ForestParkReview_071917

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GROWING COMMUNITY WEDNESDAY JOURNAL, INC.

Vol. 100, No. 29

$1.00

CELEBRATING 100 YEARS

F O R E S T PA R K

REVIEW JULY 19, 2017

Music Fest preview PAGE 6

Two ‘brownfield’ sites cleared PAGE 11

@FP_Review @ForestParkReview

D209 re-ups with food service despite discontent Aramark, provider for last 7 years, gets contract and an earful By THOMAS VOGEL

T

Staff Reporter

he Proviso District 209 Board of Education approved a new one-year, roughly $1.1 million contract with Aramark Education Services for the upcoming school year, despite strong criticism from school officials and board members at its July 11 board meeting. Aramark has provided food services to D209 for the past seven school years but recently there has been a significant dip in student participation and anecdotal complaints from both students and board members about food quality. But given the bidding process timeline, including complying with Illinois state law, and the new 2017-2018 school year starting in about a month, the board needed to move forward with a food vendor and voted to approve the contract. “I have zero confidence in this company,” Patrick Hardy, Proviso East’s principal, said of Aramark. “I want to say that I am sad they’re here. This is one of the most frustrating moments I’ve had in my time here.” D209 began the process of finding a new food service provider in March in an effort to see greater student participation along with expanded food options, including healthier meals, according to documents in its March 14 meeting packet. The Illinois State Board of Education must approve food service contracts to ensure compliance with federal and state lunch program guidelines. Four companies responded to a bid request in May, with Aramark submitting the lowest quote by about $8,000. Illinois state law requires school districts to See ARAMARK on page 4

WILLIAM CAMARGO/Staff Photographer

STREETSCAPE: Jim Nadeau stands in front of his business, Nadeau’s Ice House, on Roosevelt Road on July 14. The thoroughfare is in the midst of a makeover.

Roosevelt street work: No fun, but worthwhile Business owners talk about putting up with construction By JOHN RICE Contributing Reporter

A survey of business owners and employees along the north side of

IN Big Week . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8 THIS Classified . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 ISSUE Crime . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7 Opinion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 Obituaries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

Roosevelt Road produced a chorus of comments about the ongoing construction. Some were positive, others talked about how it has hurt their bottom line, but almost all agreed that the vil-

lage has done a good job keeping them informed about the various stages of construction. See CONSTRUCTION on page 4

Rice’s musical pursuits

Human remains may be from murder

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