will be the rst time it’s happened since Ken Gross became Chief of Police
By JESSICA MORDACQ Staff Reporter
The Forest Park Police Department has 34 officers and needs only four more to be fully staffed.
Chief of Police Ken Gross said he thinks the department will be fully staffed by next year, the first time that has happened since he started in the role in 2021.
Of the department’s 34 officers, three are in the police academy, two are undergoing the department’s field training, and one is on light duty, assisting with investigations and administrative assignments instead of patrolling streets.
This leaves Gross with 28 officers for daily patrol.
But the department shortage will soon be alleviated with the next step toward a fully staffed department when, on Aug. 16, three new officers are sworn in, bringing the total number of officers to 37.
5
Rory Hoskins on being a Democratic National
How the mayor of Forest Park became a delegate and his plans for the DNC
By JESSICA MORDACQ Staff Reporter
On Aug. 5, a majority of Democratic dele gates from around the United States voted during a virtual roll call to name Vice President Kamala Harris the presidential candidate for their party.
As more than 170 of those dele gates from Illinois prepare to attend the Democratic National Convention Aug. 19 through 22, the Review spoke with one of them, Forest Park Mayor Rory Hoskins, about his path here and his role during the DNC.
This isn’t the first time Hoskins has been a Democratic dele gate. He also participated in the 2020 DNC, which was mostly remote due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“As soon as I got elected mayor, I knew I wanted to participate as a dele gate in 2020,” said Hoskins, who became Forest Park’s mayor in 2019. “I felt like being the mayor gave me a platform to run for dele gate.”
To nominate Hoskins in 2020, voters in Illinois’ 7th congressional district cast a vote for him in the primary elections. The Democratic Party approved the dele gates with the most votes, Hoskins said.
Hoskins said he started campaigning to be a 2020 delegate in 2019, reaching out to people in Democratic Party politics. As a for mality, those individuals had him sign two or three pieces of paper saying he would vote for President Joe Biden at a convention of dele gates, Hoskins said.
Hoskins petitioned for signatures to get his name on the primary ballot as a dele gate for the 7th congressional district. At the same time, he asked for signatures to petition for Biden for president, and did so in the 4th district, too, where Congressman Jesús “Chuy” García was petitioning for Ber nie Sanders.
After Biden won the 2020 presidential election, Hoskins continued with his mayoral duties. In 2022, he was appointed to an advisory board that assists the Office of the U.S. Trade Re presentative, a presidential appointment.
“I never really lost contact with the party apparatus,” Hoskins said.
While preparing for this year’s DNC, Hoskins said he expressed interest in being a dele gate to Democratic Party politicians. Again, he circulated petitions for both himself and Biden. Biden became the Democratic presidential candidate, and Hoskins became an Illinois dele gate for the second time — a position that he said he ran for simply because it excited him.
“You hear the phrase, ‘Someone has to do it.’ Well, I don’t see it as someone has to do it, I see it as someone gets to do it,” Hoskins said. “I got involved in public service because I wanted to make a difference, and this is just one more way to be involved and be part of the process.”
Forest Park Mayor Rory Hoskins is also a delegate for the DNC for the second time
Hoskins’ DNC plans
T he prominent role for dele gates is voting for the presidential candidate. Even though Hoskins has done his part in voting for Harris during the virtual roll call, and Harris has been chosen as the Democratic presidential candidate, Hoskins and other dele gates still have a part to play at the DNC.
From Aug. 19 through 22, dele gates will attend speeches and get-togethers, rallying around the Harris-Walz ticket and the Democratic Party’s platform
At past conventions, dele gates have voted on resolutions and platform initiatives. Hoskins said he’s not sure if that will be the case this year, though he added that there may be a platform currently being drafted that could potentially be ratified during the DNC.
Initiatives that Hoskins said he would look to advocate for at the DNC include expanding the child tax credit, supporting student loan forgiveness, reaffirming support for international partnerships like NATO, plus support for Ukraine and renewable energy.
Hoskins is also a part of the DNC’s 7th congressional district welcoming committee. And welcoming people is one of the things he said he’s most excited about for the DNC, along with showing of f the Chicagoland area and informing other politicians about Forest Park
W hen asked wh at he’s most c oncerned about re ga rding the D NC, Hoskins named security measures, wh ich are in place.
Safety has been top-of-mind for many following the assassination attempt on for mer President Donald Trump in July. United States Secret Service and law enforcement of ficers finalized the DNC’s safety measures that month. Forest Park officials, like many others, have an increased level of awareness re garding security measures and are in communication with Cook County’s Emergency Management and Re gional Security. Village Administrator Rachell Entler, Chief of Police Ken Gross, Fire Chief Phil Chiappetta and Fire Lieutenant Lindsey Hankus have been working together to make sure the village is ready in case any emergencies take place during the DNC.
Hoskins said that the Illinois State Police’s Emergency Radio Network has been activated, allowing federal, county and local police to communicate and share resources. The Mutual Aid Box Alarm System, a similar statewide response system for firefighters, is also in place with a plan for potential emerg encies.
“I want to see a convention that’s instance-free, and I know that our staf f is focused on doing their part,” Hoskins said. “I know that we’re prepared in the event that there’s an emergency.”
Wi th safety plans in place and just days to go until the D NC, Hoskins said he’s excited to talk with other officials, share about his village and r ally around the Democratic Pa rt y.
“My role is to re present Forest Park, to vote for Kamala Harris, to help her get elected president,” Hoskins said.
The Band Of Heathens
Friday, Aug. 16, 6:30 - 10:30 p.m., Rober t’s Westside
Rober t’s Westside & NTL Productions present The Band Of Heathens with Edward David Anderson. General
Admission / Standing Room Only tickets are $28 plus service fees. 7321 Madison St., Forest Park
Madison St., Forest Park
Forest Park Theatre Presents: Pericles
Sunday, Aug. 18, 5-7 p.m., The Altenheim
BIG WEEK
August 14-21
The MothstorySLAM
Tuesday, Aug. 20, 7 p.m., FitzGerald’s $15 / Age 21 And up. Join us for The Moth Stor ySLAM, an open-mic storytelling competition where participants share true, personal, 5-minute stories on the theme of “Comebacks.” Sign up to tell your story or simply enjoy the show. 6615 Roosevelt Road, Berw yn
Social Circle: Buying and Selling Items Online
Wednesday, Aug. 21, 12-2 p.m., Forest Park Public Library – Austin Room
All older adults (55+) are invited to join in for some special community time each week. We’ll talk, share interests, enjoy guest speakers, and keep ourselves active, engaged, and well-informed. 7555 Jackson Blvd., Forest Park
Groov’n in The Grove Fea turing R-Gang
Movies in the Park : Wonka
Friday, Aug. 16, 8 p.m., Administration Building Front Lawn
Our nal Movie in the Park of the summer is going to transpor t us to the whimsical world of Wonka!
Meet us on the front lawn next Friday, Aug. 16 for this totally free movie thanks to our friends at Currie Motors. The movie begins at dusk (a little after 8:15 p.m.) and the popcorn is on us. 7501 W. Harrison St., Forest Park
Join the librar y at The Register at https://tinyurl. com/42x4bpc3, 7824 Madison St., Forest Park
Tuesday Aug. 20, 7 p.m., Forest Park Picnic Grove
Join us at The Grove for an evening of free music under the stars. Feel free to bring your own chairs, food and drink. Concessions will also be available for purchase. The fun star ts at 7p.m. 7824 Madison St., Forest Park Picnic Grove
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
POLICE STAFFING Growing ranks
from page 1
Gross said he plans to hire one more officer this year, which will bring the force to a fully staffed 38 officers in 2025.
Until then, the village police will be slightly understaffed, as they have for the past several years.
