Forest Park Review 060524

Street Annex

Co-founders Craig and Kristi Ross look to bridge gaps in the roasting industry.

By ALEX GOLDSTEIN Contributing Reporter

For more thirty years, Oak Park-based couple Craig and Kristi Ross spent their time traveling across the country as executives in the healthcare and finance industries respectively. But during the years of the COVID-19 pandemic, a Christmas present for their middle daughter, Sydney, sparked a familial interest in coffee that inspired a change in direction.

The gift turned 25 of Chicago’s top-rated coffee houses featured in the Chicago Tribune into a scrapbook.

“Kristi, for Christmas, she cut out all 25 (coffee houses), made a little album of the 25 different best coffee houses,” Craig said. “So, I drove around … and bought a $10 gift card from each one of them.”

Sydney, now an entrepreneurship major at St. Louis University, went to all 25 shops and created a journal that rated each one. Not much later, in 2021, Kristi sold her finance business, tastytrade, to a London-based company. Craig exited the healthcare industry after an acquisition in the same year

From there, the family set out to dissect the vast consumerism around the coffee industry and create a global impact across its realms. This initiative culminated in U3 Coffee, See U3 on pa ge

American Legion Post 41 Forest Park’s American Le

By JESSICA MORDACQ Staff Reporter

After 103 years of serving the area’s veterans and c ommunity, American Legion Post 414 is closing its doors.

It held i ts last honor g uard service on Memorial Day, when do z ens of Fo rest Pa rkers in red, wh i te and blue joined A merican Legion members on the front lawn of the Pa rk District of Fo rest Pa rk to remember those wh o died wh i le serving the c ountr y. T hey also said fa rewell to Post 414.

A merican Legions across the c ountry have b een experiencing declining enrollment in recent year s, largely a result of low membership and lack of pa rt icipation among younger veterans. T hose reasons, along with the c ost of maintaining the property, c ontributed to the closure of Fo rest Pa rk ’s post at 500 Circle Ave.

“It’s an older building, it needs a lot of re pairs c onstantly and we do n’ t have the reve nue stream to pay fo r it,” said Mi ke T hompson, who helps manage facilities at Post 414. Th at reve nue c omes from membership f ees and fundraising events, wh ich members org anize

T hompson said Post 414 has around 20 member s, about five of whom re g ularly attend meetings.

“I’ve neve r seen 15 of them, and I’ve b een involved fo r 15 year s, ” Thompson said.

Post 414’s members are older, T hompson said, and re present wars in Ko rea, Vi etnam, Afghanistan, Iraq and Kuwait.

“From Vi etnam forward, membership has b een dw indling, dw indling, dw indling because younger soldiers, sailor s, marines and airmen, do n’ t join,” T hompson said. He a dded that he and the p ost’s c ommander or ganize most of Post 414’s events

“A t 75, I want to slow down,” T hompson said. “I spend too much time there. ”

It ’s not an unusual sentiment among older veterans.

“Some of these p eople are at the point in their time when they j ust want to sit back in the recliner and enjoy l ife,” Joe Bartley, state a djutant-quartermaster for the State of Illinois VFW, told the Review in the past.

And without younger members to assume responsibilitie s, many service organizations for veterans are closing or merging with each other

In 2008, the North Rive rside VFW — wh ich absorbe d for mer p osts in Cicero, Lyons, Melrose Pa rk and Westchester — merged i nto Berwy n’s. Jack Meshek, the VFW ’s District 4 commander, told the Landmark in the p ast this was because North Rive rside VFW member s we re n’ t pa rt icipating in running their location.

“Membership is dropping to a point where they ca n’ t even fill the offices in their p ost,” Bartley said of VFW s that merge with other s. “That’s why it ’s so important to g et the young people in there. ”

WWI veterans. In the p ost’s early days, T hompson sai d p oliticians held c ampaign events and f undraisers there.

In recent year s, the p ostal union had b een meeting at the Legion once a month. T he Fo rest Pa rk T heatre hosts readings and pl ay s at Post 414 for free, and local reverends have held church services there, also at no cost.

Since i ts inception, Post 414 has also built i ts arch ives

Much of the p ast c entury’s historical ar tifacts and p hotos will be d onated to the Historical Society of Fo rest Pa rk , wh ich p lans to displ ay them publicly T hese include a b oard of Fo rest Pa rk locals who fought in WWI and WWII, fl ags fr om the Grand Ar my of the Re public, c ampaign streamers and ceremonial rifles

In 2018, the A merican Legion renovated i ts buildin g with the hope of increasing rentals for things such as birthd ay pa rt i es and annive r sarie s. But T hompson sai d that business model didn’t wo rk

“The economy is not helping, and we ’re g etting rentals from groups and f amilies that do n’ t have a lot of

ing even.

So, Post 414 stopped b ooking events a c ouple weeks ago and, in May, p ut i ts building on the market with Berkshire Hathaway. Reve nue from selling the building will go to a few charities, Thompson said.

W hen Post 414 sells i ts building, T hompson said he anticipates hosting a free event at the A merican Legion.

“We might have a bl owout event and invite the c ommunity to c ome and drink wh atever l iquor is left, ” T hompson said.

As for where Post 414’s remaining members will go, Post 414 Member Joe Byrnes told the Review in the p ast that they would li ke ly transfer to other A merican Legion posts

Greg o ry Walker, c ommander of A merican Legion Post 838 in Maywood, said he would visit Post 414 to encourage its members to join Post 838 or another location.

“We survive d the last fifteen years through the ski n of our teeth, but we survive d,” T hompson said. “It’s a sad end to a hundred-year histor y. ”

Brad Macdonald

Wednesday, June 12, 6:30 p.m., Rober t’s Westside Doors open at 6:30 p.m.; music starts at 8 p.m. General Admission: $12 + service fees. Reserved Seating: $15 + service fees (sold in tables of 4-6, includes General Admission).

Limited GA seating is available on a rst-come, rst-served basis. Purchase tickets at https://robertswestside.com/listing/brad-macdonald/. 7321 Madison St., Forest Park

Family Mystery Theater Series

Sunday, June 9, 2 - 4 p.m.,

Forest Park Public Librar y, Austin Room

Join us for Sunday movies with English captioning on alternate Sundays in June and July.

- June 9: ‘Scoob!’ (PG)

- June 23: ‘Nancy Drew and the Hidden Staircase’ (PG)

- July 7: ‘Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: ‘Mutant Mayhem’ (PG)

- July 21: ‘Goosebumps’ (PG) Register at https://tinyurl.com/yhk2m3ck 7555 Jackson Blvd., Forest Park

BIG WEEK

June 5-12

Stoop Session Announcement

Tuesday, June 11, 7-9 p.m., 505 Thomas Ave.

Detective In Training Kit

Thursday, June 13, All Day, Forest Park Public Library

Pick up your own detective in training kit. Kits are limited, so please remember to register. Designed for grades 5-7, ages 11-13. Register at https://tinyurl.com/2k8j6mwu. 7555 Jackson Blvd., Forest Park

Joe Rian and The A.M. Drinkers

Thursday, June 6, 6:30 p.m., Rober t’s Westside D oors open at 6:30 p.m.; music starts at 8 p.m.

The Forest Park Arts Alliance Stoop Session, will feature Datu Ramel and the B lue To rch Ensemble from 7 to 8 p.m. These free porch concerts are open to the public. Bring a chair or blanket and enjoy local talent. Concerts are on Tuesday evenings, with a rain date on the following Thursday. Sponsored by Mark Hanson State Farm Agenc y. More info at www.forestparkarts.org. 505 Thomas Ave ., Forest Park

Myster y Book Group

Saturday, June 15, 2 - 4 p.m., Community Room

Join us for our mystery novel discussions. New members welcome

- May 18: *More Than You’ll Ever Know* by Katie Gutierrez

- June 15: *The Paleontologist* by Luke Dumas

- July 20: *The Woman in the Window* by A. J. Finn

- Aug. 17: *Relic* by Preston and Child

For questions, contact Marsha Boblitz at mbschuch@yahoo.com. Register at https://tinyurl.com/3vey9eut

G eneral Admission: $10 + service fees.

Reserved Seating: $15 + service fees.

Limited GA seating is available on a rst-come, rstserved basis. 21+ (Under 21 allowed with parent/ guardian). Purchase tickets at https://tinyurl. com/mv79uxmf 7321 Madison St., Forest Park

Listing your event

Forest Park Review welcomes notices about events that Forest Park groups and businesses are planning. We’ll work to get the word out if you let us know what’s happening by noon Wednesday a week before your news needs to be in the newspaper ■ Email details to calendar@wjinc.com

Compiled by Brooke Duncan

Water and sewer rates set to increase

e increase accounts for rising labor costs and capital projects

By JESSICA MORDACQ Staff Reporter

The cost of water and sewage services in Forest Park will increase slightly June 1 to account for inflation, officials said.

“This is a normal process that we go through eve ry year, and it reflects a standard rate of increase for water and se we r c harges that we rece ived from the City of Chicag o, ” said Michelle MelinRo govin, c ommissioner of streets and public impr ovements, at a May 28 village c ouncil meeting

At the meeting, three commissioners and Mayor Rory Hoskins voted to increase the rates. Commissioner Maria Maxham was absent from the meeting.

Beginning June 1, residential and institutional c ustomers will pay $9.08 fo r

every 100 cubic f eet of water, a 30-cent increase from last year. S enior citizens will have a 23-cent c ost hi ke and pay $7.02. Multi-family c ustomers will pay $11.41 (up from $11.04) and c ommercial or industrial c ustomers will pay $15.64, instead of $15.13. Industrial or c ommercial, large meter c ustomers will pay $156.40 fo r every 1,000 cubic f eet of water, about a $5

increase from last year

Sewer services will be $2 for most customers, up from $1.45. Industrial large meter customers will pay $20, an increase from $14.50.

Forest Park gets its water from Lake Michigan through the City of Chicago. The Chicago mayor and city council vote annually on increasing water rates to account for inflation, plus the increased cost of labor and the capital projects to maintain and improve water delivery to surrounding villages and towns.

As Chicago raises its price for Lake Michigan’s water, other municipalities follow suit to offset the increased cost. Forest Park increases charges for its sewer service because of rising costs to operate and maintain the sewer system.

According to the ordinance that increased water and se we r service prices, Fo r est Pa rk periodically reviews these c osts to a djust for Chicago and local price rises. T he prices for water and se we r services are set for June 1 throug h May 31, 2025.

Growing Community Media

Local News We’ve

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Nor th & Madison’s recent projects bring the color to local interiors

By LACEY SIKORA Contributing Reporter

As co-founders of i nterior d esign firm No rt h & Madison, Ro bin F laherty and Jess Milbu rn have b een teaming up to bring thei r signature brand of c olorful i nteriors to the western suburbs and Chicago area for seve n year s. Two recent projects – one in Rive r Fo rest and one in Fo rest Pa rk – showcase the d uo’s skills in transforming a variety of homes

In River Forest, a working mom of four sought their services to update her historic house. Milburn said that the house had a lot of quaint vintage char m to start with.

