4 of 5 commissioners voted to postpone a vote, Maxham reluctantly agrees to table the agenda item
By JESSICA MORDACQ Staff Reporter
While Forest Park’s five commissioners often pass ordinances and resolutions without any discussion, they spoke for nearly 40 minutes about an agenda item at the meeting Oct. 15 before deciding to table it. If passed, the ordinance would have updated the village’s zoning code so that hundreds of properties that didn’t conform to the original code would now do so. It also would increase the maximum impervious lot coverage in the R-1 low density residential district to 50% from 40% to reflect the village’s current land use practices
At the meeting, commissioners asked the Department of Public Health and Safety Director Steve Glin-
ZONING
ZONING
Council divided
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ke questions about how building density and stormwater management would be affected by the updates.
Because she was uncomfortable passing the code updates without fully understanding how density and water mitigation would impact residents, Commissioner of Public Property Jessica Voogd moved to table the vote. Commissioner of Streets and Public Improvements Michelle MelinRo govin seconded the motion.
Commissioner of Accounts and Finance Maria Maxham said during the meeting that she would vote to support the code amendments, but also ag reed to table the vote
T he in-depth conversation before the vote was seemingly productive and informative
But Maxham later told the Review that this was a good example of what she was talking about when she called out commissioners for not communicating well with each other during a village council meeting in early September. Last month, Maxham also said commissioners are too hands-on in the r unning of the day-to-day activities of the departments they oversee, but she hasn’t provided any specific examples.
“I would have liked to have known that these were specific issues that another commissioner had, and I wasn’t aware of it until a few minutes before the meeting when somebody else told me,” Maxham said. “I also really feel strongly that if one of my fellow commissioners is asking for more time, it’s hard for me to say, ‘No, I’m not going to give that to you.’ My conflict was that I think there was a lot of time given.”
T he process to update to the village’s zoning code be g an seven months ago, Glinke said.
Public discussions
Commissioners Melin-Rogovin and Voogd said they spoke with Glinke and other village staff members ahead of the meeting where they voted on the zoning code Melin-Rogovin told the Review that she drove around town with Glinke so that they could discuss residential ordinances and the related memo he gave staf f and
commissioners. Then, Glinke provided additional specifics to the memo.
“As I got more information, I had more questions,” Melin-Rogovin said, which she brought up at the most recent village council meeting. She added that she addressed those questions with Commissioner of Public Health and Safety Ryan Nero because they fell under his department’s jurisdiction. She said she also spoke with Voogd, whom she often shares her questions with.
“Stormwater management is our area, and we share our ideas on that,” she said.
But Maxham said the village council’s discussion on density and stormwater management left her in the dark, and she would have prefer red to come prepared to join the conversation.
“I really like having public discussions because I think it benefits everybody,” Maxham told the Review. “But to have that discussion the night we’re supposed to make a decision seems short-sighted” and puts pressure on village staf f to navigate next steps, she said.
Voogd ag reed, in part
“I tend to prefer having those conversations at the meeting in public,” she told the Review. Even if she’s had similar conversations with village staf f outside of council meetings, Voogd added, the public often has the same questions she does and deserves to know that its elected officials are thinking about the answers.
Voogd said she asked how stormwater management would factor into the village’s zoning code updates at a previous village council meeting. She also said she reached out to all commissioners about the code updates over the past few weeks.
Nero was the only commissioner who voted against tabling the agenda item. T hough he did not respond to interview requests about council members’ recent comments on communication, he appeared to appreciate the unusually lengthy conversation.
“What we saw tonight is a good example of what civil, robust discussions in the council chambers can yield,” Nero said at the Oct. 15 meeting.
“A lthough we may not all ag ree from time to time, I am ve ry c onfident that at some point moving forward, we will c ome to an ag reement one way or another, and ke ep Fo rest Pa rk first, and move thi s thing forward.”
A way forward?
Like Nero, other commissioners have
mentioned their dedication to open, honest conversations after Maxham’s complained about internal communication at the Sept. 9 village council meeting.
At the end of the Sept. 23 village council meeting, when commissioners gave individual re ports, Melin-Ro govin said she’s dedicated to improving communication among her peers.
“Our role as elected officials is to provide respectful, open communication to each other,” Melin-Ro govin said. “I come to you as a village commissioner committed to positive, productive and purposeful communications,” with other commissioners, village staf f and residents.
Voogd, whose commissioner comment always follows Melin-Ro govin’s, ag reed.
“I’ve long been an advocate of respectful responsiveness. Certainly, wherever we’re missing the mark, or I’m missing the mark, my door’s always open and I welcome folks to come to me,” Voogd said at the Sept. 23 meeting. “I prefer to work together and support each other. We’ll go further and accomplish more when we’re lifting each other up.”
Despite these unprompted comments about improving communication, Maxham said she felt just as frustrated about commissioners’ communication leaving the Oct. 15 meeting as she did the Sept. 9 one. She said that, when she aired her complaints at the Sept. 9 meeting, she called for better communication for the upcoming zoning code rewrites
“I want to make sure that we are all prepared to come to the meeting, ideally ready to vote on it, not to just create more questions for our staf f to have to answer,” Maxham told the Review.
She added that she thinks the code updates are ready for approval.
“I really believe strongly in the process that we have,” she said. “Our planning and zoning commission, they’ re absolutely not a rubber-stamping kind of group.”
Melin-Rogovin said that, while she acknowledges the planning commission’s work, it’s the village council’s job to review the commission’s decision and ask questions.
“And that does not mean that we’re devaluing in any way the work that has gone before,” Melin-Ro govin told the Review.
Although the planning and zoning commission held three public meetings, and announced them in the Forest Park Review newspaper, Glinke said no residents shared public comment at any meeting.
Voogd partially voted to table the agenda item because she wanted more public feedback on the code rewrites. To address this, she suggested recording all village
meetings so residents can watch them, even if they can’ t attend. Village council meetings are livestreamed via Zoom, recorded and posted online, but commission meetings aren’t.
“I value public input, and while it’s important to continually improve how we engage residents, we cannot allow progress to halt. The process for this ordinance has been public and transparent,” Maxham wrote in an email to commissioners. She also suggested that the tabled code updates be added to the next village council meeting’s agenda.
What village o cials have to say
“I think that I have a pretty healthy communication with everybody on the council,” Mayor Rory Hoskins told the Review. He said he feels like commissioners can call or text him, and vice versa. “I think there are still some commissioners who maybe don’t know each other as well as they know other members of the council, and that’s something for them to work on.”
Village Administrator Rachell Entler was attending a conference and absent at the Sept. 9 meeting where Maxham aired her complaints. Though Entler said she didn’t know exactly what Maxham was alluding to, she said she hasn’t experienced her sentiments.
“Staff communicates really well with each other, from my experience here,” Entler told the Review. “We’ll continue to work on strengthening those communications.”
Entler later clarified that staff doesn’t necessarily include the village council “I appreciate the open communication we have and our ability to work together to inform the community,” Entler said.