And during the summer months, when officers often take vacation, those numbers are even lower.
“We’re not in a horrible position,” said Gross, who has been with the Forest Park Police Department since 2000. He added that the department does have quite a bit of overtime costs, which impact its budget.
At the end of 2024, the police department is expected to be nearly $400,000 under budget, primarily because of vacancies in fulltime officers. But because the department isn’t fully staffed, nearly $900,000 has been paid in overtime, or more than $165,000 over budget.
Two of the police department’s administrative lieutenants are currently assisting with patrol, Gross said. To avoid such overtime, last summer, Gross and Deputy Chief Christopher Chin helped with patrol.
“We’re in a better position this year than last,” Gross said.
The police force has increased in size since Gross became police chief. The number of officers has grown, following a decrease that the Forest Park Police Department, and many others around the country, saw in 2020 as a result of social unrest following the murders of Breonna Taylor and George Floyd by police officers.
“The events of 2020 decimated the profession,” Gross said. “It made this profession a little less attractive.”
In 2017, 51 candidates took tests as the first part of the Forest Park Police Department’s hiring process, a number Gross said is “the norm” for the department. In 2018 and 2019, there were over 40 candidates. But in 2021, that number dropped to 18, then 16 the following year.
T he number of p otential local p olice officers is on the ris e, though. L ast year ’s tests g ot the number of c andidates back up to 30. Tests in Fe bruary of this year saw 39 candidates
T he highly publicized p olice murders of 2020 also affected officers who we re already employe d.
Gross said that officers who we re hire d around the same time he was took over
for “Vi etnam-era” officer s, who we re ret iring after about 30 year s. Gen-Xer s, li ke Gross, are retiring sooner, he said, after about 20 year s.
“We’re leaving early, and I think the events of 2020 made people make that decision,” Gross said. “This isn’t the only department that saw resignations, retirements. It was a nationwide thing.”
The path to becoming a police o cer
It’s about a nine-month process, from the time a candidate is sworn in to when they go on solo patrol, Gross said.
Following a written test, candidates must undergo an oral interview, psychological exam, polygraph and a background investigation. T hey are sworn in to a police department and serve as probationary officers for 18 months, Gross said. Only then do they start at a police academy, which is a minimum of 16-weeks of training in Illinois. T hey then begin at
least four months of field training at the Forest Park Police De partment.
The Board of Fire and Police Commissioners, appointed by the mayor and approved by the village council, hires new police officers. Gross said he sits in on oral interviews and occasionally offers advice to the commission.
While the number of people interested in becoming a Forest Park police officer has decreased since 2017, then increased, the number of police officers has only increased since Gross became chief of police
The year 2021 started with 37 officers and ended with 31 after four retirements, two deaths, one transfer to another police department, and a hire. But that number has steadily grown. At the end of 2022, the police department had 33 officers and, to close 2023, 36 officers.
Three new officers will be sworn into the Forest Park Police Department this month. Two will be attending Colle ge of DuPage’s Suburban Law Enforcement
Academy and one will go to the Police Training Institute at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.
Gross said he hopes to hire one more person later this year, which will give him 38 officers for patrolling in 2025, after they undergo the village’s hiring process.
But having fewer than 38 officers doesn’t mean that the Forest Park Police Department must forgo its services. Instead, it prioritizes differently.
For example, Gross said the police department can do more traffic details and DUI checkpoints when they are fully staffed. He added that he should have one more person in the detective unit to work on investigations.
“Our investigation commission might have to put misdemeanor offenses on the lower end of the chain,” Gross said.
“I’m happy where we’re at,” he added. “I know we’re going to get where we need to be, hopefully by 2025.”
Forest Park police expe ct to be f ully sta ed by 2025.
Pritzker signs law allowing digital driver ’s licenses among hundreds of other bills
Ocial state mushroom, uorescent light bulb ban among other laws signed
By ANDREW ADAMS Capitol News Illinois
Gov. JB Pritzker on Monday signed a measure designating the “giant puffball” as the state’s mushroom after signing hundreds of bills on Friday, completing action on legislation sent to him by lawmakers this spring.
Pritzker has now signed more than 460 bills without issuing any vetoes. Below is a recap of some of the more than 260 bills he signed Friday.
Digital driver ’s licenses
House Bill 4592 lays out re gulations for the secretary of state to offer Illinois residents the option to have a digital version of their driver’s license or state ID.
The cards would be issued “in addition to, and not instead of” a physical ID, under the law, which takes effect in 2025. The law allows agencies and private entities to 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.”
“Other states already have mobile driver’s licenses and ID cards, and this bill gives our residents the same ability to have a mobile card if they want one, while still providing them with the option of a traditional physical card,” bill sponsor Re p. Kam Buckner, D-Chicago, said in a news release
Despite some concern during legislative debate over potential privacy issues with the technology, the measure passed unanimously in May.
Higher education changes
Several measures signed on Friday outline changes to higher education.
Senate Bill 462 bans public colle g es and universities in the state from considering an applicant’s relation to any past, current or prospective donors during the application process. It also bars those schools from considering an applicant’s “le gacy status,” or whether they are related to former students
S enate Bill 3081 requires public unive rsities to provide info rm ation about transfer f ee waive rs to students transferring in from a public c ommunity c olle ge It also encourages those unive rsities to automatically waive transfer f ees for lowincome students.
A third measure is aimed at lowering tuition costs for noncitizen Illinois residents. Senate Bill 461 requires public universities to charge in-state tuition for Illinois residents who attended an Illinois high school for at least 2 years or who graduated from an Illinois high school. It also would require universities to offer in-state tuition rates to some students who attended a high school, any colle ge or university or a combination thereof for a combined three years.
The measure passed 73-40 in the House and 42-16 in the Senate.
Light bulb ban, more
House Bill 2363 bans the sale of screw- or bayonet-base compact fluorescent bulbs after Jan. 1, 2026. It also bans pin-base and linear fluorescent bulbs after Jan. 1, 2027.
The law’s stated goal is to reduce pollution and health risks associated with mercury in these types of bulbs. It passed 73-37 in the House and 37-19 in the Senate.
S enate Bill 3501 will require new t ype s of lighting fixtures at I llinois Depa rtment of Natural Resources facilities T hese standards are aimed at reducing light pollution.
“Light pollution is not as often discussed as other for ms of environmental contamination, but excess artificial light poses serious health threats to animals, insects and humans,” said Sen. Laura Ellman, DNaperville, said in a statement.
That measure passed 71-39 in the House and unanimously in the Senate.
New AI regulations
House Bill 4623 clarifies that Illinois’ child pornography laws apply to images and videos created using artificial intelligence.
House Bill 4762 and House Bill 4875 gr ant protections to performers and other individuals from the wrongful use of AI re plicas and r ender certain c ontracts unenforceable if AI is misused A ll three measures p assed unanimousl y earlier this year
Youth vaping regulations
Senate Bill 2662 bans the marketing of e-cigarettes in a way that would make them seem like commonplace objects, such as a pen.
“This law will prohibit tobacco companies from pulling the wool over the eyes of educators and guardians whose job it is to keep kids safe,” bill sponsor Sen. Julie Morrison, D-Lake Forest, said in a statement.
Another measure, Senate Bill 3098, bans the sale of e-cigarettes to people under 21 years of age through online stores.
Lending discrimination study
Senate Bill 3235 calls on the Illinois Com-
mission on Equity and Inclusion to conduct a study to identify geographic areas of the state where there are significant racial or ethnic disparities in access to lending and other financial services.
The bill is a follow-up to the 2021 Illinois Community Reinvestment Act, which requires state-regulated institutions to make loans, credit and other financial services available in all parts of the communities they serve.
