Forest Park Review 051524

shine at Illinois Special Olympics Spring Games

students quali ed for the upcoming State Games

By AMARIS E. RODRIGUEZ Staff Reporter

Four athletes at Forest Park District D91 made history as they brought home medals from the Special Olympics Illinois Spring Games, the first time the district participated in the event.

The Special Olympics Illinois Spring Games was held at the end of April in Aurora, Illinois.

The four student athletes — or “Trailblazers,” as they are known — Giuliana “Gigi” Mason, 8, Josiah Milton, 11, Ivan Nhial, 10, and Immanuel “Captain” McKoy, 15, received four gold medals, as well as five silver medals across various track and field events.

At the May 9 school b oard meeting, the athletes we re honored by the b oard of education, where they

See SPECIAL OLYMPICS on pa ge 11

May is Mental Health Awareness Month

Riveredge Hospital is here to help any member of your family.

This month, make your mental health a priority. We offer specialized inpatient and outpatient services for children, teens and adults.

Did you know? The average delay between the onset of symptoms of a mental health issue and the start of treatment is 11 years.

- National Library of Medicine

Local pharmacists say Walgreens needs new Rx for pay, working conditions

e pharmacists’ union wants salary increases, better sta ng and no telepharmacy services

By JESSICA MORDACQ Staff Reporter

More than a dozen Walgreens phar macists and supporters gathered outside stores in the area in late April and early May to draw attention to what they said is inadequate pay and working conditions

At the Walgreens in Forest Park at 7200 Roosevelt Road May 3, they stood in front of a large inflatable rat as a truck with a video screen on its side displayed “We <3 Walgreens Pharmacy Staff!” while it drove around the block.

The action came as a part of the Phed Up Pharmacists Tour, where Walgreens pharmacists who had the day off visited 46 Chicagoland Walgreens. They aimed to raise awareness for inadequate pay and working conditions for the company’s pharmacists, who have been working without a contract for the last nine months, according to the National Pharmacists Association-Laborers’ International Union of North America (NPhA-LIUNA), which represents nearly 900 pharmacists at 400 Chicagoland Walgreens locations.

Chicagoland Walgreens pharmacists aren’t on strike and are in the process of negotiating their union contract with Walgreens, asking for a pay raise, job security and checks on telepharmacy.

“We’re hoping that this will help to move the needle, showing some of the discontent and getting the word out to the public about what’s going on,” said Robert Kobleski, a pharmacist at a Walgreens on the Northwest side of Chicago and secretary of NPhA-LIUNA’s executive board.

Walgreens pharmacists have received a 2% pay raise in the last seven years, NPhALIUNA officials said in a statement, which doesn’t adequately acknowledge pharma-

cists for their work. Officials added that, last year, 74% of Walgreens sales occurred at pharmacies, while only 26% was from retail.

Representatives from Walgreens did not respond to requests for comment.

“We have a really dedicated group of pharmacists who really care about their patients and who are willing to stick around at a job, though they have basically been losing money for the past seven years,” said Kobleski, who has worked for Walgreens for nearly 25 years and participated in the Phed Up Pharmacists tour

Walgreens has tried meeting with NPhALIUNA, but the union has not accepted an invitation since last fall, officials said in an email from Walgreens

“Our leaders are in our phar macies re gularly, listening to concerns and responding to feedback,” Walgreens officials said. “We have taken steps over the last two years to improve pharmacists’ experience, advance the profession and enable them to provide the high value care they were trained to do.”

Pharmacist demands

In addition to a pay raise, union Walgreens pharmacists are also calling for improved scheduling in their contracts. Rather than hire more pharmacy staff, Walgreens has cut pharmacy hours and closed stores, according to the NPhA-LIUNA

Walgreens announced last summer that it would close 150 locations in the United States At that time, Walgreens had implemented reduced hours at over 1,000 locations, the Chicago Sun-Times reported

Although Kobleski’s store on the Northwest side of Chicago is open 24 hours and one of the busiest in the Chicagoland area, he said that wasn’t the case at the previous Walgreens he worked at. Kobleski lives in Naperville and was a pharmacist at a 24-hour location in the Chicago suburb, along with at a 24-hour Walgreens in Berwyn. But when Walgreens cut both of those locations’ hours, Kobleski started working at his current Chicago location.

“It’s displacing a lot of full-time pharmacists and forcing them to either be part-time or to float from store to store,” Kobleski

Jessica Mordacq Walgreens sta and supporters raise awareness for inadequate pay and working conditions

said. “It’s definitely causing a lot of turmoi amongst the pharmacists and a lot of uncer tainty, stress and worry.”

Walgreens pharmacists are also wor about telepharmacy.

Kobleski said Walgreens plans to ad telepharmacy services in Illinois stores This, he said, would change processes so that only technicians operate physical pharmacy locations, while Walgreens pharmacists perform tasks remotely, speaking to a patient through a screen when required. According to the NPhA-LIUNA, telepharmacists aren’t required to be located or licensed in Illinois.

de-skilling and ignoring experts — putting profits over people — is not a sustainable business model.”

Kobleski said telepharmacy would harm individualized care and relationships with patients

“I don’t know many pharmacists who went to pharmacy school to just talk to somebody who they don’t even know or have any history with on a screen,” Kobleski said. “I don’t think it’s good for business, and I don’t think it’s good for the patient.”

“Plain and simple, the point of telepharmacy is to increase Walgreens’ profits by cutting the number of phar macists while increasing the workload of the few remaining,” said Joe Pignataro, NPhA-LIUNA’s president and a full-time Walgreens pharmacist, in a statement. “Recent decisions at other corporations have taught us that outsourcing,

Despite these qualms, pharmacists like Kobleski and Pignataro have stayed with Walgreens to improve pay and working conditions for their peers.

“We’ re proud to be Walg r eens p harmacists,” Ko b leski said. “We’ ve always b een highly re ga rded in the r etail ind ustr y. We f eel li ke the b est p harmacists c ome out of Walg r eens.”