Join J.K. Kennedy, a special gathering celebrating the release of Clumsy Beauty: Poems for hearing the ‘I Love You’ in everything. Copies of Clumsy Beauty will be available for purchase at the event. This event is free to attend and is 21+ (under 21 permitted with a parent or guardian). 7321 Madison St., Forest Park
Special Collections Halloween Open Hours
Wednesday, Oc t. 23, 12-5 p.m., Oak Park Public Library
Explore the spooky side of Oak Park ’s histor y at the Special Collections Halloween Open Hours. Visit the third- oor Reading Room to uncover strange facts about historical gures and Halloween in Oak Park. Enjoy treats, spooky surprises, and costumes are encouraged. 834 Lake St., Oak Park
Ladies Night (Halloween Edition)
Saturday, Oc t. 26, 7-11 p.m., Mugsy ’s
Join us for Ladies Night. Dress in costume and enjoy a night of fun with a par ty bus tour, complimentary drinks, light appetizers, and a costume contest. Meet at Mugsy ’s by 7 p.m.; the bus depar ts at 7:30 p.m. for food and dancing. Space is limited to 30 ladies — rst come, rst ser ved. 7640 Madison St., Forest Park
Compiled by Brooke Duncan
Pumpkin Car ving at the Library
Sunday, Oc t. 27, 3 p.m., Forest Park Public Library
Join us on the patio to carve your own pumpkin for Halloween. Create your design or use our stencils. Supplies are limited, so registration is required, and adult supervision is requested for kids 12 and under. In case of bad weather, we’ll notify you of any cancellations. 7555 Jackson Blvd., Forest Park
Rocky Horror Pic ture Show
Sing-Along
Saturday, Oc t. 26, 9:30 p.m., Madison Street Theater
Join us for a sing-along of the cult classic Rocky Horror Pic ture Show Bring your friends and belt out favorites like “Dammit Janet” and “Time Warp.” Costumes are encouraged, and prop bags will be available for $5. Tickets are available at: https://tinyurl.com/4nyz2yta. 1010 Madison St., Oak Park
Inva sion of the Scarecrows Bicycle Ride
Sunday, Oc t. 27, 10 a.m.- 2 p.m. Roos Recreation Center
Join us for a casual bike ride through Fo rest Park to view the creative scarecrow installations. This event is free, with donations for the community fridge encouraged. Don’t miss this fun fall outing 7329 Harrison St., Fo rest Park
Social Circle: The Takeout 25
E ect with Ravi Parakkat
Wednesday, Oc t. 30, 12 p.m., Forest Park Public Library
Join us for a community gathering for older adults (55+) at the librar y. This week, Ravi Parakkat will discuss The Takeout 25 E ec t, a community- driven initiative that supported local restaurants during the pandemic. Co -sponsored by Arbor West Neighbors, this event aims to engage, inform, and inspire action for social change.
Upcoming Events at the Librar y:
• Oc t. 22, 11 a.m.: Successfully Navigating College Admissions
• Oc t. 25, 11 a.m.: Fall Family Hoedown & SingAlong
• Oc t. 25, 7 a.m.: After-Hours Yoga: Yoga Nidra 7555 Jackson Blvd., Forest Park
Police to continue patrolling CTA properties
By JESSICA MORDACQ Staff Reporter
Forest Park’s village council unanimously passed a resolution at its last meeting for an agreement with the Chicago Transit Authority that allows Forest Park police to have a CTA special detail.
While this may seem like a response to the four homicides on the Blue Line train on Labor Day, the public safety initiative is a continuation of the village’s intergover nmental agreement with the CTA since 2016.
“With the homicides that occurred last month, I know a lot of people are like, ‘Is there more security?’ But the reality is it’s always been there,” said Deputy Chief of Police Christopher Chin
The CTA special detail allows Forest Park Police Department officers to voluntarily sign up and get paid to work during off-duty hours enforcing the law on CTA property
When the detail agreement first started, Forest Park police spent a lot of overnight hours near 711 Des Plaines Ave., the end of the Blue Line, and the neighboring rail yard where trains were tagged with graffiti constantly, according to Chin.
With increased complaints from local L riders in recent years, police have shifted their CTA special detail’s attention to walking through train terminals, especially the one at 711 Des Plaines Ave.
“That entire property is in our jurisdiction,” Chin said. “If something happens there, it’s going to fall on us.”
But the detail also frequents the area around the Green Line station at Circle Avenue and Harlem Avenue. The Forest Park Police Department has jurisdiction over crimes that occur on the ground, while Oak Park police cover those on the platform
Under the most recent three-year-long agreement passed Oct. 15, the Forest Park Police Department has the responsibility of assigning volunteer police officers daily to CTA stations and routes in Forest Park. Locations include 701 Harlem Ave., 711 Des Plaines Ave., 1 S. Harlem Ave., 7200 Circle Ave., and 7216 Circle Ave.
The CTA can recommend locations or routes for police to patrol. In the event of an emergency, the police department can reassign an officer who is working on CTA special detail. The village is required to keep statistics of
incidents on the CTA to send to the CTA at least once a month, and ideally weekly, according to the resolution. CTA representatives and village officials will speak on a regular basis to discuss the CTA special detail’s status.
The CTA will reimburse the Forest Park Police Department no more than $95,000 a year to pay the off-duty officers. The CTA will pay the police department an additional 10% of that flat rate for administrative overhead and medical benefits, in case an officer is injured during a CTA special detail assignment.
Chin said that, while the police department has had trouble in the past having enough officers to volunteer for the special detail, that is on its way to changing.
“Over the past few years, it’s been hard to fill that detail just from the staffing shortage,” Chin said.
The police department has been slightly understaffed for the past several years. Chin recalled a time when the department was down 12 officers and had a lot of patrol overtime
“When officers are forced to do overtime, patrol takes priority,” Chin said. The CTA special detail isn’t mandatory, and officers must volunteer to fill those positions, although many don’t if they’re already working overtime.
But with six officers in the police academy or field training, overtime will soon be less of a factor
“There’s a light at the end of the tunnel,” Chin said. The police department is projected to be fully staffed next year
While Chin said there’s been several arrests for graffiti taggers since the police department started the CTA special detail, it’s difficult to tell how much the intergover nmental agreement has impacted crime in Forest Park over the last 8 years.
“One of those unknowns that’s hard to gauge is [that] police, in and of themselves, are an actual deterrent,” Chin said. The presence of a police officer often encourages those considering committing a crime to abstain, he added.
While it’s hard to tell how much the CTA special detail is reducing crime, Chin said he has heard from locals that police presence at 711 Des Plaines Ave., through regular patrols and the CTA special detail, is a positive thing
“I know, hearing from residents, that they appreciate that they see us over there,” Chin said.
A faith-based trade school opens in Forest Park
Focus on helping students prepare for jobs that don’t need college degrees
By DEBORAH BAYLISS Contributing Reporter
Not all jobs require a college education. With that in mind, Dr. Bill Winston, founder and senior pastor of Living Word Christian Center in Forest Park, has opened a faithbased vocational education training center
“Someone recently shared with me that in the near future, 80% of new jobs won’t require a four-year college degree,” Winston said of his reasons for opening Eden Career Institute (ECI). “In other words, many employers will focus more on skills-based or vocational hiring in the not-too-distant future. Our curriculum specializes in careers that meet the needs and demands of today’s workforce.”
Located at 7600 West Roosevelt Road, the goal of the institute is to help low wage earn-
“There are so many positions in the trades fields and there are not enough workers to fill those positions,” said ECI executive director Dr. LaShondra Kyle, who worked with Winston to bring his vision to life.
“We have an aging population of tradesmen and women who are retiring from the more traditional trades,” Kyle said. “We just want to make sure trades don’t die and that people can have a choice in where they go to school, and trades should be an option of choice.”
But beyond skills training, the institute, as a faith-based nonprofit organization, considers students’ physical, emotional, mental wellness and other needs.
“Many times, students come into class and have a variety of issues at home,” Kyle said. ‘They may have children, income issues or may be living in challenging situations. We address those issues with licensed therapists, prayer and so much more. It is about getting them to work but to get them to work well –and that’s where we believe our faith comes in. We use it as a ministry and as an outr each in addition to being a trade school.”