The commission will re port its findings to the General Assembly and secretary of the Department of Financial and Professional Re gulation. Lawmakers appropriated $250,000 to fund the study.
Peter Hancock and Jerry Nowicki contributed to this story.
Capitol News Illinois is a nonprofit, nonpartisan news service covering state government. It is distributed to hundreds of print and broadcast outlets 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.
C APITOL NEWS ILLINOIS FILE PHOTO BY JERRY NOWICKI
Underfunded re, police pensions persist in Forest Park
e shortfall is increasingly serious as the village grapples with its budget de cit
By JESSICA MORDACQ Staff Reporter
Forest Park’s public safety pensions — which police and fire staf f help fund while working and are paid annually after retiring — are severely underfunded, as they’ve been for the last several years.
By the end ofthe year, the village is supposed to funnel more than $5.7 million into its pensions for the Forest Park Police Department and the Forest Park Fire Department in order to fund them 90% by 2040, a quota set by state statute. The pensions are currently about 35% funded, according to Finance Director Letitia Olmsted.
“It’s a serious issue,” Olmsted said during a budget meeting in early July, especially considering the village has projected a $9 million deficit for the 2025 fiscal year, which started May 1.
“I know it’s hard to say what is the village’s number-one priority, but it’s one of our top priorities,” Maria Maxham, commissioner of accounts and finance, said of funding the public safety pensions.
As Forest Park approved its budget for the 2025 fiscal year, projected pensions for the Forest Park Police Department are over $2.8 million. Those for the Forest Park Fire Department are more than $2.5 million.
Police and fire staf f pay a percentage of their salaries into the pension funds. Pensions are also funded by revenue from the general fund, which consists ofmoney from property, state and utility taxes, license and permit fees, plus grants.
Over the last several years, the village’s general fund has been reduced to meet
minimum contribution requirements for pensions. According to officials at previous budget meetings, it’s clear that the village’s tax levy can’t support the pensions.
The public safety pension numbers for the 2025 proposed budget include police and fire pension supplementals, or additional contributions made by the village outside ofthe tax levy, which started in Feb. 2022. The supplementals are more than $236,000 for both the police and fire de partments.
The proposed budget also shows re placement taxes for both police and fire, which are allocated by the state, according to Olmsted. The Illinois Department of Revenue and Illinois Municipal League have estimated that re placement taxes in the 2025 fiscal year are more than $31,000 for police and more than $34,000 for fire.
The amount that pensions should be funded is determined by an independent actuary. The actuary calculates the amount based on the number of retirees or dependents receiving benefits, the fund’s return or loss on investments and whether staffing levels increase or decrease, according to Olmsted.
Ifthe pension is not fully funded by 2040, Olmsted said the village can intercept stateshared revenues, such as sales and income tax, to meet the minimum requirement.
“There’s always the risk that, if things g et bad enough or the village isn’ t contributing a high enough percentage, there could be intervention ofsome ofour state revenue,” Maxham said. “Some of the state income that we should be g etting doesn’t come to us and instead goes straight to the pensions.”
MECHTECH HVAC
Lester
Olmsted said that she, Maxham and Village Administrator Rachell Entler meet re gularly to discuss potential revenue sources that increase pension funding.
Maxham said she’s hopeful that revenue from the two dispensaries slated to open in Forest Park will help fund the pensions.
“I’m going to push very hard for us to automatically allocate a certain percentage ofthat to the pension fund,” Maxham said. “We have an obligation, and not just a moral responsibility, which it also is, but a legal responsibility to make good on the promises we’ve already made.”
Police and re pensions
Neither police or fire staf f pay into social security, and they don’ t g et health insurance benefits when they retire. Because pensions are their only source of money after they stop working, police and fire staf f start paying into them well before retirement.
According to Article 3 ofthe Illinois Pension Code, police officers pay 9.91% oftheir non-overtime salary into a pension fund. Firefighters pay about 9.45% of their salaries into their pension, according to Fire Chief Phil Chiappetta.
In Forest Park’s police and fire department, there are two tiers of pensions for officers. Tier one officers were hired before Jan. 2011, while tier two staf f were hired after
Tier one officers must be over 50 year s old and have 20 years ofservice to c ollect their p ensions. W hen they r etire, they rece ive 2.5% oftheir salary eac h
year for eve ry year ofservic e. T he maximum b enefit is 75% oftheir salary after 30 years of servic e.
The police department’s tier two officers collect benefits starting at age 55 and after 10 years ofservice, according to Chief of Police Ken Gross. Retired officers receive 2.5% oftheir final average salary — or average monthly salary for their last eight years of work — every year. The highest pension is 75% of the final average salary.
The fire department’s tier two officers also start collecting at age 55. These retired officers receive a pension based on the average monthly salary over 48 months out ofthe firefighter’s last 60 months of work, according to Chiappetta.
Gross, who has been with the Forest Park Police Department since 2000, and Chiappetta, who has been with the Forest Park Fire Department since 2001, both say they remember pensions being underfunded since they started. And both also say the underfunded pensions haven’t affected their staf f’s morale.
“We would end up having more money for operations stuf f, but I don’t think there’s a morale problem,” Chiappetta said. “There’s been pension funds that have been way less [funded] and they’re sustainable. It’s not great, but it’s not like it’s the end of the world either.”
“I don’t want to be scared oftalking about things that aren’t going that well in the village,” Maxham said ofthe underfunded pensions. “We have a lot ofthings that are going really well, but we also have big financial concerns, and I think we need to not protect the residents from that.”
D209 plans to vote on future of its IB program
O cials are concerned about low enrollment in the rigorous program
By AMARIS E. RODRIGUEZ Staff Reporter
Proviso Township High School Distric 209’s board of education is set to vote on whether to continue to offer International Baccalaureate programming at the high schools during this week’s board meeting
Interim Supt. Alexander Aschoff said enrollment at East and West is very low, students considering other options, includin dual enrollment and AP credit. Enrollment figures were not available by publication.
But ending the rigorous program is an im portant decision that will impact students’ futures, he said.
district $12,660 for the 2024-25 year for each of the three schools, or a total of $37,980.
Board member Arbdella Patterson raised concerns over continuing the program at East and West due to low enrollment.
“This program at Proviso East was never what this board was told it was going to be,” Patterson said during the July board meet-
“I didn’t believe that making the decision to just cut of f now would be appropriate our students and families but something that warrants further discussion,” Aschof said during the July 16 board meeting.
He said more discussion is needed before decision is made.
Proviso Township High School District 209 became an all-International Baccalaureate World School district in 2022.
The IB program, as it is known in the United States, was founded in Geneva, Switzerland, in 1968 and offers four program models to schools across the world. In the U.S., the most common programs are at the highschool level.
All three Proviso high schools carry IB’s diploma program, a two-year international education program for teens 16 to 19 that aims to help prepare them for college by cultivating “creative problem-solvers” and “lifelong independent thinkers,” according to the IB website. Students pick a course from the five core subjects: studies in language and literature; language acquisition; individuals and society; sciences; and mathematics. The also take a course from the arts.
Proviso West also offers the IB career-related program.
Participating students receive college credit for individual courses or for completing a full IB diploma.
Officials estimate the program will cost the
ing. “And that is unfortunate.”
Patterson said having a teacher for only two or three students enrolled in a course at a given time does not make sense
“We are already affecting their lives,” Patterson said. “We are selling them a lie.”
Board member Amanda Grant said there should be a stronger focus on building the program up rather than “shutting it down.”
“It’s not the same at East and West but let’s focus on making all three equitable rather than stopping the IB program, which is a valuable program for our students,” Grant said, adding more support for counselors and teachers might help increase student enrollment.
Aschoff said the district would need to make a decision before they are able to approve a course catalog and academic programs in October for the 2025-26 school year
JAVIER GOVEA
Police presence will increase during holidays
e rst holiday will be Labor Day, Sept. 2.