But Kobleski would like Walgreens to listen to their pharmacists’ demands, and have his contract reflect that.

“You have to do something to step up, to maintain the integrity of this company into the future,” Kobleski said of Walgreens. “You need to do something to retain this excellent staff that you’re taking for granted.”

Kobleski said the union’s next contract ne gotiation with Walgreens will take place June 6.

BIG WEEK

May

15-22

Friday, May 17, 5 p.m., Rieger Park

We’re going to have all sorts of fun, games, and giveaways beginning at 5 p.m. with speeches beginning at 5:30 p.m. There will also be a DJ to help set the soundtrack for a memorable evening as we explore our brand new community park. Members of the Village’s Recreation Board will also be present to discuss all things Arbor Day and show o their newly planted Arbor Day tree inside the park. We can’t thank you all enough for riding out this process with us and can’t wait to celebrate our brand new community park with all of you! 1526 Circle Ave, Forest Park

We want to hear from you

The Forest Park Review is looking to invigorate its coverage of arts, food and enter tainment. We want to hear from you! Please take this short sur vey to help us learn what you want when you’re looking for things to do. Please submit your answers by May 26. https://forms.gle/yss7eCACoXW49jqNA

Painting with Candace: Bonjour Paris

Thursday, May 16, 6:30-8:30 p.m., 2nd Floor Admin. Building

Drinks and Dialogue

Thursday, May 16, 6:30 p.m., Friendly Tap

Join us for a paint party featuring Painters Row instructor Candace Chira. We'll paint a whimsical version of the Ei el Tower on a 16x20 canvas. All supplies are included. Bring your own beverages and snacks. Door prizes will be given away. $40 per person (all supplies included) Ages 18+ Learn more or register at https://bit.ly/PaintingMay2024. Park District of Forest Park

Join us for a free in-person informative evening. We will delve into the thought-provoking topic of the National Popular Vote for Presidential Elections. 6731 Roosevelt Road, Berwyn

Brooklyn Charmers: The Music Of Steely Dan

Saturday, May 18, 6:30 p.m., Rober t’s Westside

Brooklyn Charmers - The Music of Steely Dan. General Admission/Standing Room Only tickets are $20 plus service fees, while Reserved Seating is priced at $30 plus service fees. Purchase tickets at https://tinyurl.com/ RobertsWestside 7321 Madison St., Forest Park

Social Circle: How to Meet People Online

Wednesday, May 22, 11 a.m. – 1 p.m., Forest Park Public Library

We want the library to be your happy place. All older adults (55+) are invited to join in for some special community time each week. We’ll talk and share interests, enjoy guest speakers, and keep ourselves active, engaged, and well-informed. Register at https://rb.gy/7oz03o 7555 Jackson Blvd., Forest Park

Soup & Bread West – May Community Meal Fundraiser

Tuesday, May 21, 6 - 9 p.m., Rober t’s Westside

Pay what you can – eat what you want. Come out and enjoy a meal of hearty soups, bread and desserts provided by local community chefs from Oak Park, River Forest and Forest Park, all while listening to the tunes of the Szurko Trio. The Soup & Bread Community Fundraiser Meal is raising funds for A House in Austin (www.ahouseinaustin.org), providing family support for young families on Chicago’s West Side. We will also be collecting personal care, diapers and household supplies. 7327 Madison, Forest Park

MORP

Friday, May 17, 7-11 p.m., Rober t’s Westside

MORP - Dancing, Pizza, Drinks featuring DJ Sets by Mr.

G ac playing hits from the 80’s, 90’s, & 00’s. Admission is $5, and the event is restric ted to those 21 and above.

D oors open at 7, with DJ Mr. Gac starting at 8. Purchase tickets at https://rb.gy/gr81kx 7321 Madison St., Forest Park

They ’re back: 17-year cicadas return from underground

Does Forest Park need to cover its 3,400 trees?

By LUZANE DRAUGHON Staff Reporter

Some cicadas come every summer, announcing their arrival with a high-pitched hum during Fourth of July parades, backyard barbecues and late-night bonfires

This year, Brood XIII, a species of cicadas that only appear every 17 years, are returning to Forest Park and other communities in northern Illinois, southern Wisconsin and northwest Indiana this spring.

Forest Park has netted 60 trees it planted in the past two years, following The Morton Arboretum’s guidelines, said Sal Stella, the village’s public works director

They spent about $700 to do so, rather than risk the roughly $20,000-investment in them, he said.

“We’re trying to be proactive and save our canopy of the future,” he said.

That’s why residents are seeing white nets pop up around the village, commissioner Jessica Voogd explained at the May 13 council meeting.

“We’re only covering very young trees, those are at the most risk of severe damage from the cicadas as they come out and start doing their thing,” she said.

These cicadas emerging in the area live underground until their 17-year cycle is up. Many will crawl out from underground around May and early June, when the soil is 64 degrees at a depth of 8 inches. They’ll be around for about four to six weeks

Scientists don’t know how these cicadas know when 17 years are up. But the theory is that they have an internal clock that tracks the life cycle and chemical changes of tree roots around them, according to The Morton Arboretum.

Cicadas that emerge yearly normally come out in late July and August. Periodic cicadas have a black body, orange or red wings and red eyes, according to The Morton Arboretum. In forested areas, there will be about 1.5 million of these cicadas per acre, according to The Morton Arboretum.

Most of these cicadas will only fly, at most, a half of a mile in their lifetime, said Grant Jones, Oak Park’s forestry superintendent. Cicadas are not harmful to humans be-

cause they don’t bite or sting. But they can produce a lot of noise residents are likely to notice this spring. This sound is male cicadas’ mating call to attract female partners.

These insects won’t chow down on trees, but they will drill into smaller branches to lay eggs and continue their legacy

“What happens is a female cicada will go to a twig or branch and make a slit and lay eggs in it,” Stella said.

“If it’s mature and breaks off, it won’t die It’ll grow a new branch,” he said. Not so with younger, thinner trees

Branches with a trunk less than two inches in diameter and few branches are at the most risk, he and other experts said.