The institute aims to serve veterans, active eentering hange
careers. Its comprehensive offerings include technical training programs and specialized courses tailored to industry needs such as advanced manufacturing, construction and renewable and sustainable technology.
For example: ECI’s electrical vehicle curriculum trains to maintain and repair electric vehicles and related components. And its construction program combines career training with apprenticeships or related certifications recognized by national industry building trades
Some of the jobs the school train attendees for include welder, robotics technician, electromechanical and mechatronics technician, painters and more.
ECI’s online courses are pay-as-you-go and self-paced
“We offer online [courses] like cyber security, different AI pathways and several information technology pathways like network security and other [courses] to move you into positions that need different types of advanced technology,” Kyle said.
Onsite, robotics, mechatronics, electric vehicle charging station technician, and many more choices are offered.
fields and there are not enough workers to fill those positions,” Kyle
Though the workforce trend is moving toward trade skills, ECI is not suggesting individuals not go to college.
“We’re saying this is an option to get you to work faster in those particular fields that are interesting to you and well-paid.”
Pay for many of the high-tech roles start at about $45 an hour after training is completed and can go as high as $65 to $75 an hour.
“We’re talking about $75,000 and well into six figures for salary right out of trade school,” Kyle said. “Our program is designed to address that and get you prepared for that and they last eight to 12 months.”
ECI’s apprenticeship program is similar to others you might find around the city
“We partnered with several corporations who are willing to pay our students a salary and pay for them to attend ECI for training,” Kyle said.
“There are so many positions in the trades
The onsite certified apprenticeship programs are held at mHUB, 1623 W. Fulton St For more information about the onsite apprenticeship programs, visit www mhubchicago.com. For more information on ECI, visit www.edencareerinstitute.com.
Robert’s Westside celebrates Halloween with music festival
e two-night event features unique contests with prizes
By ZOË TAKAKI Contributing Reporter
For the first ever, the live music venue and cocktail bar Robert’s Westside is hosting a two-night music festival.
Weekend @ Bobby’s is a Halloweenthemed music festival taking place Friday and Saturday that will feature 11 bands across two stages and multiple contests
“We want our community to experience something new. We’re building new traditions here at Robert’s. So, it’s really just a public invitation to come out and discover new artists,” said Donnie Biggins, founder and owner of Robert’s Westside
This is Robert’s Westside’s first Halloween after it opened in late November last year.
The majority of the artists playing at the festival are Chicago-based, including Angelenah, The Curls, Nasty Snacks, Meg and the Wheelers, and Wolfman. The Shams, The Staleys, Hoover & Harley and The Boys are Oak Park-based. Biggins is a musician and is part of The Shams
“I wanted to kind of pay tribute to the film,” Biggins said. “But I also think it would be funny to look out in the audience on Friday and just see a bunch of Bernie’s. And maybe other people could dress up as other famous Ber nies.”
The first-place winner for the look-alike contest will receive $100 and four free tickets to a Robert’s Westside concert. Second place will receive $50 and two free tickets to a Robert’s Westside concert.
There will also be a Ghost of Rockstars Past lip sync contest and costume contest in which attendees are encouraged to dress up and perform as artists who have died.
Psalm One is a Chicago based rapper who will be perfor ming.
“Psalm one is one of the most influential rappers from Chicago, and the fact that I have Psalm performing at Roberts, I think, is a legendary thing, and so I’m very excited about that,” Biggins said. “A lot of the people on this lineup are artists that I have worked with spanning over 10 years of my career. It’s a real showcase of great local and re gional touring acts as well.”
In addition to the music, there will be a look-alike costume contest based on the 1989 comedy “Weekend at Ber nie’s.”
ROBERTSWESTSIDE.COM
spaces of that have passed away and have influenced us over the years,” Biggins said.
The first-place winner for the lip sync battle will receive $150, second place will receive $100 and third place will receive $50. For the costume contest, first-place winner will receive $100 and four free tickets to a Robert’s Westside concert. Second place will win $50 and two free tickets to a Robert’s Westside concert.
The festival begins at 6 p.m. Friday, Oct.25 and continues Saturday, Oct. 26. You must be 21 or older to attend. Buy tickets at: https:// robertswestside.com/listing/wee ke nd-atbobbys-charlie-parr-the-staleys-meg-and-thewh eelers-wolfman-hoover-ha rl ey -and-theboys/
Forest Preserves of Cook County Your
NATURAL FUN
Walk, bike or run: With 350 miles of trails, this is where to get outside and get healthy.
Jodie Kennedy returns home to share her ‘Clumsy Beauty’
e local writer will celebrate her book of poetry at Robert’s Westside
By JESSICA MORDACQ Staff Reporter
Jodie Kennedy, an Oak Park and River Forest High School graduate, just published her first book — and is celebrating “Clumsy Beauty” Oct. 24 at Robert’s Westside with old and new friends, pizza, sweets, beer and wine.
“Clumsy Beauty” is a book of poems about the trials and beauty in everyday life.
“I think that the material is universal,” Kennedy said.
Kennedy moved to Wisconsin earlier this year to pursue writing full-time after leaving behind a career as a beer salesman in Colorado, where she’s lived since graduating colle ge.
She began writing “Clumsy Beauty” about two years ago as a way to get her through a difficult season of life. Kennedy said she created an Instagram account, where she began posting her short poems daily.
Inhibitions
How many ideas have we abandoned because we imagined someone laughing?
Exactly how much brilliance is sitting along the side of Inhibition Road?
Come, let’s go collect the bounty our egos dared leave behind
“When a normal person would’ve gotten a therapist, I decided to open an Instagram account,” Kennedy said, “getting ‘ick’ emotions out of me and onto paper, putting them somewhere else than in my heart and in my brain.”
And people followed along. Kennedy’s Instagram account now has more than 37,000 followers. The platform is how Mandala Publishing found Kennedy’s work and asked her to write a book.
The book’s poems are largely about life’s beauty, embracing imperfections, and how humans often experience the same emotions through it all.
“We’ re led to believe that we’re so separate, and we’re so different, and everything is other. But actually, we’re all so similar. We all have the same feelings and emotions,” Kennedy said.
“There’s a beauty in all of us blowing around in this crazy human existence we’re in. When we’re stumbling into ourselves, we’re stumbling into other people, too,” Kennedy said.
Kennedy added that moving back to the Midwest during the release of her first book has been quite poignant for her.
“I think it really marks an emotional and physical coming home, and the yearning for that,” Kennedy said.
‘Clumsy Beauty’ excerpts
Geometry
It’s all geometry, finding out what fits.
It’s not necessarily good or bad, it’s just lear ning what shapes and whose shapes belong inside yours.
Fear
I tried to keep my fear at a safe distance but, of course, it followed me everywhere. It wasn’t until I let it be near me that I realized it was just trying to lead me out from where I came into it.
While “Clumsy Beauty” isn’t necessarily inspired by Kennedy growing up in the area, she said “a rediscovery of childhood and adolescence and creativity… that’s all stuf f that bubbled up from childhood.”
Kennedy said she thinks the event at Robert’s Westside for her new book will be exciting, and a good kind of weird.
“You don’t realize how much home feels like home until you’ve not been home for a long time,” Kennedy said.
Kennedy went to high school with Donnie Biggins, the owner of Robert’s Westside. She said she hopes the event there fosters local connections.
“I’m excited to renew old ones and make new ones,” Kennedy said.
Kennedy’s book tour may include other stops in Wisconsin and Colorado. She is hopeful for a second book deal, though her publisher hasn’t yet provided her with an official offer.