By JESSICA MORDACQ Staff Reporter
The village council approved a resolution Aug. 12 to increase police enforcement during some ofthe deadliest times ofthe year for vehicle travel.
The Illinois Department of Transportation’s Sustained Traffic Enforcement Program for High Visibility Enforcement grant will fund the Forest Park Police Department’s work during the most dangerous times to drive: Holidays. The goal is to reduce fatalities and serious injuries on Illinois roadways
The $46,464 grant will fund the work of police officers during six required campaigns on Thanksgiving, Christmas/New Year’s, St Patrick’s Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day and Labor Day.
Police working these days will enforce occupant protection and/or look out for impaired driving. Under occupant protection,
police must work 30% oftheir hours between 6 p.m. and 6 a.m., and 30% of citations should be for occupant restraint violations, or passengers not wearing seatbelts.
For impaired driving enforcement, all patrol hours must take place between 6 p.m. and 6 a.m. and officers must be trained in Standardized Field Sobriety
Municipalities that applied for the grant were given the option to participate in additional campaigns. Forest Park will also practice increased police enforcement during the Super Bowl and in April for a Distracted Driving campaign.
The village decided how much funding was needed per campaign and can use the $46,464 as needed throughout the year. Chief of Police Ken Gross is authorized to execute the grant.
At the Aug. 12 village council meeting, all four commissioners and Mayor Rory Hoskins voted to approve the resolution. With the village council’s vote, the grant has
Enjoy programs, activities, trips and more designed for individuals aged 50 & up with our Active Adult Membership, including:
• Arts & Crafts Workshops
• Fitness Classes
• Day Trips Every Season
• Special Interest & Discussion Groups
• Four Complimentary Pool Visits
• Discounted Festival Theater Tickets
• And much more! Your membership gives you access to FREE or greatly reduced activities and programs. Only $52 per year
Singer Rashada Dawan delighted throngs of concertgoers at Forest Park’s “Little Ravinia” StoopSession on Lathrop Avenue.
Do you have DIABETES?
If you do, you should know how important foot care is. Over time, diabetics risk developing foot complications. When the nerves are damaged from chronic high blood sugar, feet can become numb or painful with burning or tingling. is is called diabetic neuropathy. When diabetes a ects the arteries, circulation to the legs and feet may be compromised. Either of these conditions may lead to serious problems including ulceration, even amputation.
e key to prevention is early diagnosis of diabetes, and regular foot exams from a podiatrist. Diabetics who receive regular foot care, including paring of calluses and debridement of thick fungal toenails, are almost four times less likely
to undergo an amputation than those who do not seek treatment.
Medicare and some private insurances cover 1 pair of diabetic shoes and 3 pair of protective insoles each calendar year. Dr. Lambert has been a supplier of diabetic shoes since 2002. e shoes come in 30 di erent styles each for men and women. ese include boots, lightweight colorful athletic shoes, and dress shoes. Even patients who are not diabetic love the look and comfort of the footwear. Diabetic socks, slippers and compression hosiery are also available.
Protecting your feet with appropriate footgear is an important aspect of preventive care for diabetics.
CRIME
2 men arrested after highspeed car chase
By JESSICA MORDACQ Staff Reporter
the company, she discovered that the number had been disconnected. She called the phone number she found on the website and an employee told her they would fix the issue, but any attempt to contact the company has been met with negative results. Police told her to contact the Better Business Bureau to report the company.
Tenant dispute
On Aug. 7, an of ficer was about to pull over a white Kia, believed to be stolen because of its registration number, according to the police report. But before police could tur n on the car’s sirens, the Kia sped off east on Madison Street from 1st Avenue. The car disregarded traffic control devices and drove at high speeds into oncoming traffic, making it difficult and dangerous for police to get close enough for a traffic stop. Another police officer parked at the bottom of an entrance ramp as the Kia got on I-290, hit the back of the police car and lost its front right tire Police continued pursuing the car as it got off the expressway at Austin Boulevard. At a deadend road in the 5700 block of Erie Street, four men got out of the car and ran. Police caught two of the men and took them into custody, where both were arrested on four counts of resisting or obstructing a police officer and one count of criminal trespass to a vehicle. One was also processed for an in-state warrant, while the other was charged with possessing firearm ammunition without a firear m owner’s identification card
Deceptive practices
■ A Chicago woman found an apartment at 1001 Dunlop Ave. for rent on Facebook Marketplace. The person who answered her inquiry about the listing asked her to transfer $365.00 to apply for the apartment and hold it for her to view, according to the police report. The woman did, but when she arrived Aug. 5, discovered the person had no relationship to the address or landlord of Invitation Homes Police told her they cannot investigate because the crime happened in Chicago. The woman asked the Forest Park Police Department to write up the report for her bank.
■ A woman living on Hannah Avenue reported to police Aug. 9 that she was scammed for a waterproofing job conducted by ASAP Masonry & Roofing. She told police that workers came to waterproof her residence, but 41 days after, she experienced leaking again. She paid $12,000 for work that was supposed to have a 35-year warranty. When she contacted the phone number she was given for
A woman living on Des Plaines Avenue told police Aug. 6 that a day earlier she was in her apartment complex’s hallway when the neighbor’s unleashed dog jumped on her. She told police this had happened before, so she called the property owner to file a complaint. Later that day, the dog’s owner knocked on her apartment and told her that if she was kicked out because of her dog, there would be problems. The police report is a matter of record, and no one was charged.
Suspicious circumstances
A woman living on Rockford Avenue called police Aug. 7 to report a white van circling around her home. She told police that her mother had been followed to a physical therapy appointment by a white van. When her mother pulled over to let the van pass, the van made a U-turn at the next intersection. The woman shared several other suspicious incidents with police. In May, the woman said she was walking in her alley and saw another woman by her garage, who said she was looking for a silver car and someone who owed her money. The woman also reported that a gray Jeep followed her while she was walking a dog and, in June, her Xfinity router was hacked.
These items were obtained from Forest Park Police Department reports dated August 5 through August 11 and represent a portion of the incidents to which police responded. Anyone named in these reports has only been charged with a crime and cases have not yet been adjudicated. We report the race of a suspect only when a serious crime has been committed, the suspect is still at large, and police have provided us with a detailed physical description of the suspect as they seek the public’s help in making an arrest.
OPINION
OUR VIEW
Full force
In a circumstance that has become the norm in police departments across America over the past four years, Forest Park’s department has been operating short-handed. Budgeted for 38 sworn personnel, the force has been as skinny as 31 of ficers in 2021. Now, Chief of Police Ken Gross says his department has 34 officers in place and three more are being trained to join the force shor tly.
Gross recently said he is hopeful of one more hire this year, which will bring the depar tment to full force.
There are two over riding factors in short-staffed police departments across the country. One was the intense and deserved response many Americans felt toward policing after the police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis. Undoubtedly, it has made being a patrol cop a more difficult and less desirable job. But the challenges raised by protesters and reformers about how police engage with citizens, specifically citizens of color, are fully valid and we have seen some progress in forcing more communitybased policing and added accountability for officers.
But combined with the COVID-19 pandemic that followed, it led to many early retirements of officers and a dearth of candidates applying to become police officers.
Gross acknowledges that the events of 2020 “decimated the profession.”
Now, though, in Forest Park, the number of people taking the test to become officers has slowly recovered. Back in 2017, 51 people took the Forest Park test. In 2022 the number was just 16. In February 2024, 39 individuals took the test.
This is good news for Forest Park. A full roster of officers means less overtime, the ability to take on new projects, and some relief for the upper ranks, who have been forced into patrol duties at times.