These cicadas typically lay eggs in oak, maple, hickory, apple, birch, dogwood, linden, willow, elm, ginkgo and pear trees, according to The Morton Arboretum. They may also lay eggs in shrubs.

“If your little finger fits through a hole, it’s big enough to admit a cicada,” according to The Morton Arboretum.

According to Tina Sevilla Velasco, a landscape designer at Forest Park-based McAdam Landscaping, her firm will wrap young trees with tulle fabric, which is light enough to let sunlight through, yet dense enough to keep cicadas out. They’ll also protect new tree installations. The fabric will be removed in June, she said in an email to customers.

Sprays or insecticides won’t have an impact on cicadas, Jones said. Exclusion through netting is the best way to keep plants healthy from cicadas. But cicadas aren’t the only thing that can potentially damage plants

“As we get into the heat and often times, dryness, of the summer, that’s another good time to make sure that you’re watering your plants properly just to keep them healthy,” Jones added. “That way, if there is any damage, they’re not also being stressed by a lack of moisture.”

One common question, Jones said, is if pets eating cicadas could be dangerous. Cicadas are not harmful or toxic to pets, he said, but if a pet eats too many, they might get a stomachache

After the cicadas mate and lay eggs, they will die. According to The Morton Arboretum, “there will be dead cicadas everywhere,” so residents can expect to see them walking or driving around

As they decay, there may be an odor.

Editor Erika Hobbs contributed to this article.

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Funny is Female: Comedy Plex starts new stand-up class for women

Forest Park residents can sign up for the class, as well

By JESSICA MORDACQ Staff Reporter

When Marta Segal Block took her first stand-up class at Comedy Plex, her and another woman were joined by about 10 men to learn about writing jokes and stage presence.

At the comedy venue and training facility, which opened at 1128 Lake St. in Oak Park in January and just wrapped its first six-week intro-to-stand-up classes, one of the first jokes Segal Block performed at her weekly Wednesday class was about when she had breast cancer, and the second was about menopause

“I don’t know if nobody’s laughing because this isn’t funny or because they have no idea what I’m talking about,” Segal Block said of the other students’ reaction after telling her jokes.

So Segal Block asked Comedy Plex’s founders — Oak Parkers Christopher Bell, Paul Cary, Sherman Edwards and Marz Timms — if she could start a stand-up class for women so that she could get feedback from those who are more like her

“What we find funny is based on our experiences, and we’re so conditioned to vie w the male experience as the norm that what men joke about is supposed to be funny to everybody,” Segal Block said. “But what women joke about is only funny maybe to women because we’re the only ones with those experiences.”

The next round of weekly intro-to-standup classes start May 28 and June 1. And on Tuesday, May 27, Comedy Plex will offer a third weekly intro-to-stand-up class, just for women: Funny is Female: A Stand-Up Comedy Class For Women.

Segal Block, a resident of Oak Park for more than 20 years, reached out to women around town and through Oak Park Facebook groups to ask what days and times worked best for those who were interested in Funny is Female.

“We’re all part of the community, so we try to reach out and find out what the community feels is best for things like this so that we can make sure we can get the most people in those classes,” Timms said.

Like the intro to stand-up classes that just wrapped, taught by Timms and Angie McMahon, the classes for women will cover topics like character act outs, observational humor, one liners, crowd work and misdirection.

Every week, McMahon will give women feedback after they get up on stage twice, once for an exercise and once to practice three minutes of new material.

“It’s important to make space for people,” said McMahon, who lives in Chicago, has taught at The Second City for 11 years and stand-up for five years. “No one is going to feel like they want to walk into that room if they don’t see themselves in the room.”

Building con dence

Although Segal Block had a brief career as a comedy writer in the ‘90s, she has since worked in publishing and marketing. And though she doesn’t aim to start a stand-up career, others in the new stand-up class for women might be.

“I am looking for new ways to express myself, and I am looking for new skills to bring to the work I already do,” Segal Block said.

“I’m sure everyone coming in has their own goal,” whether it’s their first-time doing comedy, they’re looking to expand their standup experience or just seeking a like-minded group to run ideas by. Segal Block also said she hopes participants gain confidence from the class.

“A lot of people who take these classes are lawyers and accountants, and they’ve never stood on stage,” McMahon said. The first time they get on stage and hold the microphone, she added, “a lot of them are shaking. A lot of them are near tears, they’re worried.”

But, by the end of the class, they are more self-assured.

“They start becoming more confident in their writing,” McMahon said. “They start becoming more confident in front of the microphone.”

“It’s not as easy as you think it is,” Timms said about stand-up. “Being relatable to a group of strangers is completely different from being relatable with people that you’ve been around all your life.”

This is all the more reason Segal Block is grateful that Comedy Plex’s co-founders accepted her suggestion to start a stand-up class just for women.

“The fact that Comedy Plex is here at all is a great resource, but the fact that they’re so flexible,” Segal Block said, “I think that really says something about their willingness to be part of the community.”

Timms and Comedy Plex’s other co-owners plan to expand the comedy club’s offerings. They hope to start stand-up classes for kids and, this summer, add improv workshops and classes to their lineup of comedy training.

“We’ve had some good weekends, we’ve had some great weekends,” Timms said of business so far. “We’re just looking to continue and build upon that success.”

Those who sign up for a class at Comedy Plex get free tickets to all shows, including those from several nationally touring comedians, plus discounts at local businesses and free Comedy Plex merchandise.

Funny is Female will take place Tuesdays, starting May 27, from 7 to 9 p.m. The class is six weeks long and costs $250. Sign up or buy a ticket to see upcoming comics visiting Comedy Plex at https://www.comedyplex.com/.

Jerry Schulman

Comic Leah Eva per forms on Comedy Plex’s stage.

PHOTO COURTESY OF COMEDY PLEX

Angie McMahon w ill teach Comedy Plex’s new intro-to-stand-up class for women.