As for what Kennedy hopes her old neighbors and other local residents take away from her journey if they’re aspiring to be an author, she said to remember that your experience is original and meaningful.
“Reminding yourself that being human is really hard, and we’re all doing it together,” Kennedy said. “Your story is completely, entirely unique from anyone else’s, and it’s always worth writing down, telling it, or sharing it because you never know what will happen.”
PROVIDED
Poet Jodie Kennedy hears ‘I love you’ ever ywhere.
Village council approves $76K for library’s building updates
Money comes from the library’s existing levy and won’t a ect residents’ taxes
By JESSICA MORDACQ Staff Reporter
The village council approved an additional 0.02% tax Tuesday to raise $76,168 for the Forest Park Public Library’s building and maintenance projects.
According to Vi cki Rakowski, the l ibrary’s director, the building and maintenance fund levy is an annual req uest for the l ibrary. I ts approval d oesn’t increase taxes for residents.
In 2008, a village referendum established a building and maintenance fund for the library. This fund sets aside money within the library’s existing levy to be used solely for maintenance and updates to the building.
“The building fund is done separately from the rest of the funds,” Rakowski said. “It’s basically the right to take up to 2% of your overall levy and stick it in a special fund.”
The library can, and does, also access money from their general fund for building maintenance. This includes preventative rehabilitation to the library, which was built in
the ’90s, as well as fixing any unexpected re pairs that arise.
However, the 0.02% tax increase is not a done deal.
Village Clerk Vanessa Belmonte will post a copy of the resolution, which the village council passed at its Oct. 15 meeting unanimously and without discussion, in the Forest Park Review newspaper by Oct. 30. If a referendum signed by at least 1,008 Forest Park residents — or 10% of re gistered local voters — is filed with the village by Nov. 22, the resolution will be put to a vote at a general or special election. The results of the village-wide election would determine if the village imposes the tax.
If no one files a p etition, wh ich Belmonte is required to provide to anyone who asks, within 30 days of the resolution’s publication in the paper, the 0.02% tax will be levied.
Rakowski said there haven’t been any voter-led referendums, and she’s grateful for the support of residents and the village council.
“We have a really supportive community,” she said. “The community respects and loves the library and understands that those are things that we have to plan for to keep ourselves in good shape for the future.”
Rakowski explained that, in the next five to 10 year s, many of the l ibrary’s building systems, such as electric al and HVAC , and the roof, will need to be re p laced as they approach the end of their live s. T he l ibrary will
li ke ly use all of i ts annual building and maintenanc e f und for these projects, in a ddition to paying for them out of its general fund .
She added that the library’s board, which approved the tax increase in September, has been great at long-range planning for these projects.
“If you don’t have that worked out, you’ re kind of dead in the water when a problem occurs,” Rakowski said.
We’re
Forest Park Public Librar y FILE
It just isn’t Halloween without the Forest Park Casket Races which took place Oct. 19 on Beloit Avenue.
The 4 finalists:
Park District of Forest Park
Bulldog Bootcamp
Forest Park Police Department (see p. 1) Riveredge Hospital
First place: Park District - 17.00
Second place: Bulldog Bootcamp - 18.37
Third place: Forest Park Police Department - 18.84
Award winners:
Creepiest - Dead Last (Ian Pfaff)
Funniest - Cicada Speedsters
Dead Last - The British are Coming
Cicada Speedsters (the rest of the cicadas are resting in peace)
ERICA BENSON
Teletubbies assist the Sloan Flush Bus
ERICA BENSON
ERICA BENSON
Team Dead Last was dead tired on arrival, but won the Creepiest Award
Casket-watchers
ERICA BENSON
INVADERS: Members of e British are Coming (le -right) John Lyons, Kristen Lyons, Teresa Molina Gonzalez, Brittany Tamal and Mark Ferraro of Forest Park.
No contest
ERICA BENSON
4% pay raises in store for village sta
e village council passed its annual salary ordinance last week, xing pay for the 2025 scal year
By JESSICA MORDACQ Staff Reporter
The salaries for Forest Park’s village staf f members will rise by 4% this year.
The move comes as the council aims to pay its employees fairly amid the village’s budget deficit.
At an Oct. 15 meeting, council members unanimously passed the village’s annual salary ordinance that finalizes the amount that village employees will be paid during the 2025 fiscal year, which began May 1.
While there have been years, like during the COVID-19 pandemic, when staf f received no salary increases, this was not one of them, said Village Administrator Rachell Entler. Everyone covered by the ordinance got at least a 4% salary increase, she said.
Last year, those who made under $100,000 got a 4% raise, while those who made over that amount received a 2% raise, Entler said.
Entler made recommendations to the village council on how much to increase wages this year after she compared what those positions earn in similar municipalities.
“We have a couple people who aren’t even in range,” Entler said. Specifically, Finance Director Letitia Olmsted, Director of Public Works Sal Stella, and Public Health and Safety Director Steve Glinke are all underpaid compared to comparable positions in other towns, she said.
Commissioner of Accounts and Finance Maria Maxham included Entler in that list at the village council meeting.
“Even though we are giving our village administrator a bump, it’s still not up to what people in the surrounding areas are making,” Maxham said. “I think our village administrator is doing a fabulous job.”
Also in the salary ordinance, five police and two fire non-union employees got wage compression adjustments. Wage compression, Entler said, happens when non-union employees get pay increases less than the union members they supervise.
The village’s union employees get stipends for certain specialties, like field training or a Breath Alcohol Technician certification. While police sergeants get these benefits, the next highest rank of lieutenant does not. And lieutenants at
the Forest Park Police Department weren’ t making much more than top sergeants.
“There was a hesitancy to look for promotions and take leadership positions because of the loss of income, essentially,” Entler said. “They were having to take on more responsibility and the increase in pay wasn’t there.”
In the salary ordinance, Entler included a plan to have a $10,000 difference between each of the following ranks: police chief, deputy chief, lieutenant and sergeant. She will introduce it over three years, rather than all at once, to make it easier on the village’s budget.
“Last year I didn’t know about this as an issue,” Maxham said at the last village council meeting. “We kind of let the ball drop on this and didn’t make the changes that we should have made.”
At a Se p tember village c ouncil meeting, Maxham c omplained about c ommunication among c ommissioner s. Sh e asked them to c ome prep ared to discuss and ask q uestions about the upcoming salary ordinance.
“I want to make sure that we are all prepared to come to the meeting, ideally ready to vote on it, not to just create more questions for our staf f to have to answer,” Maxham told the Review.
Entler said commissioners were eng aged and asked good questions at the closed salary ordinance meeting.
The ordinance passed with little discussion, outside a comment from Maxham, who thanked Entler for informing the village council about wage compression at the meeting and ahead of the meeting with a detailed memo.
“I was able to, I think, appropriately put the village in a position where we weren’ t going to take a huge [financial] hit on salaries,” Entler told the Review. “But we were still going to be able to be competitive in our fields.”
Below are the salary ranges for some of the highest paying positions in the village.