“The goal was to keep that vintage integrity of the home but update it,” Milburn said.

What started as the idea of creating a more modern bathroom turned into a bit more.

“The owner joked that she thought she was just going to paint the kitchen cabinets,” Flaherty said.

Instead, they ended up gutting the kitchen and adding a mudroom on the first floor. One thing they didn’t do? Take

down walls to create an open concept great room.

“It doesn’t feel like new construction,” Flaherty said. “It’s so rare these days to not open up space to the rest of the house. It really feels authentic to what the house wants to be.”

In the kitchen, they got creative to make a small space live large for the family. They closed of f the back door to the porch to create an area for a large, built-in refrigerator. The new mudroom has a door to the back porch.

T he original kitchen cabinets had been painted a rose pink, which F laherty and Milburn say was char ming, but the cabinets had to be re placed to make the room more functional.

They added back fun punches of color with new paint. Two arched cabinets flanking the stove are painted a teal that purposefully ties into the stone countertops. F laherty and Milburn sampled countless green paints to get just the right shade for the new cabinets.

In the center of the kitchen, they added a custom wood table instead of an island.

“It looks like it could’ve been there for 100 years,” Flaherty said.

On the second floor, they connected the main bedroom to another bedroom to create a primary suite with its own bathroom, but again, they ke pt most of the walls in place.

“We didn’t rearrange all of the walls,” Flaherty added. “We just opened up her room to the bedroom next to it to create a bathroom and two closets.”

Milburn said the turnaround time on the project was a few months, noting, “we got it done really quickly, but no detail was left undone. It’s modern but really paying homage to these old historic homes of River Forest.”

In Forest Park, a long-time condo owner called on North & Madison to help breathe new life into her space. The loft-style condominium had been finished in the early 1990’s but had not been updated since. Milburn said that the space was essentially a loft with exposed bricks and beams, but that it had dated and dark finishes that weren’ t

COURTESY OF NORTH & M ADISON Forest Park kitchen renovation

COURTESY OF NORTH & M ADISON

Madison Street to get a brand new look

Bids are out for updates to the Forest Park thoroughfare’s landscaping, painting and furnishings

By JESSICA MORDACQ Staff Reporter

Madison Street’s furnishings, landscaping, painting, pavement and sealcoating will soon be redone after the village selects contractors.

The Village Council of Forest Park approved authorizing the advertising of separate bids to improve several aspects of Madison Street at a meeting May 28. The council had advertised these bids as a package deal, but recently made the move to offer them as individual bids.

Three commissioners and Mayor Rory Hoskins approved advertising the separate

COMMUNITY EVENT PATRIOTIC POPS CONCERT

6:30 p.m.

Please join us for the University Band’s annual outdoor summer concert, conducted by

location:

bids. Commissioner Maria Maxham was absent from the council meeting.

“The one bid that came back was, by far and wide, much higher than our engineers estimate,” said Jessica Voogd, commissioner of public property. “And we still want to make the improvements along Madison, and so we’re bidding them out separately in the hopes of getting more appropriate response bids.”

“The bids were way over what was estimated,” Hoskins clarified. “So, then we formally rejected the bids. And we’ve broken them out in hopes of getting more rightsized bids.”

Updated furnishings on Madison Street will include new bike racks, trash cans, benches, a sign for community events, and a gateway sign welcoming people to Forest Park. Landscaping updates include re placing the grates around trees with porous rubber surfaces, plus pruning tree roots. Contractors will paint light poles and bollards lining Madison Street, plus sealcoat village-owned parking lots and stripe parking stalls. Finally, pavement

services will include restriping all thermoplastic pavement markings, like crosswalks and road lines that divide lanes

Ryan Nero, commissioner of public health and safety, said while he understands why the council approved advertising for the bids separately, it might not be the most effective to contract for those parts of the project individually.

“All of them probably would scare off a contractor because maybe some of them aren’t within their wheelhouse to bid it as one package,” Nero said. But some of the items, like sealcoating and pavement, could be grouped together, he said.

“They ’d be willing to jump all over that because there’s mobilization costs,” Nero said of contractors. “And to do that three

SUMMER 2024

or four different times would elevate the cost for a different contractor to come in and out.”

After bids have been accepted, the village will start work on Madison Street. Construction will be complete by the end of July.

“We remain committed to rejuvenating Madison Street and are exploring all avenues to achieve this goal,” said Village Administrator Rachell Entler in an email.

JESSICA MOR DACQ

Madison Street is set to be spr uced up.

Dr. Richard Fischer with commentary by Jean Harrison Bojes.

Pillars Lawn

Rain

Chapel of Our Lord

Thinking about a career in local government?

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U3

Community co ee from page 1

which is expected to open its brick-and-mortar shop in Forest Park by the end of the year.

“When you look at the meaning behind U3 Coffee, it’s about uniting our family,” Kristi said. “But we also have an external reason which is uniting the world through coffee That’s our mission, connecting the coffee entrepreneurs to the end customer and bridging that education gap.”

Occupying the Madison Street annex next to Parkway Dispensary, for merly Doc Ryan’s, the coffeehouse will feature a selection of specialty drinks and coffee beans provided by locally owned shops around the country.

They’ll offer pastries sourced from local bakeries, including Silverland Bakery and Twisted Cookie, with a commercial kitchen adding breakfast sandwiches and other hot items to the mix.

U3 will also connect to a rooftop space above the dispensary, which Craig and Kristi said they hope to use as an event space that could bring in extra business.

But the family’s initiative travels far beyond the house music and ever-present whir of the espresso machine

According to data from the National Coffee Association, U.S. consumers spent nearly $110 billion on coffee in 2022, accounting for more than 8% of the value of the food service industry.

Both Craig and Kristi emphasized the importance of taking the breadth of such a massive market and making its intricacies more accessible among farmers, roasters and consumers alike

for other roasters to sell their beans; U3 Coffee Banks raises funds for coffee farmers and roasters in part by allowing customers to add a tip for farmers upon purchasing a beverage; and U3 Coffee Media features video interviews with coffee shop owners, roasters and farmers on their website.

Craig and Kristi also plan to collaborate with marketing and entrepreneurship classes at OPRF high school to give students an entryway into the business world by learning about coffee. Starting this year, they’ll also allow marketing students an inside look at the coffee business through their internship program, which is bringing in five students this summer.

“One of the initiatives behind that is bringing those interns in and having them be part of building a business as well as understanding the impact you can have, right there, boots on the ground,” Kristi said.

Melissa Martinez is a business education teacher at OPRF, coordinating financial literacy, digital literacy and marketing courses. Martinez said she wants the OPRF marketing program to become a resource for the local community by giving her students experience creating campaigns for real-world clients

Initially, Kristi spoke to three of Martinez’s financial literacy classes about her switch from finance to coffee, and what it was like starting her own business. Now, in spring 2025, Martinez’s marketing students will work in groups to devise competing advertising plans for U3 Coffee

They’ll also take a field trip to the shop to learn about the coffee farming and roasting process. Kristi said she and Craig are hoping to enclose some of U3’s upstairs space to host these classes.

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In the years of opening their business, Craig and Kristi took an “origin trip” to Costa Rica, where they learned about how more than 40 pairs of hands touch a coffee bean from harvest to consumption. Coffee bean “pickers” migrate across hilly terrain from Nicaragua through Costa Rica, paid by the weight of the coffee plants they pick.

“The big coffee companies do really well the people at the origin may not necessarily be benefitting to the same de gree,” Craig said. “We want to be able to provide some level of education around sustainability, around the farmers, what it takes to get a coffee bean from origin to here to be consumed.”

U3 Coffee’s name is indicative of the business’ three “arms,” now fully operational online platfor ms that connect the business with pillars of the coffee industry across the globe. The U3 Coffee Exchange is an online store

Martinez added that for her students, the project is a win-win. They’ll gain useful marketing exposure and research skills, as well as significant insight into industries like coffee that could inspire them to start their own businesses.

“These kids, with their experiences having grown with digital media all their lives, they provide really good consumer insight into these local businesses,” she said. “Coffee is a growing business. There’s so many opportunities in it. And it’s even more real — we can go see it.”

Whether it be through teaching groups of students about the anatomy of coffee beans or chatting with other local entrepreneurs over coffee, Craig and Kristi hope to use their business to further connect to an industry through which people often connect as humans.

“People do care,” Craig said. “People care about sustainability and others in the business. So we hope to be able to make something of that.”

NORTH & MADISON Color splash

from page 6

letting it shine.

T he pair renovated two bathrooms and rewo rked a ccess to a bedroom and laundry space to create a better flow

T he kitchen was where they made thei biggest chang e.

“This client was really up for havin f un,” Milburn said. “She really ga creative license. We made it fun and airy It has some contemporary diner vibe

T he cabinets are painted a r usty tone, and the tile backsplash sports c heckboard pattern featuring similar red-toned tiles i nterspersed with tiles. T he tiles a ccent the wall b the stove and are a pplied to the back the island

A teal retro refrigerator adds some fu to the spac e.

“In old houses, a lot of the time, need more space for storag e, and ca n’ t pl ay with the appliances li ke c ould here, ” F laher ty said.

One of their favo rite d etails is the use of wood ab ove the kitchen cabinets

“Because the ceilings are so tall,” Flaherty said, “we couldn’t take the cabinets all the way to the ceiling. We added a cedar planking that feels like it was always there. It enhances the loft feeling of the space.”

Milburn and Flaherty said that while both were very different, the River Forest home and the Forest Park condominium designs are pure North & Madison style with plenty of color and personal touches.

T hey said that kitchen and bath d esign is neve r i mmune to trends – the pair have seen their share of navy and green kitchens – and they see the trend shifting in home color s. Green and navy read li ke neutrals now, as people ar e gr avitating to warmer c olor s. Both see burgundy and bur nt reds making their way i nto more living spaces

T hey might acknowledge d esign movements, but Milburn said North & Madison str ives to create individual looks for each client.

“We t ry to give each client their ow n d esign. We do n’ t want their kitchen to look li ke everyone else’s. ”

After almost seven years in the business,

North & Madison is expanding in more ways than one. They’ve added five people to their team and are beginning to work far from the western suburbs where they got their start. Current projects are taking them to Florida and Washington D.C. While they used to focus on kitchens and bathrooms, they are now doing f ull house d esign and c onsulting on the design of newly build homes. T hey have also expanded their offerings to be able to wo rk with more clients

North and Madison offers two services: f ull-service projects, wh ich are primarily whole-house design, and design concep ts in wh ich they d esign the project bu t hand it of f to clients to execute Pe rspective clients looking to g et a f eel for thei r wo rk c an visit https://www. northandmadison.com/ or @northandmadison on I nsta gr am.