Driver with $10K in cash in car arrested for cannabis, other charges

By JESSICA MORDACQ Staff Reporter

On May 5 at Thorntons gas station, police said they noticed a car with tinted windows and a man leaning into the rear passenger door shuffling money. Another car then stopped behind him and honked several times, according to the police report. Police watched the man exchange money for a small plastic bag. Because of this interaction, and this area’s high rate of illegal narcotics and cannabis sales, police said, they pulled the car over. In the car, they found cannabis, suspected codeine, and more than $10,000 that officers reported as possibly laundered. The front-seat passenger was given a citation for not wearing a seatbelt. The driver was arrested for driving with a suspended or revoked license, operating an uninsured vehicle, possession of cannabis in a car outside of its approved container and possession of a controlled substance. He was also charged with a count of endangering the life or health of a child and failure to secure a child in an appropriate restraint system, because his daughter was in the car’s backseat.

Stolen catalytic converter

A man reported to police that he parked his 2003 Cadillac sedan between 7 and 8 p.m. May 1 at the village’s lot in the 7300 block of Roosevelt Road. When he returned to his car the following morning, he told officers that his exhaust sounded louder, and he discovered that his catalytic converter had been stolen. Police are checking with nearby businesses to see if the theft was caught on camera, according to police reports.

Boy runs away after arguing with mother about cannabis

In the early hours of May 10, a woman visited the police department to report her son missing from their Forest Park residence, according to police reports. The woman told officers that her son left home May 9 around 4 p.m. after she addressed him about smoking cannabis and the two started arguing. While

at the station, the mother called her son twice and, though he briefly picked up, he wouldn’t provide his location. The boy was entered into the police’s system as a missing juvenile.

Residential burglaries

■ Police were dispatched to Circle Avenue May 3 to address a report of a residential burglary. The homeowner told police he got home just before 11 p.m., parked in the garage and noticed his house’s lights were on. Upon entering his home, he said every room had been ransacked. No offenders were located inside the house and nothing appeared to be missing, though several valuable items were moved, according to the police report The man said he doesn’t have any possible suspects for the ransacking. Officers reported that the burglars appeared to enter the home through an unlocked bathroom window

■ A man stole a bicycle from a garage on Elgin Avenue May 9 after entering through the side door of the detached garage, according to the police report The homeowner yelled at the man that she would call the police before he rode the bike down the alleyway behind her house. Police found the man, arrested him for burglary and returned the woman’s bike.

■ The morning of May 10, a man came into the police station to report that someone stole his bike overnight from an unlocked porch on his building’s second floor, leaving behind another bike outside his residence. The man reported he doesn’t want to sign complaints if police find his bike, valued at about $200, but wants his bike returned.

These items were obtained from Forest Park Police Department reports dated May 3 through May 10 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

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VOLUNTEER WITH US

Report says natural gas prices could triple in next 10 years without state ac

By HANNAH MEISEL Capitol News Illinois

One week after Gov. JB P ritzker signed an elections-related measure that his f ellow Democrats quickly muscled through the General A ssembly, Re publicans sued over the new law, alleging the majorit y pa rt y is blocking b allot a ccess to wouldbe le gislative candidates

T he law, passed early this month as the legislature’s spring session ramps up to its scheduled May 24 adjournment, bans the long-running practice of political parties slating candidates to r un if the party didn’t put up a candidate in the primary.

T he practice has b een used by b oth Democrats and Re publicans for decade s when the winner of the o pposite pa rt y’s primary election is d eemed beatable Until P ritzker signed the new law, state statute allowe d pa rt i es to d esignate a c andidate within 75 days of a primary; thi s year, that date is June 3.

Four would-be GOP c andidates are p lainti ff s in the c ase, filed by the L iberty Justice C enter, a l ibertarian outfit b ehind lawsuits i ntervening in state law and p olitics – including one that ultimately resulted in the U. S. Supreme C ourt striking down so-called “fai r share” union dues in 2018.

According to the filing, “at least a dozen p eople” we re set to be appointed to the November b allot through the slating proc ess. T he four p lainti ff s on the suit we re all d esignated by their local pa rt i es in March and April, but none of them filed

their nominating petitions before the la went into ef fect .

One of the four – Re publican Daniel Behr of Northbrook – attempted to fil p etitions the afternoon before P ritzker signed the bill i nto law, and ended up fil ing them just six minutes after the governor ’s signature was recorded on the bil the morning of May 3.

T he suit cites but d oesn’t name another c andidate – Jay Ke even of Edwardsville – who was able to turn in his nominating p etitions the day before P ritzker signed the law. Ke even is challenging Democratic Re p. Katie S tuart, also of Edwardsville T he filing claims the timing of the law’s p assage is unfair and undermines “free and fair elections.”

building heat, as opposed to traditional gas-powered options.

“The state has an i nterest in providin g free and fair elections, and enacting legislation in the m iddle of a well-established process for c andidates to appear on the b allot, allowing some c andidates to acc ess the b allot and prohibiting other s, is clearly c ontrary to the interest in providing free and fair elections,” the suit said.

But the I llinois State Board of E lections is still a ccepting nominating p etitions for slated c andidates until June 3 and will still go ahead with the one-week p etition challenge process thereafter

“We are honoring the d eadlines and procedures as defined before this bil l was signed i nto law, ” Board of E lections spokesperson Matt Dietrich told Capitol News I llinoi s, acknowledging the p etitions will li ke ly end up in c ourt one way or another

“An ‘unmanaged’ transition will be far more expensive and far more inequitable, and it’s proven in large part by how much it costs to maintain the gas system,” Dorie Seavey, the re port’s author, said last week.

The Building Decarbonization Coalition is backed by utilities, such as California’s Pacific Gas and Electric, as well as companies like Google, Salesforce and LG, according to the coalition’s website. The head of the Illinois Citizens Utility Board, a consumer advocacy group, applauded the re port last week.

“The crippling cost of heating bills has already caused a financial emergency for many Illinois families, and this new study shows that current conditions re present only a fraction of the fiasco to come if spending by g as utilities is not held in check,” CUB Executive Director Sarah Moskowitz said in a statement.