Mayor’s O ce
■ Village Administrator: $85,000$138,000
■ Executive Secretary to Mayor: $40,000 - $70,000
O cials
■ Mayor: $30,000 per year
■ Commissioners: $10,000 per year
■ Village Prosecutor: $20,000 - $55,000
Fire Department
■ Fire Chief: $80,000 - $155,000
■ Captain/Deputy Chief: $80,000 - $145,000
■ Lieutenants and firefighters are paid per collective bargaining agreements
Police Department
■ Chief of Police: $80,000 - $155,000
■ Deputy Chief: $80,000 - $145,000
■ Lieutenant: $80,000 - $137,000
■ Sergeants and patrolmen are paid per collective barg aining ag reements
Howard Mohr Community Center
■ Community Center Director: $50,000$107,000
■ Assistant Community Center Director: $45,000 - $71,000
■ Director of Public Health & Safety: $70,000 - $105,000
■ Director of Public Works: $75,000$125,000
Fenwick names its rst lay president
Retired Marine Corps Col. Otto J. Rutt is an alum
By HOPE BAKER Contributing Reporter
A lay president has been appointed at Fenwick High School for the first time in the Dominican Catholic institution’s 95-year history.
Retired Marine Corps Col. Otto J. Rutt, a Harvard University graduate and Fenwick alumnus, will assume his new role Nov. 4.
A nation-wide search for the school’s next president began in June, according to a letter addressing the Fenwick Community from Matt McNicholas, chair man of the high school’s board of directors.
During the first week of October, it was announced that Rutt had been selected.
In his letter, McNicholas said “having a lay president opens new opportunities for growth and collaboration, enabling us to blend the best of our traditions with contemporary insights and approaches while strengthening our commitment to academic excellence, spiritual growth, and the holistic development of every student.”
Rutt will lead the college preparatory school in Oak Park alongside Principal Dr. John Finan and Director of Catholic and Dominican Mission Fr. Richard Peddicord.
“I am humbled and so excited,” Rutt said. “Fenwick is just so dear to me.”
Rutt described his time at Fenwick, from which he graduated in 1979, as dynamic, busy and fun. He played on the football team and was inducted into the school’s Hall of Fame in 2008.
“I made lifelong friends at Fenwick that I talk to almost on a daily basis, all these decades later,” he said. “Our shared experiences were so rewarding in that school, whether it was in class, at practice or having lunch together.”
After high school, Rutt attended Harvard and graduated in three years with an economics degree He then joined the Marine Corps in 1982, at the age of 21, and became
an F/A-18 pilot.
“It was something I really wanted to do ever since I was a child,” he said. “My father and my stepfather were both World War II veterans.” During his time in the Marine Corps, Rutt served tours in both the Persian Gulf and Wester n Iraq. In between those tours, he attended the University of Chicago, ear ning an MBA with dual concentrations in finance and business policy in 1993. After four decades of service as a fighter pilot, combat veteran and senior leader, Rutt retired from the Marine Corps in 2012. He is the recipient of several service awards, including the Meritorious Service Medal, the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal and the Selected Marine Corps Reserve Medal.
In the years immediately following his retirement, Rutt retur ned to Chicago and served as a Commandant in the Marine Corps Junior ROTC program at Marine Leadership Academy in the Logan Square neighborhood. He then pursued a lifelong passion, art, and got a master’s of fine art in 2020 from Florida Atlantic University. Since ear ning his MFA, Rutt has worked as a printmaking instructor at Ar mory Art Center in West Palm Beach, Fla. As his first day at Fenwick approaches, Rutt said he is looking forward to moving back to the Chicagoland area and immersing himself in the Fenwick community.
“After decades of building on the top-notch Catholic education I gained at Fenwick, through career stops in the military, the private sector and in public education, I am coming home,” he said.
Matt McNicholas, chair man of Fenwick’s board of directors, said. Rutt’s diverse academic and professional background equips him to attend well to both the analytical and creative aspects of leadership of a moder n college preparatory school.
“From the board’s perspective, we were blessed to have him throw his hat in the ring,” McNicholas said. “We didn’t necessarily know what we would be getting into with re gard to choosing our first lay president, but Otto is such a fantastic human being and leader for the school. We just feel incredibly grateful.”
Breakfast House brings its Chicago diner to the suburbs
‘We are like a family in each breakfast place, ’ owner Jaime Jara says
By RISÉ SANDERS-WEIR Contributing Reporter
Breakfast House, a Chicago restaurant chain, will open i ts first location outside of the city at the corner of La ke and Mari on streets
The plan is to be open for breakfast and lunch by the end of the year in the storefront that was for merly the home of Cozy Cor ner.
Owner Jaime Jara opened his first Breakfast House in December of 2012. Since then, his breakfast empire has expanded to a total of seven locations across the city of Chicago. The Oak Park restaurant will be his eighth.
“I like Oak Park because it’s nice and quiet neighborhood with families. And for me, my day of f is when I’m going to Oak Park to relax,” Jara said.
It was on one of those days of f this past summer when Jara noticed the closing
LETTER
sign in the window at Cozy Corner, which had anchored that corner for more than 35 years. According to Jara, it was a perfect location for him to expand.
Jara came to the U.S. from Ecuador in the late ‘90s. He started working in restaurants and after more than a decade learning the trade, he opened his first location at Grand and Western Avenue in West Town.
What distinguishes Breakfast House for Jara is “a p assion for the food, p assion for servic e, ” and making the c ustomer f eel welcome
“We are like a family in each breakfast place,” he said.
The menu offerings are the same throughout the locations. Every few months, new items roll out.
“Like right now we have our creation that is the egg Benedicts and its’s selling well,” Jara said. “We put it in as a special. If it works, we keep putting on the menu.”
The menu covers all the usual diner basics with attention to detail. The orange and grapefruit juices ar e freshly squee zed. Best sellers include chilaquiles, chorizo hash, French toast and chicken & waffles.
T he p lan is to eventually have a l iquor
Forest Park needs an indoor theater
I just saw the latest production of the Forest Park Theatre group (The Misanthrope) and was amazed by the caliber of that production. As a longtime attendee of many of Chicago’s theaters, I was really impressed by the quality of this one What really grieved me was the fact that there was no inside theater available to this local group. I’ve often admired the handsome stage in the Grant-White School gymnasium when I have gone there to vote and that same stage lies unused in our now-vacant public school.
My question is this: Why do our local players have to perform in a neighboring community (Madison Street Theatre in Oak Park) when a perfectly wonderful stage lies empty in our own village?
Mary Richie
Resident and taxpayer of Forest Park since 1971
Breakfast House construction is underway in Oak Park.
license to amp up brunch and cocktail offerings
Jara said he intends to make decorative updates to the space and is waiting for pe rmits before work gets underway. He added that he hopes to be open in December, so that the new Oak Park location can celebrate 12 years in business with the rest of the Breakfast House locations. Whenever they open, it’s pleasing the customer that
Cher yl Jargstorf, 61 Lifelong Forest Parker
Cheryl Dawn Jargstorf, 61, a lifelong resident of Forest Park, died on Sept. 29, 2024. She attended Field-Stevenson Elementary School and Forest Park Middle School, and graduated from Proviso East High School in 1981. Cheryl worked for Wieboldt’s Department Store, Oranges Records, and later ADP in downtown Chicago in payroll and as a receptionist.
A beacon of light, she was always smiling, generous, kind, caring and her friendship was genuine and unwavering. She brought people together, family and friends alike, be it a holiday celebration, sporting event, music concert or stage production. She was the organizer and
is Jara’s main goal.
“I don’t talk much. I just want to improve the food and service in each restaurant,” Jara said. “I think that’s the most important thing, if I do a good service and good food. When customers talk about the restaurant, about the food, I think that’s the most important for me.”
More Info: breakfasthousechicago.com
chief, but so much more.
She felt blessed by a loving, close and forgiving family Cheryl brought joy to this world.
Cheryl is the sister of Debra Jargstorf, Rev. Mark (Louise) Jargstorf, Michael (Deb) Jargstorf, David Jargstorf, and Allison (Salvatore) Quatrochi; the aunt of Kimberly, Rebecca, Bethany and Jennifer; the daughter of the late Henry “Butch” Jargstorf and Linnea Jargstorf.