We see positive changes in how this department engages with residents and visitors. That change agenda must remain intentional and reflect input from the community.
Overambitious at D209?
In 2022, Proviso Township high schools made a bold, but, we think, poorly-thought-out-decision to expand the International Baccalaureate program from just the Proviso Math and Science Academy and into both Proviso East and Proviso West high schools.
PMSA is a selective-enrollment high school. East and West are not. Those two schools, in fact, perfor m very poorly in state test results and need foundational improvements and rethinking. Spreading some frosting on top of those faults does not help most students. Right now, the school board is considering dropping IB from East and West because enrollment in that program is very low.
Our suggestion would be to continue IB for another year with the hope and expectation that this board will finally hire a permanent superintendent. It will be their job to make a recommendation on IB within a fuller and much more ambitious plan to rebuild East and West academically from the ground up.
Browsing the Amazon pillow bu et
As is true of so many things, it turns out I was substantially misinfor med about pillows as a child. I was always told that pillows lasted more or less forever. Pillows would be passed down from parent to child across generations. As long as they were at some point filled with goose down feathers and had at one point cost any money at all, they had a permanent role in the household because they were both “nice” and “expensive.” This included pillows in the stage of life where they had maybe five dozen pieces of goose down left in them because the rest had slowly worked their way out of the pillow by poking you in the face while you were trying to slee p.
ALAN BROUILETTE
different pillows with the intention of spending a month testing them before settling on 2-4 finalists and conveniently returning the rest.
Golly Moses, Amazon has a lot of different pillow options. I bought pillows made of memory foam, shredded memory foam, one with goose down in it, several bamboo, multiple pillows that were in considerably nontraditional pillow shapes, and at least one thing that was more like a padded semi-reclined sleeping structure than a pillow.
I have been on a campaign throughout adulthood to recognize the New England Boomer policy of pointless economizing, wherein you save small amounts of money by not ever spending any of it on something that might materially improve your life and make you happier. This is especially toxic when combined with another New England Boomer specialty, believing the finest and most elegant version of anything was achieved in about 1945 and everything invented since that point is to be viewed with distrust and suspicion.
So when it became clear that it was time to re place the bed pillows after only 30 short years of meritorious and re gular service I attempted to approach the replacement process with modern methodology, rather than simply buying whatever Marshall Field claimed was the top of the heap now while bemoaning how much more a goose down pillow cost today than it would have cost 75 years ago. We called this approach the Pillow Buffet.
It is fairly easy to retur n things to Amazon, and since they bring everything to your house in the first place, I have no objection to floating them $1,000 or so for 20
It is an interesting exercise in neck flexibility, sleeping on a different pillow every other night for a month. That being said, pillow technology has advanced considerably. You can get adjustable pillows where they send you a little bag of extra shredded memory foam, so you can adjust the firmness upward. You can get neck pillows wherein you rotate the pillow 180° without flipping it over in order to optimize for whether you are sleeping on your stomach, back, or side. They are made of memory foam and look vaguely like an impressionist’s rendering of the outer superstructure of a crab. You can also get pillows with cutouts and internal bracings that allow you to sleep on your side without crushing your shoulder joint into it, a habit that will drive your chiropractor out of her mind over the long term.
All of these pillows were methodically tested by me. I ke pt the four best — two stuffed with shredded memory foam, one of the side-sleeping shoulder braces, and one very stiff foam pillow for the weird person next to me, who I guess enjoys sleeping on a slightly padded cinder block — and dropped the rest off at UPS for Amazon to search, re package, and sell to you when you try the Pillow Buffet strategy.
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.
Our Public Works Department gets welldeserved praise for the excellent services it provides. It starts with the leadership. Director Sal Stella succeeded John Doss on July 1, 2021. He continues the department’s tradition of providing top-notch snow removal, maintaining water quality and managing our urban forest. I love seeing those “I love public works” signs on display
Stella’s list of honorees
Sal is a hands-on director. He helps out at every public event. He also works behind the scenes, giving teenagers their first summer jobs. His department is very responsive about disposing of dead branches and dead squirrels. Recently, I had a new request for Sal. A Forest Park Review reader wants a series profiling the residents who have had honorary streets named for them.
We first had to identify all the residents who have received this honor. Village Hall didn’t have a comprehensive list of the honorees. The clerk referred me to Sal Stella. After all, he’s the guy who climbs the ladder to unveil the honorary street signs. Sal, though, didn’t have a list either. So he used the oldschool approach of sending an employee to
drive around town and inventory all the honorary streets
Sal then sent me a list of 22 names and the locations of each of their honorary streets. I was astonished by this same-day service. Many of the names on the list are familiar to me but others aren’t. For example, I was not acuainted with Dr. Austin Prabhu, whose “Dr. Austin Prabhu Way” was dedicated by then Mayor Anthony Calderone at 900 Dunlop, on May 26, 2018. Dr. Prabhu emigrated from Bombay, India in 1978. He ear ned his PhD in Business and in 1981 moved to Forest Park, where he became active with Lions Inter national and continues his work with that organization, alongside his wife, Karen. Dr. Prabhu is an inter nationally-renowned humanitarian whose work helps vulnerable populations. He is known for being happy, humble, honest and filled with gratitude. Another couple with downhome values, Anthony and Dorothy Spinelli, were honored in 2014. Their honorary sign at 1000 Circle was located near the couple’s longtime home. They were mar ried in 1937 and moved to Forest Park in 1948. They had three kids, Antoinette, Arthur and Benjamin. The boys were among the first Little
A LOOK BACK IN TIME
Leaguers in town and their dad was scoutmaster of their Boy Scout troop Angelo drove a truck for 62 years and was a member of the AFL-CIO. Dorothy loved to read, and make, old-world recipes. ABC News covered their 77th wedding anniversary. Their secrets to a long marriage were communication and family ties. Angelo and Dorothy had seven grandchildren and 15 great-grandchildren. They both passed away at the age of 102.
“Isaac Beal Way” is located at 800 Marengo. Beal was honored for volunteering as a Neighborhood Watch Ambassador for 30 years. He shared stories with Mayor Rory Hoskins about facing racism in the South, serving in the U.S. Air Force and working for the CTA. He also babysat future mayor, Richard M. Daley.
Beal declined to be interviewed by the Review. His wife, Mary Beth, explained that he was shy. Beal was humbled and grateful for the recognition. He said, “I try to do right for Forest Park. I love Forest Park and I will continue for as long as I live.”
So, there we have it — a sampling of honorees from completely different backgrounds who share the salt-of-the-earth values of Forest Park We still have 19 more honorees to write about from the list Sal Stella compiled Meanwhile, we look forward to watching Sal and his Public Works crew defend their title at the annual Casket Races this October.
Sidewalk cycling clogs Madison
The October 1971 council meeting was abuzz with discussion over “the way in which the kids completely disre gard all the laws that govern the use of bicycles.” The lengthy discussion addressed bicycles on the Madison Street sidewalks, which sometimes even blocked the sidewalk and entrances to the stores completely. Police Lt. Good was assigned to study the situation and re port to the council with suggestions and recommendations.
Jill Wagner
Photo: Ben Franklin, a fi ve-and-dime store, located at 7443 Madison St., was a popular place for all ages to shop. This phot o, taken by Joe Sansone, was featu red in the Oct. 6, 1971 Forest Park Re view with an accompanying re port of the long council discussion about discarded bic ycles on sidewalks along Madison.