The report’s authors presented their find-

ings to regulators, advocates and industry representatives last week as part of the state’s ongoing “Future of Gas” proceeding, aimed at identifying how best to regulate the fossil-fuel reliant industry as the state continues to transition to clean energy T he city of Chicago is c onsiderin g mandating electric heat in some new c onstruction and I llinois lawmakers prop osed incentivizing electrification earlier this month.

Capitol News Illinois is a nonprofit, nonpartisan news service covering state government. It is distributed to hundreds of newspapers, radio and TV stations statewide. It is funded primaril y by the Illinois Press Foundation and the Robert R. McCor mick Foundation, along with major contributions from the Illinois Broadcasters Foundation and Southern Illinois Editorial Association.

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SPECIAL OLYMPICS

New champs

from page 1

we re presented with trophies, wh ich included a plush Sonic the Hedgehog as a g ift from the district.

“When I came to see them one of the first things Immanuel said to me was ‘I am going to run like Sonic,’ so hence the Sonic,” said Supt. Elizabeth Álvarez, as the crowd cheered for the students

Three of the athletes also qualified for the upcoming State Games, which will be held from June 7-9 in Normal, Illinois.

Gigi will be competing in the 50M run. Immanuel will compete in both the softball throw and the 100M run. And Josiah will compete in the 50M run.

“Their dedication, positivity, and hard work paid of f,” Álvare z said. “For their incredible ef for ts and for inspiring us all. They are the reason why we ha our Special Olympics here and it was another milestone to finally involve our students with Special Olympics.”

T he team trained under the guidance of Daniel Dugan, P.E. teacher, as well as Amy Mills, third grade special education teacher

“The Special Olympics are an amazing opportunity for our athletes to sho what they can do,” Dugan said. “Coaching our team with Amy Mills and tons of help from Nurse Erika has been incred ibly rewarding. I know that our positi experience and successes this inaugural season will lead to growth in our program moving forward.”

Mills said it was rewarding to see the hard work pay of f.

“The Special Olympics is truly a markable organization and are very excited about all of the possibilities and opportunities it will bring the students of Forest Park,” Mills said.

mended the coaches and athletes for their perfor mance.

“The commitment, passion, and dedication have exemplified the very best of our school community,” he said. “Through these remarkable achievements, you have not only demonstrated an extraordinary accomplishment but also demonstrated the values of inclusion, determination, and sportsmanship.”

“Your i nspiring performances have left a mark, i nspiring us all to str ive for greatness and embrace dive rsit y, ” he said.

Vi c toria Egizio, assistant director of student services, also attended the event and said it was a wonderful experience to b oth g et to attend and fo r those who g ot to pa rt icipate, a dding the event was “remarkable. ”

“It was heartwarming and empowering to observe our D91 Trailblazers in action and to see all the supporters who came to cheer them on!”

T he dedication the students displayed wasn’t lost on district administrators, as David McKhiel, director of student services, said he was proud and com-

Above: Immanuel McKoy, Coach Daniel Dugan, and Ivan Nhial.

To right: Family and friends came out to suppor t Gigi Mason.

Right: Forest Park School District 91 students Giuliana “Gigi” Mason, Immanuel “Captain” McKoy, Josiah Milton, and Ivan Nhial shining at e Special Olympics Illinois Spring Games.

Village awards contract to build new green alleys

Forest Park’s 4th and 5th green alleyways will reduce ooding between some blocks on Marengo and Circle Ave.

By JESSICA MORDACQ Staff Reporter

Forest Park’s village council unanimously awarded the contract for the 2024 green alley project to Nardulli Concrete, Inc. at its council meeting May 13.

The village council also unanimously passed a resolution authorizing a proposal for the project from Burke Engineering, the village’s engineering contractor. Mayor Rory Hoskins was absent from the council meeting.

This year’s project will add two green alleyways to Forest Park’s existing three. The new additions, between the 800 and 900 blocks of Marengo Ave. and Circle Ave., will help to reduce flooding in those areas

Nardulli Concrete will replace these two asphalt alleyways with concrete and permeable pavers, which sit in the middle of the alley lengthwise. Nardulli Concrete will also re-pitch the slope of the alleys so that water drains to the center, toward the pavers. Green alleys help water to seep into the ground, rather than sitting on top of it. This means fewer potholes and less flooding after a big rain — at least 47,000 gallons of water during “any given rain event,” said officials from the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District. The district has helped fund these green alleys since the village received its first grant from the organization in 2018.

“The benefits are that you’re conserving water. You’re allowing more water to infiltrate into the ground and waterways, which is a good thing for the environment,” Sal Stella, Forest Park’s director of public works, previously told the Forest Park Review. “It’s a good thing for MWRD because you’re getting less water going into their system to get treated.”

Forest Park will pay $353,000 for this year’s green alley project, and the MWRD will cover about 70% of the cost, or $494,000.

The village received bids from four construction companies and chose “the lowest responsible and qualified bidder,” according to the officials. Nardulli Concrete’s bid was the only one whose cost came in under Burke Engineering’s estimated $778,150 to complete the project. Nardulli Concrete bid $735,388.25.

After Nardulli Concrete completes Forest Park’s fourth and fifth green alleyways by the end of August, Forest Park will complete one more green alley in the next few years, as well as repave about 10 more alleys with concrete, but not as green alleyways, Stella has said.

In other news:

Brick replacement: On May 13, the village council also voted unanimously to authorize the execution of a proposal from Burke Engineering to replace brick pavers and the subbase on Fillmore St. between Beloit Ave. and Hannah Ave. The project is estimated to cost $3,035.

Top: e green alley between Elgin Avenue and Marengo Avenue, bound to the North and South respectively by Lexing ton Street and Har vard Street.

Right: e green alley between the 500 block of omas Avenue and Beloit Avenue.

Jessica Mordacq

OPINION

OUR VIEW

More green alleys

Forest Park continues slow but steady progress in remaking deteriorated and flood-perpetuating alleys into green alleys which redirect rainwater into the ground rather than either overloaded sewers or the yards and basements of neighbors.