COURTESY OF NORTH & M ADISON

North & Madison gave this Forest Park kitchen a retro diner feel

COURTESY OF NORTH & M ADISON River

Ban on ‘captive audience’ meetings, AI regulations among 466 bills to pass this session

Bill allowing digital driver’s licenses also clears General Assembly

By ALEX ABBEDUTO, COLE LONGCOR & DILPREET RAJU

Capitol News Illinois|A GCM partnership

A bill banning what unions refer to as employer-sponsored “captive audience” meetings about religion and politics has cleared both chambers of the General Assembly It was one of 466 measures to do so during the Illinois legislature’s recently concluded spring session, including measures targeting artificial intelligence and allowing for digital driver’s licenses. A Capitol News Illinois analysis shows 287 of the bills passed in the session’s final two weeks.

If the “captive audience” bill is signed by the gover nor, employers would still be allowed to discuss religion and politics with employees, but workers would have the right to skip the meeting, whether on or off the clock, without retaliation.

The Illinois AFL-CIO labor organization brought the legislation to state Sen. Robert Peters, D-Chicago, and celebrated its passage as a win for workers. In a news release, Illinois AFL-CIO President Tim Drea said the meetings “are a direct violation of workers’ rights.”

The meetings were made legal in 1947 under what’s known as the Taft-Hartley Act. But labor advocates across the country, including other state chapters of the AFLCIO and the current National Labor Review Board General Counsel, Jennifer Abruzzo, are working to definitively outlaw mandatory attendance at meetings where anti-union rhetoric is shared.

Citing the Colorado gover nor’s recent veto of similar legislation in which he said he would sign a narrower and more neutral bill, Sen. Jason Plummer, R-Edwardsville, said during debate that the pending legislation, particularly who it would impact and how, is not well defined

“Let’s not play politics with unconstitutional legislation that’s going to get thrown out in the court of law,” Plummer said.

Of the six states that have introduced

similar legislation, only two have ongoing lawsuits. One is in Minnesota, filed by business groups including the National Federation of Independent Business Inc., and another is in Colorado, which was partially dismissed in 2023.

Senate Bill 3649 advanced out of the Senate on partisan lines, 39-18, after clearing the House 79-30 with some Republican support

The final version was amended to specifically exclude certain groups – including 501(c) (4, 5 and 6) organizations – that participate in lobbying activities and generally exist for the purpose of advocacy

The bill still needs to be signed by the gover nor to become law.

Arti cial intelligence protections

A bill that would outlaw the creation and sharing of child pornography made using artificial intelligence was one of several AIfocused measures to clear the General Assembly in its final days

House Bill 4623, which was backed by Attorney General Kwame Raoul, would expand current child pornography laws to also cover AI-generated child pornography.

Backers of the bill said if AI-generated child pornography rapidly increases, law enforcement’s ability to identify real cases would be more difficult.

The bill, which passed both chambers unanimously, would also ban the distribution of various AI-generated sexual images without consent.

House Bill 4875 would protect individuals from having their voice, image or likeness duplicated by AI for commercial purposes without their consent. The bill would allow recording artists and those they contract with to seek damages for nonconsensual use of their likeness.

The measure, as amended, cleared both chambers unanimously.

House Bill 4762, also passed by both chambers unanimously, would protect performers and other individuals from wrongful use of AI replicas. The bill would make contracts unenforceable if the performer would have performed in person, the use of the digital replica was not defined or detailed in the agreement, and if they were not represented by a lawyer or labor union during the agreement.

Digital IDs

The secretary of state’s office would be able to issue digital identification such as driver’s licenses, learner’s permits or state IDs to Illinois residents under House Bill 4592, which passed both chambers unanimously.

T he cards would be issued “in addition to, and not instead of” a physical ID, under the bill.

The measure has an effective date of Jan. 1, 2025, giving the secretary of state’s office time to implement and test a new digital ID platform before it goes live

Under the bill, agencies and private entities may choose if they want to accept electronic IDs in place of physical ones, but “upon request by law enforcement, a credential holder must provide the credential holder’s physical credential.”

A digital phone application that registers identification cards with the secretary of state’s office would cost a maximum of $6 under the bill heading to the gover nor’s desk.

In 2021, the American Civil Liberties Union published a report warning of potential privacy risks that could come with digitizing gover nment IDs. The bill addresses some concerns by barring law enforcement from requesting or searching through an individual’s phone

It also requires the secretary of state’s office to “use an electronic credential system that is designed to maximize the privacy of the credential holder ... and shall not track or compile information without the credential holder’s consent.”

Family obligation discrimination

House Bill 2161 bans workplace discrimination based on family responsibilities.

Senate sponsor Sen. Natalie Toro, DChicago, said the bill’s goal is to “prohibit discrimination on an assumption that your family responsibility will impede your work performance.”

For example, Toro said, a woman cannot currently be passed over for a promotion because of her family status if the promotion goes to a man with a similar status. But she could lose out on the promotion to another woman with no children.

Sen. Jil Tracy, R-Quincy, called the bill unnecessary, as the U.S. Supreme Court has

interpreted federal Title VII – which prohibits gender and sex-based discrimination – to apply to cases regarding family obligations.

The bill passed the Senate 37-19 and the House 74-29. It will become law if signed by the gover nor

Exoneree higher education bene ts

Senate Bill 3771 allows exonerated individuals to pass a state benefit covering higher education costs on to dependents. It passed the Senate 45-11 and the House 71-38.

Illinois leads the nation in exonerated individuals, with over 500 people having wrongful convictions overturned. Payouts to exonerees in Illinois remain some of the lowest in the country, but the Higher Education Student Assistance Act covers public university tuition and fees for exonerees

The bill allows the state benefit to cover private, not-for-profit university costs so long as the total does not “exceed the maximum grant payable” towards a grantee in “the most expensive comparable” program at an Illinois public university.

If the recipient, either an exoneree or their dependent, maintains “satisfactory academic progress,” grant funds can pay up to eight semesters or 12 quarters of full tuition and mandatory fees.

Mold public health campaign

Senate Bill 1087 requires the Illinois Department of Public Health to create a public health awareness campaign informing the public about the dangers and importance of removing indoor mold. It also requires IDPH to establish “procedures for parties that provide mold remediation services to register with the state.”

The bill passed out of both chambers without opposition.

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 primarily by the Illinois Press Foundation and the Robert R. McCormick Foundation, along with major contributions from the Illinois Broadcasters Foundation and Southern Illinois Editorial Association.

Lead service project aw

e Village Council also approved a proposal for this year’s lead service replacement project

By JESSICA MORDACQ Staff Reporter

In the coming months, Forest Park will be replacing lead pipes that carry drinking water to residents’ homes and other buildings

The village has worked for more than a decade to replace its roughly 3,400 service lines, about 1,100 of which are lead and nearly 1,500 that are partial lead. But more than 2,000 lead service lines still need to be replaced “Forest Park has always been proactive in helping the community upgrade to copper,” Sal Stella, director of public works, has told the Review in the past.

T he same is true in many municipalities, especially because in 2021, Gov. JB Pritzker signed a bill requiring Illinois to

re place lead service lines.

Lead is a toxic metal that can leach into drinking water, which is especially harmful for children to ingest. Though Forest Park’s drinking water contains trace contaminants of lead, it is safe to drink.

At a council meeting May 28, council members approved Christopher B. Burke Engineering’s proposal for this year’s lead service replacement project. They also awarded the contract for the 2024 lead service replacement project to IHC Construction Companies.

Both agenda items were approved unanimously by commissioners and Mayor Rory Hoskins. Commissioner Maria Maxham was absent from the council meeting

The approved proposal suggests replacing lead service lines with copper ones that run from the Buffalo Box valve at the parkway, between the village’s streets and sidewalks, to 18 inches inside residences and buildings

According to Burke Engineering’s proposal, these replacements will take place around town, but most notably between the 1000 and 1100 block of Harlem Avenue, 7200 and 7300 blocks of Roosevelt Road, 800 and 1200 blocks

JOIN US JUNE 14 - 15 AT WRIGHT’S HOME AND STUDIO

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On Jackson Boulevard sits one of Forest Park’s two water pump stations, which moves drinking water from the reservoir underneath Howard Mohr Community Center throughout the village through water ser vice lines.

of Elgin Avenue, 800 and 1200 blocks of Circle Avenue, and the 1200 block of Marengo Avenue

Companies submitted the lowest bid, which the village accepted at $2,204,375.

JESSICA MOR DACQ

How to eat well using the weeds in your yard

By RISÉ SANDERS-WEIR Contributing Reporter

Summer is here and native plants are poking up everywhere: in yards, parks, and in sidewalk cracks. Most people never wonder, “Can I eat those weeds?”

Now you can.

Each month this summer, foraging expert Dave Odd kicks off one-hours tours from Carnivore in Oak Park. His express intent is to get you to consume the landscape. According to Odd, he is the only full-time professional forager in the Chicago area. He has been at it for more than 20 years.

The first tour of the season started in a weedy parking lot next door to Carnivore and ended in Mills Park. In a radius of two blocks Odd identified more than 50 edible and medicinal plants.

Many people know that dandelions leaves are edible. But did you know that every part, except the fluff is? Before the flowers open the leaves are good as a peppery lettuce. Buds are a decent substitute for capers. Flowers are best lightly battered and fried or made into wine. Roasted roots can be ground into a coffee alternative and if you roast them darker, a chocolate powder substitute.

There is a difference between edible and enjoyable, but it all depends on your reason for eating, said tour guide Odd. Many plants identified on the trip are ones dined on or used medicinally by Native Americans, he said.

One particularly useful plant is plantago, a native that has many health benefits.

“This plant is like magic for bug bites, bee stings, eczema, sunburn,” Odd said. “Take one of the leaves, smash it up, put it directly over the affected area and hold it on there. Put down a piece of tape or a Band-Aid or whatever. It will stop the pain immediately. It is not just a symptom reliever. It is a cure.”

Non-native plants, introduced to beautify the landscape, are edible as well, such as the very common tiger lily. All parts of the lily are edible: the flower, the leaves, the roots.

There are several plant families that fall into what Odd called the 90% rule

“Most anything in the viola, rose, lily family, as well as stone fruit, clovers, mustards, are edible.”

“My favorite wild mustard of the region is called poor man’s pepper,” he added. “This is a very common Chicago area alley weed. Because before you could go to the grocery store

and buy pepper, people would use these seeds as a replacement.”

There were 10 curious souls on the tour, including three Japanese entomologists visiting the state to experience the historic cicada emergence. One is even working on a book about edible insects

Of course, not every plant is safe to eat at every stage of growth. Take pokeweed for instance, it is fine in the early spring.