A memorial visitation will be held on Saturday, Nov. 2 from 9 a.m. until the Celebration of Life service at 11 a.m. at St. Michael Lutheran Church, 500 E. 31st St., LaGrange Park, IL 60526.
Memorials are appreciated to Catnap from the Heart, 1101 Beach Ave., LaGrange Park, IL 60526 or American Cancer Society, 150 S. Wacker Dr., #2100, Chicago, IL 60606. Arrangements were handled by Hitzeman Funeral Home & Cremation Services, 9445 31st St., Brookfield, IL 60513.
If you wish to send a sympathy card to the family, please send it to Hitzeman Funeral Home, c/o the Cheryl Jargstorf family We will gladly forward it
RISÉ SANDERS-WEIR
Woman arrested for aggravated DUI
By JESSICA MORDACQ Staff Reporter
While police were on patrol Oct. 13, they said they observed a speeding vehicle weaving in and out of traffic lanes. At a red light at Madison and Harlem, the driver opened her door and threw up, according to the police report When police pulled the car over in the 1000 block of Madison Street, they said they smelled alcohol. The woman performed a standardized field sobriety test, and police determined she was under the influence of alcohol, according to the police report The woman refused to get into the back of the police car and, later, resisted being put in the detention cell. About an hour-and-a-half after she was arrested, the woman blew a breath sample revealing her blood alcohol concentration as 0.132, according to the police report The woman was arrested for an aggravated DUI, operating an uninsured motor vehicle, improper lane usage, open alcohol, not having a driver’s license, and having a BAC over the legal limit of 0.08.
Skeletal remains found on Van Buren Street
Police were dispatched to the 7800 block of Van Buren Street Oct. 10, where a person found a large spine, plus broken pelvis and rib bones. Police searched the area for other remains, but didn’t find any, according to the police report. Investigators compared the found remains to a human skeleton, and it was confirmed that they were non-human and possibly canine, police said.
Missing woman
On Oct. 12 just before midnight, a woman’s mother and stepfather came to the police station to report that they had contacted their daughter several times throughout the day with no response, which is unusual. They told police that they then used a key to enter her residence on Circle Avenue, but did not find her there or notice anything out of place. Her phone and purse were not inside the apartment, police reported. The woman’s parents told police that she doesn’t have any friends or family in the area, doesn’t abuse drugs or alcohol, and was in a good mental
state the last time they spoke, according to the police report Police reported that the woman is not at nearby hospitals or jails and have filed a missing person’s form
Pedestrian falls on public way
Police responded to a call Oct. 7 at the corner of Roosevelt Road and Lathrop Avenue. A man there was leaning against the Pace bus stop sign, which detached from the base and fell over, along with the man, according to the police report The man told police he’d recently had surgery and had a cast on his right leg. According to police, he was laying on his side on the sidewalk and complaining about pain in his right leg. The man was taken to a hospital, and Pace was notified.
Aggravated assault at Parky’s
A man on the 300 block of Harlem Avenue called police Oct. 17. The man told police that he was paying for his food at Parky’s Hot Dogs when another man demanded he buy him fries. When the customer declined, the man took a bottle out of his bag and threatened to hit him. The offender left the store after a verbal altercation, according to the police report. No one has been charged.
Mail burglary from motor vehicle
A United States Postal Service employee reported to police Oct. 17 that he was delivering mail in the 200 block of Elgin Avenue, and when he returned to his vehicle, the passenger side door was ajar and there was mail on the ground. The man also reported his duffel bag and mail missing from the car. The man said he would sign complaints if the offender was located
These items were obtained from Forest Park Police Department reports dated October 10 through October 17 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
Furniture, baby gear, toys & games, DVDs, clothing, sports equipment, craft supplies, household items, Halloween decor (it’s not too late!) and more! Come find some treasures!! The block will be barricaded for the sale. Parking is available on Pleasant or Randolph
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OPINION
Necessary zoning conversation
The discussion over discussions continues on Forest Park’s village council. We continue to find it both interesting and worthy of more discussion.
At a council meeting last week, the five-member body talked for 40 minutes about a notable proposal to substantively update zoning in the village. Ultimately, the council chose to table the measure pending further, well, discussion. That’s a solid decision, given how important this conversation is in a town where zoning has been most often ignored.
In general ter ms, we are supportive of the coming changes, as they go a long way toward resolving the festering issue of so many Forest Park residential structures being noncompliant with the existing zoning law. These are the many side houses and back-of-the-yard dwellings that were built decades ago in the absence of proper zoning. So, yes, they are noncompliant, but there they are, plain as day, sitting there paying taxes and providing solid housing. Taking them out of zoning limbo is the necessary and imperfect solution.
OUR VIEW HOLMES
And the council will get there soon, we are confident. Meanwhile, council members continue to have questions on other aspects of the zoning re-do. These are legitimate questions, as they relate to the impact of increasing housing density. And in a town by a river with obsolete sewers, how do these zoning changes impact stor m water management?We want to better understand those implications, too
How to get to those understandings was the subject of the discussion at the village council table last week. Commissioner Maria Maxham’s point seems to be that commissioners had weeks to review the chapter of the zoning code that was tabled. Meanwhile, seven months is the time frame that Steve Glinke, head of the village’s multipurpose Public Health and Safety Department, clocks as when work started on updating the zoning code as a whole. Updates have rightly and effectively percolated up to the village council through multiple meetings of the Planning and Zoning Commission. At issue is how members of the council get their questions answered. Do they do it in advance through conversations with department heads and the village administrator? That’s one good way. But the viewpoint expressed by Commissioner Jessica Voogd is that public discussions at village council meetings are also essential. We agree wholeheartedly that residents need to hear the questions and answers, and also the dialogue among the mayor and commissioners. Commissioner Ryan Nero called last week’s well-spent 40 minutes “a good example of what civil, robust discussions in the council chambers can yield.”
A final point: Commissioner Michelle Melin-Rogovin is right in saying that, while the good work of the zoning commission is valued and its recommendations respected, it is fully the responsibility of the council to debate and decide the path to take on zoning issues Commissions are advisory. The village council is the elected body whose efforts are ultimately reviewed by voters.
If there are more questions from the council, that is all good. A resolution on zoning will come when those questions are answered.
Serenity to accept what I can’t change
My wife and I plan to have dinner at Yum Thai on Nov. 6, the day after the election. Here’s why:
Several weeks ago I noticed that I was feeling anxious about the election. I had nightmares about what would happen to our society if Donald Trump had another four-year try at widening the polarization in our country.
I realize that MAGAs feel the same way about Kamala Harris, which increases my anxiety even more, because everyone seems to have this apocalyptic sense that the nation will go to hell if the other side wins. When the perception is that the stakes are that high, there’s always the temptation to frame the other side as the enemy, and when the other side is the enemy, almost any tactic is acceptable
live in a free land of abundance; God is good all the time.”
But I remain anxious.
So I told my wife how I was feeling, and she responded with empathy and we began to brainstor m tactics for reducing my feeling of foreboding.
My friend is confident that Kamala Harris will win. I’m glad for him, but I don’t share his optimism, so my wife and I agreed that my friend’s confidence would not help me.
I never hear politicians saying, “I will work for you” anymore. The rhetoric is always “I will fight for you.”
Not a good place to be, spiritually.
So I was feeling this dark cloud of anxiety hanging over me.