REAL ESTATE FOR SALE
IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF COOK COUNTY, ILLINOIS COUNTY DEPARTMENT - CHANCERY DIVISION
NEWREZ LLC D/B/A SHELLPOINT
MORTGAGE SERVICING
Plaintiff, -v.-
JOSE G. ROMERO, GEMA A. ROMERO, BYLINE BANK, SUCCESSOR BY MERGER TO COMMUNITY BANK OF OAK PARK RIVER FOREST, CROWN ASSET MANAGEMENT, LLC, LVNV FUNDING, LLC
Defendants
2023 CH 02946
812 HUGH MUIR LN MAYWOOD, IL 60153
NOTICE OF SALE
PUBLIC NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale entered in the above cause on June 10, 2024, an agent for The Judicial Sales Corporation, will at 10:30 AM on September 11, 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 812 HUGH MUIR LN, MAYWOOD, IL 60153
Property Index No. 15-02-322-0160000 The real estate is improved with a single family residence.
The judgment amount was $183,864.65.
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. The property will NOT be open for inspection and plaintiff makes no representation as to the condition of the property. Prospective bidders are admonished to check the court file to verify all information.
If this property is a condominium unit, the purchaser of the unit at the foreclosure sale, other than a mortgagee, shall pay the assessments and the legal fees required by The Condominium Property Act, 765 ILCS 605/9(g)(1) and (g)(4). If this property is a condominium unit which is part of a common interest community, the purchaser of the unit at the foreclosure sale other than a mortgagee shall pay the assessments required by The Condominium Property Act, 765 ILCS 605/18.5(g-1).
IF YOU ARE THE MORTGAGOR (HOMEOWNER), YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO REMAIN IN POSSESSION FOR 30 DAYS AFTER ENTRY OF AN ORDER OF POSSESSION, IN ACCORDANCE WITH SECTION 15-1701(C) OF THE ILLINOIS MORTGAGE FORECLOSURE LAW.
You will need a photo identification issued by a government agency (driver’s license, passport, etc.) in order to gain entry into our building and the foreclosure sale room in Cook County and the same identification for sales held at other county venues where The Judicial Sales Corporation conducts foreclosure sales. For information, contact CHAD LEWIS, ROBERTSON ANSCHUTZ
REAL ESTATE FOR SALE
SCHNEID CRANE & PARTNERS, PLLC Plaintiff’s Attorneys, 205 N. MICHIGAN SUITE 810, CHICAGO, IL, 60601 (561) 241-6901. Please refer to file number 22-087686. 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. CHAD LEWIS ROBERTSON ANSCHUTZ SCHNEID CRANE & PARTNERS, PLLC
205 N. MICHIGAN SUITE 810 CHICAGO IL, 60601 561-241-6901
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 # 2023 CH 02946 I3249923
IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF COOK COUNTY, ILLINOIS COUNTY DEPARTMENT - CHANCERY DIVISION
U.S. BANK TRUST NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, NOT IN ITS INDIVIDUAL CAPACITY, BUT SOLELY AS OWNER TRUSTEE ON BEHALF FOR CITIGROUP MORTGAGE LOAN TRUST 2021-RP4, Plaintiff(s), vs. SCOTT SCHEMMEL, SVETLANA KAPLIN A/K/A SVETLAN KAPLINA, VILLAGE OF OAK PARK, TUDOR ROSE CONDOMINIUM ASSOCIATION, STATE OF ILLINOIS, U.S. BANK, N.A. SUCCESSOR IN INTEREST TO REGENCY SAVINGS BANK, UNKNOWN OWNERS AND NON-RECORD CLAIMANTS, Defendant(s), 22 CH 1440 CALENDAR 60 NOTICE OF SALE PUBLIC NOTICE is hereby given that pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure entered in the above entitled cause Intercounty Judicial Sales Corporation will on September 9, 2024, at the hour 11:00 a.m., Intercounty’s office, 120 West Madison Street, Suite 718A, Chicago, IL 60602, sell to the highest bidder for cash, the following described mortgaged real estate: P.I.N. 16-07-323-052-1003 AND 1607-323-052-1007. Commonly known as 424 S. WISCONSIN STREET, UNIT 3N, OAK PARK, IL 60302. The real estate is: condominium residence. The purchaser of the unit other than a mortgagee shall pay the assessments and the legal fees required by subdivisions (g)(1) and (g) (4) of Section 9 of the Condominium Property Act.. Sale terms: At sale, the bidder must have 10% down by certified funds, balance within 24 hours, by certified funds. No refunds. The property will NOT be open for inspection. Prospective bidders are admonished to check the court file to verify all information. For information call Sales Department at Plaintiff’s Attorney, Law Offices of Ira T. Nevel, 175 North Franklin Street, Suite 201, Chicago, Illinois 60606. (312) 357-1125. 22-00544 INTERCOUNTY JUDICIAL SALES CORPORATION intercountyjudicialsales.com I3249069
Advertisement to Solicit Bids
Notice is hereby given by the Executive Director of Housing Forward, 1851 South 9th Avenue, Maywood, Illinois, that bids will be received for the following improvements at The Write Inn located at 211 North Oak Park Avenue, Oak Park, IL 60302: Roof membrane replacement, Roof insulation and Masonry Tuckpointing
Bids will be received until 5:00PM, Central Standard Time on August 30, 2024, and emailed to RFP@iff. org. Please direct all bid proposals to Ann Panopio.
The bidding forms and documents will be available to request here (https://iff.org/rfps/). The owner, and owner’s representative have been authorized to refuse to issue plans, specifications and proposals to any person, form or corporation that they consider to be unqualified. Proposal must be submitted on the forms provided.
The bidder is specifically advised that Housing Forward is a Subrecipient of the Village of Oak Park of a grant pursuant to the Housing and Urban Development’s Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Program, pursuant to an agreement entered between the Village of Oak Park and Housing Forward. Further, the work must adhere to federal labor compliance requirements (Davis Bacon). Housing Forward and Village of Oak Park have a preference to qualifying Minority and Women Owned Business Enterprises. Contractors are expected to make their best effort in maximizing participation.
NOTE: No contracts will be awarded unless the contractor is actively registered with the “System for Award Management (SAM)” and permitted to work, certified by the Village of Oak Park.
Summary of Work – The project includes all work described in the Bid Documents including but not limited to all required site prep, scaffolding, temporary shoring, demolition, removal and appropriate disposal of waste materials, replacement, or repair of existing materials to remain, cleaning, and confirmation of water-tight enclosure for all areas of work. This work should be coordinated with Owner to minimize impact to Owner’s operations.
Published in Wednesday Journal July 31, August 7, 14, 21, 28, 2024
NOTICE ON PUBLIC HEARING
ON RIVER FOREST TOWNSHIP BUDGET
PUBLIC NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that a tentative Amended Budget and Appropriations Ordinance for the Township of River Forest, in the County of Cook, State of Illinois, for the fiscal year beginning April 1, 2024 and ending March 31, 2025 will be on file and conveniently available to public inspection at the River Forest Civic Center Authority Building, 8020 Madison St., River Forest, at the River Forest Public Library, 735 Lathrop Ave., River Forest from Friday, August 16, 2024 as well on the Township website at www. RiverForestTownship.org.
NOTICE IS FURTHER GIVEN HEREBY that a public hearing on said Amended Budget and Appropriations Ordinance will be held at 6:00 PM, Tuesday, August 20, 2024 at the River Forest Township regular meeting at 8020 Madison St., River Forest and final hearing and action on the ordinance will be taken at the regular meeting held on Tuesday, September 17, 2024 at 6:00PM.