But, he said, “later on in the summer, it’s going to get real tall, with bright magenta string of pearls berries on it. That’s when it’s poisonous.”

Odd emphasized that most everything can be tested for potential allergies or poison by eating a piece of it about the size of your fingernail, wait a few hours, “If you feel fine, then it’s probably edible.”

At the end of the trek, Carnivore offered a foraged lunch. Chefs served a seasonal appetizer, tempura fried cicadas. Looking at the bowl filled with tater tot-sized nuggets was daunting, but the taste was mostly oil and salt, with a slightly nutty addition that was not unpleasant.

The main course was a spring pasta medley with items Odd had foraged the day before. It included wild onions, asparagus, and nettles Dessert was a milkshake flavored with rhubarb and mint.

Carnivore’s owner Brad Knaub said he feels there is a connection between what Odd does and his butcher shop

“He does a cool thing with food that’s hyperlocal. And we do a thing with food that’s hyperlocal too.”

In the pre-carnivore past, both Knaub and co-owner Erik Williams worked for Odd, foraging materials for other local chefs.

“Anytime you were out of work, you would jump into Dave’s 18-passenger church van ride down by Joliet and pick ramps all day long,” Knaub said.

It made ends meet.

“Foraging is something that Eric and I both have done for fun and for profit most of our careers. So, it’s a nice tie in,” said Knaub. Odd offers tours throughout the Chicago area, is available for private outings, and also conducts more extensive classes

If you can’t get enough foraging on a tour, Odd also operates the “Land of Odd,” billed as a nature retreat and survival camp in Beaverville, Illinois, near Kankakee. There you can take longer tours and even camp overnight.

35+ Artist Exhibits

TODD

BANNOR

Annual Pride Month is in full swing

Celebrations of identity and selfexpression invigorate the West Suburbs and Chicago

By ALEX GOLDSTEIN Contributing Reporter

As June marks a month of celebration in LGBTQ+ communities nationwide, the Western suburbs and West Side are no strangers to the festivities.

Looking to celebrate? Here are concerts, parades, scavenger hunts and other events you don’t want to miss.

Oak Park/River Forest

Wednesday Matinee Film Series: “Pride”

Wednesday, June 12, Oak Park Public Library Veterans Room, 1 p.m. to 3 p.m.

This film screening highlights a friendship between a mining community in Wales and a group of London-based queer activists. Re gistration is limited

Grandad’s Pride Parade & Craft

Monday, June 17, Oak Park Public Library outside plaza, 11 a.m. to noon

This craft hour will start with a reading of “Grandad’s Pride” outside the main library. Afterward, staff will scatter ribbons throughout Scoville Park for participants to find to create their own rainbow wands.

Pride Shake, Rattle & Read with Oak Park Public Library

Tuesday, June 20 , Lindberg Park, 10 a.m. to 10:30 a.m.

This storytime session features books, songs and games centered around identity, self-expression and love Weather permitting, the event will feature a visit from the Oak Park Book Bike, OPPL’s mobile library where patrons can learn about services and programs, check out books and apply for a library card.

2024 Oak Park Pride Party

Saturday, June 22, Village Hall South Lawn, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Participants should bring their rainbow-themed outfits

for this family-friendly celebration. Hosted by the Village of Oak Park, it will feature ice cream, face painting, a DJ, games, a bounce house and a magician.

Brunchin’ Beauties drag show

Saturday, June 29

Two shows at Kettlestrings Tavern, 11 a.m. and 1:30 p.m.

Sponsored by the OPRF Chamber of Commerce, this year’s event features two drag shows, up from one due to popular demand, along with drinks, mocktails and a fourcourse meal.

Forest Park

Pride Kite Kits

June 1 to June 17, Forest Park Public Library

Starting on the first day of Pride Month, the library will distribute make-your-own kite kits to library patrons for pride-themed decoration. Participants must return their kite by June 17 for display at the library and a chance to win an Escape Factor gift card.

The winner will be drawn July 5. Participants who wish to be entered in the raffle must include their name somewhere on the kite. Re gistration is limited

Rainbow Dance Party Pride Storytime

Thursday, June 20, Forest Park Public Library Austin Room, 11 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.

Celebrate love and self-expression with a morning of music and movement at the Forest Park Public Library. The event is designed for children ages six and under, accompanied by a parent. Re gistration is limited

Forest Park Annual Pride Fest

Friday, June 21, Constitution Court, 5 p.m. to 8 p.m.

Co-hosted by the Oak Park Area Lesbian and Gay Association (OPALGA+), Play it Again Sports and Robert’s Westside, admission is free to this evening of drag performances, live music, food and drinks.

Pisco 4 Pride

Friday, June 21, Table and Lain, 7 p.m. to 10 p.m.

Featuring cocktails, appetizers, a live DJ, dancing and a drag show, all proceeds from ticket sales for this community party will go towards OPALGA+ fundraising.

Riverside/Brook eld and Ber wyn

Teen Craft: Rainbow Bookmarks

Wednesday, June 12, Linda Sokol Francis Brookfield Library, 3 p.m. to 4 p.m.

Library patrons are invited to make their own rainbow bookmarks. Re gistration is required and limited, but walkins are welcome to observe.

Fifth Annual Berwyn Pride Walk

Saturday, June 24, Beginning at Stanley Av enue and Gunderson Av enue, noon. to 2 p.m.

T he Pr ogr ess and P ride L GBTQ+ Youth A dvo cate P anel will precede the parade at noon at Youth Crossr oad s, w here youth activists will w elcome pa rt icipants and provide i nsights on c hallenges and t riumphs in the community.

T he parade starts outside Youth Crossroads at 1 p. m. , loops around Proksa Pa rk and ends at 2 p. m. with a Juneteenth celebration.

West Side/Chicago

Film screening: The Kids Are Alright

Wednesday, June 5, Chicago Public Library

— Austin Branch, 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.

This romantic comedy is a tale of commitment and the emotional flows of raising children in a queer relationship. It’s a part of the Chicago Public Library’s Community Cinema program.

West Side Chicago Gay/LGBTQ+ Ride

Sunday, June 23, Starting at 2 p.m. at Joey G’s Mac n’ Cheese, Augusta Boulevard. and Western Av enue

This event is tailored to enthusiasts of bikes, motorcycles, scooters and other two-wheeled contraptions. Joey G’s Mac n’ Cheese organized the ride through Chicago’s West Side as a celebration of love, identity, diversity and the community for med around riding in groups. Participants are free to don their pride-themed gear, and no prior re gistration is required

Film screening: Bros

Thursday, June 27, Chica go Public Library — Austin Branch, 3 p.m. to 5 p.m.,

This coming-of-age film follows a gay c ouple’s journey from attraction to commitment as they expose their vulnerabil-

itie s. It ’s shown as a pa rt of the Chicago Public Library’s Community Cinema progr am.

Pride Picnic — Chicago Urban Pride

Sunday, June 30

ginning at Jackson Pa rk from noon to 8 p.m. with an after par ty at The Promontory from 10 p.m. to 2 a.m.

This free and family-friendly picnic will feature live DJs, entertainment, giveaways and food. The after party is limited to patrons 21 and over.

PRIDEChicago’s Chicago Pride rade

Saturday, June 30, Starting at West SheriRoad and North Broadway at 11 a.m.

On the last Sunday of June for more than 50 years, the organization PRIDEChicago has topped of f the month of celebration with a procession through Lakeview and Lincoln Park. It’s one of the city and couns most widely known and well-attended pride events, and one of the world’s largest neighborhood parades.

This year’s parade features 150 re gistered entries including community organizations, businesses, government officials and individual community members. It’s decked out with floats, outfitted vehicles, marching bands and perfor mance groups.

Pride is ‘loving who you are,’ Angel LeBare says

Forest Park’s famous drag queen shares insights into their life behind the stage

By JACK HELBIG Contributing Reporter

Angel LeBare, Forest Park actor, ballroom dancer, drag queen sublime, used to host shows for five years at the late, lamented Oak Park branch of Hamburger Mary’s, but now hosts at the original Hamburger Mary’s in Andersonville.

LeBare also hosts events throughout the suburbs and is one of the forces behind the Forest Park Pride Celebration Friday, June 21, that was founded three years ago by Forest Park business owner and resident, Erich Krumrei, LeBare, and their partner, Dan Walsh.

T he event includes P ride Drag Pe rfor mance at 7 p. m. at the Constitution Cour in downtown Fo rest Pa rk , wh ich L eBare, naturally, hosting. T he event also includes a retinue of other performers: Fox E. Kim, Andromeda, A lex Kay, A kasha Voye r, Elle Bowz, Britney Taylor, and L ondon BaCall. After the event, an after pa rt y with a dditional drag performances will be held at the 2nd floor of the near by Scratch Public House

We recently caught up with Angel to discuss their life and career. T he conver sation has been lightly edited for clarit style and length.

Re porter: You have been performing drag for how long?

Angel: 15 years.

Re porter: What do you like best about performing drag?

Angel: Things I like most to perform in drag are impersonations or female artists I like to pay homage to their looks and perfor mance styles. I do impersonations of Dolly Parton, Katy Perry, JLo, Cher, and Pink. I also enjoy doing cosplay and character drag, perfor ming various superheroes, cartoon characters, and Disney characters. I have costumes for almost every Disney Princess, superheroes and villains. Every Halloween my perfor mance troupe does a Hocus Pocus tribute. I play Winnifred.

Re porter: Who were the perfor mers you idolized growing up?

Angel: The Spice Girls, Judy Garland, Charlie’s Angels

Re porter: Who, other than yourself, is your favorite performer?

Angel: Beyonce

Re porter. If you could meet anyone in history, who would you meet and why?

Angel: Judy Garland. I am a huge Wizard of Oz fan.

Re porter: What was the last movie or TV that really touched you?

Angel: I am currently entrenched in watching Bridgerton. The storyline is great and the costuming is sublime.

Re porter: How did you get into performing?

Angel: I have been a perfor mer my whole life. I have always been a natural performer. I have studied theater, music,

and dance and am also ballroom instructor and musical theater teacher.

Re porter: So, you were, like, a theater growing up?

Angel: I did plays and musicals growing up. Roles I have played outside or drag include Paul in “A Chorus Line,” The Beast in “Beauty and the Beast,” Emmett in “Legally Blonde,” Judas in “Jesus Christ Superstar,” The Tin Man and The Lion in “The Wizard of Oz,” The Scareow in “The Wiz,” and Skimbleshanks and Munkustrap in “Cats.”