When I shared my feeling with a friend, he replied, “I let go of that. I’ve done what I can do to influence the outcome of the election, and I’m powerless to change what will happen, so I just let it go.”
I envied my friend. I wish I could let go, but I am having a hard time doing so
My friend put a Harris/Walz sign in his front yard He even went to Wisconsin one Saturday and knocked on doors on behalf of the Vice President. He clearly exhibited the “courage to change what he could,” so intellectually I understood his statement about letting go. Emotionally, however, I was having a hard time
You see, my wife and I wrote 200 postcards to voters in the swing state of Georgia, spent over fifty bucks on stamps and mailed them on Oct. 15. We had done more than most people to be influencers, but that, of course, did not relieve my sense that the outcome was out of my control.
You know what I mean?
It’s like watching your favorite football team with a 2-point lead with 4 minutes left in the game and the other team (aka “the enemy”) has the ball on their own 40 yard line. Your sense that all is well in the universe is out of your hands and in the hands of 11 overpaid athletes on defense
When I’m watching a game like that, I try to calm myself. “It’s only a game,” I tell myself. “Being anxious is silly. You are loved by your family and friends; you
So one small thing we decided to do was to plan on having dinner at Yum Thai, one of our favorite restaurants, on the day after the election — pot stickers, sesame chicken, Thai iced coffee. It was part of our attempt, really my attempt, to acknowledge that my anxiety was my problem more than being dependent on circumstances like who won the election. So one of things over which we did have control was planning to have something to look forward to. A small thing, really, but something over which we did have control.
A Buddhist name Thich Nhat Hanh tells a story about the boat people during the Vietnam War (Vietnamese call it the American War) who were, much like the migrants who ar rive at our border today, trying to escape the violence and chaos they were experiencing at home.
Thich said that many of the overcrowded boats capsized when they got into the open ocean and the people drowned. It wasn’t because of the waves, Thich said, but because the people in the boat panicked
We all face big, frightening waves in our lives. Worries about going out of business, going through a divorce, a diagnosis of cancer, an election going the wrong way.
Viktor Frankl was a Holocaust survivor who wrote in Man’s Search for Meaning that it’s not what happens to us that gives meaning to our lives but how we respond to what happens to us
The people in Asheville, North Carolina were victims of terrible flooding, which was out of their control. What I’ve been hearing on the news is that many residents of that town are choosing to respond by embracing the agency they have left to love their neighbors, to commit themselves to working together to recover.
Ten years from now, I hope that what they will remember more than the flooding that was out of their control was how, as a community, they responded
So long, Eddie Spaghetti REVIEW
Editor Erika Hobbs
Sta Repor ter Jessica Mordacq
Digital Manager Stacy Coleman
Digital Media Coordinator Brooke Duncan
Contributing Editor Donna Greene
Contributing Reporters Tom Holmes, John Rice, 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
Marketing & Adver tising Associate Ben Stumpe
Senior Media Strategist Lourdes Nicholls
Business & Development Manager Mary Ellen Nelligan
Circulation Manager Jill Wagner
Publisher Dan Haley
Special Projects Manager Susan Walker
Board of Directors
Chair Eric Weinheimer
Treasurer Nile Wendorf Deb Abrahamson, Gary Collins, Steve Edwards, Judy Gre n, Darnell Shields, Sheila Solomon
HOW TO REACH US
ADDRESS 141 S. Oak Park Ave., Oak Park, IL 60302 PHONE 708-366-0600 ■ FAX 708-467-9066
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Dec. 21 is the winter solstice. It’s also the birthday of my childhood friend, Ed Wackrow. Ed and I have been friends since we were 7. We always made a big deal about Ed’s birthday. It was the kickoff to our Christmas celebration.
This year is different. Ed passed away on Sept. 28 just short of his 70th birthday. I’ve never lost a close childhood friend like Ed. It was always the three of us hanging out together: Ed, Bob Cullen and me.
We became friends because we lived along the “Great Shortcut” to Longfellow Park in Oak Park We played year-round sports at the park. Ed was a gentle soul but he could be a fierce competitor. He was especially competitive at basketball, which we played on Ken Trainor’s alley hoop
We also hung out in Ed’s basement because he had a pool table. The walls were decorated with psychedelic Beatles posters. They were hung there by Ed’s older brother, Jerry, who was our music influencer
We spent hours listening to Jerry’s collection of 8-Tracks and albums. I heard Abbey Road for the first time. Ed was a music lover
his whole life. Music was a bond ut we shared so many others. he three of us were such good friends, we even enjoyed doing boring stuff together.
Ed and I attended Ascension School but drifted apart when we went to different high schools. Ed attended Quigley North. He was popular with his classmates and played on the baseball team. He went on to earn a degree in psychology from Quincy College Quincy was one of the towns Ed and I visited during our road trips. I used to bring him along for companionship on my out-of-town private investigator trips. He was my navigator, studying road maps to find our way.
Ed also started our annual pilgrimage to White Pines State Park For years, our family drove to White Pines to hike the trails We stopped at the Black Hawk statue on the way. On the way home, we bought pumpkins and apple cider.
Ed often came with us. He also traveled with us on vacation. My wife would be stuck in the backseat with young kids, while Ed rode shotgun. I explained that he needed the room because he had long legs He was a shy person who rose to the occa-
sion when necessary.
When he called the house, he always engaged my kids in conversation. It was a conversational tightrope, especially when they were teens. My kids called him “Eddie Spaghetti.” He was like an uncle to them. He was like a brother to me and Bob, who called him our “leisure consultant” because he was always available for fun. Ed tape-recorded all the major sporting events. We watched MJ and the Bulls on a nightly basis.
The highlight of our hanging out, though, was on Christmas Eve.
Ed would still be shopping for barg ains on Dec. 24. Then we would head to Ascension Church for Midnight Mass. After mass ended at 2 a.m., we went to Bob’s to exchange gifts. Ed was a generous gift-giver. He once gave me two tickets to Frank Sinatra’s final Chicago concert. I still have them in my wallet.
During this time, Ed worked at the NAMI Drop-in Center on Oak Park Avenue. His mom, Marie, had founded the center, after Jerry was diagnosed with schizophrenia. Ed hosted barbeques, took groups on outings and was a wonderful listener.
I miss Ed very much but we’re still going to celebrate his birthday. It’s the least we can do for the tallest of our triad, who was born on the shortest day of the year
Costume contest at Forest Theater
Locals celebrated “Hallowe’en” in 1948 with parties at schools, while the Forest Theater, a popular movie house at Madison and Desplaines, hosted a costume contest. Popular costumes included storybook characters, goblins, ghosts, skeletons, pirates, cowboys and Disney animals. The Betsy
Ross School PTA hosted a party at 6:30 p.m., Friday night, Oct. 29, with prizes and activities for children and promised to have “lots of hot coffee available” for adults. This photo from Garfield School features some of the costumes.
Jill Wagner
RESOLUTION NO. R-87-24
A RESOLUTION PROVIDING FOR THE LEVY OF AN ADDITIONAL LIBRARY TAX FOR BUILDING AND MAINTENANCE
BE IT RESOLVED by the Council of the Village of Forest Park, Cook County, Illinois, as follows:
Section 1. The Board of Library Trustees of the Village of Forest Park, by Resolution dated September 16, 2024, has requested the corporate authorities of the Village of Forest Park to levy an additional 0.02% tax for the maintenance, repairs and alterations of library buildings and equipment, pursuant to 75 ILCS 5/3-4, in order to include the sum of $76,168.00 in the Village’s 2024 tax levy ordinance as the 0.02% Library Building and Maintenance levy.