This week the village council awarded contracts for the engineering and construction of green alleys between the 800 and 900 blocks of Marengo and Circle avenues. When construction is completed this August, Forest Park will have five blocks’ worth of alleys featuring concrete and per meable pavers.

There appears to be funding for one more green alley in the future. At the same time, 10 alleys will be rebuilt with concrete. Those are the financial realities of infrastructure funding. And those who live along decrepit alleys will be appreciative of the all-concrete rebuilds.

In a village where infrastructure funding has long been ignored due to difficult finances and a lack of vision, it is all good news to see these investments being made. But Forest Park, and every other community, needs to push for more funding for green projects from other government sources.

These latest green alleys are being substantially funded by the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District. The MWRD has been working with Forest Park on these projects since 2018. Since green alleys divert tens of thousands of gallons of rainwater from the sewers in any notable storm, it is in the shared interest of MWRD and every other level of government to find more funding.

Our Special Olympians

Forest Park’s District 91 elementary schools took the leap this spring and sent four students to the Spring Games sponsored by Special Olympics Illinois.

The Forest Park team, known as the Trailblazers, re presented our village well. Gigi Mason, 8; Josiah Milton, 11; Ivan Nhial, 10; and Immanuel “Captain” McKoy, 15, traveled to Aurora to compete in a range of events. To gether they earned four gold medals and five silvers.

The team was honored at the D91 school board meeting on May 9. “Their dedication positivity and hard work paid of f,” said Supt. Elizabeth Alvare z. Two district teachers, Daniel Dugan, a P.E. teacher, and Amy Mills, a special ed teacher, worked to train the team. This is the first year that D91 has fielded a team in the Illinois Special Olympics. Clearly, it won’t be the last.

TPrimed and ready for dreams

he Circle Bridge is primed. The visual stories sho for the past seven years ha been cleared and a new set of stories are about to unfold.

I’m sure there’s a metaphor for our community here, an exciting moment of possibilities. I recently found photos of the ar twork from the Co our Rust event and wanted to include them here in the digital record for anyone to see

The next narrative launches this weekend. I’ve been thinking about nar ratives recently after reflecting on the life and le gacy of Dr. Joseph Carter Corbin, whose final resting place at Forest Home Cemetery was designated a National Historic Place by the United States Department of the Interior.

WAGNER

At the unveiling of the bronze plaque that will be placed at Dr. Corbin’s grave, a re presentative from the Department of the Interior spoke. She shared so aptly, that she had been approached by Dr. Gladys Turner Finney, an educator from Ohio, who pushed for the reco gnition of Corbin’s narrative to be honored by the United States. Though it seemed an unlikely possibility, a woman from Ohio applied for the National Re gister of Historic Places status for a grave in Illinois for a man whose most notable work was during Reconstruction in 1870s Arkansas. Dr. Corbin’s mission of educating freed men and women and their children just after the Civil War is now indelibly marked in the National Re gister of Historic Places.

This reco gnition, which crosses many divided state lines at dif ferent times, is united by Dr. Gladys Turner Finney, who “moved a feather through honey,” as the Department of the Interior remarked.

America has always been a divided country, held together by a narrative, a national story of Manifest Destiny — the promise of a new land. The foundations from a Judeo-Christian world view, based on God’s providential plan.

gy has been rging narratives, ich push and pull our collective unity. Proud individual narratives are expressed through our words, posts and actions coalescing in the melting pot. r a moment where we can clear the past and prime our colt a new col. The past is always everyone

angston Hughes, in 1935, bitterly q uestioned the American ideals during the cultural and economi c clash during the hardships of the Great Depression, writing “Let A merica be America ag ain, Let it be the dream it used to be.”

A llowing challenging nar ratives to rent space inside our gr eater community experience of hope for a perfect union is pa rt of wh at defines America.

I suspect on the Circle Bridge there will be images that represent narratives pulling from diverging ideals in our community. There will likely be narratives that are sentimental, personal, and constructive. There will be some that showcase pride of place, pride of self, pride of organization and likely there will be a mural that salts a little shame. Some will highlight the deep need for a shared reality and others that give a moral identity or globally influenced reality alongside a hyper-local one as well.

For now, in this brief moment between the first collection of nar ratives and the one to come, the bridge is primed. Washed clean for a new slate of murals.

Free to be a pioneer on the plain, the dream the dreamers dream.

Weather permitting, after this Saturday, a new collective of narratives will be showcased distinctively in Forest Park, America, 2024 on a bridge uniting our community across the expressway.

Editor Erika Hobbs

Sta Repor ter Jessica Mordacq Amaris E. 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

Designers Susan McKelvey, Vanessa Garza

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

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

If you think people are getting dumber, it’s not an illusion. A column by Rex W. Huppke reported on a study that showed there’s been a steady decline in IQ going back to the Victorian era. We’ve lost 14 points since 1837.

Dumbing ups and downs

We’re trying to reverse this trend on our block. The village has replaced our lead water pipes. Studies have shown that exposure to lead lowers IQ. After lead-free pipes were installed, the collective IQ on the block rose by several points We’re looking forward to some intellectual discussions at our next block party. Provided we can persuade 75% of the residents to have a block party. Some of us are even joining book clubs. Our next selection at the McAf fer’s Book Club is The Great Gatsby. It’s part of our series of required books we didn’t actually read in high school.

Reading books is one way to combat declining IQs. But there are many factors contributing to the decline: reality TV shows; movies about comic book heroes; video games; sports radio; smart phones; Google searches and celebrity magazines. Did you ever pick up a publication so shallow you could feel your brain cells dying?

The study also showed that our reaction

times have slowed. We may be multitasking in a world of nstant gratification but a Victorian would beat us to the punch every time (or in the case study, beat us to a button). We’ve seen a 10% decline in reaction times since Victorian times.