Re porter: How did you get into drag? Angel: I got into drag when I pl ayed the role of Angel in a production of onathan Larson’s iconic musical) ENT. Side note: Angel is an ambiguous haracter in RENT who some beli eve is a drag queen, others a transgender oman, and others read as genderfluid; the author neve r specified. The piece tself is incredible, and I felt honored to be able to be a pa rt of telling that story. he perfor mance as Angel inspired my drag career and will always hold a ve ry special place in my hear t. While performing as Angel, I entered a local drag c ompetition and won. Th at led to c ompeting the following month. ontinued to win, wh ich led to me being of fered a host p osition. While pe rrm ing there, various other ve nues approached me about performing for them and things just sort of took of f.

Re porter: Where have you performed? An ge l : I have performed extensive ly throughout the Chicagoland area, I was a hostess at the Hamburger Mary’s in Andersonville for 8 years and the Oak Pa rk location for 5 year s. I’ve also perfor med at every other perfor manc e ve nue in Chicago’s Boystown, as well as The Office in Ro ckford, LaCa ge in Milwaukee, and Club Icon in Kenosha. I have also perfor med at ve nues in New Yo rk , Texas, Florida, and Hawaii.

Re porter: How long does it take you to get ready for a show?

Angel: It really depends on the look I am ANGEL LEBARE

doing and how extensive the make-up and/ or costuming is. Generally, about 2 hours.

Re porter: Do you become someone different when you become Angel, or is Angel just another side of your real life personality?

Angel: Angel is absolutely an extension of me, Angel is a very extroverted version of me.

Re porter: What do you like to do when you are not on stage?

Angel: I like to play video games and enjoy time with my par tner and pets. I have two Pomeranians, a Shiba Inu, and two Persian cats.

Re porter: Are you developing something special for the show in Forest Park in June?

year we are adding more. The community really seems to love it so that is why it has continued into year three.

Reporter: What does Pride mean to you?

Angel: Loving who you are and striving to be the best person you can be.

Re porter: What does Pride mean in Forest Park?

Dr. Stephen Whitfield

Compassionate Advocate for Inclusive Care

Angel: I have created three new looks for the Forest Park Pride Performance and the after par ty at Scratch Public House. I am looking forward to presenting them.

Re porter: This is not your first Pride event in Forest Park. What is it about this event that keeps you coming back?

Angel: This has been a project my partner and I helped to build and create from the ground up three years ago and we are very proud and honored of what we have built and hope everyone will join us. Our first year was a trial, setting up the event with the village. It went well, so the next year we added some elements and this

Angel: I can only speak for means to me, but I would assume the feelings would be similar for the village of Forest Park — Pride in oneself and pride in the community.

Re porter: As a find the community welcoming? A good place to live? Open to the LBGTQIA+ community?

Angel: Yes, I do. I ha various Pride events in Park and Berwyn, and ha that the general populace is w and inclusive

Re porter: How do you create ener and a sense of community in your shows? Or is it just something you ha been able to do?

Angel: I don’t really think about it to be honest. Once the show starts it just sort of naturally happens. I am a people person and I try to make ev feel welcome and a part of it.

Dr. Stephen Whitfield, a graduate of Illinois Wesleyan University and Northwestern University's Feinberg School of Medicine, brings a passion for community-focused healthcare to Oak Park. Completing his residency at Northwestern, he is board-certified in family medicine with a specialization in HIV treatment and LGBTQ issues.

Dedicated to addressing healthcare disparities and promoting inclusivity, Dr. Whitfield provides comprehensive care for patients of all ages. Fluent in Spanish, he strives to ensure that every patient receives culturally competent treatment.

CONTACT US

1010 Lake Street, Oak Park 708-524-8600

lakestreetfamilyphysicians.com

Outside of his medical practice, he enjoys listening to comedy podcasts, engaging in friendly games of chess, and spending quality time with his siblings.

www.opalga.org info@opalga.org facebook.com/groups/opalga meetup.com/opalga-socialgroup instagram.com/opalga_plus_ P.O. Box 1460, Oak Park, IL 60304

ird annual Forest Park Pride Festival is ‘for

everyone’

The event will be held on Friday, June 21, 2024 from 5 to 8 p.m. at Constitution Cour t in Forest Park

By MARTHA BRENNAN Contributing Reporter

“I’ve had a lot of p eople c ome up to me after and during the event and share really moving and powe rful storie s, ” sai d Erich Krumrei, owner of Fo rest Pa rk Play It Again Sports on Madison Street in Fo rest Pa rk .

He organized the festival when it first premiered in 2022.

“There was really no pride events in the area between the surrounding villages so I wanted to do something,” said Krumrei.

Krumrei, an Iraqi war veteran, premiered the event on his own. In subsequent years, he partnered with the Village of Forest Park and other community organizations. Because his son is a member of the LGBTQ+ community, Krumrei said he wanted to show his support, both for his son and the entire community.

In 2023, the event attracted roughly

450Bpeople. Attendees included members of the LGBTQ+ community and allies.

Megan Roach, the executive assistant to Mayor Rory E. Hoskins, emphasized that the main purpose of the event is to build a supportive community within Forest Park and surrounding areas.

“It’s definitely for everyone and everyone in the community is welcome. We want people to feel respected,” Roach said.

The village became involved with organizing the festival in 2023. The festival is also partnered with the Forest Park Chamber of Commerce.

“We wanted to participate as soon as Mayor Hoskins heard about it,” Roach said. “It has become a way for people to come together. We want everyone to feel valued.”

Last year’s celebration also involved eight drag performers. T hey took photos with attendees and chatted up customers inside Madison Street businesses, such as T he Brown Cow Ice Cream Parlor and

Children celebrated the Walk & Roll and created fun memories throwing color ful powder into the air to celebrate the beginning of Pr ide month.

Kribi Coffee Air Roastery.

“It’s free, it’s open to the public,” Krumrei said. “I just would hope that people who have never been to a drag performance before maybe stop by and come with an open mind.”

This year, the event will be held at dinnertime to promote family attendance.

“I think it’s a way to celebrate all families,” Roach said. “It’s also hosted by the OPALGA+ and they are very involved, helping to get the word out there.”

Cas Scaman, co-chair of OPALGA+, is hoping for a record-setting festival tur nout.

“It has been really great for the community the past couple of years. It’s really great to do cross-community events like this,” Scaman said. “It’s really important for the LGBTQ+ community to have this kind of support.”

Last year, OPALGA+ gave Krumrei an award for his organization of the festival.

Before this event, members said they felt that not much had been done to celebrate pride in the area.

Still, Krumrei is quick to deflect the focus of f of himself.

“It’s a community event,” he emphasized. “I don’t want this to be seen as my event or a Play It Again Sports event. I feel very for tunate to be a part of it.”

OPALGA+ merchandise will be sold at the festival to raise funds for its scholarship fund, which is donated annually to LGBTQ+ members and allies for their future endeavors.

In addition to the support that the festival provides to the LGBTQ+ community, there are also economic benefits for Madison Street businesses.

“It encourages people to walk up and down the strip and visit those businesses,” Scaman said. “

TODD A. BANNOR

TODD A. BANNOR

Drag queen Angel Lebare per forms at the Pride event in Constitution Cour t.

Robert’s Westside, located at 7321 Madison St., debuts its first year of involvement in the Forest Park Pride Festival. At the event, they are going to have a band and be a drink vendor.

“We’re looking to create a fun, family friendly event for everyone,” said owner and founder of Robert’s Westside, Donnie Biggins. “We are working on adding a few more vendors for food and, hopefully, ice cream.”

Biggins also noted that the band will run from 6 to 6:45 p.m. and will be followed by drag shows from 7 to 8 p.m. on Constitution Court. For adults who wish to continue the festivities after 8 p.m., Robert’s Westside will be hosting an afterparty.

Scratch Public House will be hosting an afterparty that will be partnered with the drag queen performers. Both afterparties will allow attendees under 21 if a guardian is present.

“This is our first opportunity to do something outside of our space and I’m just excited for est Park to be hosting this event,” said Biggin “I think it’s needed for our community.”

Biggins acknowledged that Forest Park quick to practice inclusivity.

“The village has always, from my perspective, b een one to include the L GBTQ+. I li ke we ’re joining a c ommunity that’s already inclusive.”

He noted that “[his] stage is always welcome to everyone.”

Biggins also said festival attendees should bring their own lawn chairs to ensure that there is enough seating for everyone. Chairs and tables will be limited.

Krumrei captured the event’s pu rp ose in a nutshell.

“At the end of the day, it is about spreading awareness and reco gnizing that we are all human beings. The world would be a pretty miserable place if we all looked the same.”

TODD A. BANNOR

Drag queen Fox E. Kim per forms, and Forest Park Mayor Rory Hoskins speaks before the Pride event.

How to change your gender on Illinois state IDs

A new law permitting this went into e ect in April — what does that mean for nonbinary residents?

By ELIZABETH SHORT Contributing Reporter

As of April 1, I llinois residents now have three g ender options, “M,” “F,” and g ender- neutral “X,” on drive r’s licenses and state identification documents. By doin g thi s, Illinois joins 21 other states with similar policies.

A 2019 law allowe d g ender- neutral marke rs on I llinoi s ID s, but it wasn’t until this s pring that residents had the o pportunity to select the g ender- neutral option fo r ID s, because the Secretary of State’s office needed to u pdate its card issuance system.

S hortly after the new p oli cy c ame i nto effect, Christop her Jensen, board member of LAGBAC , Chicago’s LGBTQ+ bar association, went to the DMV to chang e their ID. Jensen uses he and they pronouns and was the first openly nonbinary member on the board.

“I was excited,” they said. “I wanted it so badly. I was just really excited to have it, for it to accurately reflect who I am…It’s a really powerful affirmation from the state, and it takes a step towards taking away that erasure, giving people their identities back, hearing their voices.”

The National Center for Transgender Equality’s 2022 U.S. Trans Survey Early Insights report showed that 22% of respondents had been “verbally harassed, assaulted, asked to leave a location, or denied services” after showing an ID with a name or gender that did not correspond with their presentation.

with lowe r attempts of attempted suicide.

“For p eople who are g etting it, it ’s a p eace of mind,” sai d Jensen. “There is a c omfort in knowing that the state acknowledges that we aren’t male or female and that’s okay. ”

Jensen also said that having docu mentation of nonbinary residents in Il linois c ould help to create new progr ams for nonbinary and transg ender residents

“I think if they noticed that there is a sign ificant enough amount of the population then they can say this is a community that needs to be addressed,” they said.

