bid is required from all bidders. Guarantee Bonds in the form of a Performance Bond and Labor and Material Payment Bond in an amount equal to one hundred percent (100%) of the bid will be required from the awarded Bidder.

The work will be done in accordance with the Contract Documents.

this process shall be considered public information under the State Freedom of Information Act unless specifically disclosed on the applicable information by the Bidder. Challenges to such exemptions shall be defended solely by the Bidder

Published in Forest Park Review, March 6, 2024

PUBLIC NOTICE

STATE OF ILLINOIS

VILLAGE OF BROOKFIELD

Notice of Public Hearing

Village of Brookfield Planning and Zoning Commission March 21, 2024 at 7:00 PM

NOTICE is hereby given that a public hearing will be held by the Planning and Zoning Commission of the Village of Brookfield on Thursday, March 21, 2024 at 7:00 PM in the Edward Barcal Hall located at 8820 Brookfield Avenue, Brookfield, Illinois to consider applications from James J Koblish for a Special Use Permit to conduct Low-Impact manufacturing of beer and for a Variance from the Village Code Chapter 62 Zoning, Article III-Off Street Parking and Loading for the commercial property located at 9509 Ogden Avenue.

Legal Description: Lots 5 and 6 in Block 7 in West Grossdale, A Subdivision in the West ½ of Section3, Township 38 North, Range 12, East of the Third Principal Meridian, in Cook County, Illinois.

The public is invited to attend the public hearing and present oral and/ or written comments. Written comments may be provided prior to 4:00 PM on the day of the meeting to: Village of Brookfield, Planning and Zoning Commission c/o Kate Portillo, 8820 Brookfield Avenue, Brookfield, IL 60513, kportillo@brookfieldil.gov, or 708-485-1445. Oral or written public testimony may be given during the public hearing.

The applications may be viewed at the Village of Brookfield Village Hall during normal business hours. Please reference PZC Case 23-05. Public hearings may be continued from time to time without further notice, except as otherwise required under the Illinois Open Meetings Act.

no more than twenty-five percent (25%) of the surface of each window area, to allow the existing permanent window signage to remain at the premises commonly known as 805 Garfield Street, Oak Park, Illinois, Property Index Number 16-18-307-017-0000 (“Subject Property”).

A copy of the application and applicable documents are on file and are available for inspection at Village Hall, Development Customer Services Department, 123 Madison Street, Oak Park, Illinois 60302, Monday through Friday between 8:30 a.m. and 5:00 p.m.

The public hearing may be adjourned by the Commission to another date without further notice by public announcement at the hearing setting forth the time and place thereof.

“FAILURE TO COMPLY WITH THE REQUIREMENTS OF THIS INVITATION TO BID MAY RESULT IN THE DISQUALIFICATION OF THE BIDDER”.

This contract calls for the construction of a “public work,” within the meaning of the Illinois Prevailing Wage Act, 820 ILCS 130/.01 et seq. (“the Act”). The Act requires contractors and subcontractors to pay laborers, workers and mechanics performing services on public works projects no less than the “prevailing rate of wages” (hourly cash wages plus fringe benefits) in the county where the work is performed. For information regarding current prevailing wage rates, please refer to the Illinois Department of Labor’s website at: https://www2.illinois.gov/ idol/Laws-Rules/CONMED/Pages/ Rates.aspx. All contractors and subcontractors rendering services under this contract must comply with all requirements of the Act, including but not limited to, all wage, notice and record keeping duties.

The Proviso Township High School District 209 and Gilbane Building Company reserve the right to reject any or all bids. All information submitted as part of

Individuals with disabilities requiring accommodations to participate in any meeting may contact the Village of Brookfield at (708) 485-7344 prior to the meeting. Wheelchair access is available through the front and side (south and east) entrances of Village Hall.

By the Order of Chuck Grund, Planning and Zoning Commission Chairman.

Published in RB Landmark, March 6, 2024