Dated the 6th of August, 2024, Margaret Detmer, Township Clerk
Published in Wednesday Journal August 14, 2024
PUBLIC NOTICE
Notice is hereby given, pursuant to “An Act in relation to the use of an Assumed Business Name in the conduct or transaction of Business in the State,” as amended, that a certification was registered by the undersigned with the County Clerk of Cook County. Registration Number: G24000358on July 29, 2024 Under the Assumed Business Name of DAYBREAK REIKI with the business located at: 367 BLYTHE RD, RIVERSIDE, IL 60546. The true and real full name(s) and residence address of the owner(s)/partner(s) is: JILL GEHRING 367 BLYTHE RD RIVERSIDE, IL 60546, USA
Published in RB Landmark August 7, 14, 21, 2024
LEGAL NOTICE
NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING OF TENTATIVE BUDGET
Notice is hereby given by the Board of Education of Oak Park and River Forest High School, District 200 of Cook County, Illinois that a tentative budget for said School District for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2024 will be available for viewing on the school’s homepage at www.oprfhs.org or by appointment only during school hours at the School District located at 201 North Scoville Avenue, Oak Park, Illinois, from and after 8:00 a.m. on August 16, 2024. For an appointment, email Marian Gerena at mgerena@oprfhs.org
The Board of Education intends to hold a public hearing on Thursday, September 26, 2024, at 6:30 p.m. in accordance with Public Act 101-640 to receive public comments on the budget for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2024. To submit a written comment to be included in the Board minutes, go to: https://forms.gle/8KLvckawkZUTwB878. To make oral public comments via Zoom go to: https://forms.gle/ vS95obFr356N3B7V7. All written and oral comments via Zoom should be submitted by 4:30 p.m. on September 26. Public comments can also be made in person at the public hearing.
To join the webinar Board Meeting on September 26, 2024, go to: https://oprfhs-org.zoom.us/ j/88055085059?pwd=L8z1GYhGle1DghEfNfWiy8pDDfmlMS.1 Passcode: 045886
Dated: August 8, 2024
Board of Education Oak Park & River Forest High School, District 200 Cook County, Illinois
By:
Secretary, Board of Education
Published in Wednesday Journal August 14, 2024
OP Elementary D97 09242024
PUB HEARING ON 24-25 BUDGET PUBLIC NOTICE NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING ON 2024-2025 BUDGET PUBLIC NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN by the Board of Education of Oak Park Elementary School District Number 97, Cook County, Illinois, that it will hold a public hearing on its proposed budget for the 2024 - 2025 school year on the 24th day of September, 2024, at 6:00 p.m. The hearing will be held at the District Office, 260 Madison Street, Oak Park, Illinois, 60302. Such proposed budget shall be on file conveniently available for public inspection from and after August 14, 2024, in the Business Office of Oak Park Elementary School District 97, between the hours of 8:00 am and 4:30 pm. The Board of Education intends to adopt the proposed 20242025 budget following the public hearing on 09242024.
Published in Wednesday Journal August 14, 2024
PUBLIC NOTICES
NOTICE OF HEARING ON PETITION FOR TERMINATION OF PARENT-CHILD RELATION-
SHIP
SUPERIOR COURT OF ARIZONA IN MARICOPA COUNTY
Juvenile Department
PARENT/GUARDIAN NAME(S):
Jennifer Elaine Ciszek-Gill – Mother
Joshua William Clark - Father
Case Number JS22090
Petitioner
Jennifer Elaine Ciszek-Gill
In the Matter of Minor(s): Levi William Clark 05/02/2007
This is an important notice from the court. Read it carefully. A petition about termination of parent-child relationship has been filed with the court, and a hearing has been scheduled related to your child(ren). Your rights may be affected by the proceedings. You have a right to appear as a party in the proceeding.
If you fail to participate in the court proceedings, the court may deem that you have waived your legal rights and admitted to the allegations made in the petition. Hearings may go forward in your absence and may result in the termination of your parental rights.
Judicial Officer: Honorable Thomas Marquoit
Hearing Date/Time: September 3, 2024 @ 9:30am (AZ time)
Any supporting documentation must be filed with the Clerk of Court at least seventy-two hours in advance of the set hearing date.
If I have questions or concerns who can I contact?
For questions concerning filing, please contact the Clerk of Court at (602) 372-5375. For questions about the hearing, contact the Juvenile Department at (602) 506-4533, Option 2 to reach the assigned Judicial Officer’s staff. If you have legal questions, seek legal counsel.
Docket Code: NOTJS Rev 09/27/23
Published in Wednesday Journal August 7, 14, 21, 28, 2024
AT HOMEONTHE GREATERWESTSIDE
Nontraditional ways of buying a house? NACA real estate broker Josie Hood explains how
There are actions plans, she says
By DELANEY NELSON Special Projects Reporter
With 20 years of experience in real estate as an agent, developer and broker, Josie Hood is often on both sides of the selling table. Born and raised on the South Side of Chicago, Hood is now a managing real estate broker for Neighborhood Assistance Corporation of America, a nationwide non-profit organization that advocates for economic justice through homeownership and community action. She works in Chicago and elsewhere in Illinois and Indiana.
“I’ve been doing this since 2004, so I’ve been around long enough to see the crash, the rise, and the crash again. It’s cyclical,” Hood said. “Whatever’s going on in real estate, when it goes down it comes back up — you just got to stick it out.”
Hood started in 2018 as a real estate agent at NACA, which is the largest certified counseling agency in the country.
Hood spoke with Austin Weekly News about how NACA helps home buyers navigate the real estate market.
What does the real estate market look like right now?
We just came out of a seller’s market, where you could go $20,000 to $30,000 above the asking price and still not get the deal. We entered a market not too long ago where there’s just no inventory. We’re still very short of housing inventory across the country; there’s such a housing shortage.
What do you expect to see from the real estate market in the coming months and year?
What’s happening across the country is you’re getting more and more developers who are switching gears, myself included. In a lot of cities, including Chicago, there’s a housing shortage, so people are building more multifamily units. Not only are people doing more multi-families, we’re doing multi-families with different incomes. So we have some units at market rate, some affordable units and we have some low-income units. Because there’s such a shortage, a lot of the cities have funding to help with that. With those multi-families and condos, you’ll start to see more amenities with more people, like co-working spaces, because so many people work from home.
Do you work only with buyers and sellers associated with NACA?
A majority of our clients are NACA. We used to say we work exclusively with NACA buyers, but I will not say that anymore because if you
sell, you may not buy with NACA. So we don’t work exclusively with NACA buyers. We do work with sellers — we offer them a discount
COURTESY
Josie Hood of Neighborhood Assistance Corporation of America
Now that you own home, what’s next
Here are some keys to sustainability
FRANCIA GARCIA HERNANDEZ Special Projects Reporter
As first-time homebuyers —or longtime West Side residents who may inherit their family properties— embark into homeownership, it is important to plan for expenses and housing costs outside of their monthly mortgage. In this article, experts share advice on achieving sustainable homeownership.
INCREASE YOUR FINANCIAL READINESS
Black Chicagoans face more barriers to home buying as they have reduced access to banking and financial support than other groups, said State Rep. La Shawn K. Ford (IL-8th). Eighty-three percent of Black households own checking accounts, in contrast with the 99% of white households who do so. Only 10% of Black homeowners received financial support to purchase their homes, while 23% of white homeowners did, according to a 2022 report by the Financial Health Network. High unemployment rates and underemployment rates reduce access to credit and loans. Austin has a 14% unemployment rate compared to 8% citywide, according to 2024 data by the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning. In West Garfield Park, the unemployment rate reaches almost 20%, more than double the city’s
rate. In North Lawndale, the unemployment rate is about 15%.
Michelle Flores, executive secretary of the National Association of Hispanic Real Estate Professionals Chicago chapter recommends prospective buyers establish credit if they don’t already have a credit history, improve their credit scores and save money to cover a down payment, closing and repair costs.
PREPARE FOR RISING COSTS DUE TO TAXES AND INSURANCE
Property taxes and home insurance rates are the main concern for homeowners in the 8th Dis-
“When those numbers change, it puts homeent budget situation and sometimes that sometimes drive people out of their homes,” Ford said.