Gender incong r uent identificatio n c an result in d enial of employment, housing, and b enefits and bring harassment and violenc e, a ccording to the NCTE’s 2015 National Transgender Discrimin ation Su rve y. Accurate and c onsistent identification is necessary to open b ank a ccounts, starting jobs, enrolling in school, and traveling Fo r transgender and nonbinary individuals, affirmation of g ender and pronouns can also be life-saving and vital in suicide prevention. According to the Trevor Project, respecting g ender identity among young transg ender and nonbinary people is consistently associated

wever, some p eople are hesitant to identify as nonbinary on ID s. T he trans ommunity experiences high levels of violenc e, especially transgender p eop le of c olor and Black transgender women. According to the 2015 U. S. Transgender Survey I llinois Stat e Re po rt , 69% of respondents wh o i nteracted with p olice or other law enforcement who knew they we re transgender re ported experiencing mistreatment. Especially for those with a dditional identities targeted by p olice violenc e, the “X” marke r as an automatic signifier of a trans identity brings some concer ns

“I’ve talked to a lot of p eople about this and a lot of them are oncerned about the fact that it is going to be a signal i mmediately to a olice officer that they ’re trans,” Jensen said. “Just by handing over their ID. S ame for TSA securit y, bars checking I Ds… I think there’s some personal safety c oncerns that p eople have about sharing that info rm ation with everyone they encounter.”

S ome p eople have a dvo cated for an elimination of g ender alto g ether on identification documents.

“While including a g ender- neutral option on identity documents is a step in the right direction, it would be b etter to eliminate g ender from I Ds alto g ether. It ’s not

relevant anymore since the p hoto ID became prominent,” St ep hanie Skora, executive director of Br ave Space A llianc e, a Black- and Trans-led L GBTQ c enter on the South Side, told the Chicago Sun-Times in 2019. Fo r p eople who do choose to change the g ender on their ID, the nonbinary option c an bring securit y, c omfo rt , and af firmation.

“The most important thing is for affirmation of individual p eople’s g ender identity,” said Jensen. “For me, having a state ID that says a ccurately wh at my g ender is, rather than being forced to pick b etween one of two things that do n’ t apply, there’s a ps ychological b enefit to that for individuals.”

To ensure that this new p oli cy is p ositive, re g ular trainings c ould be essential. “A nybo dy that i nteracts with the public, as a gove r nment official, should have some kind of training on how to have a respectful c onve rsation with p eople that you may not understand or even ag ree with,” Jensen said. “It’s still none of your business. You still have to treat them with as much respect as you do anyone else.”

Since April 2022, United States citizens also have been able to choose the nonbinary “X” g ender on passports T he gover nment has resources for nonbinary international travelers: https://ow.ly/SIIf50S7gzm

Illinois residents wanting to change their gender can go to the DMV and complete a gender designation change form. The fee for a new dri ver’s license is $5 and for a new state ID card is $10.

Planned Parenthood has a comprehensive guide on how to change g ender and name markers in Illinois: https:// ow.ly/b0GO50S7gI2

To find more information on different states’ policies on ID documents and gender, visit transequality.org/documents

Garland Flowers

CRIME

Man crashes into apar tment building, runs from scene

By JESSICA MORDACQ Staff Reporter

While on patrol May 29, police re ported they witnesses a speeding car run a red light. Police turned on the police car’s lights and sirens, but the vehicle drove away at more than 50 miles per hour over the speed limit. The pursued car then hit a curb, landscaping pavers and an apar tment complex on the 1600 block of South Harlem Avenue. Although there wasn’t much impact on the building, the car had “disabling damage,” according to the police re port. Police said there was no one in the car, and that they observed a man running away from the crash. Police followed him on foot, but the man got away.

Motor vehicle theft

A man who lives on Roosevelt Road re ported to police that he parked his car in a municipal lot May 27 around 9:30 p.m. When he returned just before 9 a.m. the next morning, he said his car was missing, though the vehicle was locked and he had the keys on him. There were glass shards on the ground around the space where his car was parked, according to the police re port. Police said they have contacted a nearby business with a camera that may have captured the incident.

On May 30, police responded to Marengo Avenue. for a motor vehicle theft. A man there said he last parked his van in the rear driveway the night before. Though he had the keys on him, he told police that the driver’s side door doesn’t lock. Police are checking footage on surrounding video cameras. The man said he wishes to sign complaints if the offender is located.

In-state warrant

On May 28, police were dispatched to Walmart after security called because of a subject who appeared to be on

drugs. Walmart’s loss prevention employee told officers the man filled up a shopping cart with items totaling $640.48 before leaving the store without paying, according to the re port. When officers ran the man’s name through their system, it came back with three serviceable warrants for his arrest out of DuPage County. The man was arrested for his in-state war rants and one count of retail theft.

Possession of controlled substance

Police were dispatched May 29 to the 200 block of Harlem Avenue. for a drug investigation. According to the police re port, there were two men sitting on the loading dock there doing drugs. Police said one of the men tried to hide something in his pocket and cover several syringes on top of a blanket. When police asked if he had any drugs on him, he said he was carrying heroin in his pocket and was arrested for possession of a controlled substance. The man was released from the Forest Park Police Department after signing his non-discretionary pretrial release.

Battery

A cab driver visited the police department June 2 to report a battery. He told police that on May 31 he drove a customer to the CTA Blue Line stop in Forest Park. But when the driver pulled up to the parking lot, the man got out of the car without paying his $40 fare and ran, according to the police re port. The driver ran after him and, when he approached him, the man turned around and punched the driver in the face, knocking him to the ground, police said. The offender has not been identified and police said they couldn’t make him pay, even if he was.

These items were obtained from Forest Park Police Department re ports dated May 28 through June 2 and re present a portion of the incidents to which police responded. Anyone named in these re ports has only been charged with a crime and cases have not yet been adjudicated. We re port 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.

Our Community Needs

D91 Black educators celebrated at the W

e teachers were invited as part of the White House Initiative for Black Americans

By AMARIS E. RODRIGUEZ Staff Reporter

Two educators at Forest Park School District 91 were able to celebrate Teacher Appreciation Week at the White House.

Michelle Choice, reading teacher at Garfield Elementary, and Erica Conwell, fourth grade ELA and social studies teacher at FieldStevenson Elementary School, attended the White House Initiative for Black Americans special Teacher Appreciation Event, which was held May 10 at the White House

The event highlighted the “The Heroism of Educators,” especially the contributions of Black educators, provided a networking opportunity for Black educators from across the country, and included various speakers from across the education field

Choice, who has been with the district for six years, said the invitation caught her by surprise, but she considered it a big blessing.

“I am so grateful to God for this opportunity,” Choice said. “I don’t take it for granted. I never looked at my teaching position and what I do with students as a career, it has always been a calling. I lean on my faith in God as I do this work.”

Born and raised in Chicago, Choice said she witnessed disparities in the education system as a child.

“The education system, to me, wasn’t fair,” Choice said.

Choice said she knew she needed to be a teacher, with literacy at the heart of what she does. She is pursuing a master’s degree from Concordia University.

Choice said that when she started her career in education, she never imagined it would take her all the way to the White House

“It was encouraging and uplifting to be in a room of African American educators who have stories like mine,” Choice said. “That are from cities and places like I am that are doing the work for our Black students so they can see professionals, they can see us dress as professionals, they can see us act and be-

have as professionals and have something else to look forward to than what is seen or portrayed in the news.”

Conwell, a 2003 graduate of Proviso East, has been with the district for five years.

Conwell said she was pulled into being an educator after becoming involved in the school districts as a parent.

“I love seeing kids grow,” Conwell said. “I felt comfortable. In your gut, when something occurs, it just feels like this is the career path I was meant to go down.”

Conwell has a master’s in elementary education from National Louis University.

She said being able to attend this type of event was a great opportunity to network and further develop her “why” and strengthen her foundation as an educator

“The best part of the network is that you have teachers from different backgrounds,” Conwell said.

This of fered Conwell opportunities to learn from others in the education field who work in various branches and start brainstorming ways that she can expand the learning in her classroom.

“Sometimes you question if teaching is for you, because teaching is tough,” Conwell

White House Initiative for Black Americans special Teacher Appreciation Event.

said. “I felt like this helped me and motivated me to continue on my path. As the speakers were saying, it’s a calling and it’s something you have to continue to work on.”

“Teachers of c olor, we are ve ry important,” C onwell said. “We do make a differenc e. ”

Responsibilities include maintaining a personal and professional schedule, coordinating meetings and events. Must be reliable and arrive at appointments on time. The ideal candidate must have exceptional communication and interpersonal skills and must be incredibly organized with a strong work ethic.

It’s always been easier for

help myself

me to help others than to help myself

As a Veteran, when someone raises their hand for help, you’re often one of the first ones to respond. But it’s also okay to get help for yourself. Maybe you want or need assistance with employment, stress, finances, mental health or finding the right resources. No matter what it is, you earned it. And there’s no better time than right now to ask for it. Don’t wait. Reach out. Find resources at VA.GOV/REACH

As a Veteran, when someone raises their hand for help, you’re often one of the first ones to respond. But it’s also okay to get help for yourself. Maybe you want or need assistance with employment, stress, finances, mental health or finding the right resources. No matter what it is, you earned it. And there’s no better time than right now to ask for it. Don’t wait. Reach out.

As a Veteran, when someone raises their hand for help, you’re often one of the first ones to respond. But it’s also okay to get help for yourself. Maybe you want or need assistance with employment, stress, finances, mental health or finding the right resources. No matter what it is, you earned it. And there’s no better time than right now to ask for it. Don’t wait. Reach out.

As a Veteran, when someone raises their hand for help, you’re often one of the first ones to respond. But it’s also okay to get help for yourself. Maybe you want or need assistance with employment, stress, finances, mental health or finding the right resources. No matter what it is, you earned it. And there’s no better time than right now to ask for it. Don’t wait. Reach out.

Find resources at VA.GOV/REACH

Forest Park D91 celebrates middle school graduates

e graduation was held May 28

By AMARIS E. RODRIGUEZ Staff Reporter

Fo r est Pa rk M iddle School sai d fa rewell to their 8th gr aders last week as f amilies, friend s, and dist rict educators c elebrated the achi evements of their eighth gr aders at Dominican Unive rsit y. E melia Whitebone, valedictorian, gave the “Looking Back Speech,”

and Lilliana Rummel, salutatorian, looked i nto the f uture with her “Looking Fo r ward Speech,” b oth dedicated to their fellow gr aduates

“Congratulations to the 8th grade graduation class of 2024 from Forest Park Middle School!,” D91 officials said in a statement. “Your hard work, dedication and perseverance have paid of f, and we are incredibly proud of each and every one of you. As you move on to high school and beyond, we wish you all the best in your future endeavors. May you continue to achieve great things and make your dreams a reality. Keep ROARing, Class of 2024!”

Assistant Principal Kev in Bacon and Principal

Terriyaka Watson congratulate a graduate

Principal Terriyaka Watson

Teacher Carmia Fuqua

Valedictorian Emelia Whitebone

Photographer TODD BANNOR

Pastor Daway ne Choice

Principal Terriyaka Watson

OUR VIEW

Anal salute

Forest Park’s American Legion Post 414 is now closed. After 103 years as a gathering spot for the heroes of American democracy, their families, and the Forest Park community, the small building on Circle Avenue is now up for sale

We did not know that the handsome structure was actually built by veterans of World War I as their place of assembly, to share experiences of war and service that most could never fathom, re-entering daily life back home, and finding their forward paths.