Unlike modern multitaskers, Victorians weren’t constantly distracted by electronic devices giving social media updates. Victorians also had the patience and ttention spans to read Charles Dickens’ novels in weekly installments

However, it’s not our collective ADD, or watered-down educations that are making us brainless. The study blames it on that ever-handy villain, heredity. The theory is that brainiacs have fewer kids, leading to a shortage of junior geniuses. Apparently, Mensa members are smart enough to plan their families, while mopes like me kept having kids because they’re so darn cute I can see why professional couples might have smaller families. All those years of advanced education and working high-powered jobs could limit their opportunities to bear and raise children.

They would also be intelligent enough to foresee the enor mous cost of raising kids. Many are giving their children gold-

plated educations, enrolling them in pricey programs and sending them to expensive camps. At those rates, who can afford more than two kids?

Nonetheless, we made the financial sacrifice of raising four children. I believe KnowIt-Alls are shirking their responsibility. They should be lifting our educational standards by producing smart kids

Nerds of the world, unite! If you want to see Jane Austen movies instead of Star Wars sequels, we need you to make brighter kids to buy the tickets. Also, look at the aging audience for the symphony and the opera. The arts need you to start making youthful replacements right now.

Not that there’s any correlation between music appreciation and smartness, or for that matter, intelligence and happiness. I had a friend who said she never met anyone happier than her “dumb cousins.” On the other hand, I’ve known many miserable intellectuals. But we’re not talking happiness here; it’s falling IQ that’s hurting us.

So, smarty-pants, take a break from perfecting the perpetual motion machine. It’s time for war m fusion not cold coffee. We need the kind of kids who sit in the front row, take notes and hand in their assignments on time

Parents would really appreciate it and teachers will personally thank them at the next conference.

A Maypole party at the Gymnastic Club

The town of Harlem, which was incorporated in 1884, included today’s Forest Park and parts of River Forest. The Harlem Post was a local German weekly newspaper for the local German population. According to the publisher, a German weekly was necessary because Harlem, based on its population at the time, “is considered one of the most German settlements in Illinois, because the large German papers do not reach this area, and because most residents are not able to understand the English weekly papers.” Its first edition was published on Sept. 12, 1895.

The May 21, 1896 edition included the following notice: May Fest of the Gymnastic Club’s

Ladies’ Section

The Ladies’ Section of the Harlem Gymnastics Club is planning a wonderful Maypole Party for next Sunday. The fest will take place in Gaden’s great hall. Those who are familiar with the industriousness of the ladies’ section will be fast to admit that they spare no effort to provide a delightful and enjoyable evening for guests at every one of their parties. That will also be the case this time. The planning committee has put together an extensive and interesting program, which includes, among other activities, a great performance of a dance around the Maypole by the ladies

The festivities will begin at 8 p.m. Tickets are 25 cents per person and available at John Gaden’s, D. Junker’s and Rob

Gladrow’s in Harlem and D. Pa ges in Oak Park.

PUBLIC NOTICE

NOTICE OF INTENT TO REQUEST RELEASE OF FUNDS FOR TIERED PROJECTS AND PROGRAMS

Date of Publication: May 15, 2024

The Village of Oak Park 123 Madison St. Oak Park, Illinois 60302 (708) 358-5416

On or after May 23, 2024 the Village of Oak Park will submit a request to U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development for the release of Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds under Title 1 of the of the Housing and Community Development Act of 1974 (PL93383), to undertake the following project:

Tier 1 Broad Review Project/Program Title: PY 2023 through 2027 Water Lines

Purpose: CDBG eligible homeowners will receive private-side lead water-line replacements as an ongoing effort to get rid of all Village of Oak Park lead water lines.

Location: The project will take place at several addresses throughout Oak Park.

Project/Program Description: The improvements shall include installing a new continuous one-inch Type K copper water service line on the owner side of the water service from the curb stop/B-box into the house to the water meter. Work shall include a new meter setting including full-port ball valves before and after the meter with a boiler drain valve after the meter. A new water meter is optional to the homeowner and if selected, will be delivered to the jobsite. New meter connectors will be furnished, if necessary, by the Village.

Tier 2 site specific reviews will be completed for those laws and authorities not addressed in the Tier 1 broad review for each address under this program when addresses become known.

Level of Environmental Review

Citation: Acquisition, repair, improvement, reconstruction, or rehabilitation of public facilities and improvements (other than buildings) when the facilities and improvements are in place and will be retained in the same use without change in size or capacity of more than 20 percent (e.g., replacement of water or sewer lines, reconstruction of curbs and sidewalks, repaving of streets): 24 CFR Part 58.35(a)(1).

Tier 2 Site Specific Review: The site-specific reviews will cover the following laws and authorities not addressed in the Tier 1 broad review: Contamination and Toxic Substances; Endangered Species; Historic Preservation; Wetlands Protection; Environmental Justice. Mitigation Measures/Conditions/

Permits (if any): Contamination and Toxic Substances: The Responsible Entity (RE) will assess all addresses for Contamination and Toxic Substances and provide an assessment for each. In doing so, the RE will use data from the following resources to ensure to noted hazardous materials, contamination, toxic chemicals and gases, and radioactive substances, where a hazard could affect the health and safety of occupants or conflict with the intended utilization of the sites: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Toxic Release Inventory and Toxic Substances Control Act Facilities, Illinois EPA Agency Facility Inventory and Information Search System and Landfills, Illinois State Fire Marshall Underground Storage Tanks and National EPA Assist; Endangered Species: each site will be assessed by the RE to establish if any suitable habitats will be affected; Historic Preservation: the Village of Oak Park has a Programmatic Agreement with the State Historic Preservation Office that covers work being done in this project. However, on an annual basis throughout the duration of this project, the RE will contact all Tribal Historic Preservation Offices that have an interest in ground disturbances occurring in Cook County; Wetlands Protection: the RE will review all properties and evaluate if the land is on or adjacent to land that is designated as Wetlands and provide an assessment for each. All zones will be mapped using the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Wetlands Mapper and proper zone boundaries will be identified; Environmental Justice: pending approval and no findings of Contamination and Toxic Substances, Suitable Habitats, THPO concerns, or Wetlands, all sites will comply with Environmental Justice [Executive Order 12898].