Property taxes can drastically increase withnotice, putting homeowners at risk of falling behind in payments. This year, property taxes in Cook County increased by 4%, although homeowners in some south and southwest suburbs saw their bill increase almost 20% from last year, according to data by the Cook County Treasurer’s ce. This drastic increase mostly affected Black communities – 13 of the 15 suburbs with the highest increases have mostly Black populations. Insurance rates can also increase without no-
study predicts home insurance costs will continue to increase in 2024. Weather events could also increase the cost of insurance by forcing homeowners to purchase additional insurance products that protect them in case of flooding or other events, according to Guaranteed Rate LLC.
Homeowners should continue to save money for reserves that can cover unexpected cost increases. Real estate experts recommend saving between 1% to 4% of the home’s price in reserves.
INVEST IN MAINTENANCE AND REPAIRS
“Once you become a homeowner, it’s like having a child. You have an expectation that you’re going to have a new expense added to the family,” Ford said.
As homebuyers become responsible for their home, they need to budget the cost of maintenance and repairs. New owners of older homes – those built before 1950 – spent more on annual
“Once you become a homeowner, it’s like having a child. You have an expectation that you’re going to have a new expense added to the family.”
— State Rep. La Shawn K. Ford
and repair costs can fluctuate as materials and labor costs increase due to inflation. Check for local programs that assist homeowners with completing needed repairs or maintenance, such as the city’s annual Home Repair Program, which provides eligible homeowners grants to improve their roofs or porches.
CREATE A WILL OR TRANSFER ON DEATH INSTRUMENT
A report by the Institute of Housing Studies found estate planning is one of the keys to pass down generational wealth and reduce the risk of property deterioration and abandonment. When home owners do not set a plan for their properties, known as a estate planning, properties can fall in a complicated legal scenario that can be costly and lengthy
Homeowners should consider create a will that establishes how assets will be inherited and managed in case of death, Ford said.
CONSIDER THE ADVANTAGES OF A MULTI-UNIT PROPERTY
Multi-unit properties offer advantages to firsttime homebuyers as they can live in their property and rent another unit, having an additional income stream that helps pay for the mortgage and property maintenance.
“It’s absolutely the right move for people to weigh their options as it relates to their needs, whether they should buy a single family home versus a two-flat,” Ford said.
Rep. La Shawn K. Ford
Michelle Flores from National Association of Hispanic Real Estate Professionals
BUYING A HOUSE
Continued from page B1
when they sell with NACA. We occasionally have members who leave NACA and they still want us to be their agents; we’re licensed the same as everyone else. There’s nothing that any other brokerage in the state that I can’t do as a managing broker at NACA.
What services does NACA offer?
We do organic lending. We don’t look at the things traditional lenders look at in terms of credit score. Now, we don’t look at credit score, but we are going to look at your payment history, if you have bankruptcy or foreclosure, all of those things do matter We just don’t look at the actual score. With us, if we don’t qualify you right away, you have to be HUD-counseled. We have people that come through our program who have never saved before in their life, and they may not really have a lot of credit. If you don’t have a lot of credit, that affects your score too. They may have one credit card bill and a light bill and a cell phone bill that we have to use to qualify them. We put everybody on a plan so they have to attend a workshop.
Every two weeks, we do a home buyer workshop where we go amongst the group and
we say, “Hey, this is who we are. We’re going to help you.” When we do these workshops, it’s a couple hundred people there. They’re offered a priority appointment if they work with me or my team, meaning the in-house agents — but they don’t have to. They can work with any agent they want. We always help. We make sure that people know that you are not required to work with a NACA agent, it’s just that we know the program. And then what happens is they go through counseling. Some people may be approved in two weeks, some people may be approved in two months and some people, it may take them two years. It just depends on where they’re starting from. But we don’t tell anybody no. We may say not now, but we’re not going to say no. We get people that have been through foreclosures, they’ve been through bankruptcies, they’re going through a divorce. If you can’t get qualified right away, we put you on an action plan, and from that action plan, it is determined that it’s going to take us a certain amount of time, and we need you to do these steps, but if you do exactly what you’re told to do, and you follow that time frame, you’re going to get approved for the mortgage.
Why is the work NACA does important?
We get a lot of buyers who are the first person in their family to ever purchase a home, and a
“Some people may be approved in two weeks, some people may be approved in two months and some people, it may take them two years. It just depends on where they’re starting from. But we don’t tell anybody no.”
— Josie Hood
lot of times that’s just because people perish for lack of knowledge, which is what I always say People don’t realize that there are programs out there like NACA that can help them. If you go to a traditional lender and they say, we’re looking for a 680 credit score, we want you to have 20% down, all of this criteria — everybody doesn’t have that. There are people who are on Social Security with a fixed income, or people who have gone through a divorce, or have had
some hiccups in life, some foreclosures and some bankruptcies. Those people need a chance, too, and so we advocate and we fight for them. We counsel them back to health. And the people that aren’t being counseled back to health, we help them to get healthy financially
You get some people that come back and they cry because they say, ‘I’ve never saved in my life’. And I said, ‘You know what? You just needed to not go to the coffee shop five days a week. Maybe you can just go one, right?’ or ‘You don’t need to go to the salon every week, maybe try to go once a month.’ Stop paying those little payments on those credit cards. Stop ignoring those hospital bills.
You don’t know what you don’t know
Sometimes the situation gets so helpless that they just need direction. And our buyers oftentimes do need more hand-holding. People just need to know there’s help out there. What I always saw in my workshops is, “If you got to pay somebody’s mortgage, it might as well be your own. If you can pay $1,800 a month to rent, you can purchase.”
Also, people think NACA is just for low-income people. People think you have to live in a bad neighborhood. That is so not true. You can go through NACA and be extremely well. NACA does 100% financing, so why spend that money on a downpayment, for example, when you can take it and invest or do something else with it?
What is your advice to a first time home buyer?
Even if I did not work for NACA, I would say to go check out NACA, if nothing else, for that HUD-certified training, because even if they go through that process and they decide they’re not going to go through NACA, they will certainly be on the right track, because they’re going to talk to you about savings.
Oftentimes, your first home, your first property purchase is not your dream one. But you got to start somewhere. Stop maxing those credit cards out. You need to pr obably start to prepare yourself six months to a year before you’re preparing yourself. A lot of times, we have to change our spending habits, because when we use our debit cards and credit cards, they make it so much easier to spend money that you don’t have because it’s just a swipe. And when you’re in the process of buying a house, those are things you got to control — the swipes — because you don’t really realize sometimes how much you spent.
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What Does the West Side Of To First Time Homebuyers?
FRANCIA GARCIA HERNANDEZ Special Projects Reporter
As of June, the Chicago real estate market was “somewhat competitive,” according to real estate firm Redfin. Throughout the city, homes receive three offers on average, and take about 54 days to sell.
In comparison, homes spend around 65 days on the market in Austin and around 70 in North Lawndale.
During the past five years, home sales prices
in some West Side neighborhoods increased at a higher rate than the rest of the country
Homes prices increased the most in North Lawndale, by almost 20%. On average, home prices increased 4% nationwide.
Austin homes also increased their prices during the past 5 years at about triple the rate than the rest of the country. Meanwhile, West Gafield Park home prices increased at about the same rate than homes across the United States.
Yet, within the city of Chicago, West Side neighborhoods offer more affordable housing
than other neighborhoods. Neighborhoods like Austin have a great housing stock and offer buyers more for their money, said State Rep. LaShawn K. Ford.
Despite higher interest rates than those experienced during the pandemic, it is good time to buy for those who are to purchase their first home, Ford said.
“Buy it now, because when the rates go down, then the prices go up. So buy lower now and you can always rate,” he said.