Section 2. The corporate authorities of the Village of Forest Park hereby determine and propose to levy such additional 0.02% tax for the year 2024, subject to the provisions of 75 ILCS 5/3-4.
Section 3. The Village Clerk is hereby authorized and directed to publish a copy of this Resolution in the Forest Park Review, a newspaper with a general circulation within the Village of Forest Park, said publication to occur within fifteen (15) days of the adoption of this Resolution.
Section 4. Pursuant to 75 ILCS 5/3-4, notice is hereby given that if a petition requesting a referendum signed by 1,008 or more electors of the Village of Forest Park is filed with the corporate authorities of the Village of Forest Park on or before November 22, 2024, which is thirty (30) days after the date of publication of this Resolution, then the question whether this Resolution shall become effective and said tax imposed shall be submitted to the electors of the Village of Forest Park at a general or special election to be held in accordance with the election laws of the State of Illinois in force at the time of such election. The Village Clerk is hereby directed to provide a petition to any individual requesting
Section 5. In the event no petition is filed with the corporate authorities within thirty (30) days from the of publication of this Resolution, then this Resolution shall be fective and the additional library shall be levied accordingly, and included in the Village’s levy ordinance for library purposes.
ADOPTED by the Council of the Village of Forest Park, Cook County, Illinois this 15th day of October, 2024. YES: 5
NAYS: 0
ABSENT: 0
APPROVED by me this 15th day of October, 2024.
Rory E. Hoskins, Mayor ATTESTED and filed in my office, and published in pamphlet form this 15th day of October, 2024.
Vanessa Belmonte, Clerk
LEGAL NOTICE
The Village of Oak Park --Office of the Village Engineer, 201 South Boulevard, Oak Park, Illinois 60302-- will receive electronic proposals until 10:00 A.M. on Thursday, November 7, 2024, for the following: 24-10 Sewer Cleaning and Inspection. Proposals can be sent electronically to eavgoustakis@oak-park.us.
In general, the contract will require the following work: light cleaning of sewer segments to be inspected, inspecting sewer segments by means of closed-circuit television (CCTV), and providing reports of CCTV inspections at locations shown, and all appurtenant work thereto. All CCTV inspections shall be performed in accordance with NASSCO’s pipeline assessment certification program (PACP) standards.
Proposal forms may be obtained from the Village’s website at http://www.oakpark.us/bid. For questions, please call or email Elaine Avgoustakis, (708) 358-5726, eavgoustakis@oak-park.us
The work to be performed pursuant to this Proposal is subject to the Illinois Prevailing Wage Act, 820 ILCS 130/0.01 et seq.
THE VILLAGE OF OAK PARK Bill McKenna Village Engineer
Published in Wednesday Journal October 23, 2024
NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING
OF OAK PARK PLAN COMMISSION
DOCKET NUMBER: PC 24-08/09
(Zoning Ordinance Text Amendment (NC Zoning District) and Special Use Application – Community Service Center)
HEARING DATE: November 7, 2024
TIME: 7:00 p.m. or as soon thereafter as the agenda permits
LOCATION OF HEARING: Room 201 - Council Chambers, Village of Oak Park, 123 Madison Street Oak Park, Illinois 60302
PETITIONER: Housing Forward, 1851 South 9th Avenue, Maywood, IL 60153
PROPERTY ADDRESS: 112 South Humphrey Avenue / 21 South Boulevard, Oak Park, IL 60302
LEGAL DESCRIPTION: LOTS 4 AND 5 IN BLOCK 1 IN A SUBDIVISION OF THAT PART OF THE EAST ¼ OF THE SOUTHWEST ¼ LYING BETWEEN THE SOUTH LINE OF THE CHICAGO AND NORTHWESTERN RAILROAD AND THE NORTH LINE OF THE DUMMY RAILROAD IN SECTION 8, TOWNSHIP 39 NORTH, RANGE 13 EAST OF THE THIRD PRINCIPAL MERIDIAN, IN COOK COUNTY, ILLINOIS.
P.I.N.s: 16-08-305-004-0000
REQUEST: The Petitioner, Housing Forward, seeks text amendments to the Oak Park Zoning Ordinance as follows: (i) an amendment to Article 8 (“Uses”)
to add “Community Service Center” as a special use in the NC-Neighborhood Commercial District, and (ii) an amendment to Section 8.4 (“Principal Use Standards”), Subsection X. Community Service Center standard number 1, to amend the overnight hours for the residential portion of a Community Service Center to be 5:30 pm to 9:00 am instead of 7:00 pm to 6:30 am. The Applicant is also requesting a Special Use permit to allow a Community Service Center at the above referenced property addresses. The Plan Commission may also consider any related and additional relief that may be discovered during the review of these dockets.
A copy of the proposed text amendments and special use application are on file and available for inspection at the Village Hall, Development Customer Services Department, 123 Madison Street, Oak Park, Illinois 60302, during regular business hours, Monday through Friday, between 8:30 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. The Plan Commission may continue the hearing to another date without further notice by public announcement at the hearing setting forth the time and place thereof.
ALL INTERESTED PERSONS ARE INVITED TO BE HEARD
OAK PARK PLAN COMMISSION Oak Park, Illinois 60302
NOTICE IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF COOK COUNTY, ILLNOIS COUNTY DEPARTMENT, PROBATE DIVISION Estate of NANCY MELANSON, Deceased No. 2024P003200 That the Order Admitting Will to Probate and Appointing Representative in the Circuit Court of Cook County, Illinois was granted on July 26, 2024 for the Estate of Nancy Melanson, Deceased and that KRYSTIN MELANSON BURNS was appointed as the Independent Executor and letters of office have issued and states under the penalties of perjury that:
1. Nancy Melanson died April 20, 2024, leaving a will dated February 13, 2013.
2. The approximate value of the estate is Personal: $10,000, Real: $400,000, Annual Income from Real Estate $0.
3. The names and post office addresses of the testator’s heirs and legatees are set forth on Exhibit A made a part of the petition.
4. The testator nominated as executor of the following, qualified and willing to act: Kristin Burns, 1115 Thatcher Ave., River Forest, IL 60305.
5. By order dated July 26, 2024 Kristin Melanson Burns has been appointed Independent Executor and letters of office issued.
6. This ad requests that any unknown heirs make themselves known to the attorney herein.
7. This ad will serve as a notice to creditors that they have 6 months from the date of filing of this petition to submit their claims.
Atty Name: Matt Leuck Attorney for Petitioner 84 E. Burlington, 2W Riverside, IL 60546
708-447-3166
Atty No. 11017
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: G24000553 on October 8, 2024 Under the Assumed Business Name of EPISTLE WEAR with the business located at: 1626 BUCKINGHAM AVE, WESTCHESTER, IL 60154. The true and real full name(s) and residence address of the owner(s)/ partner(s) is: ARLENE JONES, 1626 BUCKINGHAM AVE, WESTCHESTER, IL 60154, USA.
EQUAL HOUSING OPPORTUNITY
All real estate advertising in this newspaper is subject to the Fair Housing Act, which makes it illegal to advertise any preference, limitation or discrimination based on age, race, color, religion, sex, handicap, familial status or national origin, or intention to make any such preferences, limitations or discrimination.
The Illinois Human Rights Act prohibits discrimination in the sale, rental or advertising of real estate based on factors in addition to those protected under federal law. This newspaper will not knowingly accept any advertising for real estate which is in violation of the law. All persons are hereby informed that all dwellings advertised are available on an equal opportunity basis. Restrictions or prohibitions of pets do not apply to service animals. To complain of discrimination, call HUD toll free at: 1-800-669-9777.