Estimated 5-year Project Cost: $500,000

The activity/activities proposed are categorically excluded under HUD regulations at 24 CFR Part 58 from National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) requirements per 24 CFR Part 58.35(a)(1). An Environmental Review Record (ERR) that documents the environmental determinations for this project is on file at the Village of Oak Park, 123 Madison Street, Oak Park, Illinois 60302 and may be examined or copied weekdays 9:00 A.M to 5:00 P.M. or at https://www.hudexchange.info/ programs/environmental-review/ environmental-review-records/.

PUBLIC COMMENTS

Any individual, group, or agency may submit written comments on the ERR to the Village of Oak Park office of Development Customer Service. All comments received by May 23, 2024 will be considered by the Village of Oak Park prior to authorizing submission of a request for release of funds.

ENVIRONMENTAL CERTIFICATION

The Village of Oak Park certifies to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development that Ahmad M. Zayyad, Certifying Officer, in their capacity as Deputy Village Manager/Interim Neighborhood Services Director, consents to accept the jurisdiction of the Federal Courts if an action is brought to enforce responsibilities in relation to the environmental review process and that these responsibilities have been satisfied. HUD’s approval of the certification satisfies its responsibilities under NEPA and related laws and authorities and allows the Village of Oak Park Public Works Department to use HUD program funds.

OBJECTIONS TO RELEASE OF FUNDS

HUD will accept objections to its release of fund and the Village of Oak Park’s certification for a period of fifteen days following the anticipated submission date or its actual receipt of the request (whichever is later) only if they are on one of the following bases: (a) the certification was not executed by the Certifying Officer of the Village of Oak Park; (b) the Village of Oak Park has omitted a step or failed to make a decision or finding required by HUD regulations at 24 CFR part 58; (c) the grant recipient or other participants in the development process have committed funds, incurred costs or undertaken activities not authorized by 24 CFR Part 58 before approval of a release of funds by HUD; or (d) another Federal agency acting pursuant to 40 CFR Part 1504 has submitted a written finding that the project is unsatisfactory from the standpoint of environmental quality. Objections must be prepared and submitted in accordance with the required procedures (24 CFR Part 58, Sec. 58.76) and shall be addressed to HUD administration office at 77 West Jackson Boulevard Chicago, Illinois 60604. Potential objectors should contact HUD to verify the actual last day of the objection period.

Ahmad M. Zayyad, Deputy Village Manager, Certifying Officer

PUBLIC NOTICES

RIVERSIDE BROOKFIELD TOWNSHIP HIGH SCHOOL DISTRICT 208 TIMELY AND MEANINGFUL CONSULTATION FOR PARENTS AND ADMINISTRATORS OF PRIVATE AND HOME SCHOOLED CHILDREN WITH DISABILITIES

In accordance with the requirements of Section 612(a) (10) of the Federal Individuals with Disabilities Improvement Act of 2004 (“IDEA 2004”), Riverside Brookfield High School will conduct a Timely and Meaningful Consultation on Friday, May 17, 2024, at 10:00 AM at Riverside Brookfield High School, 160 Ridgewood Road, Riverside, Il 60546 The purpose of this meeting is to discuss how students with disabilities, who attend private schools or are homeschooled within the district boundaries, will be served by District 208 during the 2024-25 school year. Parents and private school administrators who would like to attend should contact Kevin Baldus, Director of Special Education, at baldusk@rbhs208.net

Published in RB Landmark May 8, 15, 2024

NOTICE

OF PUBLIC HEARING

VILLAGE OF OAK PARK ZONING BOARD OF APPEALS

CALENDAR NUMBER: 10-24-Z

HEARING DATE: June 5, 2024

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

APPLICATION: The Zoning Board of Appeals (“ZBA”) will conduct a public hearing on a special use permit application filed by the Applicant, Dish Wireless, to install wireless telecommunications antennas pursuant to Section 8.3 (Table 8-1: Use Matrix) of the Oak Park Zoning Ordinance at the property located at 715 Lake Street, Oak Park, Illinois, Property Index Number 16-07-224-004-0000 (“Subject Property”).

A copy of the application and applicable documents are on file and are available for inspection

NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING

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.

All interested persons will be given an opportunity to be heard at the public hearing. Interested persons may also sign up to participate in-person in the hearing to cross examine the applicant and its witnesses by submitting a cross-examination form or by emailing Zoning@ oak-park.us before 5:00 PM on the day prior to the public hearing.

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

Published in Wednesday Journal, May 15, 2024

VILLAGE OF OAK PARK ZONING BOARD OF APPEALS

CALENDAR NUMBER: 03-24-Z

HEARING DATE: June 5, 2024

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

APPLICATION: The Zoning Board of Appeals (“ZBA”) will conduct a public hearing on an application filed by the Applicants, Emily and Mathew McNulty, seeking variances from Section 9.3 (N)(2)(b) of the Oak Park Zoning Ordinance requiring that a detached garage is only permitted in the front and interior side yard and not the corner side yard to construct a garage 3.5 feet from the corner lot line within the required nine (9’) foot corner side yard setback along Division Street at the premises commonly known as 850 Linden, Oak Park, Illinois, Property Index Number 16-06-402-001-0000.

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.

All interested persons will be given an opportunity to be heard at the public hearing. Interested persons may also sign up to participate in-person in the hearing to cross examine the applicant and its witnesses by submitting a cross-examination form or by emailing Zoning@oak-park.us before 5:00 PM on the day prior to the public hearing. The public hearing may be adjourned by the Board to another date without further notice by public announcement at the hearing setting forth the time and place thereof.

NOTICE IS FURTHER GIVEN HEREBY that a public hearing on said Budget and Appropriations Ordinance will be held at 6:00 PM, Tuesday, May 21, 2024 at the River Forest Township regular meeting at 8020 Madison St., River Forest and final hearing and action on the ordinance will be taken at the regular meeting held on Tuesday, June 18, 2024 at 6:00PM.

Dated the 10th of April, 2024, John Becvar, Township Clerk Published in Wednesday Journal, May 15, 2024