We did understand, though, that membership in the post has spiraled downward in recent decades, just as it has in almost every service post. Reduced now to just a handful of active members, upkeep on the century-old building has become impossible and thus the necessary decision to shutter the post.

It is a hard loss for this village where the American Legion has been a mainstay of good works and community building. While its moment has passed, with vets from Korea, Vietnam, Afghanistan, Iraq and Kuwait choosing another path forward, nothing diminishes its core role in defining Forest Park as a community that has sent its sons and daughters off to war in service of our democracy Some of those wars were more necessary, better understood. But the impulse to serve is one to universally honor

The proud history of this post, as seen in its archives, will now transfer to the Historical Society of Forest Park. The proceeds from the sale of its building will benefit local charities.

We offer our thanks for the service of our American Legion post.

Honoring Black teachers

Michelle Choice and Erica Conwell, two Black teachers in Forest Park’s public elementary schools, were part of a worthy and exhilarating gathering of Black teachers last week at the White House.

Choice from Garfield School and Conwell from Field-Stevenson, told our Amaris Rodriguez that they were gratified by the honor of being part of the White House gathering of Black educators and were fortified by being part of such a large group from across the country.

Conwell told the Review, “Teaching is tough.” But hearing speakers talk about her profession as “a calling” resonated with her experience in Forest Park. “Teachers of color, we are very important. We do make a difference,” she rightly said.

Bor n and raised in Chicago, Choice understood early that the systems of education were unfair to Black students. Inequity abounded. And that is what convinced her she needed to teach.

District 91, a system with a healthy number of Black and Brown students, benefits from every teacher of color it can recruit and retain. Having Choice and Conwell honored at the national level can only inspire all of us to do our best by each of our students.

OPINION

Answering ‘who is my neighbor?’

The Parable of the Good Samaritan was told in response to the question, “Who is my neighbor?”

According to Merriam-Webster a neighbor is someone living or located near another.

For Celine Woznica and many of the hundreds of volunteers who responded to the surge of migrants to this area, the definition of neighbor is anyone you bump into who is in need, even though they are new to the community.

We have been hearing about the surge of migrants at the souther n border for a long time, but the border came to all of us about two years ago when gover nors like Greg Abbot started sending migrants north from border states to cities like Chicago. A WBEZ post estimates that 36,000 have arrived in the Chicago Metro Area since then.

HOLMES

Celine and her husband, Don Wo znica went to their pastor, Rev. Carl Morello, to see what they could do to help.

The result was that she responded to these “new neighbors” by working with many others to create the Migrant Ministry, which is situated in the building which housed the now-closed St. Edmund School, recently rechristened Centro San Edmundo.

The ministry has offered newly arrived migrants an opportunity to choose clothing, toiletries, blankets and outerwear. It offers a place for medical services from doctors at Loyola Medicine and connects migrants to people who can offer legal services and help getting work permits.

Many pitch in. Margie Rundick runs the Housing Ministry and has organized the resettlement of 11 families Laura Larson and Sue Morrissey run an engaging ESL program. Margo Kavanaugh coordinates breakfast for the migrants, and every Tuesday and Thursday mor ning approximately 30 volunteers arrive to serve the 250 to 300 migrants who show up every week.

Many faith communities provided housing and/ or volunteers. For example, Al Corzine, a member of Grace Episcopal Church, said his cong regation housed about 20 migrants, primarily from Venezuela, from late November to the end of March. He personally “hosted” the over night shift 8-10 times, which included making sandwiches for them.

Some of the new neighbors have found housing in Forest Park. The Marquez family, for example, moved into an apartment in Forest Park in January of this year Milagros, 45; Jose, 39; Meison, 24; and Amisaday, 12 arrived in Chicago from Venezuela last fall.

According to an article that appeared in the Review: “While barriers to navigating their new life in the United States loom over their heads, the home offers the family hope in the face of much uncertainty.”

T he Oak Park Board of Trustees voted earlier this year to allocate $300,000 from a Supporting Municipalities for Asylum Seeker Services grant to the Community of Cong re gations for migrant rental assistance.

A post from Refugees Inter national states, “Extreme hunger, poverty, massive human rights violations and the collapse of the health care system have left Venezuelans in very dire circumstances.”

Because she is fluent in Spanish, Celine got to know many of them well. As she listened to their harrowing stories, she wondered if they had received support from another organization she was involved with: Church World Service.

Celine’s parish has participated in CROP Hunger Walks (CROP is the fundraising arm of CWS) for many years, and this year, Migrant Ministries was selected as one of the local organizations that would be given a portion of the funds raised through the walk. Realizing that CWS was one of the international organizations that supported the Venezuelans on their 3,000-mile jour ney, she asked them, “Would you like to walk with us?”

When the CROP Hunger Walk day (May 5) finally came, 18 Vene zuelan men, women and children all showed up and proudly displayed the Venezuelan flag on their faces and backs and car ried signs that said, “Thank you, CWS, for feeding mi grants on their way nor th.”

Participating in the walk was not only their way of thanking CWS for having fed them on the way up but also partnering with the Oak Park community to raise funds for a worthy organization.

Venezuelans also partner with Migrant Ministry to help with the flow of “shoppers” and to cart the heavy bags of donations from one place to another. They help distribute the higher-demand items such as suitcases and strollers and volunteer in the clothing distribution rooms.

Part of the American narrative myth is that all of us, except for the indigenous people who were already here when Columbus “discovered” America, are either immigrants or descendants of immigrants. What these new neighbors show us is that it is often the newcomers who remind us of who we are and who put, as members of a ministers’ group often say, the “neighbor back in the hood.”

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

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.

I’ve been a huge fan of storytelling ever since I attended the first session at Exit Strategy. The venue has since shifted to Robert’s Westside. At one of these sessions, my fellow columnist Tom Holmes asked me when would we share our stories?

Tom beat me to the mic. On Feb. 19, he was Errol McClendon’s first storyteller to take the stage at Friendly Tap, 6733 Roosevelt Road in Berwyn. McClendon had started the series under the auspices of “Do Not Submit: A Storytelling Open Mic.”

Tom read excerpts from his recently published memoir, Progressive Disorder, A Memoir of Loss, Response-Ability and Redemption. Tom has a progressive neurological disorder and read a humorous account about portaging a canoe. He inspired me to take the stage later that evening.

McClendon is a native of Cleveland, Mississippi and speaks in a warm, folksy manner He’s a polished storyteller who earned a degree in Speech and Theater at the University of Texas. He realizes it can be intimidating for amateur storytellers to take the stage. That

Tell your story

is why he hosts the open mic at riendly Tap on the third Monday of each month, from 6:30 to 9 p.m. For McClendon the key is to et people to break through the ear of performing. He usually has a dozen storytellers lined up at Friendly, many of them firsttimers. They are restricted to seven minutes on stage. He rings a bell to signal the storyteller they’re nearing the time limit.

His only restriction is the teller cannot engage in hate speech. He also issues a trigger warning to the audience if the story contains violence or abuse. However, no warnings were necessary the night I went. The atmosphere was very welcoming and inclusive

The tellers can rely on a written script if needed. Many were holding papers, or their phone, to get through the story. McClendon doesn’t require it to be memorized but feels that makes the telling more effective. Prepared stories, he says, should have a beginning, middle and end. Rambling accounts of the teller’s life story doesn’t respect the audience.

McClendon and his wife are actors. They moved to Chicago for more opportunities. He found this area had a solid storytelling com-

A LOOK BACK IN TIME

munity. But he doesn’t get paid for moderating the open mic sessions

His “day job” for the past 18 years has been adjunct professor at the Indiana University campus in Gary, which involves teaching communication skills to medical students He leads them in role-playing to give them a taste of what they’ll face with patients and how to deal with difficult situations

McClendon thought it would be useful for me to give readers a sample of what they might hear at Friendly Tap.

My story was about occupying a college dorm room but not taking any classes. My empty schedule allowed me to get a gardening job through the student employment office. When I reported for work, it was raining, so my boss took me to a little party.

It was all middle-aged men drinking hard liquor. My boss had 3 to 4 whiskey sours before he grabbed my leg. I was angry and we left abruptly and I insisted on driving. He protested that I didn’t have a driver’s license but I was confident I could drive better than he could.

On our way home, we had a minor collision. The officer who witnessed the accident asked to see my license. I later called my dad for advice. He offered two words of wisdom. “Leave town.”

Bluebirds of happiness

The Bluebirds were the younger faction of the Camp Fire girls, a youth organization for young girls. Their mission was to encourage strength, compassion and wisdom, emphasizing the importance of self-respect, service to their community, and openness to diversity while taking pleasure in hard work and love for the outdoors.

This photo from the June 6, 1957 Forest Park Review shows, “A group of Bluebirds and their leader, Mrs. Kenneth Wick, [who] toured the Review plant recently. Showing them an engraving is Harold Hitz, shop superintendent.”

Claude Walker, publisher of the Review, changed the company name from Forest Park Publishing Co. to Forest Printing Co. in 1958. He re ported that

bulk of their business was not in publishing newspapers but in “job” printing: business cards, letterheads,

the

envelopes, etc. His son Richard was in charge of operations.

Jill Wagner

VILLAGE OF RIVERSIDE, ILLINOIS

NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING

Notice is hereby given to all interested persons that a public hearing before the Planning and Zoning Commission of the Village of Riverside will be held on Wednesday, June 26, 2024 at 7:00 p.m., or as soon thereafter as the business of the Planning and Zoning Commission may permit, in Room 4 of the Riverside Township Hall, 27 Riverside Road, Riverside, Illinois, to consider an application for a Special Use permit to allow a Private School to operate at 53 Northgate Rd in the R1-A Zoning District.

Application No.: PZ 24-0004

Petitioner: Richard and Milagros Andrews for Intiraymi Montessori House Inc.

Address: 53 Northgate Rd

PIN: 15-25-302-008-0000

Requested Special Use: Private School

The above application is available for inspection at the office of the Village Clerk, 27 Riverside Road, Riverside, Illinois 60546. During the Public Hearing the Planning and Zoning Commission will hear testimony from and consider any evidence presented by persons interested to speak on these matters. Persons wishing to appear at this hearing may do so in person or by attorney or other representative and may speak for or against the matters being considered. Communications in writing in relation thereto may be filed at such hearing or with the Planning and Zoning Commission in advance by submission to the Village’s Community Development Department at 27 Riverside Road, Riverside, Illinois prior to 4:00 p.m. the day of the public hearing.

The Public Hearing may be continued from time to time without further notice, except as otherwise required under the Illinois Open Meetings Act.

Dated this 5th day of June, 2024.

Jennifer Henaghan, Chairperson Planning & Zoning Commission

Published in RB Landmark June 5, 2024

VILLAGE OF RIVERSIDE, ILLINOIS NOTICE OF

PUBLIC HEARING

Notice is hereby given to all interested persons that a public hearing before the Planning and Zoning Commission of the Village of Riverside will be held on Wednesday, June 26, 2024 at 7:00 p.m., or as soon thereafter as the business of the Planning and Zoning Commission may permit, in Room 4 of the Riverside Township Hall, 27 Riverside Road, Riverside, Illinois, to consider an application for Variations related to a new development.

Application No.: PZ 24-0005

Petitioner: Star Buds

Property Owner: Village of Riverside Addresses: 3320 S Harlem Ave and 363-369 E Burlington St

PINs: 15-36-212-013-0000 and 1536-212-012-0000

Zoning District: B1-TOD

The variations sought include, but may not be limited to, variations from the following sections of the Riverside Zoning Ordinance:

1. 10-9-6, to allow fewer interior landscape medians than required.

2. 10-6-2(C), to allow a portion of the landscape median next to the drive-through lane to be less than 10 feet wide.

3. 10-8-4(A)1 to allow the drivethrough lane to be 12 feet wide in areas.

4. 10-5-6(D)1, to allow the building to have public entrances at locations other than the primary street frontage.

5. 10-5-6(E)2 to allow Lexon paneling as a building material.

6. 10-5-6(B)2, to allow the ground floor windows of a commercial building to have a transparency of less than 50 percent.

7. 10-7-2(B), to allow light to shine on the public-right-way and to allow light intensity to exceed 1-foot candle at the property line.

The above application is available for inspection at the office of the Village Clerk, 27 Riverside Road, Riverside, Illinois 60546. During the Public Hearing the Planning and Zoning Commission will hear testimony from and consider any evidence presented by persons interested to speak on these matters. Persons wishing to appear at this hearing may do so in person or by attorney or other representative and may speak for or against the matters being considered. Communications in writing in relation thereto may be filed at such hearing or with the Planning and Zoning Commission in advance by submission to the Village’s Community Development Department at 27 Riverside Road, Riverside, Illinois prior to 4:00 p.m. the day of the public hearing.

The Public Hearing may be continued from time to time without further notice, except as otherwise required under the Illinois Open Meetings Act.

Dated this 5th day of June, 2024. Jennifer Henaghan, Chairperson Planning & Zoning Commission

Published in RB Landmark June 5, 2024

VILLAGE OF RIVERSIDE, ILLINOIS NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING

Notice is hereby given to all interested persons that a public hearing before the Planning and Zoning Commission of the Village of Riverside will be held on Wednesday, June 26, 2024 at 7:00 p.m., or as soon thereafter as the business of the Planning and Zoning Commission may permit, in Room 4 of the Riverside Township Hall, 27 Riverside Road, Riverside, Illinois, to consider an application for a Variation to allow the entire length of a 31 foot, 7-inch-long driveway providing access to an attached garage to be widened to 12 feet, 8 inches wide.

Application No.: PZ 24-0003

Petitioner: Christopher Begbie Address: 162 Northgate Rd PIN: 15-25-300-037-0000

Requested Variation: To allow the entire length of a 31 foot, 7-inch-long driveway providing access to an attached garage to be widened to 12 feet, 8 inches wide.

The above application is available for inspection at the office of the Village Clerk, 27 Riverside Road, Riverside, Illinois 60546. During the Public Hearing the Planning and Zoning Commission will hear testimony from and consider any evidence presented by persons interested to speak on these matters. Persons wishing to appear at this hearing may do so in person or by attorney or other representative and may speak for or against the matters being considered. Communications in writing in relation thereto may be filed at such hearing or with the Planning and Zoning Commission in advance by submission to the Village’s Community Development Department at 27 Riverside Road, Riverside, Illinois prior to 4:00 p.m. the day of the public hearing.

The Public Hearing may be continued from time to time without further notice, except as otherwise required under the Illinois Open Meetings Act.

Dated this 5th day of June, 2024.

Jennifer Henaghan, Chairperson Planning & Zoning Commission

Published in RB Landmark June 5, 2024

LEGAL NOTICE

The Village of Oak Park will receive bids from qualified contractors at the Public Works Center, 201 South Blvd., Oak Park, IL 60302 Mon thru Fri, 7:30 am to 4:00 pm local time until 10:00 am on Mon, June 24, 2024 for the following: Village of Oak Park Building Maintenance Services Proposal Number: 24-122 Issuance Date: 6/5/24

There will be a mandatory pre-bid meeting at the Public Works Center, 201 South Blvd., Oak Park, IL on Mon, June 10, 2024 at 8:30 am. Bid documents may be obtained from the Village website at http://www.oak-park.us/bid For questions please call Public Works at (708) 358-5700.

Published in Wednesday Journal June 5, 2023

VILLAGE OF RIVERSIDE, ILLINOIS NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING

Notice is hereby given to all interested persons that a public hearing before the Planning and Zoning Commission of the Village of Riverside will be held on Wednesday, June 26, 2024 at 7:00 p.m., or as soon thereafter as the business of the Planning and Zoning Commission may permit, in Room 4 of the Riverside Township Hall, 27 Riverside Road, Riverside, Illinois, to consider an application for a Special Use.

Application No.: PZ 24-0007

Petitioner: Star Buds

Property Owner: Village of Riverside

Addresses: 3320 S Harlem Ave and 363-369 E Burlington St PINs: 15-36-212-013-0000 and 1536-212-012-0000

Zoning District: B1-TOD

Requested Special Use: To allow a retail sales establishment with a drive-through facility in the B1-TOD District per Section 10-5-9.

The above application is available for inspection at the office of the Village Clerk, 27 Riverside Road, Riverside, Illinois 60546. During the Public Hearing the Planning and Zoning Commission will hear testimony from and consider any evidence presented by persons interested to speak on these matters. Persons wishing to appear at this hearing may do so in person or by attorney or other representative and may speak for or against the matters being considered. Communications in writing in relation thereto may be filed at such hearing or with the Planning and Zoning Commission in advance by submission to the Village’s Community Development Department at 27 Riverside Road, Riverside, Illinois prior to 4:00 p.m. the day of the public hearing.

The Public Hearing may be continued from time to time without further notice, except as otherwise required under the Illinois Open Meetings Act.

Dated this 5th day of June, 2024.

Jennifer Henaghan, Chairperson Planning & Zoning Commission

Published in RB Landmark June 5, 2024

Deadline: Monday at 5 p.m.

IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF COOK COUNTY, ILLINOIS COUNTY DEPARTMENT - CHANCERY DIVISION MORTGAGE ASSESTS MANAGEMENT, LLC F/K/A REVERSE MORTGAGE SOLUTIONS, INC Plaintiff, -v.-

ANDREW C. CRAWFORD, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA - DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT

Defendants 2021 CH 05362 827 N. GROVE AVE OAK PARK, IL 60302 NOTICE OF SALE PUBLIC NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale entered in the above cause on March 22, 2024, an agent for The Judicial Sales Corporation, will at 10:30 AM on June 24, 2024, at The Judicial Sales Corporation, One South Wacker, 1st Floor Suite 35R, Chicago, IL, 60606, sell at a public sale to the highest bidder, as set forth below, the following described real estate: Commonly known as 827 N. GROVE AVE, OAK PARK, IL 60302

Property Index No. 16-06-305-0200000

The real estate is improved with a single family residence. Sale terms: 25% down of the highest bid by certified funds at the close of the sale payable to The Judicial Sales Corporation. No third party checks will be accepted. The balance, in certified funds/or wire transfer, is due within twenty-four (24) hours. The subject property is subject to general real estate taxes, special assessments, or special taxes levied against said real estate and is offered for sale without any representation as to quality or quantity of title and without recourse to Plaintiff and in “AS IS” condition. The sale is further subject to confirmation by the court.

Upon payment in full of the amount bid, the purchaser will receive a Certificate of Sale that will entitle the purchaser to a deed to the real estate after confirmation of the sale. Where a sale of real estate is made to satisfy a lien prior to that of the United States, the United States shall have one year from the date of sale within which to redeem, except that with respect to a lien arising under the internal revenue laws the period shall be 120 days or the period allowable for redemption under State law, whichever is longer, and in any case in which, under the provisions of section 505 of the Housing Act of 1950, as amended (12 U.S.C. 1701k), and subsection (d) of section 3720 of title 38 of the United States Code, the right to redeem does not arise, there shall be no right of redemption. The property will NOT be open for inspection and plaintiff makes no representation as to the condition of the property. Prospective bidders are admonished to check the court file to verify all information.

If this property is a condominium unit, the purchaser of the unit at the foreclosure sale, other than a mortgagee, shall pay the assessments and the legal fees required by The Con-

dominium Property Act, 765 ILCS 605/9(g)(1) and (g)(4). If this property is a condominium unit which is part of a common interest community, the purchaser of the unit at the foreclosure sale other than a mortgagee shall pay the assessments required by The Condominium Property Act, 765 ILCS 605/18.5(g-1).

IF YOU ARE THE MORTGAGOR (HOMEOWNER), YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO REMAIN IN POSSESSION FOR 30 DAYS AFTER ENTRY OF AN ORDER OF POSSESSION, IN ACCORDANCE WITH SECTION 15-1701(C) OF THE ILLINOIS MORTGAGE FORECLOSURE LAW. You will need a photo identification issued by a government agency (driver’s license, passport, etc.) in order to gain entry into our building and the foreclosure sale room in Cook County and the same identification for sales held at other county venues where The Judicial Sales Corporation conducts foreclosure sales. For information, examine the court file, CODILIS & ASSOCIATES, P.C. Plaintiff’s Attorneys, 15W030 NORTH FRONTAGE ROAD, SUITE 100, BURR RIDGE, IL, 60527 (630) 794-9876 THE JUDICIAL SALES CORPORATION One South Wacker Drive, 24th Floor, Chicago, IL 60606-4650 (312) 236SALE

You can also visit The Judicial Sales Corporation at www.tjsc.com for a 7 day status report of pending sales. CODILIS & ASSOCIATES, P.C. 15W030 NORTH FRONTAGE ROAD, SUITE 100 BURR RIDGE IL, 60527 630-794-5300

E-Mail: pleadings@il.cslegal.com Attorney File No. 14-20-03979 Attorney ARDC No. 00468002 Attorney Code. 21762 Case Number: 2021 CH 05362 TJSC#: 44-840

NOTE: Pursuant to the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, you are advised that Plaintiff’s attorney is deemed to be a debt collector attempting to collect a debt and any information obtained will be used for that purpose. Case # 2021 CH 05362 I3244734

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